[obol] ECBC Field Trips Fund-raiser

[Charles R. Gates]

As part of a fundraiser, The East Cascades Bird Conservancy is offering 6
guided bird trips for next year.  Each is lead by experienced enthusiasts
with all proceeds going directly to supporting the many projects we are
involved with.  The first 4 trips are priced at $150 and you are able to
bring along as many people as can fit in a vehicle.  Groups are welcome to
purchase the trips and spread the expense among themselves.   The 5th and
6th trips have special conditions (see details below).  We will tailor the
trips to meet your needs and to try and find specific birds that you would
like to try and see.

Trip 1, Cascades: Lots of great places to visit on the eastern slopes of the
Cascades with Woodpeckers galore, flycatchers, Sooty Grouse, Green tailed
Towhee, Pinyon Jay and maybe a Veery.

Trip 2, Summer Lake: This is a fantastic wetland with Cranes, Bitterns,
Night Herons, Ibis, Stilts and Avocets 
 lots of water fowl, Snowy Plovers
and Willets.  Close by are breeding Gnatcatchers, Burrowing Owls and Black
throated Sparrows.

Trip 3, Crook County: Chuck Gates knows all the good spots to go and you
will find Tri colored Blackbirds, Bitterns, nesting Ferruginous Hawks,
Trumpeter Swans, Cranes, Long billed Curlews, Willets, Stilts, Avocets,
Black Terns.  White throated swifts in the canyons, Sparrows in the sage
brush 
. You get it all and maybe breeding Bobolinks!

Trip 4, Fort Rock (winter): This is the place for Raptors with many Eagles,
Prairie Falcons, Ferruginous and Rough Legged Hawks.  In late March or early
April we will be able to visit a local Sage Grouse Lek (at first light)
where about 120 of these fantastic birds can be seen.  Depending on the time
and road conditions it might be possible to visit Summer lake for Geese and
possibly Tree Sparrows.

Trip 5, Wickiup “Pelagic” Trip:  We jokingly call this trip a “pelagic”.  It
’s actually a boat tour of Wickiup Reservoir.  Wickiup is a local hotspot in
any season (winter can get frozen out).  This trip will take you to birds
that can’t be seen from shore or any road.  Possible birds here are scoters,
loons, shorebirds, gulls, and a myriad of waterfowl.  We even had a
Hudsonian Godwit a couple of years ago.  This guided tour is limited to 4
people (that’s all that fit in the boat.  More than one trip will be
arranged if there is a demand).  This trip sells for only $100 per group.

Trip 6, Okanagan Valley, Washington:  Khanh Tran will lead this trip to the
Okanogan, in north central Washington, with spaces for a maximum of seven
people.  The trip is scheduled for Friday January 18 through Sunday January
20, with back-up dates of Friday, February 1 through Sunday, February 3.
The trip will begin Friday morning with an 8:00 AM rendezvous in The Dalles.
The group will travel north on Highway 97 making their first stop at the
Waterville Plateau near Pateros.  On Saturday they will visit the scenic
Methow Valley and Conconully in the Sinlahekin Valley.   On Sunday they will
stop at the Timentwa Flats and then return to The Dalles by mid-afternoon on
Sunday.

Transportation for the trip will consist of carpooling in two vehicles with
all participants pitching in to share car expenses.  Arrangements for
lodging and meals will be provided; participants will be responsible for the
cost of their lodging (about $75 per room, double occupancy), meals and
incidentals.

Khanh Tran has more than 25 years of birding experience.  He has traveled
and birded extensively in the Northwest, from Malheur to the Yukon.  You can
see some of his bird photos at http://www.pbase.com/spruce_grouse.  The
minimum auction bid is $250 and the minimum number of participants is 4

Although you can plan any of these trips for any month next year (except
trip 6), we suggest late May – mid July as the best times (fall is also good
for the Wickiup Trip).  For Trip 4, the time will be weather dependent and
Sage Grouse will be on the lek from mid March to early April.

Please contact me for any more information or to reserve on of these trips.
steve_dougill at hotmail.com
541 548 4430


Steve Dougill,
Redmond, Deschutes Co., OR
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