So how are those New Year’s resolutions going? Learning to salsa dance? Learning a new language? Taking up birdwatching? While I can’t help you with the first two, I can with the birding.
In February, Central Oregon is a great place to watch waterfowl. Many different species of ducks and geese stop here on their northward migration to rest and feed. Others, like some of the resident Canada geese, are here year-round. In Bend, that means watching your step when walking on the grass at Farewell Bend Park.
What makes these birds so attractive to new birders is that they are big, fairly distinct from each other, and easily viewed at different locations in the region. These birds aren’t skulky like sparrows and are pretty common. Plus, new birders can join a guided walk or field program aimed at identifying these avian wonders.
The list of diving ducks may vary from week to week but generally, you’ve got a good chance to view common goldeneyes, buffleheads, common mergansers and hooded mergansers. These ducks forage underwater, swimming after aquatic invertebrates, small fish, or in the case of the mergansers, preying on crayfish plucked from the river bottom with their long, serrated bills. It’s interesting to note that these diving ducks are cavity nesters in trees or rocky crevices; some will take to a nest box.
Other diving ducks, such as redheads, ring-necked ducks and canvasbacks may also be present during migration. These birds build cup-shaped nests on the ground in marshy areas.
Unlike diving ducks that purse prey underwater, dabblers, also known as “puddle ducks,” forage for seeds, plant material, aquatic invertebrates and insects either on land, on the water surface or in the shallows. This group of birds has legs further forward on the undersides of their bodies than diving ducks do, which enables them to walk on land easier and to take off directly from the water (divers get a running start before takeoff). Puddle ducks include mallards, wigeons, teal, pintails, shovelers and gadwalls.
Here are several prime waterfowl viewing areas in Central Oregon.
Old Mill District
The trails that loop along the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District offer excellent opportunities to view a variety of waterfowl. The birds may be seen floating the river or standing on the icy edges; when the upper stretches of the river freeze, it helps concentrate the waterfowl into the open water areas. These concentrations also attract bald eagles which may prey on a hapless duck.
The local East Cascades Audubon Society offers field trips and resources to view birds in the area. Check its website or Facebook page for upcoming events.
Hatfield Ponds
On the east side of Bend off of the Powell Butte Highway, the Hatfield Ponds are several open water areas that are part of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. These secondary wastewater ponds capture treated water which evaporates or soaks into the soil and is a hotspot for birders.
Parking is located along McGrath Road, just north of the Bend Airport, where the pavement ends. Even if the gate is open, please don’t drive in, as this access is for city staff and law enforcement officers using the range at the east end of the property.
Immediately after passing through the gate is an orientation kiosk with a map of the area, as well as a compilation image of birds to be expected there, including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and songbirds.
There are two ponds that hold the most water and these two ponds often have a good diversity of waterfowl. In addition to the common divers and dabblers found along the Deschutes River, this is a good area to look for tundra swans, ruddy ducks, snow geese, canvasbacks and teal. Because of the shallows and shorelines, these ponds also attract a number of shorebirds later in the season.
Crooked River Wetlands
The award-winning constructed wetlands along the banks of the Crooked River in Prineville is not only a great place to birdwatch but also a nice recreational and educational area. Paved trails follow the edges of numerous holding ponds that filter the treated wastewater before it drains into the Crooked River. Volunteers with the wetlands complex offer guided bird walks on Saturdays, November through April, starting at 9:45 a.m.
This is a great area to view waterfowl in winter, shorebirds in spring, and songbirds in summer. There’s even a pollinator garden and informational signs to enhance one’s visit.
With so many great places to start looking at birds this month, it’s time to grab those bins and guide book and get on that New Year’s resolution to start birding!
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This article appears in Feb 15, 2023 – Feb 21, 2024.
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