11-01-2007, 07:10 PM
You are invited to visit ODFW's Oregon Hatchery Research Center . "Understanding Nature Through the Window of Art" is the theme for the Fall Creek Salmon Festival at OHRC. The event will be a celebration of the natural world and will bring together artists that share an interest in public education. The workshops are designed to inform and engage the public in creative, fun activities that promote healthy watersheds while learning about the natural world through the eyes of artists. Workshops begin at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. , with lunch served at noon . Vegetarian options are available upon request. Tours of the facility will begin at 1:00 p.m. Participants are welcome to sign up for both workshops. Registration is required. For more information call Joseph O'Neil at (541) 487-5510.
NORTH COAST LAKES:
Lost Lake
Trout stocking is complete for the year. Angling in most lakes is likely slow to fair for leftover trout. Surplus hatchery summer steelhead were released in Town and Cape Meares lakes.
Anglers should use caution when heading to Lost Lake (Clatsop County) as active logging and travel restrictions are in effect. Call the Tillamook office at 503-842-2741 or Astoria Oregon Department of Forestry at 503-325-5451 for more information.
MID COAST LAKES:
Siltcoos and Tahkenitch Lakes (located just south of Florence along Hwy 101) are open to wild coho salmon retention through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit is one adult coho salmon and one jack coho salmon. Anglers are limited to retaining five adult coho, in combination, from Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes during the season. Some coho have entered the lake with fishing being mostly slow but fair at times. The fishery is anticipated to pick up following the next big rains. Trolling or casting lures and fishing bait from a bobber are effective methods. The coho fishing boundaries are as follows.
ALSEA RIVER: chinook
Anglers have been picking up a few fall chinook in the mainstem river above tidewater. Both drift boat fishing and bank angling has been productive floating eggs or back trolling. The tidewater fishery has slowed but pulses of chinook should continue well into November. Anglers should watch for the next rain event to pull more fish up into the river.
Current river levels
Chinook and Coho
- Oregon Fish and Wildlife-<br />
BIG CREEK: coho
Angling for hatchery coho is slow.
NECANICUM RIVER: chinook, cutthroat trout
Angling for chinook is fair in the estuary, and lower river. Rising rivers should draw more fish upstream. Catch and release angling is fair for sea-run cutthroat.
NEHALEM RIVER AND NORTH FORK NEHALEM RIVER: chinook, cutthroat trout, coho
Angling for chinook and hatchery coho in Nehalem Bay is slow. Fish are available throughout tidewater areas and the lower Nehalem River. Trolling herring or spinners in the lower bay is the most productive, while upper tidewater areas are best fished with bobber and eggs and/or shrimp. Angling is slow for hatchery coho and fair for chinook. More fish are moving upstream in the North Fork Nehalem River after recent rains. Catch and release cutthroat trout fishing should be fair to good. Small lures or flies should produce good results.
NESTUCCA RIVER AND THREE RIVERS: chinook, steelhead, cutthroat trout
Fall chinook are being caught in Nestucca Bay. Angling is fair to good. Many chinook have moved upstream with recent rains. Target the chinook in deeper holes with eggs and/or shrimp. Spinners or large plugs work well, but will be difficult to fish with all the leaves in the water. Angling for summer steelhead is fair as fish are more active with the rising flows. Good numbers of fish should be available in lower Three Rivers and in the mainstem Nestucca. Catch and release fishing for cutthroat trout should be fair to good.
River levels
Coho Salmon<br />
-U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service-<br />
SALMON RIVER: chinook, coho
Fall chinook angling is slowing down but there is fair to good angling for coho salmon. Fresh fish will continue to return well into November but not expected in big numbers. Fishing upper tidewater and the lower river from the bank remains productive. Floating bait or casting lures can be efficient techniques.
SILETZ RIVER: chinook, steelhead
Angling for fall Chinook in tidewater has slowed but picked up in the mainstem river from the town of Siletz down to tidewater. Bright fish will continue to show well into November but likely not in big numbers. Steelhead fishing has remained fair to good with some late summer steelhead being picked up in the upper river.
Current river levels and forecasts
SIUSLAW RIVER: chinook
The fall chinook fishery in tidewater is slowing down but can still produce fish as new pulses move through. Bank fishing in the lower mainstem river has picked up recently as fish are moving up stream to their spawning areas. Bright fish will continue to return into November but in smaller numbers.
Current river levels and forecasts
TILLAMOOK BAY: chinook, coho
Fall chinook are being caught throughout the bay and tidewater areas, and the nearshore ocean when weather permits. Fishing has been fair, but the occasional good bite has been reported. Trolling with herring is most popular in the lower bay and ocean, while trolling with spinners or large plugs is more popular in the upper bay. Bobber fishing with eggs or shrimp will produce fish in river tidewater areas.
Fisherman<br />
Oregon Fish and Wildlife<br />
WILSON AND TRASK RIVERS: steelhead, chinook, cutthroat trout
Angling for summer steelhead improved with recent rains. Fish are more active with increased river flows. Fall chinook have entered the lower rivers, and angling should be fair to good. Low numbers of hatchery coho have entered the lower Trask River, and angling is slow. Bobber and bait or casting spinners will produce some fish. Boaters should try backbouncing bait or backtrolling plugs also. Catch and release fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout should be fair to good. Leaf debris will be a problem.
River levels
YAQUINA RIVER: chinook
Trolling and/or bobber fishing in tide water is producing some fall Chinook but overall angling remains slow to fair. Anlgers still have a few good weeks left as fresh Chinook will continue to return well into November, but in smaller numbers. The best results are occurring around the high tide cycle and just after rain events.
Back to the top
HUNTING
Dec. 1-2 - Build Your Own Longbow in Tillamook
Hosted by ODFW's Passport to the Outdoors Program, this workshop will allow you to create your own wooden longbow. Master Bowyer, John Strunk, will share his knowledge and expertise with you as he takes you through the process from wood stave to finished bow. No prior experience is necessary to create your own one-of-a kind work of art. Adult men and women are invited to attend this workshop.
Visit web site below to register (pdf) or email Nancy.E.Smogor@state.or.us.
Visit the region's Fall Hunting Forecast
OPEN: Waterfowl, pheasant, grouse, ruffed grouse and mountain quail, bear, cougar, general Western deer centerfire (closes Nov. 2), western gray squirrel, crow
Mountain Quail<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-
Forest grouse and mountain quail
Look for these birds while they search for their meal of seeds, insects and grit along graveled roads in the forest. Hunters targeting the blue grouse should look in upper elevations, especially forested areas on ridge tops. Ruffed grouse are more common along stream bottoms and mid-slope areas. Mountain quail should be found in older, brushy clear cuts, especially on south facing slopes, and tend to be more abundant in the eastern half of the coast range than the western half. ODFW staff observed higher than average number of grouse and moderate numbers of mountain quail on summer surveys in the Coast range.
Mallard Ducks<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-<br />
Waterfowl
Duck season on the north coast generally improves in November with more migrants arriving from the north. The weather usually plays a large role in the success of hunters on a given day, with the best conditions being on the onset of storms when birds are leaving the large water bodies and seeking shelter in vegetated areas along the edges of estuaries and lakes. When hunting estuaries or other tidally influenced areas, be mindful of tide swings, especially when hunting from a boat.
General Rifle (deer)
As the fall progresses and leaf drop increases, black-tailed deer bucks become less wary as the rut begins. Best bets for the final week of the season are to scout in older clearcuts with some cover, especially along edges near bigger timber. Rattling and calling can be effective techniques at this time. Find areas to set up that have a good view of any approaching animals when calling. While deer numbers overall are moderate, buck escapement from last year's seasons was high, leaning towards older bucks. Entry-level bucks (which tend to make up more of the usual harvest) may be in shorter supply.
The latest fire closure restrictions on industrial forest lands and access opportunities
Black Bear<br />
Oregon Fish and Wildlife<br />
Bear and cougar
Black Bear are actively feeding as the fall progresses, and have largely switched from the very abundant wild berry crops of this summer to later fruit crops, such as apples and pears from abandoned orchards in the forest. A strategy for hunting them in the early morning and late evening hours is watching clear-cuts, old meadows and natural openings. At other times during the day, use of a predator call is the best approach. Generally, long and persistent calling is the most effective way to call them in.
All indicators point to the north coast as having relatively low cougar densities, when compared to most of the rest of the state. However, they can still be located, especially if hunters are dedicated to using calls as their primary strategy. Like with black bear, cougar are probably most effectively hunted by long and persistent calling with a predator call.
Western gray squirrels
Western gray squirrels are most likely to be found in mixed deciduous-conifer forests amid oak and maple trees and in filbert orchards, especially along the eastern slope of the coast range and the Willamette Valley. Unlike in southern Oregon, these native squirrels occur at naturally low densities in north coast forests. Western gray squirrel season will end Nov. 7th in this region.
Back to the top
VIEWING
Birds of Vosburg Creek, Nov. 10, 7:30 to 10:30am
Join US Fish and Wildlife Service's Dawn Grafe for a morning of birding the riparian woodlands of Vosburg Creek in the lower Nehalem Community Trust Vosburg Creek property. More information
Salmon Walks, Nov. 10 and 11, 11:30a.m. and 1:30 p.m
Salmon are undergoing their amazing journey up the rivers of the Tillamook State Forest to spawn. Visit the Tillamook Forest Center to learn about salmon life cycles and habitat requirements. After a short presentation, take a walk over to Jones Creek to observe these majestic fish.
Birding Trip from Corvallis to Newport Coast, Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m.
Join Corvallis Audubon Society for a full-day trip to the Oregon Coast. You'll see shorebirds and migratory birds so be sure to bring your binoculars. Also make sure to pack a large sack lunch, water/drinks, and wear layers of warm clothing, sturdy shoes, and rain gear. The group meets at the Benton Center parking lot in Corvallis to carpool to the coast. Contact Paula Vanderheul (541) 752-0470, vanderp@peak.org for more information.
Along the coast
Greater White-fronted Goose<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-
Ducks and geese continue to move south and can often be seen and heard overhead in the evenings. Coastal estuaries are stop-over points for many of these birds as they gather resources and rest up for their long trip to wintering grounds. Several species that are not resident to the north coast may make an appearance and can be viewed during this time, including white-fronted and snow geese.
Big storm fronts have begun to arrive at the coast and with them, a whole group of birds not usually viewed except from aboard ship. High winds and waves drive pelagic species like petrels, storm-petrels, fulmars and shearwaters in-shore and they can be viewed from headlands and sometimes along estuaries. These birds typically come to land only to breed (usually on islands in the central Pacific) and spend months at a time foraging at sea.
Astoria Area
Ft. Stevens State Park
If you're in the area in early morning or late evening, be on the lookout for elk that inhabit the Park. They are often seen feeding in open marsh grass areas near Trestle Bay, adjacent to the Clatsop Spit Road. Visit the viewing bunker that overlooks Trestle Bay and offers viewing of gulls, terns, pelicans and some waterfowl. Migrating ducks from the north have recently been noted in the area, and those birds will only increase as fall progresses. Binoculars or a spotting scope are helpful to enhance viewing. Ft. Stevens Park
Seaside Area
Elk<br />
- Photo by Robert Mutch -<br />
Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area
The cooler weather brings the elk into the open fields making them more visible. With the increased chance of ground fog this time of year, best viewing will probably be in the evenings. On a clear day, mornings are also a good viewing time.
December 1 marks the first day of registration for the popular winter elk feeding tours. Reservations will not be accepted prior to December 1 and all reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visitors to the wildlife area are reminded that areas posted as "Wildlife Refuge" are closed to entry all year and posted portions of the Beneke Tract are closed during elk hunting seasons including general archery season. Consult the 2007 Big Game Regulations for more information on hunting seasons (pdf)
Jewell Meadows is located in central Clatsop County along Hwy 202. Directions and information
Tillamook Area
Harlequin Ducks<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-<br />
Harlequin Duck Rocks
Late fall is a great time to view harlequin ducks along the Oregon Coast particularly in the Tillamook Bay just west of Garibaldi at Harlequin Duck Rocks. This pretty and unusual bird is characterized by black-bordered white bars along their back, breast and neck. The female has white spots in front and behind the eyes.
These birds spend most of their life in saltwater, nesting during the spring and summer in the mountains.More information on harlequin ducks
Cape Meares Lake
Cape Meares Lake, located west of Tillamook on Bayocean Spit, is a spot to find migrating waterbirds such as grebes, coots, and loons. Occasionally, bald eagles can be seen roosting in the tall spruce trees just south of the lake. Recent observations have shown that some migrating ducks from the north have arrived.
NORTH COAST LAKES:
Lost Lake
Trout stocking is complete for the year. Angling in most lakes is likely slow to fair for leftover trout. Surplus hatchery summer steelhead were released in Town and Cape Meares lakes.
Anglers should use caution when heading to Lost Lake (Clatsop County) as active logging and travel restrictions are in effect. Call the Tillamook office at 503-842-2741 or Astoria Oregon Department of Forestry at 503-325-5451 for more information.
MID COAST LAKES:
Siltcoos and Tahkenitch Lakes (located just south of Florence along Hwy 101) are open to wild coho salmon retention through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit is one adult coho salmon and one jack coho salmon. Anglers are limited to retaining five adult coho, in combination, from Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes during the season. Some coho have entered the lake with fishing being mostly slow but fair at times. The fishery is anticipated to pick up following the next big rains. Trolling or casting lures and fishing bait from a bobber are effective methods. The coho fishing boundaries are as follows.
ALSEA RIVER: chinook
Anglers have been picking up a few fall chinook in the mainstem river above tidewater. Both drift boat fishing and bank angling has been productive floating eggs or back trolling. The tidewater fishery has slowed but pulses of chinook should continue well into November. Anglers should watch for the next rain event to pull more fish up into the river.
Current river levels
Chinook and Coho
- Oregon Fish and Wildlife-<br />
BIG CREEK: coho
Angling for hatchery coho is slow.
NECANICUM RIVER: chinook, cutthroat trout
Angling for chinook is fair in the estuary, and lower river. Rising rivers should draw more fish upstream. Catch and release angling is fair for sea-run cutthroat.
NEHALEM RIVER AND NORTH FORK NEHALEM RIVER: chinook, cutthroat trout, coho
Angling for chinook and hatchery coho in Nehalem Bay is slow. Fish are available throughout tidewater areas and the lower Nehalem River. Trolling herring or spinners in the lower bay is the most productive, while upper tidewater areas are best fished with bobber and eggs and/or shrimp. Angling is slow for hatchery coho and fair for chinook. More fish are moving upstream in the North Fork Nehalem River after recent rains. Catch and release cutthroat trout fishing should be fair to good. Small lures or flies should produce good results.
NESTUCCA RIVER AND THREE RIVERS: chinook, steelhead, cutthroat trout
Fall chinook are being caught in Nestucca Bay. Angling is fair to good. Many chinook have moved upstream with recent rains. Target the chinook in deeper holes with eggs and/or shrimp. Spinners or large plugs work well, but will be difficult to fish with all the leaves in the water. Angling for summer steelhead is fair as fish are more active with the rising flows. Good numbers of fish should be available in lower Three Rivers and in the mainstem Nestucca. Catch and release fishing for cutthroat trout should be fair to good.
River levels
Coho Salmon<br />
-U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service-<br />
SALMON RIVER: chinook, coho
Fall chinook angling is slowing down but there is fair to good angling for coho salmon. Fresh fish will continue to return well into November but not expected in big numbers. Fishing upper tidewater and the lower river from the bank remains productive. Floating bait or casting lures can be efficient techniques.
SILETZ RIVER: chinook, steelhead
Angling for fall Chinook in tidewater has slowed but picked up in the mainstem river from the town of Siletz down to tidewater. Bright fish will continue to show well into November but likely not in big numbers. Steelhead fishing has remained fair to good with some late summer steelhead being picked up in the upper river.
Current river levels and forecasts
SIUSLAW RIVER: chinook
The fall chinook fishery in tidewater is slowing down but can still produce fish as new pulses move through. Bank fishing in the lower mainstem river has picked up recently as fish are moving up stream to their spawning areas. Bright fish will continue to return into November but in smaller numbers.
Current river levels and forecasts
TILLAMOOK BAY: chinook, coho
Fall chinook are being caught throughout the bay and tidewater areas, and the nearshore ocean when weather permits. Fishing has been fair, but the occasional good bite has been reported. Trolling with herring is most popular in the lower bay and ocean, while trolling with spinners or large plugs is more popular in the upper bay. Bobber fishing with eggs or shrimp will produce fish in river tidewater areas.
Fisherman<br />
Oregon Fish and Wildlife<br />
WILSON AND TRASK RIVERS: steelhead, chinook, cutthroat trout
Angling for summer steelhead improved with recent rains. Fish are more active with increased river flows. Fall chinook have entered the lower rivers, and angling should be fair to good. Low numbers of hatchery coho have entered the lower Trask River, and angling is slow. Bobber and bait or casting spinners will produce some fish. Boaters should try backbouncing bait or backtrolling plugs also. Catch and release fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout should be fair to good. Leaf debris will be a problem.
River levels
YAQUINA RIVER: chinook
Trolling and/or bobber fishing in tide water is producing some fall Chinook but overall angling remains slow to fair. Anlgers still have a few good weeks left as fresh Chinook will continue to return well into November, but in smaller numbers. The best results are occurring around the high tide cycle and just after rain events.
Back to the top
HUNTING
Dec. 1-2 - Build Your Own Longbow in Tillamook
Hosted by ODFW's Passport to the Outdoors Program, this workshop will allow you to create your own wooden longbow. Master Bowyer, John Strunk, will share his knowledge and expertise with you as he takes you through the process from wood stave to finished bow. No prior experience is necessary to create your own one-of-a kind work of art. Adult men and women are invited to attend this workshop.
Visit web site below to register (pdf) or email Nancy.E.Smogor@state.or.us.
Visit the region's Fall Hunting Forecast
OPEN: Waterfowl, pheasant, grouse, ruffed grouse and mountain quail, bear, cougar, general Western deer centerfire (closes Nov. 2), western gray squirrel, crow
Mountain Quail<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-
Forest grouse and mountain quail
Look for these birds while they search for their meal of seeds, insects and grit along graveled roads in the forest. Hunters targeting the blue grouse should look in upper elevations, especially forested areas on ridge tops. Ruffed grouse are more common along stream bottoms and mid-slope areas. Mountain quail should be found in older, brushy clear cuts, especially on south facing slopes, and tend to be more abundant in the eastern half of the coast range than the western half. ODFW staff observed higher than average number of grouse and moderate numbers of mountain quail on summer surveys in the Coast range.
Mallard Ducks<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-<br />
Waterfowl
Duck season on the north coast generally improves in November with more migrants arriving from the north. The weather usually plays a large role in the success of hunters on a given day, with the best conditions being on the onset of storms when birds are leaving the large water bodies and seeking shelter in vegetated areas along the edges of estuaries and lakes. When hunting estuaries or other tidally influenced areas, be mindful of tide swings, especially when hunting from a boat.
General Rifle (deer)
As the fall progresses and leaf drop increases, black-tailed deer bucks become less wary as the rut begins. Best bets for the final week of the season are to scout in older clearcuts with some cover, especially along edges near bigger timber. Rattling and calling can be effective techniques at this time. Find areas to set up that have a good view of any approaching animals when calling. While deer numbers overall are moderate, buck escapement from last year's seasons was high, leaning towards older bucks. Entry-level bucks (which tend to make up more of the usual harvest) may be in shorter supply.
The latest fire closure restrictions on industrial forest lands and access opportunities
Black Bear<br />
Oregon Fish and Wildlife<br />
Bear and cougar
Black Bear are actively feeding as the fall progresses, and have largely switched from the very abundant wild berry crops of this summer to later fruit crops, such as apples and pears from abandoned orchards in the forest. A strategy for hunting them in the early morning and late evening hours is watching clear-cuts, old meadows and natural openings. At other times during the day, use of a predator call is the best approach. Generally, long and persistent calling is the most effective way to call them in.
All indicators point to the north coast as having relatively low cougar densities, when compared to most of the rest of the state. However, they can still be located, especially if hunters are dedicated to using calls as their primary strategy. Like with black bear, cougar are probably most effectively hunted by long and persistent calling with a predator call.
Western gray squirrels
Western gray squirrels are most likely to be found in mixed deciduous-conifer forests amid oak and maple trees and in filbert orchards, especially along the eastern slope of the coast range and the Willamette Valley. Unlike in southern Oregon, these native squirrels occur at naturally low densities in north coast forests. Western gray squirrel season will end Nov. 7th in this region.
Back to the top
VIEWING
Birds of Vosburg Creek, Nov. 10, 7:30 to 10:30am
Join US Fish and Wildlife Service's Dawn Grafe for a morning of birding the riparian woodlands of Vosburg Creek in the lower Nehalem Community Trust Vosburg Creek property. More information
Salmon Walks, Nov. 10 and 11, 11:30a.m. and 1:30 p.m
Salmon are undergoing their amazing journey up the rivers of the Tillamook State Forest to spawn. Visit the Tillamook Forest Center to learn about salmon life cycles and habitat requirements. After a short presentation, take a walk over to Jones Creek to observe these majestic fish.
Birding Trip from Corvallis to Newport Coast, Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m.
Join Corvallis Audubon Society for a full-day trip to the Oregon Coast. You'll see shorebirds and migratory birds so be sure to bring your binoculars. Also make sure to pack a large sack lunch, water/drinks, and wear layers of warm clothing, sturdy shoes, and rain gear. The group meets at the Benton Center parking lot in Corvallis to carpool to the coast. Contact Paula Vanderheul (541) 752-0470, vanderp@peak.org for more information.
Along the coast
Greater White-fronted Goose<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-
Ducks and geese continue to move south and can often be seen and heard overhead in the evenings. Coastal estuaries are stop-over points for many of these birds as they gather resources and rest up for their long trip to wintering grounds. Several species that are not resident to the north coast may make an appearance and can be viewed during this time, including white-fronted and snow geese.
Big storm fronts have begun to arrive at the coast and with them, a whole group of birds not usually viewed except from aboard ship. High winds and waves drive pelagic species like petrels, storm-petrels, fulmars and shearwaters in-shore and they can be viewed from headlands and sometimes along estuaries. These birds typically come to land only to breed (usually on islands in the central Pacific) and spend months at a time foraging at sea.
Astoria Area
Ft. Stevens State Park
If you're in the area in early morning or late evening, be on the lookout for elk that inhabit the Park. They are often seen feeding in open marsh grass areas near Trestle Bay, adjacent to the Clatsop Spit Road. Visit the viewing bunker that overlooks Trestle Bay and offers viewing of gulls, terns, pelicans and some waterfowl. Migrating ducks from the north have recently been noted in the area, and those birds will only increase as fall progresses. Binoculars or a spotting scope are helpful to enhance viewing. Ft. Stevens Park
Seaside Area
Elk<br />
- Photo by Robert Mutch -<br />
Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area
The cooler weather brings the elk into the open fields making them more visible. With the increased chance of ground fog this time of year, best viewing will probably be in the evenings. On a clear day, mornings are also a good viewing time.
December 1 marks the first day of registration for the popular winter elk feeding tours. Reservations will not be accepted prior to December 1 and all reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visitors to the wildlife area are reminded that areas posted as "Wildlife Refuge" are closed to entry all year and posted portions of the Beneke Tract are closed during elk hunting seasons including general archery season. Consult the 2007 Big Game Regulations for more information on hunting seasons (pdf)
Jewell Meadows is located in central Clatsop County along Hwy 202. Directions and information
Tillamook Area
Harlequin Ducks<br />
- Photo by Greg Gillson-<br />
Harlequin Duck Rocks
Late fall is a great time to view harlequin ducks along the Oregon Coast particularly in the Tillamook Bay just west of Garibaldi at Harlequin Duck Rocks. This pretty and unusual bird is characterized by black-bordered white bars along their back, breast and neck. The female has white spots in front and behind the eyes.
These birds spend most of their life in saltwater, nesting during the spring and summer in the mountains.More information on harlequin ducks
Cape Meares Lake
Cape Meares Lake, located west of Tillamook on Bayocean Spit, is a spot to find migrating waterbirds such as grebes, coots, and loons. Occasionally, bald eagles can be seen roosting in the tall spruce trees just south of the lake. Recent observations have shown that some migrating ducks from the north have arrived.