OBA Field Trips

FIELD TRIPS

OBA field trips are back! OBA is again offering trips led by experienced birders and expert local guides. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have guidelines in place to help ensure a safe experience for everyone. All participants must show proof of vaccination; see our Field Trip Policies page for full details and our waiver. There is no charge to attend, but participants must be current members of OBA; you can join or renew here. Pre-registration is required and group size is limited to 10 participants plus leader(s). Weather, wildfire or other conditions may cause a trip to be canceled; if that happens, the trip leader will alert you. To suggest a trip we should run, or to volunteer as a leader, please contact us.

Green Ridge Hawk Watch, Oct. 3, 2021

OBA Board Member Erik Bergman will team up with David Vick and Peter Low of East Cascades Audubon Society (ECAS) for a day focused on migrating raptors on Green Ridge. This is an Important Bird Area and a Jefferson County hotspot with an eBird tally of 118 species. The roads are suitable for passenger cars and lead to a ¼-mile trail to the hawk-watching site with fantastic mountain views. ECAS annually records up to 16 species of raptors with up to 500 birds on the best day. Typical birds are Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Harrier, Osprey and Turkey Vulture. Prairie Falcon and Broad-winged Hawk have been seen a few times. This area hosts Ponderosa Pine species such as Northern Pygmy Owl, White-Headed Woodpecker and Williamson’s Sapsucker. Sooty Grouse have also been seen. Many passerines move through as well.

Meeting place is Indian Ford Campground on Highway 20 between Black Butte Ranch and Sisters, Oregon, at 9 a.m.  We will convoy about 18 miles to the survey site from the campground. Bring a lunch and water, and dress for a range of weather. Green Ridge has a portable toilet. All participants must sign an ECAS waiver.

Register for Green Ridge Hawk Watch (google.com).

Bonney Butte Hawk Watch, Oct. 9, 2021

Join OBA Board Member Erik Bergman to spot migrating raptors at Bonney Butte, a HawkWatch International (HWI) counting and banding site. The onsite HWI crew will share hawk-watching tips with us and provide educational programming. It’s possible, but not guaranteed, that we can watch their trapping and banding activities up-close. Some 2,500-4,500 raptors of up to 18 species have typically been recorded here annually. Most commonly seen are Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Turkey Vulture, and Golden Eagle, but this site is noted for relatively high numbers of Merlins (up to 100 or more per year). This eBird hotspot in Hood River County has a species count of 105.

We will meet at the rest area on Highway 26 in Government Camp at 8 a.m. before we convoy about 22 miles to the hawk-watching site. The last stretch of road is not suitable for 2WD passenger cars; AWD or 4WD vehicles with ample ground clearance are recommended. Participants should dress in layers and be prepared for a range of weather at 5,500 feet elevation. The last half-mile is a hike, so wear sturdy footwear. Bring a lunch and water. Consider bringing a camp chair for comfort. A Forest Service rest room is near the trailhead.

Register for Bonney Butte Hawk Watch (google.com).

Wasco County and Sherman County, Oct. 31, 2021

Join OBA President-Elect Brodie Cass Talbot for a two-county tour along the Columbia River. Details will be available soon and registration is not yet open.

We follow the American Birding Association’s Code of Ethics, developed and promoted by the ABA.

OBA Field Trip Policies