Oregon Coast & Klamath Basin Sampler
November 7-14, 2010
This scenic journey combines great time with wildlife and waterfowl, concentrated at key wetlands in preparation for winter, with history and culture - past and present - in southern Oregon. Greg Smith shares his expertise and enthusiasm on this week-long NEW adventure. We begin our journey at the mouth of the Columbia River where we start right out with some incredible birding and a rich sense of history of the fur trapping era and the 1805/1806 winter camp of the Lewis and Clark party, finally at the Pacific Ocean. We spend two nights in a great hotel right on the Pier in the historic waterfront before heading south to take in scenic portions of the coast. We visit some of Oregon’s famous beaches where rocky headlands and outcrops 
beg to be photographed. From the coast we head inland and south to experience the vast and extensive wetlands and the high desert habitats of the Klamath Basin. Eighty-percent of all waterfowl using the Pacific Flyway pass through this point. We will see huge numbers of ducks and geese and an amazing concentration of wintering Bald Eagles there to feast upon them. We cross the Cascade Mountains through the newly-created Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and then descend for our final two nights at the charming town of Ashland. From here we explore rich agricultural lands of the Rogue Valley. This is a NEW journey for us, though we’ve done another Sampler Trip in eastern Oregon in the past. Greg Smith is keen to share the adventure, and one of our regular (and treasured!) travelers, Gwyneth Ragosine, joins us to share her years of experience in the area. Under her assistance we know we’ll eat well, find a great sense of history and place, have a good time and see LOTS of birds. Don’t miss the adventure!
ITINERARY
Sun., Nov. 7 Arrival in Portland, OR / Astoria / Columbia River Estuary
Everyone should plan to meet at the airport by 2:30PM. We then drive to the mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria where we’ve booked some fabulous lodgings right off the pier in this historic waterfront city. Enjoy a welcome dinner and a chance to get to know your guides and fellow traveling companions.
Accommodations at the Cannery Pier Hotel (D)
Mon., Nov. 8 Astoria / Columbia River Estuary / Fort Clatsop (Lewis and Clark Historic Site)
There are some fabulous birding areas here at the Columbia River estuary. While it’s past the time of shorebird migration, Young’s Bay and other areas hold vast concentrations of waterfowl, including White-fronted, Snow and Ross’s Geese in profusion. We may be able to find Cackling Geese and should find myriad species of ducks. Grassy hummocks near the South Jetty viewpoint host sparrows and we may find wintering White-tailed Kites. South along Highway 202 we may encounter the first arrivals of Trumpeter Swans that by mid-winter will number several 100. With such concentrations of waterfowl we find many species of raptors.
History abounds in this small city, one that prepares to celebrate its 200th birthday in 2011. In 1811 John Jacob Astor’s fur trading party established the first permanent settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. This settlement had a profound influence on the future geography of the United States, pioneering the eventual inclusion of the 
Pacific Coast. We visit Fort Clatsop, which marks the site where Lewis and Clark’s party of 33 wintered from December 1805 to March 1806. This excellent historic site presents the challenges they faced. In the afternoon enjoy some free time to explore the city and its historic sites. The Flavel House Museum depicts a more comfortable time with its Queen Ann Victorian architecture and period furnishings. The Maritime Museum is exceptional and houses one of the Lighthouse Ships used to protect the coastline. Dinner is at your leisure.
Accommodations at the Cannery Pier Hotel (B,L)
Tues., Nov. 9 Oregon Coast / Cannon Beach / Tillamook / Klamath Falls
The Oregon Coast is stunning at any time of year and we spend the morning enjoying coastal scenery, taking in Ecola State Park, Oswald West State Park, and Cape Meares State Park with its picturesque headland near 
Tillamook. At the parks we can walk trails through old-growth spruce forest and listen for Red Crossbills, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pileated Woodpeckers and other forest species. The long narrow sand spit of NehalemBay State Park gives us views of both the ocean and bay. At some point we have to drag ourselves away. After lunch at a local restaurant, we turn inland just north of LincolnCity to rejoin Interstate 5, and then make time going south. We turn onto scenic Highway 140 for our last couple hours of the drive. This is lovely terrain as we wind through the Cascade Mountains with lush forests and mountain views. As we descend into the Klamath Basin on the east side of the mountains, we experience the high desert with its signature juniper trees and shrub-steppe vegetation. Settle into our accommodations and enjoy dinner and tallying up our sightings of the day.
Accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express, Klamath Falls (B,L,D)
Wed., Nov. 10 Lower Klamath Lake NWR & Vicinity
Today we explore Lower Klamath Refuge, the most active of the Klamath Basin refuges in winter. We will have a spectacular day! As Gwyneth Ragosine, a local bird enthusiast who accompanies us says, “On every trip to the Klamath Basin there is a surprise”. One year she watched as a Bald Eagle scared up a roosting group of some 30 Short-eared Owls! We should find huge flocks of blackbirds that may hold all four species: Brewers, Red-winged, Yellow-headed and Tri-colored. Tundra Swans and Greater White-fronted Geese usually arrive first to settle into this winter refuge, and later are joined by Snow and Ross’s Geese. This day we follow the tour route through the refuge, using the van as our blind and getting out at strategic locations to scope the flocks. Ducks are numerous and 
challenging in their eclipse plumage. At the Refuge Headquarters we find displays and bird specimens that allow us to compare and study the waterfowl we’ve seen in detail. Sandhill Cranes may be present and rarer finds may include Clark’s and Western Grebes, American White Pelicans, , or American Avocets. Colorful California Quail are common. A real treat is to stay until dusk to witness activity of Short-eared Owls. Dinner tonight is at your leisure.
Accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express, Klamath Falls (B,L)
Thurs., Nov. 11 Butte Valley Raptors / Lava Beds National Monument
The Butte Valley and its arid shrub-steppe habitat is a magnet for wintering raptors. We hope to see a dozen species, many in good number. This is an excellent chance to work on identification and to study behavior of North American raptors. We 
should see Rough-legged Hawks, Ferruginous Hawks, many Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harrier, and up to four species of falcons: Prairie, Peregrine, Merlin and American Kestrel. We find both Golden and Bald Eagles. With luck, we may find Northern Goshawk as well as Red-shouldered Hawk. We also find wintering Horned Larks, Savannah and Lark Sparrows, and in some years Lapland Longspurs. This is an open land of space and sky. Where we find juniper trees, we look for Townsend’s Solitaires and either Loggerhead or Northern Shrikes. Near ranch buildings or corrals, we may spot Say’s Phoebes. It’s certain that we will sense a vastness of landscape and a grand experience of solitude.
In the afternoon we visit an eerie landscape, one created by intense volcanic eruptions of the Medicine Lake shield volcano. Here we find lava flows, cinder cones, spatter cones, lava tubes and small pit craters. This is a historic site as well as a fascinating geologic site. This rugged landscape was "Captain Jack's Stronghold," during the Modoc War of 1872-1873. The Modoc Indians used the rugged landscape of lava flows to their advantage. From here their small group of 50 families held the US Army and its forces, 1000 strong, at bay for five months. Their sad capture and transfer to Oklahoma was only part of the Modoc story; other bands struggled on in the Klamath Valley. Learn more about this history and that of ancient peoples who used rich resources of the region for thousands of years,leaving rock art both petroglyphs and pictographs, as part of their legacy. Enjoy dinner together as we return this evening.
Accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express, Klamath Falls (B,L,D)
Fri., Nov. 12 Klamath Falls / Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument / Rogue Valley
Look forward to some beautiful mountain scenery today as we leave the Klamath Basin and head over the Cascade Mountains to the Rogue Valley. We make a day of it, stopping along the way. Our route takes us right through the new Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, set aside by Presidential proclamation in 2000. Preservation of the area’s rich biodiversity was the main impetus to establish the monument. It holds ecological, biological, geological, aquatic, archaeological, and historic significance. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and while there are not yet a lot of visitor facilities, we can enjoy grand vistas and at roadside rest stops a chance to look for Golden crowned Kinglets, Chestnut-backed Chickadees at the northern end of their range, Red Crossbills, and Gray Jays. Our route along scenic State Route 66 is a winding mountain road which crosses the Klamath River, rises through the mountains, and eventually leads us to descend into the Rogue Valley. Enjoy lunch at a small resort at Hyatt Lake where we check the bird feeders for Mountain Chickadees, Cassin’s Finches and more. We pass a number of beautiful mountain lakes and stop to check out what is on them. Weather permitting, we descend Shale City Road where we learn some local history and search for Steller’s 
Jays, Ruffed Grouse, Sooty Grouse and Mountain Quail. Late-afternoon we arrive and you can settle into accommodations and then relax on a free evening.
Accommodations at the Best Western Windsor Inn, Ashland (B,L)
Sat., Nov. 13 Rogue Valley
Today we visit TouVelle State Park and local nature areas of the Rogue Valley. Birds of interest include Oak Titmouse, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Lewis’s and Acorn Woodpeckers. We should find Spotted and California Towhees, Western Scrub Jays, , Bewick’s Wrens, Western Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Lesser Goldfinches and more. At Agate Lake we may find Lark Sparrows, Western Meadowlarks, assorted raptors and waterfowl. This is the most reliable spot in late fall for Lewis’s Woodpeckers which hang out with the Western Bluebirds in the oaks near the lake. Enjoy lunch at a favorite local restaurant and return for a great final dinner in Ashland.
Accommodations at the Best Western Windsor Inn, Ashland (B,L,D)
Sun., Nov. 14 Return to Portland / Departures
Today we pack up our gear, and head for Portland and the airport after a most enjoyable week! (B)
PLAN AHEAD!
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Your guide for the journey will be Greg Smith.
COST
OF THE JOURNEY
Cost of the journey is $2350.00, double occupancy, from Portland. This cost includes all accommodations, meals as specified in the itinerary, professional guide services, other park and program entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses.
Tour cost does not include: round-trip transportation from your home city to Portland, optional activities or items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone charges, house cleaners, gratuities, or beverages from the bar.
Single supplement is $485.00, as available.
Group Size: Maximum of 12, minimum of 4. Tour price is based on 6 persons,
with fewer than 6 a small group surcharge (typically $100-$300) may apply.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Plan to arrive Portland, OR. no later than 2:00 PM on Sunday, Nov. 7th. This is a fun city and you may wish to arrive early to take in some of the highlights, including the wonderful Portland Audubon Sanctuary, a 150-acre property with trails and a nature center. Please plan flights out on Nov. 14th, after 1:00 PM from Portland. We should arrive at the airport by 11:30AM.
Naturalist Journeys, LLC is an equal opportunity service provider and committed to the goal of ensuring equal opportunity for all in employment and program delivery.
Photo Credits:
Oregon Coast and Steller's Jay, Peg Abbott; Shasta and Pronghorn, Gwyneth Ragosine; Cannery Pier Hotel, provided by hotel; Astoria Waterfront and Astoria Museum, Astoria Chamber of Commerce; Portland Audubon Sanctuary, Portland Audubon; Ecola State Park, Oregon Parks and Recreation; all other photos by Greg Smith. Find more of Greg’s images at: www.flickr.com/photos/slobirdr/ |
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