LAIRD’S LANDING

The local birding buzz around the Klamath Basin lately has been that there are hundreds of Bald Eagles, and many Golden Eagles, to be seen, around late afternoons, at Laird’s Landing.

Mel Bruce and I went out there today to see the Eagles. The Eagles were there, as advertised, but in smaller numbers. We saw approximately six or eight at any given moment; as they were coming and going, to and from, their hunting grounds in the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge, just immediately to the north. We met a California Wildlife officer out there that advised us that he had seen over one hundred Bald Eagles, right where we were, the day before around 5:00 P.M. He went on to tell us that this location was an historical landmark: Laird’s Landing.

Laird’s Landing was/is located at the southern shore of the once Lower Klamath Lake. Lower Klamath Lake no longer exists; it was drained/reclaimed by the BLM somewhere in the early Twentieth Century teens. The area once occupied by the lake, some 625 Sq. Mi/400,000 Acres, it is now 85% farmland, and 15% the Lower Klamath wildlife Refuge.

Between 1905 and 1909 the Steam boat “Klamath” was the primary transportation method between northern Siskiyou County and the city of Klamath Falls. The trip from Laird’s Landing to Klamath Falls would have been around twenty five to thirty miles, across the lake. The site is still occupied by the Laird family ancestry, who still maintains farming operations there.

Mel and I plan to be back out there next Friday, in the late afternoon, to see the Eagles in their hundreds! I’ll try to make another posting Friday evening, with digital images, if possible.

Check out these Links for more information: Link 1, Link 2.