The Sept./Oct. issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest has my piece on Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (Birding Oregon p.20). This is a great area to explore for birds, other wildlife, scenery, and native petroglyphs. The article didn’t use any of the photos I sent with it, opting instead for a rather dreary view of the mountain. So here are a few photos from the refuge. For more information, check the refuge website.
Most of the refuge consists of a quarter of a million acres of sage steppe. While I appreciate trees and water as much as the next person, I really love the vastness of this habitat (one of the most threatened in North America).
Sunrise over Hart Mountain, viewed from the Warner Valley
Blue Sky is an island of Ponderosa Pine surrounded by sage steppe. These trees attract migrant and nesting species not found elsewhere on the refuge.
Hart Mountain refuge was originally established to protect the dwindling population of Pronghorns.
Mountain Lions are another mammal species that live on the refuge.
Horned Lark singing from atop a small rock
Many of the rocky outcroppings on the refuge contain native petroglyphs. Were these images drawn by shamans, artists, or just kids who liked to doodle?
Ethical Birder 