Message from the Board
Kit Struthers
Each evening in the winter large numbers of Bald Eagles fly in to roost in the large cottonwoods at Camas National Wildlife Refuge after a day of hunting. They fly in from all directions as the sun is setting. For the fifth year, the Friends of Camas NWR is sponsoring “Come to Roost at Camas.” This year’s event will be on Saturday, February 15, from 4:30 PM until dark. Spotting scopes will be set up for the public to see the eagles. As the eagles fly in, they are greeted with vocalizations from the eagles that are already roosting.
The event is free to the public and is suitable for both adults and kids. Warm boots with thick soles plus warm clothing will make the evening more enjoyable. Free hot chocolate will be provided.
Refuge Manager's Notes
Brian Wehausen,
January 13, 2020
In the last month, winter has really shown up on the Refuge and in the surrounding area. Currently, the Refuge has about six inches of snow on the ground and the temperatures have been cold with most nights in the single digits to below zero. The mountains in the upper part of the Camas Creek watershed have been getting some good snow this year. As of today, the snotel at Crab Creek has 35 inches of snow depth and it contains 6.7 inches of water equivalent. With more snow in the forecast, things are shaping up nicely for a good runoff year if this trend continues.
Folks have been inquiring about the number of bald eagles that are showing up in the traditional roost sight near the Refuge headquarters. The number of eagles has recently improved in we are seeing numbers now in the 20s. It was a slow start this year and the local rivers had stayed open and the temperatures were not consistently cold enough. With these recent storms, we hope the numbers continue to grow and we have a good night for the Friends of Camas annual Come to Roost Event which is being held on February 15th from 4:30 PM until dark. The other notable raptor in the area has been the rough-legged hawks that have been seen in good numbers.
Refuge staff has been trying to keep the snow moved off the auto-tour route and make it passable. There is currently enough snow that cross-country skiing or snowshoeing can be done on the Refuge. In terms of wildlife viewing at the Refuge, fair numbers of elk and white-tailed deer using the Refuge with the deer visible from the auto-tour route and the elk usually visible from the frontage road or Interstate.