Eric Henriksen wrote:
>
> Tweeters,
>
> I'm heading to Bend for a long weekend. Any reasonably close-in birding spots that anyone has to recommend?
>
> Eric Henriksen
> Gig Harbor

Well, you're only 3 hours from Malheur, you could put together
a one-day monster tour if you've never been there. You may not
leave, that's the only downside...get up at 5, plan to return
about 11...

More reasonably, west of Sisters (which is west of Bend) lies Indian
Ford and Cold Springs campgrounds. These are good for things like
white-headed woodpecker and williamson's sapsucker, as well as
offering a suite of other pond pine birds/aspen birds.

This year, due to some small burns north on the gravel road from
Hwy 20 to Cold Springs CG, the woodpeckers seem a little more dispersed,
spending a lot of time foraging in these burns. I'm sure that
white-headeds will be nesting in one or both of the CGs, though.

Black Butte resort has stands of aspen and pond pine, too, and doesn't
mind birders hanging around.

There are plenty of logging roads around to explore various creeks,
forest tracts at different stages of succession, etc.

Why not pick up a copy of "The Birder's Guide to Oregon", available
via mail-order from Portland Audubon at (503) 292-WILD? It covers
these areas in detail, as well as other birding opportunities
in the area, and has maps describing how to get to the places.


--
- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
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