Howard Prairie
Seasons
Checklists
Location
From I-5, take Exit 14 in Ashland. Coming from the north, turn left onto Highway 66. Coming from the south, turn right. Drive about a mile east on Highway 66. Turn left onto Dead Indian Memorial Rd. (the signs direct you to the Ashland Airport and Mountain Lakes). Go to just past the 17 mile marker and turn right onto Hyatt Prairie Rd. at the Howard Prairie Resort sign. Go about 3.5 miles to the resort entrance and turn left at the stone & wood Howard Prairie Resort sign. You can drive around part of the lake or walk around it. Wet meadows are found along the road into the resort Just before Hyatt Prairie Road, there is a dirt road on the left (north). This can be a worthwhile walk or drive and will provide the birder with a good mix of mountain species. Check out Lily Glen C.G. and the various side roads can be taken to add to your exploration.
Howard Prairie Resort info and maps.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
Mixed conifer forest surrounds wet meadows and open water. Common birds that might be expected include Western, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebes, American White Pelican, Green-winged Teal, Common Merganser, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Sharpy & Cooper’s Hawks, Sandhill Crane, 5 woodpecker species, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Pacific Slope Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, American Dipper, Both bluebirds, 11 species of warbler, 14 sparrow species, Bullock’s Oriole, and Cassin’s Finch. Both Hyatt Lake and Howard Prairie have been somewhat famous for historic records for Spotted Owl and Great Gray Owl. A Bay-breasted Warbler was found here in 1976. Rough-legged Hawk could stop by in the fall and Grasshopper Sparrow has nested here in the past. Source: OFO Publication No. 19, Guide to Birds of the Rogue Valley, Massey & Vroman.
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