I was hoping for one more ungulate in the wild,
the pronghorn (antelope). The only place that Pronghorn survived the
slaughter of the gold rush was here on the Modoc Plateau. As I turn
on the road to Tule Lake NWR, I am immediately surprised and
delighted by 5 pronghorn sitting in a pasture of cattle. Three
species of ruminants on this trip, what fun!
Arriving in the town of Tule Lake I stop by the Modoc National
Forest office and to my dismay discover a few things I hoped to find
are not as expected. Lava Beds does not have mud pots which I was
hoping to photograph and today is a hunting day, meaning the
wildlife refuge will be a hard place to photograph waterfowl. Still
it is an interesting place, Tule Lake and Lava Beds are adjacent to
each other. Driving on the road one side is the wildlife refuge and
the other side of the road is the national monument. Evidence of
ancient volcanic activity is all over with red and black cinders.
Along this road is a memorial to Caption Jack of the Modoc Indians
and a man from the U.S. Cavalry that was attempting to negotiate the
theft of the Modoc land. Captain Jack killed him and his party and
sealed his own fate in doing so. Man is so strange, fighting wars
amongst their own kind and against all of the creatures that inhabit
this earth, for what gain I have never understood.
I stopped at an overlook where the wind was howling and found
thousands of Canada Geese peacefully swimming below along with many
other species of waterfowl. Even if photography isn't what I had
hoped for, the scenery is magnificent and the history of the region
is palpable. So many different kinds of animals! I am thrilled to
see black-billed magpie for the first time. The largest herd of mule
deer I have ever seen, wander the road without a care, as dusk turns
to night. Another beautiful sunset over a different California
landscape.
Thousands of Canada Geese
and assorted ducks took refuge in this sheltered cove
Ropes of volcanic rock
littered the landscape
Another herd of Mule
Deer graze the Tule Lake Bed
Several Black-billed
Magpies played along the volcanic cliffs
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