Prairie falcon
Hidden from most creatures out in Oregon's remote SE corner is Steens Mountain - and below its eastern flank spreads the pancake-flat Alvord Desert. Northwest of the mountain the waters of the region collect in the bottom of Harney Basin. The extreme variance in moisture regimes is a beautiful sight to behold. Snow and rainwater collect in the mountain's heights and course westward down the gradual, almost tree-less slopes creating riparian spillways that extend across what would otherwise be scrubland and dry salted flats. Birds on their twice annual migration between northern North America and destinations south rely on the oases which act as fertile beacons in the dry land. Year round surface waters with their reeds and grasses fill with ducks and shorebirds. Along with rodents, these birds are sustenance to the relatively rich number of raptor species; we saw ten species during our five day visit.
Looking out over the Harney Basin from Steens Mountain
Pronghorn, the fastest land animal in North America, has no close living relatives and is the sole remaining member of a 20-million year old family of hoofed grazers. Although fast, pronghorns are poor jumpers and the stringing of fences across western North America during the last half of the 19th century meant trouble for the masses: The population crashed, dropping from "millions" to 20,000 in just one century. Some fences are now constructed which allow pronghorn to fit underneath.
Rocky Mountain Mule Deer feeding on willow leaves and twigs beside the Frenchglen River. Rocky Mountain mule deer are the same species as Black-tailed deer, (aka Columbian deer). RMMD is
Odocoileus hemionus spp.
hemionus; BTD is
O. hemionus spp.
columbianus. Where RMMD and White-tailed deer populations overlap, they may mate and can produce hybrids; male offspring are sterile, but females are fertile.
Supper with sunset on tail gate. Nevada isn't too far away.
The Alvord Playa from the top of Steens
Steens' eastern flank if dry and steep
Prairie falcon
Hidden from most creatures out in Oregon's remote SE corner is Steens Mountain - and below its eastern flank spreads the pancake-flat Alvord Desert. Northwest of the mountain the waters of the region collect in the bottom of Harney Basin. The extreme variance in moisture regimes is a beautiful sight to behold. Snow and rainwater collect in the mountain's heights and course westward down the gradual, almost tree-less slopes creating riparian spillways that extend across what would otherwise be scrubland and dry salted flats. Birds on their twice annual migration between northern North America and destinations south rely on the oases which act as fertile beacons in the dry land. Year round surface waters with their reeds and grasses fill with ducks and shorebirds. Along with rodents, these birds are sustenance to the relatively rich number of raptor species; we saw ten species during our five day visit.
Looking out over the Harney Basin from Steens Mountain
Pronghorn, the fastest land animal in North America, has no close living relatives and is the sole remaining member of a 20-million year old family of hoofed grazers. Although fast, pronghorns are poor jumpers and the stringing of fences across western North America during the last half of the 19th century meant trouble for the masses: The population crashed, dropping from "millions" to 20,000 in just one century. Some fences are now constructed which allow pronghorn to fit underneath.
Rocky Mountain Mule Deer feeding on willow leaves and twigs beside the Frenchglen River. Rocky Mountain mule deer are the same species as Black-tailed deer, (aka Columbian deer). RMMD is Odocoileus hemionus spp. hemionus; BTD is O. hemionus spp. columbianus. Where RMMD and White-tailed deer populations overlap, they may mate and can produce hybrids; male offspring are sterile, but females are fertile. 
Supper with sunset on tail gate. Nevada isn't too far away.
The Alvord Playa from the top of Steens
Steens' eastern flank if dry and steep
Jen afoot with Inde. Click on this one (any or all the others too) to see it better.
Rough-legged hawk
Northern harrier, the most commonly observed raptor of the trip
Greater yellow legs
Short-billed dowitchers
Northern pintail
Red-tailed hawk
The source pipe for Alvord Hot Spring
Alvord Lake's bed. Annual flooding and evaporating have left the surface folded, raised, and coated in mineral salts.
