Unexpected weather delay in field worknets encounter with local wildlife (and extra data)

When Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWSRO) staff member, Kristen Coles, went to retrieve a temperature logger in Ruby Creek last fall, she discovered it trapped under a layer of ice. Rather than trying to use a pick-ax to retrieve the logger, and risk damage, Kristen decided to wait until spring. Near the end of March, as Kristen returned to Ruby Creek to recover the logger from the now unfrozen creek, she observed a pair of Sandhill cranes on the Forrest

Conservation Area property. Sandhill cranes are Oregon’s tallest bird, and they breed in southeast, south central, central and northeast Oregon. While not uncommon in the John Day, it was a rare treat to observe them.

In addition, since the logger remained in the water until spring, the IMW now has a full winter’s worth of temperature data for Ruby Creek.

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