Winter at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

Since it is still winter in most places, I thought I would share a winter photo from Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge along the Oregon - California border. While not a great photo, it tells a story. The Lower Klamath gets over a hundred thousand water birds for the winter: ducks, geese, swans, etc. Most of these birds fly great distances to get there. The result, they are tired upon arrival -- and, easy pickin's. In the foreground are Tundra Swans, that literally come from the Northern Alaska tundra, a distance of some 3,000 miles. In the background is the "mafia," oops, sorry eight or so Bald Eagles.  That day I probably saw over 100 eagles. The Bald Eagles weren't there for their "winter migration." They were there for dinner. There was always a swan that was the slowest and/or the tiredest who became a meal for a half dozen Bald Eagles. If you get a chance the Lower Klamath is a wonderful winter birding spot. It's about 70 miles east of Ashland, Oregon (on Interstate 5). And, well worth the trip.