Field Journal

High Desert Country, Oregon
04/15/05 - 04/22/05

The High Desert country of southeast Oregon is like another planet compared with my lush home of the Puget Sound area. The gray-green of sage brush contrasts with the reddish brown columns of rocky cliffs and plateaus. While at first glimpse this place seems austere, it is teaming with life. Wild horses and deer roam through the open lands, bobcats make homes in the rocks, and hundreds of species of birds spend part of their year here. Malheur Wildlife Refuge sits in the middle of this country. Theodore Roosevelt officially designated this area a refuge to protect the diversity of birds from the milliners’ trade.  Photos by Kevin Mack.

The Donner and Blitzen River

Named Dunder Und Blitzen, German for “Thunder and Lighting”, by Captain George B Currey in 1864 while leading a campaign against the Native People who originally lived in this country.

River Otter Tracks

                                        This picture of River Otter (Lutra canadensis) tracks shows the classic weasel family bounding pattern.

Set of River Otter Tracks

These animals were extirpated from the area after heavy hunting for the fur trade. They have been reintroduced to the refuge and appear to be thriving.

Snow Geese in Flight

                         Thousands of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) fly north to their breeding grounds in the arctic.

Coyote Junction

The open country of the high desert is covered in animal trails. This fence post is a major intersection of Coyote (Canis latrans) trails.

Coyote Scat Signpost

     At this intersection of several Coyote trails, many animals have left their greeting card of scat (a nice naturalist term for poop) over time.

Journaling a Mystery Track

Julie has tape measure, knife-sharpened pencil, and pocket notebook out to capture the details of tracks for later identification.

Closer Inspection

Julie notes the size of the individual tracks, distance between tracks, ecology, soil, weather, and location to help her understand the animal that made this track. Can you tell what animal made the tracks?

Turkey Vulture Night Roost

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) come into roost at dusk after spending the day gliding on thermals in search of food.