We have so many wonderful memories of our explorations. Perhaps best were the incredible sunrises and sunsets, easily viewable from our campground. I will always remember the two Great Horned Owls who hung out in a tree next to the campground serenading us with their hoots many evenings and mornings.
We set out along the Blitzen River, and soon we were in the vast expanse of the lake with birds EVERYWHERE! The idea of “counting” seemed comical. How do you count what must have been thousands of birds rising from the lake, circling, shifting?
These surveys correlate with spring and fall migration and are conducted in a short window of time to reduce the likely hood of double-counting shorebirds as they migrate.
I’m at Malheur volunteering for the Friends of Malheur Refuge in their Crane’s Nest Nature Center and Store. Generally, I’m scheduled for three days a week, so I have time off to bird and explore.
During the past several years, we have volunteered for a month each year at Refuge Headquarters, helping at Crane’s Nest Nature Store and taking on a few assignments around the Refuge such as checking signs along the trails and the Central Patrol Road (CPR), and helping with the annual highway clean-up near Frenchglen. This year, we enthusiastically agreed to be stationed at the far south end of the Refuge at the homesite of the former Pete French Ranch, now known as P Ranch.
Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was formed in 1999 and is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
Tax ID #: 93-1261322
View our profile to learn more about our non-profit transparency.
Learn how you can get a qualified tax credit with your donation.
Donations are used across the Refuge for a variety of projects and programs that support our mission.
