Springing forward for Daylight Savings Time is often associated with “Hatch Time,” at least for the Bald Eagles Smith Rock State Park. At the time of this post, we only know of their two eggs, as shown in the header image taken on February 29 by Terry W. Smith of “Images On The Outside.” The Golden Eagles are much harder to know about, as their nests are huge and deep on the walls of the Monument Area, so we don’t have a headcount on the number they are expecting yet. Thank you to each of the photographers who brave the elements to bring us such magnificent images!
2023 has been a banner year for the Bald Eagle family at Smith Rock State Park. Mom and Dad Bald are now empty-nesters, with the two surviving eaglets now spreading their wings around the neighborhood. While we all mourn the loss of one of the three that were born this year, we recognize that it’s part of nature, along with the ongoing challenges of “eat or be eaten” in the animal kingdom. Check out this amazing collection of images from 4 photographers of this year’s nesting season at the Bald Eagles of Smith Rock.
Thanks to access to years of photographer Gary Skirvin’s images, we pulled together a photo essay of some of the fauna of Smith Rock State Park. Not just a series of random pictures, but also vignettes that capture the behavior of these delightful creatures whenever possible. We couldn’t tell all of their stories here but we hope this helps you identify some of the species you might encounter on your next trip to the park.
Winter means migrating to warmer locations for a lot of species, including humans. But at Smith Rock State Park, winter can be a wonderland for getting up close and personal with the birds and other wildlife that stick around. Combine that with the picturesque snowscapes and limited visitation, and if you have your binoculars handy you’re in for a treat. And if you don’t, professional bird photographer Bettina Ishimaru sent us a few of the ones she spotted after the first snowfall here at the park a couple of weeks ago.
While the Smith Rock Bald Eagle pair that have been nesting successfully here for over 10 years, this year that is sadly not the case. We checked in with the Park Manager Matt Davey when we noticed the nest was unattended, and he said that while we can confidently say that egg(s) were laid since we saw the switching out of the parents on the nest over the last month, with the nest now unattended, we know we won’t be seeing any new family members this season.
