Tag: Harry Fuller

Oaks and Other Creatures with Harry Fuller

Written by Elva Manquera on May 2, 2025. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding.

Join us for Harry Fuller’s “Oaks and Other Creatures” presentation on May 12th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The presentation will be hosted at the KBO office in Ashland, and there is a virtual option. Register below.

The oak tree family is widespread in temperate parts of both hemispheres. It is often the keystone species around which mammals, birds, invertebrates, fungi, lichens, and myriad other organisms build their survival. From the acorn to the tree, from creviced bark to hanging mistletoe, the oak is an enriching element in its habitat. It is not just acorn Woodpeckers that depend on oaks. Fortunately, KBO is involved in active restoration efforts at work across western Oregon.

Flock to these September KBO events

Written by Elva Manquera on September 13, 2023. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, KBO Education, Trips & Events.

You are not going to want to miss this month’s events

There is still time to sign up for the free hybrid Great Grey Owl talk by Harry Fuller. This is happening at the KBO office in Ashland on September 22nd at 6 p.m. and via Zoom. He will be selling his Great Grey Owl book and his most recent publication, Birding Harney County.

You can register here.

The last bird banding outing of the year is happening on September 28th. We will be traveling to the Upper Klamath to witness scientists in action. Fall migration is here, and you aren’t going to want to miss seeing these migrants up close and personal. This is great for bird lovers of all ages. Plus, your $75 donation helps support our intern program, which has hosted over 300 interns from around the world.

You can register here.

We are excited to welcome Wyatt Williams, Invasive Species Specialist with the Forest Health Unit of Oregon Department of Forestry, as the guest speaker for the KSON Quarterly meeting on September 21st from 1:00-2:30 (virtual).

Mediterranean oak borer, pest of oaks, arrives to Oregon — Mediterranean oak borer (MOB) is a tiny wood-boring ambrosia beetle that is a known pest of cork oak in Europe. Like other ambrosia beetles, MOB is a “fungus farmer” carrying various species of fungi from tree to tree, where it inoculates the wood in host trees and grows food for its developing larvae. Usually, ambrosia beetles are thought of as beneficial insects, as the decay fungi help break down and recycle large amounts of wood from fallen trees and branches. However, some fungal species turn out to be pathogenic to host trees, and in the case of MOB, one particular fungal associate, Raffaelea montetyii, is capable of killing some species of North American oaks. In 2018, an Oregon Department of Forestry insect trap picked up the first known MOB specimen in Oregon. Simultaneously in 2018, an unknown agent was killing hundreds of valley oak
(Quercus lobata) in central California. In 2019, the culprit was identified as MOB. Since 2019, researchers in California have verified in controlled experiments that the fungal species is capable of killing Oregon white oak. Since 2018, MOB has spread to three counties in California, killing thousands of valley oak. In Oregon, traps set by the Oregon Department of Agriculture confirms that the insect occurs in four counties of the Willamette Valley and earlier in 2023, the first infestation of Oregon white oak was observed at Sandy River Delta near Troutdale. State and federal agencies are on the lookout for additional infested trees. I will go over the signs and symptoms of MOB and its fungal associates, as well as introduce how to report oak trees to state authorities that are suspected of being attacked by MOB. The detection of MOB in Oregon, and indeed North America, is still relatively new, and we have a lot to learn. MOB could
develop into a major pest of Oregon white oak, or it could be another exotic species that will have moderate or low risk to oaks. We need more field data to assess the risk of MOB to Oregon white oak and other related species.

Zoom information follows:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83927418735?pwd=U1NaUUlYYkR1ZnVidmlXZlhmZnB6QT09

Cover photo, flock of least sandpipers, by Frank Lospalluto

Great Grey Owl Talk by Harry Fuller

Written by Elva Manquera on August 21, 2023. Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Family, Trips & Events.

Great Gray Owls are scarce over much of the range shown in typical field guides or online range maps. There are small regions within their overall range where they are more numerous. In this, they are like many birds that are very picky about habitat and food supply—Pinyon Jays, MacGillivray’s Warblers, and Green-tailed Towhees.

Jackson County is most likely the southernmost hotspot for great grays. There might be as many great grays here as in all of California, where they are state-designated endangered species. There has never been a confirmed sighting in Siskiyou County, which is only a few miles from where owls breed in this county. Likely there are many more great grays in Oregon than in Washington State. In Europe, the species is found primarily in boreal forests. Along the Pacific Slope, they occur in small numbers as far south as Fresno County.

Why are they here? How do they behave? Survive? Deal with humans? What does climate change portend?

Date and Time: September 22nd at 6 pm

Location: Klamath Bird Observatory office in Ashland, Zoom option available

Cost: FREE

Great Grey Owl book and Harry’s most recent publication, Birding Harney County will be available for sale during the event.

Before his retirement, Harry managed TV and Internet newsrooms in San Francisco and London. He has written three natural history books, including Great Gray Owl in California, Oregon, and Washington, and San Francisco’s Natural History, Sand Dunes to Streetcars. Harry also contributed to a chapter about Common Nighthawks in Edge of Awe, an anthology of essays about Malheur National Wildlife Refuge published by Oregon State University Press in 2019. He has been leading bird trips and teaching birding classes since the 1990s. See Harry’s birding journal online here.

Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, and as such, KBO events are offered with COVID-19 safety as a primary concern. Proof of “up-to-date” vaccination will be required for all in-person participants. Upon registration, all individuals attending an in-person event must also fill out KBO’s COVID Release Form and Waiver of Liability . Paper copies may also be available at an event upon advanced request. Please do not attend the event if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Fall FUNdraising and Outreach Events

Written by Elva Manquera on August 11, 2023. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, KBO Partners, Trips & Events.

The Klamath Bird Observatory board members are excited to introduce our fall outreach and FUNdraising events.

Let’s Talk Bird Series

Join Shannon Rio for three weeks of classes, chatting about our local birds and ending with a field trip. Powerpoint presentations will include, for example, a deep dive into a specific group of birds like woodpeckers and learning fun bird factoids. We will explore the use of a variety of bird guides and info books. This class is collaborative and interactive and meant to be fun. We will meet at noon for 1 1/2 hours, so bring a sack lunch along with your curiosity. Please bring your favorite guidebook for referencing the species we are learning about and sharing with the group. The class will be capped off with an all-day outing to use what you have learned.

Dates: September 11th, 18th, 25th, and field trip on Sep 30th or Oct 1st.

Location: KBO Office in Ashland

Fee: $100 suggested donation

Register Here

Save The Dates

Registration for these events will open approximately one month before the event day. Mark your calendars now, and keep an eye out for the emails.

Great Grey Owl Talk with Harry Fuller – September 22nd, 6 pm, at the KBO Office – Free, signed Great Grey Owl books available for purchase

Walk Into Ashland Past with Jeff LaLande – October 7th & 14th at 11:30 am. The walk starts at the Ashland Library – $75 per person

Field Trip to Scott Valley with Dick Ashford – October 21st – $40 per person

Field Trip to the Klamath Basin with Dick Ashford – November 4th – $40 per person

Klamath Basin Raptor ID Class and Field Trip with Dick Ashford – December 7th and 9th – $75 per person

BIRDING PUGET SOUND IN THE PACIFIC NW EXPEDITION IN MARCH!

Written by KBO on November 29, 2018. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

March 4-8, 2019—with Harry Fuller (Birding guidebook author) and Shannon Rio (KBO Board President)

This birding trip will focus on wintering birds of the Puget Sound region that spend the summer in nesting territories further north. The group will visit many birding hotspots at some the most beautiful areas of the Pacific Northwest (maybe the world!).

Monday, March 4
Our birding begins at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. From there we will proceed to Lacey to our motel and dinner. Glaucous-winged Gull, Varied Thrush, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead, Pileated Woodpecker, and both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are likely birds on this first day.

Tuesday, March 5
Proceed north on US 101 to bird along Hood Canal. Lunch at Hama Hama Oyster Saloon. We will make stops at various parks and overlooks along the canal which is actually a natural, narrow finger of ocean reaching down from the top of Puget Sound complex. Birds we should see include Red-breasted Merganser, Brant, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Red-necked and Western Grebe, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, Pelagic Cormorant, Pigeon Guillemot, Long-tailed Duck, American Black Oystercatcher, Belted Kingfisher, various gulls. Dinner and overnight in Sequim for next two nights.

Wednesday, March 6
Birding on upper Olympic Peninsula including Ediz Hook in Port Angeles Harbor and Dungeness NWR in Sequim. Target birds for the day: flocks of Harlequin, floats of Rhino Auklets, Trumpeter Swans, Red-throated Loons, more Long-tailed Ducks, all three scoter species, Brandt’s Cormorant. Dinner at Sequim restaurant.

Thursday, March 7
We will take the ferry from Port Townsend north to Whidbey Island, thence north to Skagit Flats. Possible birds today include Rough-legged Hawk, Gyrfalcon, Short-eared Owl, Trumpeter Swan, Snow Goose, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, all three cormorant species … and try for a Yellow-billed Loon which usually shows up along the route each winter. Overnight along I-5 north of Seattle at Marysville.

Friday, March 8
Depart for home.

COST: $782.00 per person—includes accommodations for sharing a double room, travel expenses (round-trip travel in large van), and expert birding tour guide for the 5 day, 4 night expedition. Breakfasts will be provided at the hotels we stay at—participants will responsible for other meals (lunch and dinner). Folks are encouraged to bring lunch type foods as we will eat outdoors while we are birding.

$200 of the cost is a tax deductible contribution to the Klamath Bird Observatory. Contact Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com or by calling 541-840-4655 if you are interested in signing up or if you have questions.

Only Two Spots Left For Our Malheur Birding Expedition!

Written by KBO on May 13, 2018. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Conservation, Trips & Events.

MALHEUR BIRDING EXPEDITION—led by Harry Fuller

Our always popular Malheur birding trip is scheduled for June 2^nd-5^th, 2018! This five-day and four-night eastern Oregon birding expedition will begin with birding from Ashland to Summer Lake, exploring surrounding wildlife areas, and stay at the Summer Lake Lodge. On the second day we will arrive at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge—birding this special area the next three days with accommodations at Crystal Crane Hot Springs those three nights. Bring your swim suit as we will study the night sky from the warmth of the hot spring pool in the evenings (optional of course). One night we will have dinner at the famous Diamond Hotel. Dinners will include tallies of our birds for the day.

Some of the species we hope to see: Cinnamon Teal, Trumpeter Swan, White-faced Ibis, Sandhill Crane, Ferruginous and Swainson’s hawks, Bald and Golden eagles, nesting Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s Phalarope and Wilson’s Snipe, Franklin’s Gull, Black Tern, Prairie Falcon, Great Horned and Barn owls, Common Nighthawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Flycatcher, Say’s Phoebe, Black-billed Magpie, Rock and Canyon wrens, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Sagebrush and Brewer’s sparrows, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. We have seen as many as 142 species on this trip in the past.

Cost of the trip is $575 which includes modest accommodations, dinners, transportation (a small van will be available plus there will be room in vehicles), and the expert guiding of birding extraordinaire and bird guidebook author Harry Fuller. $300 of this will be a tax deductible contribution to the Klamath Bird Observatory so not only will you have a fantastic adventure in a very special part of the world, you’ll contribute to bird and habitat conservation efforts.

Participants will need to bring breakfast and lunches. Sign up by contacting Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com or call her at 541-840-4655.

Upcoming Talk with Harry Fuller

Written by KBO on January 1, 2018. Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Education, Trips & Events.

The Romance and Wonder of the Sandhill Crane

January 23rd, 2018
Tuesday Evening 6:30-8:00
At KBO Headquarters, 320 Beach Street, Ashland

The tallest bird in Oregon, the Sandhill Crane comes from an ancient lineage that may be among the earliest warm-blooded animals still found on earth. How do they live? We will explore the mechanics of their amazing trumpeting calls. We’ll discuss where they nest in Jackson County and other parts of the western U.S. and where you can see them in winter and early spring.

Harry Fuller is past president of the Klamath Bird Observatory, bird guide and author or several books on birds and the natural history of the San Francisco Bay. His books will be for sale at this talk.

To sign up, contact Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com or call 541 840-4655. Cost is $15 and you can pay the night of the talk.

BIRDING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST with Harry Fuller and Shannon Rio March 2—6, 2018

Written by KBO on December 7, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

This birding adventure will focus on wintering birds of the Pacific Northwest that spend the summer in nesting territories further north.

We will bird in and around Puget Sound, including Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, then travel along the Hood Canal and north to the upper tip of the Olympic Peninsula. A ferry will take us from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. Plan to see Trumpeter Swan, Harlequin and Long-tailed ducks, Rhinoceros Auklet, Pacific Loon, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Brant, Black and White-Winged scoters, Northern Shrike, Short-eared Owl, Rough-legged Hawk, and many others. Some of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful landscapes will be the backdrop for fantastic birding. We may also get to see an orca pod on the ferry!

Costs: Early-bird fee is $569 per person if paid by January 1, 2018. The fee includes four nights’ hotel accommodation and travel to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac – airport code SEA). Also included is the expertise of master bird guide Harry Fuller. The group will travel by van and ferry during the adventure. $300 of the fee is a tax deductible donation to the Klamath Bird Observatory. After January 1, 2018 cost of the trip is $619 so sign up early as it will make plane flights cheaper and easier to obtain. Reasonably-priced early-morning flights from Medford (MFR), Eugene (EUG), or San Francisco (SFO) to SeaTac are available on a few major airlines (Alaska, Delta, and American—and Southwest Airlines out of Oakland (OAK)).

Participants pay for their meals and travel to and from SeaTac airport where the trip begins and ends. Due to logistics and to maximize everyone’s adventure experience the group will be limited to 10 participants. Arrangements have been made for double-occupancy rooms in the towns of Lacey, Sequim (2 nights), and Burlington, WA where we will be stopping overnights.

To sign up for or more information about this sure-to-be-memorable birding adventure, contact Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com or by phone (541) 840-4655. You will have the double pleasure of taking a special birding trip along with contributing to conservation as you support KBO.

***Please note—after January 1, 2018 cost of this trip will be non-refundable. Shannon Rio will help with coordinating arrival times as we gather in Seattle and any other details.

WHAT’S IN THE NAME? Presented by Harry Fuller

Written by KBO on May 16, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Trips & Events.

WHAT’S IN THE NAME? A presentation by Harry Fuller, Author and Bird Guide
May 25th Thursday night 6:30-8 pm

Klamath Bird Observatory 320 Beach Street, Ashland, Oregon

It’s great to see a Cassin’s Finch or Steller’s Jay but it can be a bit more exciting when you know some stories about Steller or Cassin…or Anna or Forster. Come enjoy the stories and long-ago adventures of the men and women who discovered our birds, named or got named, back when North America’s birds were new to science. Our list of names to explore will include Allen, Baird, Bewick, Brandt, Brewer, the two Clarks, Gambel, Lewis, Lincoln, MacGillivray, Nuttall, Townsend, and the mysterious Mr. Hutton.

To sign up contact Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com or call her at 541-840-4655. The presentationis $15. Make out a check to KBO and mail it to Shannon Rio, 610 Iowa Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520. This will reserve your spot!