East Cascades Bird Alliance

Prineville CBC - December 31st
2023-12-31 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Prineville CBC – Sunday, December 31st
This count circle has extensive private land holdings with limited access. Consequently, it’s not the kind of count that requires a huge number of volunteers. However, I generally scramble to find a group of hikers that is willing to hike/snowshoe through a closed forest section near Brennan Palisades. Kim Kathol has been a perennial hiker, but he could use help covering this area. If you are up for a winter hike, please let me know. This section has historically had some of the rarest and most uncommon species of the entire count circle — think Dusky Grouse, Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Mountain Quail, etc. The rest of the circle offers a mix of driving and short walks.
Contact: Mark Gonzalez, towhee@bendbroadband.com, 541-233-3359.

Madras CBC - December 27th
2023-12-27 07:00 - 15:30
Madras CBC, Wednesday, December 27th
Birding Volunteers will meet at Madras Black Bear Diner on Wednesday Dec. 27, from 7:00 – 8:30 am.for handouts, maps and assignments. Later pick ups may be found in baskets at 225 NE 8th. Street, just two blocks off Hwy 97, up Oak Street. You may also call and make special arrangements. (Kimdell Owen used to meet here – coffee 3.99 and ranges from Grits $1.99 to full meal $15 or so but also has oatmeal, biscuits/gravy … and clean restrooms. Located in the middle of Madras, 237 SW 4th with access also from 5th.)
Return to house, 225 NE 8th, if possible, between 3:00 and 3:30 pm. and leave Data collected. Hot coffee and warm soup can be taken on the road, or savored while you warm up and we SHARE OUR FINDINGS with each other at 3:30. (Since we may finish earlier or later, and weather always plays a part, you may drop off counts anytime, on the house porch, use restroom facilities etc.)
Contact: Annette Lange Hildebrand, 503-750-2567, Lange69Annette@gmail.com

Sunriver CBC - December 20th
2023-12-20 09:00 - 13:00
Sunriver CBC, Wednesday, December 20th
Everyone is welcome to join us for the Sunriver ‘Christmas’ Bird Count on December 20th. This event is generously hosted by the Sunriver Nature Center with support from the Sunriver Resort. Our goal is for an inclusive and accessible community event. We will have two stationary counts for those using wheelchairs, walkers or have other mobility needs better suited to counting from a fixed location. For those needing Spanish translation during the Count, we hope to have a Spanish speaking volunteer at one stationary count and on one hiking team. We also will have a free kid event at the Nature Center, run by the Nature Center’s awesome education team plus some volunteers, from 9-1pm, so parents and grandparents can bring kids and participate in the Count also.
The Sunriver Resort has generously offered to provide all volunteers with a twenty percent discount on non-alcoholic food and beverages at the Owl’s Nest where we will hold the Count ‘after party’ to warm up and share Count day tales together by their indoor fireplace. https://www.sunriverresort.com/…/owls-nest-bar-drinks…
The Sunriver Resort has also offered all volunteers a fifteen percent discount on stays relating to the Count. So you can stay the night at the Resort before the Count rather than drive to Sunriver in winter weather.
If you want to volunteer, you MUST register with the Nature Center. All Resort discounts and the kid event are only available to registered volunteers. To volunteer, register at: https://snco.org/christmas-bird-count/

Summer Lake CBC
2023-12-19 07:30 - 17:00
Summer Lake CBC, Tuesday, December 19th
Please join us for the 36th annual Summer Lake CBC. The plan is to meet at the ODFW Summer Lake Wildlife Headquarters at 7:30am on Tuesday December 19th for sector assignments. The details for the compilation meeting time and place are TBD. Please contact Marty St. Louis if you would like to participate or if you have any questions.
Contact: Marty St. Louis, 541-219-0879, stlouismartin541@gmail.com

Bend CBC
2023-12-16 07:00 - 17:00
Bend CBC, Saturday, December 16th
The 56th Bend Christmas Bird Count will be held on the first Saturday of the count period, December 16th. Many of the sector leaders have put together their teams for the count but I do imagine there will be openings available for those who want to participate all day. Feeder watchers are always welcomed, too. If you would like to participate, please drop me a line at tc@empnet.com and let me know. Some routes involve a lot of walking, others are mainly driving. Let me know your preference and your experience level. We will try to accommodate as many as possible. Remember this is a winter activity and requires dressing appropriately for the weather. Every year someone shows up without a warm coat, gloves or shoes that aren’t made for walking on forest trails. Meet at Pioneer Park at 7 am
Contact: Tom Crabtree, tc@empnet.com.

November Birders' Night
2023-11-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Environmental Center, 16 N.W. Kansas Ave., Bend, OR
Tundra Swan | Jack Williamson

November 16 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Environmental Center 16 N.W. Kansas Ave., Bend, OR
Trumpeter swan restoration at Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Martin St. Louis, a biologist and the former wildlife manager for the Summer Lake Wildlife Area for more than 30 years, will share his knowledge and expertise on the trumpeter swan restoration in the Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Join us for this Birders’ Night to learn more about these amazing birds!

Can’t join in person? Join our zoom here.

Green Ridge Raptor Count 2
2023-10-21 - 2023-10-22
Bald Eagle, photo by Chuck Gates.
Project leader, David Vick, has announced that he is scheduling the “official” count for the weekends of Oct. 14th – 15th and Oct. 21st – 22nd. There may be other days that folks will go up to count. Info and sign-up at ecbirds.org/projects/green-ridge-raptor-survey/.

October Birders' Night
2023-10-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Environmental Center, 16 N.W. Kansas Ave., Bend, OR
Pinyon Jays – Abbott Schindler

October Birders’ Night: Wild Stories from the History of Bird Migration Research

Join us for a Birders’ Night presentation from Rebecca Heisman. We’ve all heard amazing facts about bird migration—the long distances that birds travel, the ways that they navigate, etc. But did you ever wonder how we figured all of this out? While working for the American Ornithological Society, Rebecca Heisman became fascinated with the varied and creative techniques that scientists have used to study bird migration, and this eventually became the basis for her book Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration. In her talk, she’ll share some surprising stories from the history of bird migration research and discuss why understanding migration is so crucial for bird conservation.

If you cannot attend in person, join on zoom.

Mindful Birding: Oct. 14
2023-10-14 09:30 - 11:00
ECBA and the Deschutes Land Trust invite you to join us for a morning of (mostly) quiet shared enjoyment of our local birds.
This is a free event, but limited to ten people. You are welcome to register for one or more of the three sessions. (You will need to click on each link and RSVP separately for each event you want to attend.)

September 30 near Sisters at Deschutes Land Trust’s Whychus Canyon Preserve.
October 7 near La Pine at Deschutes Land Trust’s Paulina Creek Preserve
October 14 near Bend at Tumalo State Park (participants will need to pay a state park admission fee to park for this event).

Starting at 9:30 am, for about ninety minutes, we will sit outside together mostly just listening and observing. For those wanting to share, there will be some opportunities to talk about the birds around us.
This is not a formal meditation practice – as long as it is not too distracting or disturbing to nature around us, you are encouraged to move as you need to stay comfortable and there is no required method of enjoying our silence. We will ask people to refrain from talking during the fifteen to thirty minute quiet periods. This is a chance to pause together and, somewhat unobtrusively, be with and appreciate the birds around us.
Designed to be an inclusive and accessible event, please let us know if you require any accommodations. The sit area will be near several parking spaces for those with mobility needs.

Green Ridge Raptor Count 1
2023-10-14 - 2023-10-15
Bald Eagle photo by Chuck Gates.
Project leader, David Vick, has announced that he is scheduling the “official” count for the weekends of Oct. 14th – 15th and Oct. 21st – 22nd. There may be other days that folks will go up to count. Info and sign-up at ecbirds.org/projects/green-ridge-raptor-survey/.

October Big Day: 14th
2023-10-14
Mark your calendars for October Big Day—14 Oct 2023! Like Global Big Day, October Big Day is an opportunity to unite around our shared love of birds. Last October, nearly 35,000 people from 185 countries submitted 80,000 checklists with eBird, demonstrating the power of birds to bring people together.
How to participate

Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s contributions into a single massive October Big Day list—while at the same time gathering data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
Watch birds on 14 Oct: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes of birding from home counts. October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your observations via our website or download the free eBird Mobile app to make submitting lists even easier. Please enter your checklists no later than 17 Oct to be included in the results announcement.

Watch the results roll in: During the day, follow along with bird reports from more than 180 countries in real-time on our October Big Day page.

ECBA Annual Event
2023-10-08 16:00 - 19:00 | Worthy Brewing, 495 NE Bellevue Dr, Bend, OR, 97701
Photo credit: Jim Moodie – Pygmy Nuthatches.

Our Annual Event will be on Sunday, October 8th at 4pm at Worthy Brewing. ECBA is hoping that you will join us for this special event to socialize with fellow birders, enjoy some tacos and beverages, and learn more about birds from Harry Fuller and Chuck Gates.
Register/RSVP here

Where: The Hop Mahal room at Worthy Brewing at 495 NE Bellevue Dr., Bend, OR 97701.
When: Doors open at 4:00pm. Come early, have a drink, and hang out with your fellow ECBA birders. Dinner will be served around 5:00. After dinner there will be a short discussion of the 2023 election of Board members and a proposed change to our bylaws. Nominations for vacating Board positions in 2024 can be accepted from the members at this time.
Food: Worthy Brewing will be whipping up a fantastic taco bar for us, including the following: Pork Carnitas, Barbacoa Beef, Green Chili Chicken, Seared Rockfish, Sweet Potato & Poblano, Corn/Flour Tortillas, Spanish Rice, Spiced Black Beans, Cabbage Slaw, Pickled Vegetables, Chips & Salsa, Radish, Cotija, Lime Crema, Lime Wedges, and Cilantro. The cost to members is $20. This is partially covered by ECBA. If the cost is prohibitive for you please send an email to ecba@ecbirds.org to discuss alternatives.
Drinks: no-host bar

Register/RSVP here

Mindful Birding: Oct 7
2023-10-07 09:30 - 11:00

Mindful Birding: Sept. 30
2023-09-30 09:30 - 11:00

September Birders' Night: A History of Oregon Ornithology, From Territorial Days to the Rise of Birding
2023-09-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Environmental Center, 16 N.W. Kansas Ave., Bend, OR
Join us for Birders’ Night with a presentation of “A History of Oregon Ornithology: From Territorial Days to the Rise of Birding” by Alan L. Contreras.

Wednesday Birders
2023-09-20 08:00 - 12:00
Sept 20 – Smith Rocks trails (state park pass in each vehicle), ag fields to the east, Redmond ponds

Wednesday Birders
2023-09-13 08:00 - 12:00
Sept 13 – Wickiup, Crane Prairie, Sheep Bridge, etc

Wednesday Birders
2023-09-06 08:00 - 12:00
September 6 – Hatfield, Houston Lakes and CRWC

Wednesday Birders
2023-08-30 08:00 - 12:00
August 30 – shorebirds. Hotspots TBD

Wednesday Birders
2023-08-23 08:00 - 12:00
Aug 23 – Cascade High Lakes. Begin with willows along “kiosk ponds” at Wickiup and loop around to North, Wickiup Butte, etc. Passerines and shorebirds are on the move.

Wednesday Birders
2023-08-16 08:00 - 12:00
August 16- Lower Bridge, Redmond Sewer Ponds. Willows at Lower Bridge and Lynx could be stuffed with migrants.

Wednesday Birders
2023-08-09 08:00 - 12:00
August 9 – Haystack for shorebirds, waterfowl. Springs and and Gray Butte if mid-day temp permits.

Wednesday Birders
2023-08-02 08:00 - 12:00
August 2 – Tumalo Res and Hatfield.

Wednesday Birders
2023-07-26 18:00 - 20:00
July 26 – p.m. birding Millican area. Finish after dusk with Poorwill. Time TBD

Wednesday Birders
2023-07-19 08:00 - 12:00
July 19 – Warm Springs. Boat ramp area, trail near sewage treatment area and then Museum trail. Consider supporting the museum by visiting exhibits.

Wednesday Birders
2023-07-12 08:00 - 12:00
July 12 – Todd Lake, Sparks Lake. Arrive early to find parking. Walk the trails around the lakes for finches, chickadees, RS Hawks and waterfowl. Walk 2 to 3 miles.

Wednesday Birders
2023-07-05 08:00 - 12:00
July 5 – Santiam Pass, PCT for Northern 3-toed, and Lost Lake

Wednesday Birders
2023-06-28 08:00 - 12:00
June 28 – Prairie Farm etc. on Green Ridge. Walking along the creek below the dam can be a great spot for thrushes and warblers, i.e., Nashville, etc. Try going up to the hawk watch site for Hermit and Townsend’s, maybe Pileated and Sooty Grouse. Bear Springs and Whiskey Springs can be visited to end the loop. Whiskey Springs is not on the ECBA site resources because it is private. Bird only from the road, 1.7 miles in on 1140 from the 11 Rd.

Wednesday Birders
2023-06-21 08:00 - 12:00
June 21 – Deschutes River Trail, Lava Island. Some of you have already been there this season and can direct others to spots for highlights. Gray Catbird is the celebrity bird there. Meet at 7:00 for carpooling at the Park and Ride off Simpson, near The Pavilion or meet at 7:30 at the start of birding from the parking area for the river trail. Plan some walking along the trail. The group can plan other birding from there.

Wednesday Birders - June 14
2023-06-14 08:00 - 12:00
This is a tentative schedule which can always be altered for exciting opportunities for birds elsewhere, adverse road or weather conditions, etc. When directions aren’t given, the intent is to encourage everyone to use the ECBA birding site guide and get used to using those directions and the “how to bird it” tips for the locations. Simply select the county and the hotspots are listed alphabetically.
June 21 – Deschutes River Trail, Lava Island. Some of you have already been there this season and can direct others to spots for highlights. Gray Catbird is the celebrity bird there. Meet at 7:00 for carpooling at the Park and Ride off Simpson, near The Pavilion or meet at 7:30 at the start of birding from the parking area for the river train. Plan some walking along the trail. The group can plan other birding from there.
June 28 – Prairie Farm etc. on Green Ridge. Walking along the creek below the dam can be a great spot for thrushes and warblers, i.e., Nashville, etc. Try going up to the hawk watch site for Hermit and Townsend’s, maybe Pileated and Sooty Grouse. Bear Springs and Whiskey Springs can be visited to end the loop. Whiskey Springs is not on the ECBA site resources because it is private. Bird only from the road, 1.7 miles in on 1140 from the 11 Rd.
July 5 – Santiam Pass, PCT for Northern 3-toed, and Lost Lake.
July 12 – Todd Lake, Sparks Lake. arrive early to find parking. Walk the trails around the lakes for finches, chickadees, RS Hawks and waterfowl. Walk 2 to 3 miles.
July 19 – Warm Springs. Boat ramp area, trail near sewage treatment area and then Museum trail. Consider supporting the museum by visiting exhibits.
July 26 – p.m. birding Millican area. Finish after dusk with Poorwill.
August 2 – Tumalo Res and Hatfield.
August 9 – Haystack for shorebirds, waterfowl. Springs and and Gray Butte if mid day temp permits.
August 16- Lower Bridge, Redmond Sewer Ponds. Willows at Lower Bridge and Lynx could be stuffed with migrants.
Aug 23 – Cascade high Lakes. Begin with willows along “kiosk ponds” at Wickiup and loop around to North, Wickiup Butte, etc. Passerines and shorebirds are on the move.
August 30 – shorebirds. Hotspot to be determined for this date.
September 6 – Hatfield, Houston Lakes and CRWC
Sept 13 – Wickiup, Crane Prairie, Sheep Bridge, etc
Sept 20 – Smith Rocks trails (state park pass in each vehicle), ag fields to the east, Redmond ponds
Sept 27- Haystack, Culver, Metolius and The Cove. Early loons, gulls, Scoters, shorebirds.
October and November. Instead of scheduling spots in advance, will work on using the ECBA website as a source of birding sites, for Crook and Jefferson, with focus on spots new or rarely visited by the group.
Watch COBOL for announcement of meeting and carpooling times and places or for changes in the plan. Wednesdays are group birding where we help each other and learn together, not always a “guided” field day.
