Bird Surveys

ODLT is seeking bird surveyors to assist coordinators in sunrise point counts May 9-10, June 13-14, July 11-12 in the wet meadows of Trout Creek Ranch Headquarters. These 4-hour wetland surveys will be used to determine overall abundance of migratory birds and are important in guiding restoration plans. 

Teresa Wicks from Bird Alliance of Oregon (formerly Portland Audubon) created this protocol, which will be accompanied by audio recording units to capture bird activity as much as possible. Overnight stays are required and we have accommodations for sleeping indoors, outdoors, or vehicle camping (see below and registration form for details). 

We’re restoring hundreds of acres of wet meadows at Trout Creek Ranch for sandhill cranes, long-billed curlews, avocets, and other birds in this critical migration and breeding area of the Pacific Flyway. Documenting bird activity will help us understand how we can manage Trout Creek to best benefit the diversity of species that use the creek and associated wet meadows.

The wetlands of Southern Oregon-Northeastern California (SONEC) comprise some of the most important spring and fall staging habitat for waterfowl in North America, supporting more than 70% of the Pacific Flyway’s dabbling ducks in spring migration. Approximately 5,700 acres of Trout Creek Ranch have been identified as SONEC priority areas. Trout Creek Ranch lies 40 miles south of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area that supports more than 340 bird species. Like the refuge, we’re planning to manage flood-irrigation, haying, and grazing to provide critical habitat for waterfowl and pronghorn antelope during their migrations, as well as many other animals throughout the year.