Bull Prairie Reservoir
Seasons
Checklists
Location
Take HWY 207 south out of Heppner through Ruggs and Hardman, past Anson-Wright Memorial Park into Wheeler County. About 4.2 miles into Wheeler Co., you will come to an intersection; FSRD 2518 will go to the right and Bull Prairie Reservoir Road will go to the left. Take Bull Prairie Road for 2.8 miles to the lake and campground.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
This beautiful lake is on Yearling Springs which is part of the headwaters of Big Wall Creek which flows into the North Fork of the John Day River. This lake is surrounded by a mix of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, western larch and some willows and aspen.
There are many birds here. Osprey, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hammonds Flycatcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Hairy Woodpecker, and Western Tanager are just a few. This lake hosts a nice population of Spotted Frogs and Western Toads. Vaux’s Swifts and Tree Swallows fly about all day and Little Brown Myotis, Big Brown Bats and Silver Haired Bats at night. This is a great base from which to go owling from mid-May through early June. Go back out the entrance road and across HWY 207 onto FSRD 2516 and listen for Flammulated Owls, Great Gray Owls and Common Poorwills (you have now entered Wheeler Co. and a great area to owl). Proceed until you reach FSRD 2100 and follow it west stopping every half mile or so to listen for owls. Watch the roads at night so you do not run over Rubber Boas and frogs. This is wild country and there are cougars, bear and mosquitoes. Stay alert and enjoy the birding.
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