Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site

Habitat and Birds

This area has very diverse habitat for a small area. An irrigation ditch flows through the site and plays the role of a natural stream with a robust riparian habitat. The Wallowa River also borders the site to the west and can often yield a dipper or a spotted sandpiper. This may also be a good place to find a Gray Catbird hiding in the dense brush. The ponderosa pine forest area is a great place to view mountain chickadees and Golden-crowned Kinglets during winter and various woodpecker including Red-naped Sapsuckers during the summer months. Pygmy and Great Horned owls are also not uncommon to the area. The site also has wide open grassy meadows where Western Meadowlarks can be seen singing along with Savannah and Vesper’s sparrows.