Malheur NWR, Burns, OR

While we were in Burns, we also made a couple of trips onto the Malheur Wildlife Refuge south of us about 30 miles.  Not a lot of bird activity this time of year but we did manage to find a few and see a coyote not to mention some nice colorful scenery.

After we left Burns, Wednesday of last week, we drove to Crater Lake National Park hoping the smoke from all the wildfires around would not be too bad.  Unfortunately, yet another fire had sprung up in northern CA and the smoke blowing into our area was awful.  So we left after 2 nights and spent a few nights in Fairview, OR near the Columbia River Gorge which was nice but expensive and noisy!  We are now in Woodland, WA, where we will be spending the next 5+ weeks near family.

Here are a few pics from the Malheur Wildlife refuge:

A female great horned owl.  She was so talkative!!! Did not sound like your typical owl (hoot)

some of these pics were taken from afar and unfortunately not clear but this is a male and female(below) of some type of prairie chicken

look at the size of this fish!!!  We were not able to watch him swallow it as he flew away with it

we did see egrets, herons and white faced ibis among several duck species

coyote

Burns, OR, John Day Fossil Beds NM

What an unexpectedly wonderful day!  We are here in Burns, Oregon, and when we told people in Boise we were going to be here next they asked why?  Nothing to do in Burns!  They were pretty much right there:)  Burns is just a little town and the Burns Campground really just an overnight stop for most folks. Then there was the smoke!  We had smoke in Boise from surrounding wildfires and it was not good, but here in Burns it was much worse.

However, 30 miles south of Burns is the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and 20 miles to the north is the Malheur National Forest with lots of places to hike and it is beautiful.  Then, if you are in for a nice day adventure, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is further north and well worth the trip!  Here is our day adventure to John Day FBNM:

a beautiful scenic drive north up the US395

we had a little spritz, just enough for a rainbow!

This is the Mascall area a few miles south of the monument

Awesome!

looking past a fossil off the patio at the visitor center

Inside the visitor center, all
kinds of actual fossils on
display. Plant and animal,
very cool!!

the scenery is spectacular!!

this hike took us op on top of the hill looking down on these beautiful formations

last pic on our way out of the monument 

 Heading back home we stopped in the town of John Day after seeing a sign for the 1188 Brewery.  Turned out to have good beer and food so we filled up before continuing!  Then back on US395 we began to see wildlife.....

we saw a large herd of elk.....

deer....

another large herd of elk....

 and pronghorns (no pic)
and more deer!!


It was amazing, these pics
do not do the elk herds justice.
there were several hundred elk

What a fantastic sight!!!