Malheur Musings
May 2022
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The common crane (pictured above, left most bird) is a Eurasian species which can occasionally be seen in the Western United States once or twice a year. This bird was observed, IDed, and confirmed as the first recorded in the State of Oregon arrive just in time for the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival. Festival attendees had the opportunity to see this bird throughout the weekend.
More on this in an article below by Lynn Fox, Friends Volunteer who found this rarity.
Photo by Lynn Fox
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The annual flow of life in the Harney Basin often feels like it begins and ends in Spring, the coming and going of spring migrants and the thrill of pulling off yet another Harney County Migratory Bird Festival.
The 2022 festival was an experiment in moving back to in-person programming and maintaining some virtual options. The entire committee is excited to report that it worked beautifully and has already given us ideas for 2023! The Friends are proud to be a part of this effort and sponsor the Youth Art and Educational components of the Festival. This week I will be sending Shop Harney Giftcards to the winners of the Youth Art Contest! Check out some of the winners.
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In addition to the expected excitement surrounding the scheduled events, we were thrilled at the opportunity to see a common crane! Just 6 weeks old, Teresa and I got the twins out to meet up with our good friend Gary Ivey to do a bit of crane watching. They won't remember, but we will and this sort of joyous memory making and sharing within the birding community is what the festival is all about.
Now we start over and plan for next year. I wonder what surprises the Basin and the Birds will have in store for us in 2023!
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As always, Thank you for being a Friend.
Janelle L Wicks
FOMR Executive Director
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SWAN UPDATE: Theta 64
Photo by Dan Streiffert
Trumpeter swan marked with the green collar, Theta 64 has returned to Benson Pond. This swan nested consistently with little success for several years before abandoning the site in 2021. We are pleased to report that as of Thursday May 5th, Theta 64 is sitting in Benson Pond on the 'same' nest she has used in the past. No mate was observed, but we are hopeful that she has eggs and may yet raise a brood to fledging! Watch this space.
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By Peter Pearsall

All birds lay eggs. The nests they build—or in some cases, don’t build—are as diverse as the birds themselves. Here’s a sampling of nests from birds that breed at Malheur Refuge.
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By Peter Pearsall
Flocks of these long-legged, curved-bill waders are a regular sight in spring, summer, and autumn in the interior West. A drive past Harney County’s many flood-irrigated fields and wet meadows will undoubtably turn some up. Under the right light, the shimmering purple, green, and bronze plumage of breeding white-faced ibises is truly remarkable. Read More
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The Uncommon Sighting of a Common Crane in Harney County
By Lynn Fox, Friends Volunteer
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As a novice birder, I have found myself drawn to brightly colored birds that gather in large, easily identifiable groups. Iridescent white-faced ibis, chatty red-headed blackbirds, cackling sandhill cranes, and bold yellow-headed blackbirds are all stunning examples of such birds. Their beauty is spellbinding, their behavior is fun to observe, they are easy to identify, and they are abundant in Harney County where I volunteer with the Friends of Malheur each spring.
So, imagine my surprise when earlier this April I became the first person in Oregon to photograph a Common or Eurasian Crane overseeing the antics of a group of sandhill cranes in a flooded field east of Burns. My lucky sighting of this wayward visitor highlighted the benefit of observing a relatively common bird species - especially for novices. If I hadn't spent untold hours watching sandhills around Burns during my two months of volunteering, I wouldn't have known the large, black-necked crane with a big tail bustle was unusual, and definitely NOT a sandhill crane. In the following weeks, visitors to the Crane's Nest Nature Center who saw the name tag on my volunteer vest asked, 'Are YOU the Lynn Fox who photographed the Common Crane?!?' I proudly affirmed their suspicion and silently swore to continue watching all birds - common and uncommon - as I slowly master my skills as a birder.
Thank you, Lynn, for sharing your recent experience volunteering with the Friends and exploring Malheur NWR!
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By Eileen Loerch, Friends Volunteer
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I have been coming to Malheur NWR since the late 1970’s. It drew me and my husband. We came every year, then, with our infant daughter. Our 1972 VW Bus was our camper. We put her in the back, over the engine, and puttered along the refuge roads.
Not so wild horses approached our van along the Double OO road and scratched against the van. My daughter, Jessi, loved it. I wish I could remember the horse’s name. The rancher visited with us, and told us the beautiful stallion stole wild horse and brought them into his herd. The scars were visible along his shoulders and flanks from defending his herd.
So, every year, we came for a couple of weeks. We were newbies. Ranchers and Northern Paiutes lived her long before our visits. Yet, we hoped we could connect, understand.
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The pictures above were taken by Eileen during her current volunteer stint.
The Friends of Malheur are grateful to Eileen for her volunteer service this spring. Eileen has been instrumental in managing Nature Store operations and supporting other volunteers as our new Store Manager learns her job and our Executive Director has been on maternity leave.
THANK YOU, EILEEN!
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Member's Meeting
Monday June 6th 2:00 - 4:00 PM
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Join us for the annual Member's Meeting via Zoom. We will hold Board Officer elections, meet & greet with FOMR Board and staff, and enjoy a special presentation.
Save the date and keep an eye on your inbox!
Details coming soon.
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It is not too late to get a 2022 festival hoodie or shirt. This retro style logo is limited edition so order yours soon!
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Membership Minute
The sustaining support of our members is more important than ever.
If you are unsure of your Membership status you can email us at friends@malheurfriends.org today!
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Check out the new 2022 HOLOGRAPHIC Membership sticker!
Not a Member? Simply visit OUR WEBSITE, close the pop-up window and fill out the online form.
You can even set your Membership to Auto-renew with just the check of a box!
Prefer to send a check? Easy. Just fill out THIS FORM and mail it to us with your dues at:
Friends of Malheur NWR
36391 Sodhouse Lane
Princeton, OR 97721
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Current Membership Total: 971!
If you have not yet received your Membership acknowledgement letter
and holographic sticker it will be coming THIS month.
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April's Most Popular
Every month there is excellent content on the Friends Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages. Here we will feature the most popular post of the month.
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April 5th - North America's smallest falcon, the American kestrel is about the size of a mourning dove. It's often seen perched near the ground or hovering in the air, scanning for prey: reptiles, rodents and even large insects. Kestrels can be found throughout the contiguous United States year-round, but are known to breed throughout Alaska and Canada. 📸 of female American kestrel by Dan Streiffert
This post on Facebook reach of over 5,300 people! Follow both of our pages, Malheurfriends, to see more great content like this!
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Now Recruiting for 2022!

Needed: Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store Volunteers are needed for July-October 2022! Individuals must be comfortable interacting with the visiting public and carrying out day-day store operations tasks such as running a point of sale system, counting and stocking inventory. Volunteers also help to maintain the ground surrounding the Nature Center including filling and cleaning bird feeders, occasional light grounds keeping, etc.
Have your own Home on Wheels? Great!
Volunteers with an RV/Camper would have full hook-ups at the volunteer RV park.
All volunteers have access to bathrooms with showers, a fully stocked kitchen, a community room with DirectTV, WiFi, and laundry facilities.
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Volunteer opportunities continue to be contingent upon and will be subject to any local, state, or federal health and safety guidelines. Volunteering may be cancelled at any point. |
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If you wish to be considered for a volunteer position please email Janelle, director@malheurfriends.org |
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Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store |
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The Crane's Nest Online Store is
Still TEMPORARILY CLOSED
HQ Store NOW OPEN
7 Days a Week
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
A snowy day in April at the Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store
Photo by Eileen Loerch
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Malheur HQ Visitor Center
NOW OPEN
7 Days a Week
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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36391 Sodhouse Lane
Princeton, OR 97721
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