Sunflower © Ken Cole
Memorial Day Weekend Trip in Photos
My wife and I went to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Oregon for Memorial Day weekend to do some bird watching and a little fishing. I had intended to post this shortly afterwards but other stories and a trip to Massachusetts and Maine got in the way.
We took a day trip through the Catlow Basin and through part of the Alvord Basin to Coyote Lake Basin as well. While there I did a little fishing for the Willow/Whitehorse Creek Cutthroat which is a minor subspecies of Lahontan Cutthroat. I caught and photographed two of these fish.
Phlox © Ken Cole
Blooming Desert © Ken Cole
Willet © Ken Cole
Orange Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea munroana) © Ken Cole
Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) © Ken Cole
Willow/Whitehorse Creek Cuttrhoat © Ken Cole
Willow/Whitehorse Creek Cuttrhoat © Ken Cole
Cottontail Rabbit © Ken Cole
Common Yellowthroat © Ken Cole
Northern Shoveler © Ken Cole
Common Coot © Ken Cole
Eastern Kingbird © Ken Cole
Brewer's Blackbird © Ken Cole
American Avocet © Ken Cole
Yellow Warbler © Ken Cole
White Faced Ibis © Susan Bordeaux
American White Pelican © Ken Cole
Forester's Tern © Ken Cole
Great Horned Owl Chick © Ken Cole
Tree Swallow © Ken Cole
Western Tanager © Ken Cole
Garter Snake © Ken Cole
Tiger Swallowtail © Ken Cole
Horned Grebe © Ken Cole
Ken Cole
Ken Cole is a 5th generation Idahoan, an avid fly fisherman, wildlife enthusiast, and photographer. He is the interim Idaho Director for Western Watersheds Project. We do not accept unsolicited “guest” authors or advertising.
pretty sweet. thanks
Very nice. I especially liked the tanager photo. By the way, I’m pretty sure your “unknown desert flower” is an orange globe mallow (Sphaeralcea munroana).
Nice, do you know what kind of sunflower the top photo is?
I particularly like the ibis photo my wife took.
Wonderful photos, Ken. I love the geometry of the willet picture. Thanks!
Ken,
The sunflower looks like it may be arrowroot balsam
I think Save Bears is probably right on the flower: arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata). It’s hard to tell without being able to see the leaves, though. It could also be Carey’s balsamroot (B. careyana), though that’s more common near the Columbia. Real botanists are encouraged to ridicule my calls, here.
Great to see these photos again. Not as many species to see in Western Massachusetts, however, lots of homo sapiens.
Susan is my wife and this is her first comment to a blog ever 😉 – Ken
Great pictures. I have heard that avocets are very aggressive when they have a nest nearby. Was this one near a nest?
Next time you there, stop by the Steen Mtn hotel and pick up a book they have there. It was written by the one of the first naturalists to visit or.. Fascinating. Sorry I don’t remember the name.