Hello Tweets,

With all the news coverage of Malheur this winter there will probably be
increased interest in visiting the NWR this spring. Typically the time
period around Memorial Day is a good time to visit as vagrants often show up
at the headquarters "migrant trap" at that time, but the refuge can be good
all spring.

But those who have visited Malheur in the past are all too familiar with
those grinding, slow speed limits all over eastern Oregon, 55 mph on endless
straight high-quality roads. Oregon, in fact, has the slowest speed limits
of any state west of Pennsylvania! With the hope of some great vagrants and
numerous 'regular' species waiting at the refuge, combined with an
already-too-long drive, this is enough to try the most patient birders among
us.

But that's about change, Oregon is finally entering the 20th century.
Effective March 1, many eastern Oregon roads will have their speed limits
increased. The Oregon ODOT has a map online showing which roads will now
have the faster limits - see
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/SiteAssets/Pages/Speed-Limit-Increases-in-20
16/Highway_Speed_Increases_Effective032016.pdf

Even the 65-year-old ban on pumping your own gas in Oregon has finally been
lifted... sort of, anyway. Some gas stations in rural areas which have a
shortage of attendants will now have the option of allowing pump-your-own.

David & Jo Nunnallee
Sammamish, WA