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Harney County Migratory Bird Festival is a mere two weeks away! While we are excited about spring arrivals on the Refuge we never forget that the entirety of Harney County is coming alive all around us. Learn more at www.migratorybirdfestival.com
Photo of sandhill cranes in the foreground with snow and ross's geese in the background of a by Bill Munk.
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From the osprey platform construction and installation to the Harney County Youth Artist in Residence (AiR) program, I am endlessly proud of the work we do in, for, and with our local community. Both of these programs brought together many people with different skills to offer and collectively accomplish great things!
AiR began 20 years ago under the direction of Carey Goss who now serves as Malheur NWR's Deputy Manager and in partnership with the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival, then known as the John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival. A lot has changed over the years, including the coordination of this program moving to FOMR and the annual costs increasing significantly, but the goal of connecting Harney County youth to the wonder of birds and the value of the Refuge through art remains the same.
Over the span of two weeks our AiR team visits with every single elementary school student from all outlying rural schools to the homeschool co-op, local charter school, and the Burns Paiute Tribe's Tu-Wa-Kii Nobi program. This year we reached over 550 youth!
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When all that is done, we go a step further and sponsor the prizes for the Youth Wildlife Art Contest through the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival! If you are attending the festival this year, please make sure you check out the youth art contest display and vote for your favorites in each of the 5 age categories from kindergarten to 12th grade! This only happens because of your support.
Thank you,
Janelle Wicks
FOMR Director
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Growing Awareness of Female Bird Song
Written by Andy McCormick
Photo of female yellow-headed blackbird by Dan Streiffert
The territorial konk-la-ree song of the male Red-winged Blackbird pierces the morning mist rising from the cattail marsh. It is a few minutes after sunrise and three of us are conducting a monthly survey of the marsh on land acquired by King County, Washington after a major flood in 2019. The survey gives us an opportunity to study the birds over the course of a year. As part of the survey, we are tasked with sorting males from females to help determine the status of breeding birds on the property. READ MORE
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Celebrating Migration Through Youth Art!
Written by Alexa Martinez, Malheur NWR Wildlife Biologist
The arrival of migratory birds in Harney County heralds in much excitement every spring. In addition to the landscape around us coming alive with the sights and sounds of spring, community partners such as Friends of Malheur, Bird Alliance of Oregon, and the Bureau of Land Management are preparing for the annual Harney County Migratory Bird Festival! What better way to celebrate the season than showcasing this special time through the eyes of children and their beautiful bird art.
The Artist in Residence program for local youth has been going strong for nearly 20 years and this year I had the pleasure to participate fully in the Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge sponsored program. READ MORE
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It's Feeding Time!
Written by Linda Hendricks Spence, BirdingBeyondtheFieldGuide.com
Photo above of male western tanager lunging for an insect after feeding on an orange half at the Crane’s Nest feeders. By Dan Streiffert
Last month was a good time to put up your seed feeders for the spring and summer seasons – and if you have not, fear not. Put them up whenever your schedule permits. The birds will find them and use them regardless of whether you put them up today, next week, or next month. Just remember, the sooner you put them up, the sooner you can sit back, relax, and enjoy!
April is a great time to put up the next group of feeders – feeders for orioles and hummingbirds. These birds are primarily insect eaters in spring and summer, but all love fruit any time of the year – or as in the case of hummingbirds, sugary water. First, the orioles. READ MORE
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President's Message for April 2026
Written by Bill Tweed, FOMR President
As we leave the winter of 2025-26 behind, we can have no doubt but that interesting times are ahead. I could make this statement in several different contexts, but let’s focus on the most critical of them all – water.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge exists as a result of the presence of two natural phenomena – a geographical basin and water to fill it sufficiently to create wetlands and lakes. As a result, since the end of the Pleistocene Ica Age some 10,000+ years ago, migratory birds have sought out what we now call the Harney Basin. READ MORE
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Species Spotlight; Osprey
Written by Janelle Wicks
NOTE: In honor of the NEW Osprey Camera, we interrupt your monthly Icteridae species spotlight, to bring you the osprey!
If you spend any time near water at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, keep an eye on the sky for a long-winged raptor hanging in place over a pond or canal, then plunging feet-first into the water. That’s an osprey (Pandion haliaetus), a fish-eating specialist and one of the Refuge’s most charismatic birds of prey and we expect their annual return any day now!
Ospreys are almost completely dependent on fish, hunting over rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. They fly slowly and deliberately, pausing to hover when they spot a fish near the surface, then dive with talons extended to snatch their prey. READ MORE
| | Volunteering with Friends | | |
2026 Stewardship Work Parties
Save the dates for the following volunteer weekends. Lodging will be provided, FCFS, at the Malheur Field Station.
June 15-17 Bat Flyout Surveys
August 7-9 Sod House Ranch & Bat Flyout Surveys
September 18-20 Tasks TBD
October 16-18 Tasks TBD
Want to join us? Email friends@malheurfriends.org
REMINDER: Sign up NOW to volunteer for Intermountain West Joint Venture Shorebird Surveys on Malheur NWR. April 23 - 26th! | Email twicks@birdallianceoregon.org
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Volunteer Shout Out(s)
Returning volunteers Michele Wolski, Dan Streiffert, and Lynn Fox are all arriving this week to help out for the month of April and will be joined by Jo Jefferies during the Bird Festival Weekend. Speaking of Bird Fest, we are thrilled that East Cascade Bird Alliance members Robin Rose, Wendy Andrick, Duke Tufty, and Margi Finch are all assisting with van rental pick-ups and tour driving throughout the weekend!
WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!
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Dates: APRIL 16 - 19TH 2026
REGISTRATION is OPEN!
Click Here for FULL EVENT SCHEDULE
REFUGE SPECIFIC HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Bird Crawl Locations
Hike Boca Lake
Hike the Double O
Malheur Birding & Dunn Dam Tour
Llama Powered Birding Tour
Birding Benson Pond to P Ranch
Birding by Bike on Bridge Creek
Travel Through Time at Malheur Refuge
Brunch w/ the Birds & so many other great tours and programs!
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VIRTUAL PRESENTATION: Malheur Wet Meadow Management Study
Travis Miller, Malheur Refuge Habitat Ecologist and Supervisory Biologist
Dr Teresa 'Bird' Wicks, Bird Alliance of Oregon Eastern Oregon Program Biologist
Wednesday May 6th | 1:00 PM | Zoom
Together, Travis and Teresa will share the evolving state of inventory and monitoring in Malheur's wet meadows and how their work is supporting adaptive management under changing and sometimes unpredictable environmental conditions.
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NEW! A Book Circle for bird and nature nerds!
This group will tackle a new title quarterly starting with Feather Wars which was recently published on March 17th! Books are in hand and ready to send out!
We are offering TWO Ways to join in the booky fun.
Feather Friend | $50: Register and receive a copy of the book from the Crane’s Nest Nature Store along with a tote bag and novelty items. Receive an invitation to the monthly Zoom chats on Second Sundays at 7pm. Proceeds support Friends of Malheur NWR.
FREE*: No registration necessary. Just join in the Goodreads.com Group Chat to share your reflections and engage in meaningful conversation with others.
*You will acquire the book yourself. We recommend checking out your local library or www.bookshop.org to support small local bookstores.
Sign up: Email friends@malheurfriends.org
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PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES
If you know of or are associated with a group that would be interested in a Malheur NWR themed presentation, please reach out to FOMR Director Janelle Wicks to coordinate.
Potential topics are as diverse as the Refuge itself.
Virtual or in-person depending on seasonal availability.
Email: friends@malheurfriends.org
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March'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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March 10, 2026: Most of the sandhill cranes seen in and around Malheur Refuge each spring are passing through to breeding areas further north. Those that remain to breed at the Refuge are part of a population that winters in California’s Central Valley, about 30 miles south of Sacramento.
Photo of cranes near Malheur by @s.phiferphotography, taken in April 2023 #sandhillcrane #crane #highdesert #oregondesert #friendsofmalheur
Follow the Friends of Malheur on Facebook and Instagram at Malheurfriends
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Amazon Wish List!
We have added a few new items in anticipation of the 2026 field season with increased volunteer and seasonal lodging at Historic Buena Vista House!
Please consider an in-kind donation to support these programmatic needs.
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Friends Membership
Membership does more than contribute funds that sustain our work in service to Malheur NWR. FOMR's 1400+ members demonstrate a strength in community and that 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) Sandhill crane by Lane Wintermute
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Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store
OPEN 7 Days/Week 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Stop in and say Hi to FOMR Manager Jill, Assistant Manager Sid, or one of our lovely Store Volunteers Leila, Bill, Dan, and Michele!
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Malheur HQ Visitor Center
OPEN 7 Days/Week 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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