Green Ridge is Oregon’s unsung raptor migration hotspot, with comparable numbers of raptors to the more well-known Bonney Butte, but easier access and more accessible local birding. Join Brodie Cass Talbott for a self-catering tour of peak raptor migration at Green Ridge. We will augment an afternoon of raptor counting with birding around the Sisters and Black Butte area.
Green Ridge is Oregon's unsung raptor migration hotspot. Join Brodie Cass Talbott for a self-catering tour of peak raptor migration at Green Ridge.
RegisterWe will meet at Indian Ford campground at 8 am on Saturday. We will slowly bird our way around the campground area, looking for local specialties like White-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, and all three sapsuckers. From Indian Ford we will carpool up to Green Ridge. We will bird our way along the road and around Green Ridge for the remainder of the morning hoping for lucky encounters with Sooty Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, and fall migrants.
Lunch (don’t forget to bring one!) will be at the Green Ridge raptor observation point, and then we will spend the rest of the afternoon helping the hawkwatch team locate and identify a steady stream of accipiters, hawks, eagles, and falcons. This trip is scheduled for peak raptor migration, and last year on a similar date, the team counted over 300 raptors over 8 hours, with the majority flying in the afternoon. Overall, the 2018 season had 15 species of raptors, including Broad-winged Hawk and Northern Goshawk, and with a good deal of luck, we may see one of these as well.
When the hawkwatch adjourns at 5, we will end our day, with an optional group dinner in Sisters.
On Sunday we will bird hotspots of the Sisters area including Calliope Crossing, which has a knack for turning up rare migrants in the fall, and is a prime location for Pinyon Jay, a specialty of the region. The trip will adjourn by mid-afternoon, allowing participants ample time to return to Portland during daylight hours.
