The Bonney Butte Raptor Project
Golden eagle release, Bonney Butte, Oregon Copyright © 1997, Don Baccus (dhogaza@pacifier.com)
Copyright © 1997, Don Baccus
All photographs copyright © 1997, Don Baccus
Bonney Butte, a lengthy north-south trending ridge lying south of Oregon's Mount Hood, boasts the largest known fall
concentration of migrating raptors in Oregon. While the wide footprint of the Cascade tends to disperse the
migration, and ample wintering habitat at lower elevations to the west means that many raptors migrate to,
rather then through, Oregon, about 2,500 raptors are counted here each fall. While this number pales in comparision
to the average 15,000 or so raptors counted each year in Nevada's
Goshutes Mountains,
it is large enough to make systematic monitoring of the count worthwhile. In 1994, HawkWatch International
hired observers to conduct a season-long count, and in 1995 a small-scale banding program was begun.
Count protocols and capture/banding techniques are identical to those used at HawkWatch's Goshutes Raptor Project, and more information can be found on the pages devoted to that site.
On a good day, over two-hundred raptors are counted. Sharp-shinned hawks
are the most common species seen, while perhaps the biggest surprise to the
western Oregon birder will be the number of golden eagles observed. Adults
make up a surprisingly large percentage of those sharpies passing by. My
first visit to the site, in 1994, was on a day where 49 of 50 sharpies
observed were adults.
Hawks at this site often pass very close to the ridge, making banding productive despite the relatively small flights. The banding site lies about a quarter mile north of the observation and visitor area, and we'd appreciate it if visitors would refrain from hiking to the station unless invited by the day's station leader. In 1996, we had a full-time education coordinator on site, and hope to do so in future seasons. The education coordinator and the official observers help visitors spot and identify migrating raptors, and if the banding station is operating during your visit, visitors will have the opportunity to view and photograph raptors in the hand.
Though western Oregon's notoriously wet weather often shuts down the observation
and trapping programs, on a nice day the site, surrounded by forest with Mount Hood to
the north, is stunningly beautiful. Oregonians know that our state often gets a nice
stretch of Indian Summer in early October after a stretch of late September rain, and
by then vine maples and other decidous species have turned color, contrasting with
the deep forest green of the prevailing conifers. The flight tends to peak in
early October as well, making this is an excellent time to plan a visit.
The site can easily be visited on a day trip from Portland. To get there, head to Mount Hood on US 26. Take highway 35 towards Mount Hood Meadows once you reach the mountain. Shortly after the intersection you'll come to the Bennett Pass Sno-Park. Enter the lot and head south on Bennett Pass road. It's marked "not maintained for passenger vehicles" but, hey, what interesting road is? Just drive around the deeper holes and larger rocks. Take along a good Mount Hood National Forest map, as there are confusing logging spur roads off the "main" one. Eventually, you'll reach a spur to the right which will be marked with plastic flagging tape. If you miss it, the main spur begins to descend the south end of the ridge after at most a quarter mile, and you'll pass a campground entrance. Take the marked spur and park anywhere, then hike to along the spur until you reach the site.
Happy Hawking!