ECBA News

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Birding Tour 2026

A video tour of a few of the many bird species found on Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
photographer Lane Wintermute

2026 Learning about Pinyon Jays in Central Oregon Continues

The East Cascades Bird Alliance (ECBA) Pinyon Jay Survey in Central Oregon (March–May 2026) focused on documenting the presence, numbers, and reproduction of pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). This species is under review for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing and identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Oregon’s 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan.
Pinyon Jay Adult Sentinel, photo by Laurel Collins

Deschutes Land Trust Bird Surveys

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

Photo Story – This is What Parenthood is all About this Time of Year!

Watch a pair of Mountain Bluebirds feed their young through a series of photos by Abbott Schindler

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

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.

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.

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.

July’s Malheur Musings

When I think of Malheur Refuge I feel unabashedly patriotic. Capital P - Patriotic, flag waving, eagle saluting kind of pride swells in me when I think of the National treasures our country is safeguarding; National Marine Monuments, National Parks, Wilderness Study Areas, and so much more including the National Wildlife Refuge System of which Malheur is just a single unit.

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

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.