Registration will be open to ECBA members starting at 2pm May 10.
If you would like to become a member click HERE.
Membership fees go toward organizing birding trips and funding bird conservation projects in Central Oregon.
The 2025 Dale Hale Woodpecker Weekend will take place from June 6th to June 8th. Many of the field trips take place in the Sisters area, but there will also be a few around Bend as well as exciting day trips to areas further east. Descriptions of the 2025 field trips can be found below. Please note that field trips vary from year to year based on trip leader availability and habitat conditions.
We do our best to run our field trips as described below. However, we may need to modify and/or cancel field trips for a variety of reasons (i.e. weather, fire, smoke, permitting, safety, closures, etc.). Modifications to trips may include their location, guides, time and other aspects of the trip.
In the unlikely event that changes need to be made to your trip, we will notify you via the email and/or text number provided to us during registration. Note that start times are strict, so please try to arrive early to the meeting place. End times are approximate. Some trips may end before the stated time. For trips that might be going long, your guides will try to advise the group about timing.
Many of our trips involve traversing rough or uneven terrain. And trips often involve traveling to remote areas far from medical facilities and sometimes out of cell service.
For more on what to expect, please see our Field Trip Logistics page
2025 Field Trips
Friday June 6th
F1. Trout Creek Butte Loop
Meeting place and time. Meet your guides by 6:30am at the Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 6:30am – 3:00pm.
Capacity: 10
This trip will likely include the area around Trout Creek Swamp up to the Scott Pass Trailhead which has good Pileated territory and in recent years American Three-toed Woodpeckers have nested here. Many other birds are found in the surrounding brush or treetops, such as Lazuli Bunting, flycatchers, Hermit and Townsend’s warblers, Green-tailed Towhee, and Townsend’s Solitaire. The habitat is quite varied with burn, scrub, and denser forest. We will also visit Cold Springs Campground, which is good for the sapsuckers and White-headed Woodpeckers. The terrain includes bumpy trails, uneven ground and modest inclines. The exact itinerary may change depending on recent sightings in the area.
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F2. Calliope Crossing/Indian Ford/Black Butte Swamp
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:00am at the Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 7:00am to 2:00pm.
Capacity: 10
You are going to enjoy your visit to this Deschutes County birding hotspot! Dense riparian habitat surrounded by ponderosa pine forest supports all three Sapsuckers, various Flycatchers, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Wood-pewee, Northern House Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Cassin’s Finch and Calliope Hummingbird. Among uncommon birds in the area are Wild Turkey and Northern Pygmy-Owl. Trails walked will be typically level, with some uneven ground. This trip may also involve spending time at Indian Ford Campground, Black Butte Swamp, or other nearby areas, depending on time and recent sightings.
F3. The Ochocos and surrounding areas
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 6:30am at the Powell Butte school, 13650 OR-126, Powell Butte, OR 97753, about halfway between Prineville and Redmond on Hwy 126.
Duration: 6:30am to 3:00pm;
Capacity: 10 people.
Description: This is a fast-paced tour where we will be visiting many different habitats and locations. Most of the birding will be done close to vehicles. In Powell Butte, we have a chance for snipe and both eagles. Sage and juniper species such as Gray Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher and several sparrow species might be found. Stopping in Prineville we will visit a Tri-colored Blackbird colony and look for local raptors including Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawks and Prairie Falcon. Heading up into the forest we will look for Sapsuckers, Pileated Woodpecker and White-headed Woodpecker. There are a lot of other species here, too, including flycatchers, Dusky Grouse, Lazuli Bunting, MacGillivray’s warbler and possibly Sandhill Cranes. The trip will also include about a mile walk in the amazing Crooked River Wetlands.
F4. Summer Lake Day Trip
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides at Wickiup Junction Park and Ride, Burgess Road, La Pine by 6:30 am.
Duration: 6:30am to 3:00pm
Capacity: 10 people.
We will be driving and walking during this “Big Day” of birding at Summer Lake. The terrain will be mostly flat, hard packed surfaces. There are some fields that have uneven terrain. As in previous years, the tour route will take the group into the interior of the wetlands where shorebirds, other waterbirds, waders and waterfowl will be abundant. In addition, several species of passerines could be found in trees on stops at several campgrounds. Tree and shrub plots at the north end of Summer Lake Wildlife Area are usually productive for a variety of species. We are likely to see 75+ species.
Bring plenty of food and water and layers of clothing.
Summer Lake has many treasures, one of which is Marty St. Louis (one of our guides). He was the Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge Manager for over 3 decades. We are lucky to have him guide us on this adventure. If you’d like to read more about Summer Lake, here is a link to a great article:
https://www.oregondesertlandtrust.org/elementor-2610/
F5. Beginner Birding Pioneer Park to Archie Briggs along the Deschutes River
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 8:00am by the river at Pioneer Park at the intersection of Portland Ave and Wall St, Bend, Oregon.
Duration: 8:00am to 10am.
Capacity: 10
Join one of Deschutes Land Trust volunteer guides, Amy Sanchez, for a bird walk at one of Central Oregon’s birding hot spots along the Deschutes River. The walk will take us from Pioneer Park along the river to Mt Washington Blvd and back. This is a 2 mile relatively flat walk on a trail along the river. Amy will explain some technique for using your ears (and technology) to identify birds by sound alone.
Saturday June 7th
Sa1. Trout Creek Butte Loop
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 6:30am at the Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 6:30am to 3:00pm.
Capacity: 10
This trip will likely include the area around Trout Creek Swamp up to the Scott Pass Trailhead which has good Pileated territory and in recent years American Three-toed Woodpeckers have nested here. Many other birds are found in the surrounding brush or treetops, such as Lazuli Bunting, flycatchers, Hermit and Townsend’s warblers, Green-tailed Towhee, and Townsend’s Solitaire. The habitat is quite varied with burn, scrub, and denser forest. We will also visit Cold Springs Campground, which is good for the sapsuckers and White-headed Woodpeckers. The terrain includes bumpy trails, uneven ground and modest inclines. The exact itinerary may change depending on recent sightings in the area.
Sa2. Oregon Outback Loop– Fort Rock and Cabin Lake
Meeting place and time. Meet your guides by 7:00am at the Wickiup Junction/Burgess Road Park & Ride in LaPine.
Duration: 7:00am to 3:00pm.
Capacity: 10
This trip is an excursion into the Oregon Outback to see species found in juniper and sage habitats. The first stop will be the sagebrush desert surrounding Fort Rock Natural Area, to try to find Sage Thrasher, Sagebrush Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Brewer’s Sparrow and Ferruginous and Swainson’s Hawk, as well as White-throated Swift, Prairie Falcon, Rock Wren and Canyon Wren. We will leave the sage desert expanse to visit the higher elevation area of Cabin Lake, where desert merges with pine forest. The Cabin Lake blinds, a collaborative effort between ECBA and ODFW, allow close encounters with White-headed Woodpecker, Red Crossbill, Cassin’s Finch, Western Tanager and Pinyon Jay.
Sa3. Beginning Birding at Calliope Crossing
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:30am at the Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 7:30am to 10:30am.
Capacity: 10
Whether you’re just discovering the joys of birding or seeking to develop your birding skills, this trip is for you! Calliope Crossing is a top Deschutes County birding hotspot! Dense riparian habitat surrounded by ponderosa pine forest supports all three Sapsuckers, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Wood-pewee, Northern House Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Cassin’s Finch, Calliope Hummingbird and more. Trails walked will be typically level, with some uneven ground. It’s a great area to see a wide variety of birds, but also to spend some time with individual birds to hone your ID skills.
Sa4. Empids, Woodpeckers & more
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:00am at the Sisters Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 7:00am to 2:00pm.
Capacity: 10
This is a “learning is fun” trip, focusing on the local Empids usually seen in early summer such as Gray, Dusky, Hammond’s, Western and Willow flycatchers. There will also be opportunities to see various sparrows, such as thick-billed Fox Sparrows and Green-tailed Towhees. Several species of woodpeckers (White-headed, Hairy, Sapsuckers) are likely since they are in most visited areas. Trip itinerary will depend on recent sightings, but may include Cold Springs CG, Trout Creek Swamp, Green Ridge, among other locations in Sisters Forest Service district.
Sa5. Green Ridge exploration
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:00am at the Sisters Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 7:00am to 2:00pm.
Capacity: 10
Explore forest roads in and around the iconic Green Ridge. The forest habitat will vary from burned to park-like to dense, harboring various woodpeckers (in particular, Williamson’s Sapsucker), wood warblers, flycatchers, Cassin’s and Purple finches, Cassin’s Vireo, and much more. Sooty Grouse and Mountain Quail are also possible. We will spend part of the trip time in sit spots. Views of the Cascades from Green Ridge are spectacular. If time allows, we will also visit Bear Spring. The terrain includes bumpy roads, uneven ground and modest inclines. Registration will be limited to 5 participants (plus two guides) to minimize disturbance of the area.
Sa6. Shevlin Park/Awbrey Hall Burn
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:30am at the Aspen Hall Parking lot of Shevlin Park. 18920 NW Shevlin Park Rd., Bend, OR 97701.
Duration: 7:30am to 3:30pm.
Capacity: 10
We go to Shevlin Park for the spectacle of many Lewis’s Woodpeckers and sapsuckers, then to the old Awbrey Hall Burn to view our resident birds of the big Ponderosa pines, with a chance for Pileated Woodpecker and Black-backed Woodpecker. Both areas are rich in migrants so we will also see songbirds of the riparian areas and pine forest including Empids and Calliope Hummingbirds. If time allows we may also visit Tumalo Reservoir. Expect to walk about 3.5 miles (slowly) on forest trails with slopes and rough spots throughout the course of the day. These trails also go through areas likely to have ticks.
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Sunday June 8th
Su1. Calliope Crossing/Indian Ford/Black Butte Swamp
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:00am at the Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 7:00am to 2:00pm.
Capacity: 10
You are going to enjoy your visit to this Deschutes County birding hotspot! Dense riparian habitat surrounded by ponderosa pine forest supports all three Sapsuckers, various Flycatchers, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Wood-pewee, Northern House Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Cassin’s Finch and Calliope Hummingbird. Among uncommon birds in the area are Wild Turkey and Northern Pygmy-Owl. Trails walked will be typically level, with some uneven ground. This trip may also involve spending time at Indian Ford Campground, Black Butte Swamp, or other nearby areas, depending on time and recent sightings.
Su2. Empids, Woodpeckers, & more
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 7:00am at the Sisters Creekside Park, Sisters, Oregon.
Duration: 7:00am to 2:00pm.
Capacity: 10
This is a “learning is fun” trip, focusing on the local Empids usually seen in early summer such as Gray, Dusky, Hammond’s, Western and Willow flycatchers. There will also be opportunities to see various sparrows, such as thick-billed Fox Sparrows and Green-tailed Towhees. Several species of woodpeckers (White-headed, Hairy, Sapsuckers) are likely since they are in most visited areas. Trip itinerary will depend on recent sightings, but may include Cold Springs CG, Trout Creek Swamp, Green Ridge, among other locations in Sisters Forest Service district.
Su3. Sawyer Park Sight and Sound Walk
Meeting place and time: Meet your guides by 8:30am at Sawyer Park, Bend, Oregon. 62999 O. B. Riley Rd., Bend, OR 97701.
Duration: 8:30am to 10:00 am.
Capacity: 10
Sawyer Park hosts a wealth of birds due to its varied habitats (the Deschutes River both calm and rapids, rocky cliffs, forest, wetlands, and high desert) within a small area. Centrally located in Bend, the park trails are mostly flat dirt with a few rocks and tree roots and are sometimes narrow. We will walk about a mile total. Limited parking, share a ride if you can. Porta Potty available near the parking lot.