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Western grebes observed courting at the Narrows. If you have trouble telling Western from Clarke's grebes, you are not alone. Everyone will say it's the black sitting above or below the eye, but still - which is which? I tend to rely on the western's eye mask making them look like bandits of the wild west.
Photos by Katie Sorenson
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I just had the pleasure of spending a week in Harney County. My time at the Refuge was as full and productive as the wetlands throughout the Refuge! I connected with birding groups of various feathers including Bird Alliance of Oregon's annual outback outing and the delightful cohort of one Alan Contreras. I got to talk with Thomas Meinzen about his Green Big Year and Tye Jeske about the Grace's warbler sighting. I welcomed volunteers including board members as they began arriving for the weekends' festivities. (Photo above of black-necked stilt with chick by Dan Streiffert)
The Migrate Through Malheur event had volunteers stationed across the Refuge on Saturday, May 31st until everyone gathered at the Field Station for a free community picnic. There were raffle prizes for Migrate participants and enough food and cold drinks to satisfy the crowd on such a beautiful, but hot day.
On Sunday we held our Annual In-person Board Meeting in which we welcomed THREE new board Members: Larry Hill, Erik Jensen, and Walt Duffy. (Stay tuned for updated Board Bios) Simultaneously, we thanked outgoing Board Member, Donna Owens, for her three years of service in most notably contributing to the efforts of FOMR's Project Committee. This meeting was full of great conversation about who we are and what we are doing in service to Malheur NWR through these challenging times.
FOMR is engaged in quite a few ongoing and deeply meaningful endeavors...
Dark Sky Lighting Evaluation and Compliance
FOMR's Seasonal Biological Technician Position
Events like Malheur After Dark or the upcoming Virtual Nature Journaling Workshop
Then, of course, there's the Tribal Stewards Program
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I've been a tad busy, mired in the coordination and oversight of these and other good works of our organization. But ultimately, this work happens because YOU support it with your Membership and Donations. Thank you.
In Service to Malheur,
Janelle Wicks
Executive Director
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President's Message; June 2025
Written by Bill Tweed
Photo of great egret by Lane Wintermute
Like it or not, change is an inevitable part of our world. Things never stay exactly the same. This seems to be particularly true this year.
One change is that I’m back writing this monthly note for the Malheur Musings. The board of directors of our Friends group has the healthy habit of rotating responsibilities, and I’m stepping up for another term as board president, a volunteer position I last filled during 2023-2024. Read More
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TRIBAL STEWARDS ARE COMING BACK TO MALHEUR NWR
The photos above are from the 2024 crew during their time at Malheur NWR. We work hard with the Refuge Staff and Partners to ensure that the Crew's time at Malheur is an enriching experience that above all else offers these young adults insight for how they may see themselves in a natural resources career. In fact, two of the 2024 crew members have since been employed full time with Lomakatsi Restoration Project as conservation stewardship staff. We hope that this program continues to serve as a career pipeline and that their time at Malheur NWR is enriching and enjoyable.
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Drone Policy at National Wildlife Refuges
Written by Peter Pearsall
Photo courtsey of Adobe Stock
Areas considered ecologically sensitive—including lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System, which can host threatened or endangered species—can be disproportionately affected by drone flights. Thus, launching, landing, or disturbing wildlife by uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, on National Wildlife Refuges is prohibited.
General Tips for Responsible Drone Use
The public’s use of drones has become immensely popular and versatile, allowing users to obtain unparalleled views of landscapes and wildlife. Drones possess enormous potential in any number of scientific applications, but wildlife can be extremely sensitive to drone use. Follow these tips for responsible UAS conduct and remember: Recreational use of uncrewed aircraft is prohibited at National Wildlife Refuges. Read More
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Watching Birds Migrate w/ Birdcast
Written by Andy McCormick
Andy writes on birds and conservation issues regularly in Eastside Audubon’s Corvid Crier and has been published in Northwest Science, Western Birds, and Rainier Audubon’s Heron Herald.
Photo of Grace's Warbler by Tye Jeske. This bird was the first sighting in Oregon.
A phenomenon of nature occurs every spring and most of us are not aware of it because we are sleeping. From late-March to the end of May each year millions of birds fly over us during spring nights. These birds include warblers, flycatchers, orioles, tanagers, and many species of shorebirds which are on their annual migration from the tropics to breeding areas in the woodlands, marshes, and prairies of the United States and Canada. Researchers believe many birds migrate at night because they use star patterns for navigation, and avoid overheating by flying in cooler air. Flying at night may also reduce the risk of being attacked by predators.
Spring migration occurs in waves over a period of weeks with bird numbers peaking on some nights and dipping on others. The number of birds flying overhead at night depends on the timing of the individual bird species, the direction of the wind, and overall weather patterns. Birds prefer a tail wind to help them travel long distances with less effort and will wait for the wind to shift so that it is coming from the south. Read More
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Meet FOMR's 2025 Biological Technician: Lisa Leen!
Written by Lisa Leen, FOMR Bio Tech
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Hi there, my name is Lisa Leen, and I am the Wildlife Biology Technician at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge with Friends of Malheur for this summer. I’m currently a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, majoring in Wildlife Ecology, along with a minor in Native American studies. May 2026 is my expected graduation date. I’ve been very fortunate to have had past experiences volunteering and interning in wildlife care and conservation in places such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Thailand, Texas, and my home state of California. Read More
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Meet the Rest of the 2025 Seasonal Team!
Jason Tappa (left) and Kate Barry (right) make up the balance of the 2025 seasonal team of biological technicians. Jason is employed by Bird Alliance of Oregon to carry out the Refuge's inventory and monitoring bird surveys such as landbird point counts and wood riparian area point counts. Kate is directly supervised by Refuge Supervisory Habitat Ecologist, Travis Miller, and will be working on everything from maintaining fish screens to conducting vegetation surveys in the wet meadows. Read their bios HERE.
Join FOMR in wishing Lisa, Jason, and Kate a fun filled summer experience at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge!
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Photo of white-faced ibis by Lane Wintermute
Since January, we have witnessed an estimated 25% reduction of the staff of the Refuge System. It has happened so fast, it has been hard to calculate the impacts. Perhaps you show up to a refuge you just visited a week ago, and now there’s no one there doing habitat work, or helping school children learn about their local wildlife. In some cases, the Refuge System is just beginning to understand exactly where the loss is and is starting to try to figure out how to manage through this exodus.
On top of that, the President’s budget request to Congress would cut the current funding by 22% ($116 million) taking it down to just $412 million, an amount not seen since the early 2000’s. ~National Wildlife Refuge Association
Send a Message to Your Representatives NOW
Read last month's article: Send the Letters, Make the Calls
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Species Spotlight; Northern Harrier
Written by Peter Pearsall / Photo by Dan Streiffert
The Northern harrier (Circus hudsonius) is a commonly encountered bird of prey found across North America, recognizable by its owl-like facial disk and low, gliding flight over open fields and marshes. Sometimes called the “marsh hawk,” harriers are often seen coursing low over the ground in search of small mammals and birds.
The harrier is a medium-sized raptor, with long wings and tail, and a distinctive white rump patch. Males are pale gray above with white underparts, while females and juveniles are brown above with buffy streaked underparts. The owlish facial disk gives the face a flattened appearance, enhancing harriers’ ability to detect prey by sound. Read More
| | Volunteering with Friends | | |
June Volunteers at Malheur are a hearty bunch, willing to brave the threat of mosquitoes, and we could not be more grateful. Thank you to all of our June Volunteers and a huge Kudos to FOMR's Crane's Nest Manager, Jill Bachman, for volunteer coordinating!
Dan Streiffert, Craig Walker, Cheryl Hunter, Larry Hill, Sharon & Ron Vail, Janet Willhaus, Phil Woodford, Susan Gyorog, and every Board Member!
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The 2025 Stewardship Project Schedule
August 8-10 - Sod House Ranch; Every year the historic Sod House Ranch site must be prepared for visitors in advance of its August 15th opening date. Other tasks will be taken on as time and energy allows. Follow-up bat surveys will also be conducted in the evenings. HOUSING IS AVAILABLE at the Malheur Field Station and paid for by FOMR.
September 19-21 - Stewardship tasks TBD
October 17-19 - Stewardship tasks TBD
If you have any questions or would like to sign up for a Stewardship Weekend,
please email friends@malheurfriends.org
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Outreach & Events
Be sure to check out the incredible opportunities below and see our website's event calendar for more. Click the links below to learn more about these programs and sign-up!
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May'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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May 2, 2025 - Malheur Lake is currently measuring at 67074.3 acres! This is not including with the meadows to the north which are visually indistinguishable from the Lake and are measuring at another 22721.34 acres. Combined, the region is a total of 89,795.6 acres!
There is water is spreading all the way to Wrights point and beyond.
To the west of Highway 205, Mud Lake is around 2522.9 acres and Harney Lake it is at 24115.014 acres.
#MalheurNationalWildlifeRefuge #MalheurFriends #greatbasin #HarneyCounty #harneybasin #springvibes
Follow the Friends of Malheur on Facebook and Instagram at Malheurfriends
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Amazon Wish List!
The needs of the Friends and Refuge's programs are changing all the time. This Amazon WishList will be updated seasonally with items supporting the Biology Dept, Volunteer Program, Stewardship Projects and general operational needs!
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Annual Membership
Membership does more than contribute funds that sustain our work in service to Malheur NWR. FOMR's 1330+ Members demonstrate a strength in community and that's community's passion for Malheur NWR.
Unsure of your Membership status? Email us at friends@malheurfriends.org
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Not a Member or need to RENEW?
Simply visit OUR WEBSITE!
Prefer to send a check? Easy.
Fill out THIS FORM and mail it with your dues to:
Friends of Malheur NWR
36391 Sodhouse Lane
Princeton, OR 97721
Photo (left) burrowing owl family by Volunteer Photographer Lane Wintermute
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Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store
OPEN 7 Days/Week from March 1 - October 31
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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NEW ONLINE STORE - LIVE NOW!
All of the classic Malheur apparel and keepsakes, books, gifts, and more are now available through our new and improved online store.
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JUNE FEATURED ITEM:
New DIY Embroidery Kit!!!
Make this hand-painted scene your own! Great for beginners to advance embroiderers. Stitch as much or as little as you want. Comes with a How-To Guide for beginners!
Package includes:
Printed Fabric
5 Embroidery Floss Colors
1 Needle
6″ Hoop
Instructions
Made in the USA
GET YOURS for just $35!
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Malheur HQ Visitor Center
OPEN 7 Days/Week from March 1 - October 31
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
The Refuge HQ Visitor Center is completely dependent on the availability of volunteers. When volunteer availability is low the VC will be closed, but the Nature Store will remain open. Visitors are encouraged to ask any questions of the volunteers or staff in the Crane's Nest Nature Store at Refuge Headquarters.
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