National Wildlife Refuges

Mahleur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon, 1908

One of the crown jewels of the National Wildlife Refuge System, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge protects 187,000 acres of wetlands in southeastern Oregon's high desert. It is adjacent to the Steens Mountain Wilderness, with the Wild and Scenic Donner and Blitzen River flowing into the refuge at its southern boundary.

The refuge is famous for its tremendous diversity and spectacular concentrations of wildlife. Boasting over 320 bird species and 58 mammal species, Malheur is a mecca for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Spring is the most spectacular season at Malheur. More than 130 species of birds nest on the refuge, while other waterfowl using the Pacific Flyway stop at the refuge to refuel for their journey northward. In February, northern pintail and tundra swan begin to arrive, followed by large flocks of lesser and greater sandhill crane, and flocks of snow goose and Ross' goose.

It's another Refuge that I went to several times during the 90's. So, I have photos from several different seasons. Here is a variety of them:

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Hooded Merganser

Mule Deer Buck with Doe

Mule Deer Door with a "nosy"  LBB

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler (male and female)

Red Tailed Hawk

Ring Necked Pheasant

Rough Legged Hawk

Wood Duck in winter

RAPTORS: XVI

Today, it is the less common raptors I have been able to photograph:

Broad Wing Hawk 

Photo taken in Alberta, Canada

The Broad Wing Hawk summers over most of eastern North America and as far west as Alberta in the north and Texas in the south. They migrate south to winter from Mexico to Brazil. There are some subspecies that are found year round in the Caribbean.  Broad-wing Hawks live almost entirely in forested areas, with even migratory birds choosing only wooded areas to roost in. They are seemingly indifferent to the type of forest used either for breeding or wintering. During days with favorable winds, enormous kettles of tens of thousands of Broad-wings can be seen along flyways.

These birds hunt by sitting on a perch and watching for prey, and have been described as "cat-like" while stalking. When prey becomes apparent, they swoop down to the forest floor after it. Rarely, they will also fly in search of prey. The diet is variable, but small mammals are the most regular prey.

  

Rough Legged Hawk (female)

Photo taken in Central British Columbia

The Rough Legged Hawk winters in most of the US with the exception of the Southeast. It migrates in the summer to the Arctic. Typically it breeds on cliffs, slopes or in trees.  It hunts over open land, eating small mammals and carrion. This species, along with the Osprey and White Tail Kite is one of the few large birds of prey to hover regularly. The female plumage has much more white than the male, making it easy to distinguish from the male. Like several of the hawks (Rough Legged, Ferruginous, Red Tail) there is a light morph and a dark morph. The dark morph is common in the East but uncommon in the West.  

White Tail Kite

Photo taken in Northern California

The plumage on the White Tail Kite is much like a tern or gull. But the similarities end there. It is a deadly accurate predator feeding primarily on rodents. They are readily seen patrolling or hovering over lowland scrub or grassland. Since they are not bird eaters, other birds ignore them. They roost in communal groups of up to 100. The White-tailed Kite became nearly extinct in California in the 1930s and 1940s from hunting but they are now common again. Their distribution is patchy, however – they can be seen in the Central Valley (where this one was photographed), southern coastal areas, and also around San Francisco Bay They are also found in southern Texas, on the Baja Peninsula, and in eastern Mexico.