First Saturday Bird Walk:
April 4, 2026
8:00 AM
Meet at Ladd Marsh Headquarters on Pierce Road
Don’t forget your Parking Permit
The Friends of Ladd Marsh and Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area (LMWA) first Saturday bird walk for April is this Saturday, April 4. We meet at the LMWA HQ at 8:00 am. Don’t forget your ODFW parking permit. The weather is predicted to be good and last week’s scouting activity found hundreds of Sandhill Cranes on the marsh. They just might be the bird of the day for this Saturday. The current bad weather is not bad news for birding. During migration when bird species are heading north to breeding territory they can fly far, high, and long term to reach their goal. Inclement weather can cause a short pause in bird flight patterns and bring them down to ground to wait out the storms (we call this “fall out”). We just might be lucky enough to catch the end of a fall out this weekend. We’ll just have to try it and see.
The Ladd Marsh Bird Festival schedule for 2026 is now posted on Friends of Ladd Marsh website. Free registration for the festival opens on April 6th and registration for field trip (fees required) begins on April 13th. All registered participants will receive their LMWA access permit (passport) and group information packet either at the Friday registration event on May 15th at the Union County Senior Center in La Grande, or at the Tule Lake entrance off Peach Lane, LMWA on the morning of April 16. Passports are required for the festival, so do not forget to register and pick up your passport/information packet on the 15th or 16th.
Directions to Ladd Marsh HQ:
- From La Grande: Take the Union Highway (203) to Pierce Road (near B&K Auto Salvage). Turn right (south) on Pierce. Continue for approximately 1.25 miles to HQ on the right.
- From Union: Turn left on Pierce Road and continue for approximately 1.25 miles to HQ on the right.
- HQ can be reached from I-84: Take exit 268 (Foothill Road) then turn east. At the “T” with pierce Road, turn left (north). Continue about 1.5 miles to HQ on the left.