November, 2007 — Mountain Lakes Circuit.

Numerous ducks and multitudinous American Coots on Hyatt Lake. Duck species included Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal.

On the prairie between mile 13 and mile 15 is good in cold weather for raptors including Bald Eagle, who get the biggest share of carrion, as the Turkey Vultures have migrated south. But they still must compete with the Ravens.

July 3, 2006 — Mountains Lake Circuit

With a dawn start this can be a half day drive into the mountains east of Ashland, Oregon. It includes habitats and birds not found in lowlands. There are commercial establishments that sell food and drink, even lakeside marinas where boats can be rented. Campsites and rental cabins are found in several spots. This drive is especially worthwhile in spring or early morning in summer before the heat sends most birds and people into daily estivation.

00 miles: the western terminus of Dead Indian Memorial Road
This road begins just south of I-5 Exit 14, turn east from Oregon Route 66 which intersects with I-5 at Exit 14. Your elevation here is below 2,000 feet above sea level.

01 mile:ranchland and riparian habitat
Here the road parallels Walker Creek and then Old House Creek on the south side (right-hand) as you head generally east. The trees are mostly deciduous at this low elevation. Spotted Towhee, Western Scrub-jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow. Expect Oak Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatch where oaks predominate. Flycatchers in this area: Western Wood-peewee and Pacific Slope. Hummingbirds will be Anna's and Rufous. Bullock's Oriole and Black-headed Grosbeak nest here in summer. Bushtits and Black-capped Chickadees glean through the foliage.

02 miles: open grassland and small lakes
American Kestrel, Brewer's Blackbird, Barn Swallow

03 miles: dry pastures continue
In some places there is no road shoulder. Watch for generous pull-outs at some road elbows. Watch for Beechey's Ground Squirrel on perches above the grass tops. Mourning Dove

04 miles: steep slope, with fine views down to the west and south

Volcanic rocks exposed. Bullock's Oriole flies up from the creek to chatter at us then we get out of the car. Oak Titmouse, Black-headed Grosbeak, Chipping Sparrow, Western Meadowlark which even in summer will occasionally give forth one of America's finest bird songs. It was Audubon himself who first recognized the Western Meadowlark was a separate species when he heard them singing along the Missouri River in Nebraska as he made his only trip west of the Mississippi after he'd become famous as a bird artist. Earlier naturalists, including Townsend and Nuttall, had assumed there was only one kind of meadowlark as they looked so much alike.

06 miles: Shale City Road junction on the left

07 miles: road continues to climb, first evergreens in the woods
Here oaks mix with evergreens

09 miles: first ceanothus and elderberry bushes along the road

11 miles: sage now seen along roadside beneath the evergreens

12 miles: pull out on right
The upslope to the left(north) of road is dry and rocky. To the right is forest. Junco, Spotted Towhee, Tree and Violet-green swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler. Further up Shale City Road rejoins this main road from the left.

13 miles: pull out overlooking lush mountain meadow
Wildflowers abound here this July. Steller's Jay. Lesser Goldfinch, Western Tanager gives his cranking call, Spotte Towhee. From the trees I hear an accipiter call, perhaps a Cooper's Hawk though all three accipiter breed in these mountain woods.

14 miles: evergreen forest of tall trees
There are many places here to park if you want to hunt for Black-backed or Three-toed Woodpeckers, Hammond's Flycatcher, Varied or Mermit Thrush, listen for Blue or Ruffed Grouse. The Black-backed especially likes lodgepole pine.

15 miles: mountain lake road sign on right-hand pull-out
Mountain meadow here has Beechey's ground squirrel.

16 miles: northwest corner of Howard Prairie Lake, Intersection
Here turn right off Dead Indian Memorial onto Hyatt Prairie Road. About 300 yards up the road on your right is a fire trail with metal gate. From here you can scope the north end of Howard Prairie Lake where waterfowl are most abundant. In woods are Chipping Sparrow, Bewick's Wren, Tree and Barn Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler. Listen for woodpeckers and Red-breasted Nuthatch's little tin horn call. This meadow in evening is supposed to be one good place to look for Great Gray Owl, a specialty of this area. I have yet to find one here or at any of the other local hot spots. In late May 2007, there were three Sandhill Cranes foraging in this lakeside meadow. The species has bred near Howard Prairie in the past.

Drive south past Grizzly Creek camping ground on the left.

20 miles: Howard Prairie Recreation Area entrance.
You are about 5,000 feet above sea level now. Turn left onto dirt road to marina, store, camp grounds. There's $3 day use charge in 2006. Here you can rent boats on go onto lake. Do this. $40 for five hour half-day use of 18-foot aluminum flat bottom with outboard motor. You can also rent by the hour. There are canoes but be aware there are power boats and an occasional jet ski on the lake. Most people come here for the rainbow trout fishing. Expect Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel around the parking lot and the store. Barn Swallows nest under eaves of the store as well. Here are islands to explore, birds to see, a chance to go ashore for a quiet picnic. Carry water, sunscreen & camera in addition to your binoculars. Get map of lake from marina, even if you intend to hike the lake shore to reach the north end. It's about a two-mile hike in one direction, past campgrounds and through woods. I recommend the freedom and fun of a boat.

As you face the lake from the marina, north is to your left and the north end of Howard Prairie Lake has plenty of shoreline marsh for waterfowl. Toward the right is the dam and deeper, more open water. Heading north from marina you will soon pass Doe Island where we saw a Bald Eagle. Locals believe there's a nest on the island but we couldn't see it from the boat. You can get pretty close to the island or land if you desire. It's covered with evergreens. To reach the far north end you go through a narrow but deep-enough channel before the lake opens into a broad but shallow y-shape. At the north end of Howard Prairie Lake we found over 50 White Pelicans loafing on small islands or fishing. Ace birder and bird-book author, John Kemper tells us these pelicans are not breeding at the lake.  They may be immature birds spending their summers there. And can be seen in spring and through the summer. We passed several female mergansers, one trailing a string of 20 ducklings. The Canada Geese are ever prolific and fertile. It was at this lake many years ago where I first saw two Bald Eagles bully an Osprey until it dropped its fish, which the lower flying eagle immediately swooped in to snatch in mid-air.

Bald Eagle, Osprey, Ravens, Canada Geese, White Pelicans, Clark's Grebe, Common Merganser, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Turkey Vulture, Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer, Tree and Barn Swallow, Vaux's Swift, Red-winged Blackbirds. In spring Sandhill Cranes pass through, Coots can be found along with possibly migrating ducks.

On the lake in this season the small flying insects float through the air like bits of dust, some with glossy wings that reflect back a golden color in the sunlight. Zapping through these myriad nanocraft are the larger damselflies and some truly impressive dragonflies. The small blue darters were abundant. We also encountered bronze winger dragonflies, ones with four zebra-striped wings and a couple large electric blue jobs that looked like jetliners next to tiny flies and gnats. Despite the density of insect life we did not encounter a mosquito.

00 miles: As you leave Howard Prairie marina entrance, turn left
I've re-set the mileage assuming you have added some distance getting to marina and in the parking lot. We certainly did, moving the car to get into shade, etc.

01 mile: Intersection
Road to Howard Prairie Dam goes left. Road to Hyatt Lake goes right. If you visit the dam, you've good chance of more views of eagle and Osprey on the large open end of the reservoir. We turned right. Soon we passed a 5 mile marker, probably distance from Dead Indian Memorial Road.

02 miles: on the left you can turn onto East Hyatt Lake Road.
That road goes along other meadows where Great Gray Owl apparently occur. There are pull-offs all along the road now. Habitat is evergreen forest, with occasional meadows. Robin, Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Flicker. The Yellow-rumps love a good pish so give 'em a go.

Now the corner of Hyatt Lake is on your left. A rough dirt road runs along the lake shore, or you can stick to the paved highway. There are many convenient pull-outs.

04 miles: Table Mountain Road, unpaved, goes off to the right.
Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorant, Robin, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Dusky and Willow Flycatchers. For Hammond's you'll need to leave your car and get into the woods.

05 miles: campground on left by lake
Double-crested Cormorants nesting in dead trees in lake.

further on: Mountain Resort--store and cafe, camping and cabins to rent. Next to store: riparian strip as creek enters Hyatt Lake. Good spot to check for warblers, vireo (expect Cassin's) and hummingbirds.

06 miles: left hand dirt road to Hyatt Lake Resort & dam site.
The surface of Hyatt Lake averages an elevation of 5015 feet above sea level. Primitive store here, cabins without kitchens, good views of dam area from large dirt parking lot. Here we took East Hytaat Road which leads downhill toward State Route 66.

07 miles: mountain stream crosses under road
There are numerous gravel roads leading off into deep evergreen forest here. Still wanting to track woodpeckers and Hammond's Flycatcher, this is good place to try as dense forest stretches over next few miles. We found butterflies thick along the road edge here.

10 miles: Intersection with STOP sign.
This is Oregon Route 66. Sign says: Ashland 18 (to the west or right), KLamath Falls 45 (to the east or left). At this intersection is the Green Springs Inn and the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument Information office which appears to be about six foot square. Now the road begins to descend and follows a small creek.

11 miles: Small reservoir.
Stop at uphill end of reservoir where the road has curved bridge over Keene Creek. The old road bridge is still there on the right. It affords good spot to bird the mountain stream and its flanking trees. We were here in the heat of mid-day so bird activity was diminished.

12 miles: Green Mountain Summit, 4551 feet elevation.
You'll begin to get your first looks at 7,500-foot Mount Ashland to the west. Soon you also see Pilot Rock to the southwest, a round rock standing above the surrounding ridges. Here the forest becomes dominated by oaks as the elevation drops and the heat increases. During the descent any amateur geologists will be noticing the bare volcanic rocks and the ways in which they cooled or were extruded in this area with a long, eruptive history. The views here along Route 66 are the most extensive of the trip. Camera time.

Western Wood-peewee, Rufous Hummingbird.

14 miles: Pull off on left hand side.
Vertiginous cliff offers view over the 1000 foot deep gorge holding Schoolhouse Creek. Here the volcanic rocks are crystallized in hexagonal tubes, side-by-side like shittake mushrooms. Here also I watched two juvenile Goshawk working hundreds of feet over the trees at the bottom of the gorge. Their fluffy white undertail coverts gave them the apparent tail pattern of Junco. Field guides are not terribly helpful with this look--you're not supposed to be looking down onto a Goshawk right?

As you move down into oak-studded grasslands, you have re-entered the territory of Western Scrub-jay, Americans Crows, Ash-throated Flycatcher and the usual riparian species along the creeks.

19 miles: Buckhorn Road on the left, along with Buckhorn Creek
This creek flows into upper end of Emigrant Lake. Rich riparian habitat here. And you are now in the Emigrant Lake area, which is really another birding trip altogether and you are about four miles from the start of Dead Indian Memorial Road. Just follow Route 66 on into Ashland or back to Exit 14.

TOWHEE.NET:  Harry Fuller, 243 Granite Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520
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