As I considered this year’s “best of” post, it almost seemed like an oxymoron. How could 2020, which I’ve deemed the “lost year,” have a best of? But then, as I looked through the photographs I’ve taken in 2020, I realized that the year was not lost at all. Yet, I could not bring myself to simply present a self-indulgent look back on 2020. As I look back through these images, my thoughts are consumed by the massive problems facing the Klamath Basin in general and the wildlife refuges there in particular.

10.) Incoming Snowy Egret

 

 

Snowy egret (Egretta thula) coming in for a landing. Photographed at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California

To say this year has been different would be an understatement. But, aside from the obvious differences we all experienced this year, it was the first year since 2013 that I spent without traveling. Most of 2020 was spent in Tulelake, California, near the wildlife refuges I treasure. The last two months of the year have been spent in Mount Shasta, California. The reason I decided to give up full-time travel and settle in this area is because the Klamath Basin Refuges, where I learned wildlife photography, are in trouble. The trouble has been brewing for a long time, but it is reaching a crisis point. I don’t know what I can do to help, I only know I must do something.

9.) American Bittern Portrait

 

Close up of an American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) among the reeds at the edge of the water. Photographed at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California.

Since I spent most of the year near the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuges, a majority of my photos were taken on the refuges. While people around the world were experiencing the effects of the disease known as Covid-19, the birds on the Tulelake and Lower Klamath refuges were experiencing a severe outbreak of avian botulism due to lack of water on the refuges. Avian botulism is common in summer on these refuges, but in 2020, it went from a difficult problem to a full-blown disaster.

8.) Female Black-necked Stilt

 

 The female of a pair of black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) on an algea mat at the waters edge. Photographed at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California.

While the devastating loss of human life to the pandemic has been well documented, perhaps fewer people are aware that an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 aquatic birds perished on the relatively small area of the two refuges this summer. And while the severity of the covid pandemic came suddenly and took many by surprise, the massive die-off of birds has been slowly and predictably building over years, even decades.

7.) Hawk Expression

 

 A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) expressing itself in no uncertain terms. Photographed at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, California.

Amid much blaming and finger-pointing, the bottom line of the problem is that there is not enough water to go around. Not enough for farmers and ranchers, not enough for endangered fish, and not enough for wetlands and the birds that depend on them. The way the current system is structured, endangered fish come first, farmers and ranchers next, and birds come last. The result last summer was tens of thousands of waterfowl and other birds dying a slow, horrible death.

6.) Celestial Tern

 

A Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) in flight looking especially angelic. Photographed at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California.

And now, many waterflowl hunters and advocates want to blame the Endangered Species Act and water allocated to protect endangered fish. As if taking water from the fish and giving it to the birds would solve the problem. The issues are very complex and long-standing, with no simple or obvious solution. It seems to me that the Endangered Species Act is to conservation what the emergency room is to health care. Yes, we must try to save the fish, but at the same time, we must try to keep other species healthy and out of the “emergency room.” Letting the emergency patient die, in the name of keeping another patient healthy, would be tragic (not to mention unethical).

5.) Short-eared Owl After Sunset

 

 When the sun sets, the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) goes to work. Photographed at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California.

There is not space here to explain all the history behind the current situation, but one thing that strikes me as needing change is the Kuchel Act. This is a law, passed in 1964, that was intended as a compromise to prevent land from being stripped out of the refuge for homesteading. It requires the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuges to lease a certain percentage of refuge land to farmers. While farming on wildlife refuges is not unusual, the percent of land dedicated to farming on the Lower Klamath and especially the Tulelake refuges, is exponentially larger than any other refuges in the U.S. In recent times, the refuge has justified more and more agriculture on the refuges since agriculture has higher priority water rights than the refuges. The argument was that water for crops was better for the wildlife than no water at all. Over the past summer, that argument seemed to implode, as the crops were cultivated, and the birds died.

4.) Mossbrae Shelf

 

 At the north end of Mossbrae Falls, an overhang creates a shelf for the spring water to spill over, flowing through a pile of boulders before joining the Sacramento River below.

Water rights in the West have always been fraught with tension. My own great-grandfather was shot and killed in a disagreement over water on his Kanab, Utah ranch in 1899. As populations increase and climate change worsens, water will only become more scarce. We must use all our creativity and intelligence to make due with less and prevent as much tragedy as possible to both humans and nature. I believe we can rise to this challenge, but we must start now.

3.) Golden Eagle Hunting

 

 A golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in flight. This eagle was in flight hunting the fields at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California.

It is my opinion that farming on the refuges should be greatly reduced over time, and perhaps even phased out altogether. The loss of natural habitat in exchange for agriculture water is no longer a benefit to the wildlife. However, this cannot happen without the refuges being allocated some water for wetlands and wildlife. The past practice of using water designated for agriculture to encourage farming methods that benefit birds has fallen way short when water is scarce, as what happened in summer of 2020. (Here is an article from 2017, which provides a pretty balanced view of the pros and cons of agriculture in the refuges: How Farming Inside Wildlife Refuges Is Transforming Klamath Basin Agriculture )

2.) Watchful Harrier

 

 The male northern harrier (Circus hudsonius), also know as the gray ghost, watches intently as it flies by. Photographed at Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge, California.

This post has turned out quite a bit different than any of my past “best of” posts. The pride and satisfaction I get from wildlife photography pales in comparison to my desire to ensure the preservation and restoration of these two crown jewels of our National Wildlife Refuge System. What happens to these public lands, which belong to you and me and all Americans, is not a done deal. I believe if more people were aware of the problem, there would be a groundswell of support and an abundance of creative solutions put forth which could make all the difference.

1.) Engage Cloaking Device

 

 A ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) on the wing downbeat, showing the full extension of its large wingspan. Photographed in the Shasta Valley of Northern California.

And there you have what I consider to be my best images of 2020, as well as some of my biggest concerns for 2021. I realize there are many, many issues that will require attention and solutions in the coming months and years. But, my belief is if each and every one of us would take some action on whatever is most important to us, all those individual actions would make a difference in the world. Our problems are not unsolvable, but they can seem overwhelming. My attention this year will be directed toward finding a solution for the birds of the Klamath Basin. Tell me where yours will be directed in the comments. Happy New Year! Let’s make a difference.