THE SKILLET HANDLE
OREGON BIRD WATCHING
Running Y Ranch’s own Skillet Handle is a great place to start your bird-seeking adventure. This unique peninsula is 2.5 miles long, covered in lovely woods of Western white oak, ponderosa pine and juniper, with a meandering forest trail that leads to an incredible view of the vast beauty of Klamath Lake.
Great Horned Owl
Plenty of great horned owls live here, and in the winter, you’ll see loads of eagles. The lake itself is an incredible 33 square miles—a huge body of water fringed by mountain peaks. The view alone is worth the hike, but don’t forget to keep your eye on the sky, where thousands of birds churn through the air each month.
One of our resident birders was out recently and below is his report:
Location: Skillet Handle, Running Y Ranch
Notes: Walked off the gravel road on the Upper Klamath side to the "meadow", about 3/4 of the way to the end, and then returned off the road on the Caledonia Marsh side. Heard Only: Great Horned Owls, Morning Dove. Bewick's Wrens seen/heard in numerous locations. Many diving ducks on the Upper Klamath Lake side; so high numbers on the list. Say's Phoebes were hawking for insects in an open area on the west side, near the
"meadow". Came across a large feeding group, so Bushtit, Golden-crowned Kinglet numbers jumped way up. One lone Turkey Vulture seen cruising the ridge.
Number of species: 47
To see the entire list, click here.
Skillet Handle History
The Skillet Handle is home to valuable sites of historical and cultural significance. Long ago, indigenous people of the area lived on the Skillet Handle and nearby on the land that is now Running Y Resort. The Skillet Handle was a destination for native peoples pursuing a vision quest ritual. Remnants of their cultural rituals still stand throughout the resort in the form of placed rock cairns, many just only one rock high. Keep an eye out for these unique features as you wander the Skillet Handle in search of birds to add to your life list.
