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June’s Malheur Musing
Greetings!Early in May the Friends Board of Directors and staff spent a full weekend engaged in visioning sessions and business meetings. It might not surprise you to read that I LOVE this sort of thing. The ideas and energy generated in those rooms are so inspiring to me.
Crooked River Wetlands Complex Guided Birdwalks Schedule 2026
First and third Saturday of every month, April - September, 7:45- 10:00 am.Killdeer chick, photo by Chuck Gates
Garden for Birds
Birds need our help. Habitat loss is the #1 threat facing birds and we can do something about it in our outdoor spaces, gardens, and landscapes. Learn about the GARDEN FOR BIRDS PROJECT from Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Osprey Watch
OSPREY WATCH is a global community science project that tracks osprey nesting activity over time. Think Wild is leading local efforts here in Central Oregon with participation from ECBA volunteers. Observing, monitoring nests, and submitting data on a regular basis contributes to a much larger data base that is growing all the time.
Kestrel Camera
Our kestrel nest box is located on a rural piece of property in the Redmond, OR area, owned by Ilene and Dean Smith. Earlier this spring, together with Jim Hammond, they made the nest box ready (built by ECBA member, Dick Tipton) with the camera, filled the floor of the box with wood chips, and this year, a pair of kestrels has chosen our nest box so that we can all watch the drama. Now we've added an external camera as well!
ODLT Sunrise Bird Counts
Oregon Desert Land Trust needs help with sunrise point counts in wet meadows and creeks at Trout Creek Ranch, which lies 40 miles south of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Join in one or both 4-hour surveys to document migratory birds and guide restoration plans across this nearly 17,000-acre private property. ODLT needs 4 more volunteers for each survey.Photo courtesy of ODLT.
Take a close look! Some familiar folks here from last year’s surveys.
May’s Malheur Musings
Greetings! Putting together this monthly newsletter is one of the great joys of my job. I place a pretty high value on the role it plays in keeping you connected to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes this means that in order to give it the attention I feel it deserves while also being fully involved in the work of FOMR on the ground, it gets delayed.
March 21, 2026 Update Report from our Brothers Sage-Grouse Project
In 2025 we were experimenting with different types of crop cover to enhance native seed germination and growth. We put out a black plastic crop cover and plastic perforated trays to see which was more effective for seed germination and growth. Photo by Harry Johnson
Birding by Ear Weekly Walk Returns
It must be spring! To the delight of many local birders, Dave Tracy has once again kicked-off spring by leading the weekly bird walk, BIRDING BY EAR. Learn to identify the birds you hear, practice your ear-birding skills, or share your talents with others during this weekly walk in the riverside park. Photo courtesy of Chuck Gates.
Golden Eagle Camera on Whychus Creek
Updates: With our camera running all winter, it was so interesting to see that Rocky and Petra returned to their nest as often as they did. Following both the faithful and new observers’ comments, feel free to ask questions and learn about these amazing birds.