South Eastern Oregon

Beautiful! I had never thought of going through this part of the state, but things worked out and I took this route on my way to Sun Valley from Northern CA. I was by myself and enjoyed the trip immensely. I have just gotten a new car, I put on the music as loud as I could take it and rocked out while driving and enjoying the scenery.

I took this route for one reason and that was to head to the Alvord Desert, but luckily I found so much more to photograph before getting there and actually I never made it to the Desert or the Hot Springs.

The drive was nine hours but I never was tired since I had enough to see and appreciate along the drive.

As I mentioned before, I was never a birder, but now, I am and love it. Once you stop to look at the variety and colors it is endless. I wanted to share one of the highlights of photographing this lake – I got to see what I call the “The Bird Dance”.

The southeastern part of Oregon is high desert which has its own beauty. When I think of desert – I think of sand dunes, hot and arid but this was a pleasant surprise.

As I was driving along, I realized how fabulous the alfalfa hay is growing out here. I came across some huge fields of hay blowing in the wind and it brought me back to my ranching days. Seeing farmers out in the fields is so heartening – they work so hard no matter how hot, cold or raining or snowing – that is a tough job.

My next stop was Boise, Idaho. It was going to be 105 degrees that day and I don’t do well in the heat, so I changed my plans again and instead of driving for a few hours out of the way, I went to the World Center for Birds of Prey. Watching birds of prey is a fascination of mine, how they watch, soar, dive & hunt. I got up early and wanted to get there before it got too hot. The highlight for me was I knew they had a Harpy Eagle, a bird I have always wanted to see in real life and I was able to capture him on film.

The World Center for Birds of Prey:

Our Mission:

To conserve birds of prey worldwide.

Our Vision:

• Raptor populations and their ecosystems thrive.
• Human communities are enriched by our work and raptors are valued by all humans.
• We serve as the global expert on birds of prey and their conservation.

What is a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl … An Owl or an Eagle? No, it does not mean an eagle mated with an owl and got the Verreaux’s Eagle Owl. It means, it is what the last part of the name is, an Owl. This is the largest of the owls in Africa and very hard to find when out on safari – they are nocturnal. The Verreaux’s Eagle Owl has short, tousled ear-tufts. It is also known as the Milky Eagle Owl or the Giant Eagle Owl.

What makes a bird a Raptor? There are three main characteristics that qualify it and that is keen eyesight, sharp talons & curved beaks. Raptors are the only bird that uses its talon’s to catch prey.

Harpy Eagles have long, curved beaks and talons the size of grizzly bear claws, Harpy Eagles are the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. These commanding birds swoop through the rain forests of Latin America, routinely picking up prey weighing more than 15 pounds—and sometimes equal to their own weight.

I have so much more to share. I will be traveling in September 2022, and plan to do blogs on each of the ports we visit. If you know me, I will not always be doing the typical tourist stops so I look forward to sharing those adventures with all of you.

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Until we ride again…

Until we ride again…