ECBA member, Ken Meyer will be hosting his photography exhibition at 61545 Twin Lake Loop, Bend, OR 97702
from 11am to 4:00pm September 26 and 27.
Save the dates and look for maps in September.
Mark your calendars! After a two-year hiatus East Cascades Bird Alliance is resuming our Green Ridge Raptor Survey for 2026. Bald Eagle, photo by Chuck Gates
Botulism is again active and spreading quickly at Tule Lake and Lower Klamath NWR. The conditions are
similar to the time of July through October 2024 when over 150,000 waterfowl and shorebirds perished
from botulism. The greatest potential for botulism is with shallow stagnant or very slow-moving water.
Those are the current conditions at Tule Lake and Lower Klamath NWRs. If those conditions do not
change then the consequences will be catastrophic. White-faced Ibis, photo by Lane Wintermute
Pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), a Central Oregon corvid species, is currently under review for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and has been identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) by the state of Oregon in their 2026 State Wildlife Action Plan. Pinyon Jays, photo by Abbott Schindler
Love to visit birding hot spots? Excited about birds, but don't know where to start? Looking to connect with the land in a new way? Become a Land Trust bird surveyor! Goldfinch, photo by Kris Kristovich
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.
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.
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!
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.