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Home / Events / Pacific Northwest Trip: Klamath Basin *FULL*

Pacific Northwest Trip: Klamath Basin *FULL*

We will visit Upper and Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges and explore the surrounding meadows, forests, and grasslands. Our visit is timed to see the spectacular spring migration of Snow, Ross’s, and White-fronted Geese, along with a great diversity of waterfowl and raptors, including Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Prairie Falcon.

On our first day, we’ll bird our way to Klamath Falls with stops at Greenwaters Park on the Willamette, Collier Memorial State Park near Chiloquin, and Wood River/Agency Lake just north of Upper Klamath Lake.

On our first morning, we’ll be on the lookout for a variety of raptors and waterbirds, as we head to Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge across the California border. Here, high diversity of ducks, geese, swans, grebes, and eagles are likely. Later we’ll visit Petroglyph Point archaeological site in Lava Beds National Monument, an important Native history site with large sections of petroglyphs. It is estimated that some of this art was created more than 6,000 years ago. This area also provides nesting habitat for Prairie Falcons. Time permitting, we’ll also make a stop at Link River in town to look for both Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye.

The next day we’ll head to the Miller Island Unit of the Klamath Wildlife Area, a prime staging area where large flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese are often seen, along with Snow and Ross’s Geese, raptors, and more waterbirds. We’ll wander up Township Road, hoping for lucky encounters with both Bald and Golden Eagle, Rough-legged, and Ferruginous Hawk. We’ll also keep our eyes open for the uncommon Tri-colored Blackbird. Later we’ll head to the Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where a great diversity of both diving and dabbling ducks intermingle, before returning to Klamath Falls.

Before we head back to Portland, we’ll explore Moore Park on Upper Klamath Lake. Here we will find transitioning habitat from juniper-sage to pine forest and we’ll search for various woodpeckers, nuthatches, and forest raptors.

Ross's Goose Ross's Geese by Scott Carpenter
Common Goldeneye, photo by Mick Thompson
Ferruginous Hawk, photo by Tara Lemezis

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Let’s explore the Klamath Basin, home to six national wildlife refuges and one of the most important wetland ecosystems in the west! Our visit is timed to see the spectacular spring migration of geese, along with a great diversity of waterfowl and plenty of raptors too.

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Trip Details

  • Trip Leaders: Brodie Cass Talbott and April Brown
  • Dates: March 31-April 3, 2022
  • Fee: $945 members / $1,145 non-members
  • Deposit: $500
  • Single supplement: $180

What is included

Fee includes all ground transportation, 3 nights double-occupancy lodging, all meals except dinners, all entrance fees and the services of your skilled leaders. *Alcohol and dinners not included.

Notes on Accessibility

Most of our birding on this trip will be from the vans, or on short walks on well-graded, level roads and trails.  There is one hike of about 2 miles on a well-graded trail with about 200′ of elevation gain.

Proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test within 48 hours required.

Trip Leader

Brodie Cass Talbott

Brodie works as an educator with Portland Audubon. After many years of wildland firefighting and leading river tours, he spent six years living and teaching across Asia, where his interest in birds became his passion. He has birded across five continents, and uses his experience in education and ecotourism to share his love of the outdoors with people from all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, with an eye towards increasing access to wild spaces for people from diverse communities.

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Trip Leader

April Brown

April Brown is a native Oregonian living with her husband and Scout, her indoor cat, in Vancouver Washington. She started birding at a very young age thanks to her dad. She became passionate about birding after volunteering at Portland Audubon in 2010 in the Wildlife Care Center. She soon became a Handler of Ambassador Animals and an Outings leader, among many other roles at Portland Audubon. She is an avid birder and spends almost every weekend in the field with her husband, to whom she passed along her addiction. She is thrilled anytime she can share the joys of birding, explore the natural world, and teach with other people from all walks of life.

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Details

Start:
March 31, 2022
End:
April 3, 2022
Event Categories:
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Organizer

Tara Lemezis
Email:
tlemezis@audubonportland.org

Related Events

On our first day, we’ll bird our way to Klamath Falls with stops at Greenwaters Park on the Willamette, Collier Memorial State Park near Chiloquin, and Wood River/Agency Lake just north of Upper Klamath Lake.

On our first morning, we’ll be on the lookout for a variety of raptors and waterbirds, as we head to Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge across the California border. Here, high diversity of ducks, geese, swans, grebes, and eagles are likely. Later we’ll visit Petroglyph Point archaeological site in Lava Beds National Monument, an important Native history site with large sections of petroglyphs. It is estimated that some of this art was created more than 6,000 years ago. This area also provides nesting habitat for Prairie Falcons. Time permitting, we’ll also make a stop at Link River in town to look for both Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye.

The next day we’ll head to the Miller Island Unit of the Klamath Wildlife Area, a prime staging area where large flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese are often seen, along with Snow and Ross’s Geese, raptors, and more waterbirds. We’ll wander up Township Road, hoping for lucky encounters with both Bald and Golden Eagle, Rough-legged, and Ferruginous Hawk. We’ll also keep our eyes open for the uncommon Tri-colored Blackbird. Later we’ll head to the Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where a great diversity of both diving and dabbling ducks intermingle, before returning to Klamath Falls.

Before we head back to Portland, we’ll explore Moore Park on Upper Klamath Lake. Here we will find transitioning habitat from juniper-sage to pine forest and we’ll search for various woodpeckers, nuthatches, and forest raptors.