Spring Migration on the Pacific Flyway!

Springtime in the Klamath Basin brings sunshine...and sleet...and wind...and rain...and snow...aaaaaaand a tiny bit of thunder. But no one attending Oregon Wild’s recent birding trip seemed to mind this atmospheric multiple personality disorder. After all, it’s been a painfully dry winter, so the Basin can use every last drop of water. Besides, we were really there to see the spectacle of birds in full migration mode along the Pacific Flyway.

And it was quite a spectacle. I’ve read the statistic that an estimated 80% of waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway use the Klamath Basin’s refuges along their migratory journey. But I couldn’t put that number into perspective until I witnessed thousands of geese take flight over Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

It’s really something to watch a dark mass of waterfowl floating calmly on a lake start to churn, and then become a dark mass of squawking and beating wings overhead. Though I found myself desperately hoping my head wouldn't become a target -- and had to remind myself to keep my mouth closed when looking skyward -- it really was an incredible sight.

Together, we visited four of the Klamath Basin’s National Wildlife Refuges: Upper Klamath Lake, Klamath Marsh, Lower Klamath, and Tule Lake. We spent two days exploring -- with binoculars permanently affixed to our faces -- and two nights trading stories in a warm cabin near Klamath Marsh. During that time, our group of expert (and aspiring) birders identified 79 distinct birds species. (See below for a detailed list.)

Looking at the refuges that weekend, it’s hard to believe that the Klamath Basin once supported 350,000 acres of wetlands. In the last century, commercial agriculture has reduced that habitat to 80,000 acres. Yet, what remains of those wetlands represents some of the most important waterfowl habitat in the United States.

And for that remaining refuge habitat and the wildlife that depends on it, 2014 is shaping up to be a rough year. Governor Kitzhaber declared drought all the way back in February. Last year, drought wasn’t declared until April, and by the end of summer over 12,000 birds at Tule Lake had died of avian botulism and Lower Klamath was completely dry.

This year, as April rolled in, snowpack in the Klamath Basin hovered around 30% of average. Tule Lake had already experienced an outbreak of avian cholera. Lower Klamath had only about half the water it normally expects in April -- and some of its major wetlands were already drained to flood fields for next year’s grain crops. Before the end of the summer, Lower Klamath will be completely dry.

Since Oregon Wild’s birding trip, a water agreement was reached between the Klamath Tribes and irrigators in the basin. Governor Kitzhaber and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are lauding this agreement as a solution to the Klamath Basin’s water woes. While the agreement is no small achievement, it does nothing for the National Wildlife Refuges that make up the very heart of the Pacific Flyway. A solution that does not include the refuges is no solution at all.

This year Oregon Wild is working with partners to make sure the US Fish & Wildlife Service prepares and implements a management plan that puts wildlife first. I mean, it’s in their name, for crying out loud. With a rather grim outlook for wildlife and wetlands this year, why are we focusing on preparation of a management document? First, a management plan for the refuges is an embarrassing 18 months overdue. Second, it will initiate a public process that will finally give all of us who care about wildlife a way to participate in and influence what happens on the refuges.

Please stay tuned for more information on our Klamath campaign. We think there are exciting things ahead. Also, I urge you to consider joining us on one of our upcoming trips to the Klamath Basin this summer. And if you do, bring your kids! Or your grandkids! The Klamath Basin is a special place, and visiting its refuges is perhaps the best reminder that its remaining wetland habitat is incredibly precious.

Bird Species Identified:
For the birders out there, here is a detailed list of the birds we saw during our spring migration trip. As a disclaimer, it is probably prudent to mention that, though I am capable of distinguishing a bird from, say, a deer, I defer to the birding experts (like Wendell Wood, pictured here) on these matters.

  • Loons, Grebes
    • Pied-billed Grebe
    • Horned Grebe
    • Eared Grebe
    • Western Grebe
    • Clark’s Grebe
  • Pelicans, Herons
    • American White Pelican
    • Double-crested Cormorant
    • Great Blue Heron
    • Great Egret
  • Waterfowl
    • Tundra Swan
    • Greater White-fronted Goose
    • Snow Goose
    • Ross’ Goose
    • Canada Goose
    • Wood Duck
    • Green-winged Teal
    • Mallard
    • Northern Pintail
    • Cinnamon Teal
    • Northern Shoveler
    • Gadwall
    • Canvasback
    • Ring-necked Duck
    • Lesser Scaup
    • Common Goldeneye
    • Bufflehead
    • Hood Merganser
    • Common Merganser
    • Ruddy Duck
  • Raptors
    • Turkey Vulture
    • Bald Eagle
    • Northern Harrier
    • Cooper’s Hawk
    • Red-tailed Hawk
    • Rough-legged Hawk
    • American Kestrel
  • Gallinaceous Birds
    • Ring-necked Pheasant
    • California Quail
  • Rails, Cranes
    • American Coot
    • Sandhill Crane
  • Shorebirds
    • Killdeer
    • Black-necked Stilt
    • American Avocet
    • Marbled Godwit
    • Dunlin
    • Short-billed Dowitcher
  • Jaegers, Gulls
    • Ring-billed Gull
  • Doves, Pigeons
    • Rock Pigeon
  • Woodpeckers
    • Downy Woodpecker
    • Northern Flicker
  • Larks, Swallows
    • Tree Swallow
    • Barn Swallow
  • Corvids
    • Steller’s Jay
    • Scrub Jay
    • Clark’s Nutcracker
    • Black-billed Magpie
    • Common Raven
  • Chickadees, Bushtit
    • Black-capped Chickadee
    • Mountain Chickadee
  • Nuthatch, Creeper
    • Red-breasted Nuthatch
    • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Wrens, Dipper
    • Marsh Wren
  • Kinglets
    • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  • Thrushes
    • Mountain Bluebird
    • American Robin
    • Varied Thrush
  • Starling, Vireos
    • European Starling
  • Warblers
    • Yellow-rumped warbler
  • Sparrows
    • Spotted Towhee
    • Song Sparrow
    • White-throated Sparrow
    • Golden-crowned Sparrow
    • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blackbirds, Orioles
    • Red-winged Blackbird
    • Yellow-headed Blackbird
  • Finches
    • House Finch
    • Red Crossbill
    • Lesser Goldfinch
  • Weaver Finch
    • House Sparrow