Umpqua Oak Partnership

04/10/2026

Over 50 bird species are closely associated with oak habitats in the Pacific Northwest—including the Lewis's woodpecker!

Lewis's woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) nests in the cavities of large dead and dying trees within open oak and pine woodlands, riparian areas, and recently burned forests. In winter, they utilize stored acorns and other nuts and berries as a food source when flying insects are scarce. The Lewis's woodpecker once nested in most regions of Oregon, but has not been known as a breeding species in western Oregon north of the Rogue Basin for over 50 years.

But Roseburg-based wildlife ecologist Matt Hunter recently spotted a nest in the footprint of the 2020 Archie Creek Fire. Are large fires providing new habitat for Lewis's woodpecker in the western Oregon Cascades?

🔗 Learn more from his blog post: mghwildlife.com/a-modern-record-of-lewiss-woodpecker-nesting-in-the-umpqua-basin-southwest-oregon

📸 Matt Hunter

04/01/2026

This is the time of year when Yellow-rumped Warblers, which were in relatively dull plumage all winter, begin to show their colors! The month of April is probably the best month to see many of these colorful warblers moving through western Oregon on their way north. This male was flycatching and gleaning among the many insects attracted by budding Oregon White Oak. In this photo one can see the male flowers (catkins) as well as the leaves just emerging. The female flowers are very small and difficult to see, that is until they turn into acorns later in summer! The ever-present Usnea lichens soften the branchlets.

March 30, 2026, Melrose, Oregon.

10/16/2025

10/16/2025

GLIDE — Glide High School student Louis Rinnert stood by a fire line and a hose, watching as firefighters set a field behind Glide Elementary School ablaze Wednesday afternoon.

10/15/2025

Drew Stanton and Toby Gramberg said they spent Friday morning learning about acorns.

10/15/2025

Oregon State University Extension, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and Pacific University, is offering a specialized workshop

09/02/2025

Originally published in 2014 and updated in 2020 by the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network, Klamath Bird Observatory, and Lomakatsi Restoration Project, this guide describes in detail how to apply conservation practices for Oregon white oak and California black oak habitats on private lands in southwester...