Always get a kick out of the male Ruddy Duck and his sky blue bill during breeding season.
Redhead PairRedheads Takeoff
Plenty of ducks encountered this week while driving through the refuge and was able to get a few decent flight shots when there was enough light, lots of overcast mornings.
Ring-neck Drake TakeoffMallard Drake in FlightGadwall TakeoffCinnamon Teal Pair
This pair of Cinnamon Teal have been found on this spot every day this week, so I assume she is sitting on some eggs.
Cinnamon Teal DrakeAvocets
American Avocets hunting along the flooded fields.
Long-billed CurlewSandhill Crane
This Sandhill was one of several pairs out hunting the flooded cow pastures along the highway.
Ferruginous Hawk
A completely drenched Ferruginous hawk manning his roadside hunting perch during one of this week’s showers.
Ferruginous Hawk
The look says it all, he doesn’t care for this weather any more than I do.
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There are all kinds of small birds along the road, such as Magpies, Meadowlarks, and many, many Red-headed Blackbirds, singing up a storm.
Ferruginous HawkFerruginous Hawk
I made a quick run up to Burns to fill up the Prius and grab some groceries, and on my return south on Route 205, I saw this Ferruginous Hawk taking off just off the side of the road, another first time bird for me.
Jim Palmer arrived around 3 PM and we talked for a couple of hours and then decided to go out to check on the Sage Grouse lek off Foster Flat Road around 6 PM. We saw a few at twilight but they were too far off, and there just wasn’t enough light to shoot. I definitely will return to this location for what is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Jim is a long time gifted wildlife photographer I met in Yellowstone National park a couple years back and he had graciously agreed to meet me here and show me the ropes, as he has been photographing here at Malhuer for many years. There is a lot of ground to cover here at Malhuer and it will be nice to have someone to show me where everything is ( or might be, I should say ).
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When you click through to shop Amazon from here, I get a tiny commission, one that does not in any way impact what you pay, and all those tiny commissions eventually add up and that helps me keep this blog going !