Grand Oregon

Oregon has always had a certain allure. The dramatic coastlines dotted by state parks and natural areas are reason enough to visit. On this new tour, our travels will encompass not only the state’s renowned coast, but also the Cascade Mountains and Great Basin Desert. Spring is a wonderful time to visit Oregon. We will witness migration firsthand as Neotropical migrants such as Hermit Warblers, Western Tanagers, and Olive-sided Flycatchers arrive on their territories. Woodpeckers abound in Oregon, and we will try for up to eleven species on this tour. The desert oasis of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most important stopover locations in the western United States, with over 340 species recorded there all-time.

Our tour will start and end in Portland. We will quickly depart the city for the Cascade Mountains, where we will seek Sooty Grouse, Varied Thrush, and Townsend’s Solitaire among many other birds. Beautiful views of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood should greet us as we travel eastward. The east side of the Cascades near Sisters, Oregon is excellent for woodpeckers. We will try for American Three-toed, Black-backed, and White-headed woodpeckers here, with a good chance for the sometimes-elusive Pinyon Jay, too. Consisting of freshwater marshes, desert, salt lakes, and more, the 187,000-acre Malheur refuge is a crucial stopover point for migrating birds. Here, we will seek shorebirds such as American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, and Long-billed Curlew. Raptors abound here, too, with Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon seen regularly.

The next leg of our tour will take us back westward to the Klamath Basin. Here we will look for Oak Titmouse, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and Dusky Flycatcher among many others. We will take some time to visit Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in the United States. The spectacular views of this ancient caldera are only accentuated by the raucous calls of the Clark’s Nutcracker. Our final exploration of Oregon will occur on the state’s beautiful coastline. A whole new set of avifauna awaits along with fantastic marine mammals. Tufted Puffin, American Dipper, Common Murre, and a host of gulls are possible. Steller’s and California sea lions make Oregon their home, and, if we are lucky, we might see a Sea Otter, too.

All told, we should encounter well over 200 species of birds and 20 species of mammals. Beautiful landscapes and seascapes, awesome seafood dinners, great Oregon wines, and the dazzling natural history of Oregon are bonuses to round out this amazing trip.