Category: Malheur Wildlife Refuge

I stopped in at Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge on my way to Malheur in hopes of seeing the Black-Necked Stilt I’d seen there last year, only to discover that there are no ponds open to the general public, at least not until hunting season when most of the range is open on hunting days only. Disappointed and frustrated, it seemed unlikely that I would see any on this trip.

Luckily, I found them at the ponds right outside Malheur, both on the way in and on the way out. Last year I was struck by their brilliant black and white colors and red legs. But once I saw them foraging, I realized immediately where their name comes from.

Just look at the weird looking right leg:

It’s also obvious when they’re wading in shallow water,

and even more when you see them next to a flock of yellowlegs and a Wilson’s Phalarope:

Malheur is definitely a birder’s delight.

One of my goals in returning to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge this week was to get a better picture of a White-Faced Ibis, a bird I didn’t even know existed until I returned home from my first trip their this Spring and examines some long shots I’d taken of a flock of birds flying overhead.

I certainly met that goal this time, for it seemed like they were everywhere, though none of them had white faces, which they only have during breeding. Nor did any of them look quite as colorful as the ones I found in my birding book.

I really wasn’t terribly disappointed, though, because its really the shape of the bird

not its colors that first drew my attention. It’s a good thing, too, because this shot is symbolic of most of the Ibis I saw.

As it turned out, the shot I took the first day in the ponds you cross before you make the turn to go to the tour captured the iridescent color of the Ibis

better than any picture I got on the rest of the trip, though I much prefer this pose,

and the definition of the feathers. Unfortunately the sun was shining from the back and the photo had to be lightened to bring out what little color there was.

The beautiful green in this shot of an Ibis flying away

gives me reason to believe that I have plenty of reasons to return to get better shots, particularly in the Spring when they are in breeding colors.

Despite my photographic frustration at Malheur, I had a good time and am looking forward to returning there, hopefully at least a couple more times this year and staying longer when I do return. A day isn’t nearly long enough to see what’s there, unless it’s snowing and sleeting.

Here are three of my favorite shots that I haven’t already posted. I’ve been hearing about a Redheaded duck several times locally, but have never seen it. However, when I saw this duck in the background while photographing the Ruddy Ducks, I knew immediately that I’d never seen one before and realized, at the same moment, that it must be the Redhead in full breeding colors. Luckily, I also happened to see it during one of the few breaks in the clouds.

Another favorite also happens to be a shot of birds I’ve never seen before. In fact, I didn’t “see” them until I was sitting in front of my computer long after the trip. When they flew over, I actually thought they were a flock of cormorants, not realizing differently until I actually was deciding which pictures to delete. Next time I’ll be hunting for White-faced Ibis on the ground.

The last shot is one of birds I was expecting to see in Toppenish on my return visit. When I first saw these in the distance, I thought it was a flock of gulls, but as it got closer it was quite clear it was actually a large flock of White Pelicans.

While my favorite bird shots are shots of individual birds flying, shots like this are one of the main reasons I keep using my old 400mm telephoto instead of the newer 500mm lens with a doubler. I find it much easier to get shots of flying birds with a hand-held lens rather than a camera mounted on a tripod.

The more serious I become about photographing wildlife, the more I realize the limitations and the trade-offs you make every time you choose a camera or lens, no matter how good or expensive it might be. I’m constantly pushing the limits of my equipment, trying to meet my needs rather than meeting the needs of the equipment.

I’ve been trying to get shots of a male Ruddy Duck in breeding colors for several years now, and, despite the clouds, I had every chance to do that while in Malheur. I must have spent an hour watching several male Ruddy Ducks courting the ladies. I’m still not sure exactly what the courting ritual consists of, but raised tail feathers seemed like one sure sign,

as well as this charging habit, which I observed repeatedly, though I’m still not sure if it was meant to impress the female or intimidate other males.

If standing up didn’t win the lady,

males seemed perfectly willing to throw themselves at their mercy.

After all that, the little guy can probably be forgiven if he appears a little cocky after he wins the lady’s attention.