We’re Paige and Mason. The Bend Banner is our way of keeping tabs on this wild, beautiful place we call home. To the mornings that start with coffee and mountain air, the trails that somehow always lead to a brewery, and the kind of small-town stories that remind you why you chose to live here in the first place.

They’re Back

It happens every year around mid-March. No announcement. No fanfare. You're just walking the river trail one morning, coffee in hand, and there they are.
Big. Wide-winged. Circling the Deschutes like they own it.

Because they kind of do.

The osprey are back.

If you're new to Bend, here's what you need to know about the birds currently hunting our stretch of river.

SPECIES: Osprey. Sometimes called the fish hawk. Eats almost exclusively live fish. Not scraps. Not carrion. Fresh fish, caught daily, from our river.

SIZE: Five-foot wingspan. When one glides over your paddleboard, you feel it.

THE NEST: There's a famous one right at the Bend Whitewater Park. Man-made platform, tall pole, full view from the river trail. It's roughly the size of a snow tire. The birds built it themselves, one stick at a time. They've been coming back to this exact spot for years.

LOYALTY: Ospreys mate for life. Same nest. Same partner. Same bend in the Deschutes. Every spring. That kind of commitment deserves some respect. I wonder if they celebrate anniversaries:)

WINTER: They spend it in Central America. Better weather, better fishing. Can't blame them. But right around the second week of March, they make the trip back. Nobody tells them to. They just know.

THE DIVE: When an osprey locks onto a fish, it hovers, then drops feet-first into the water at up to 40 miles per hour. It has reversible toes and spiny foot pads built specifically for gripping wet fish. This bird has one job. It is extremely good at it.

HISTORY: DDT nearly wiped them out in the mid-20th century. Thinned their eggshells. Killed embryos. When DDT was banned in 1972, they came back strong. One of the few genuinely good news stories in wildlife conservation.

LOCAL CONNECTION: Think Wild, Bend's wildlife hospital on 27th, has rescued osprey, rebuilt nests, and runs a community program called OspreyWatch where regular people contribute real data on nesting pairs. Cool thing to be part of.

THE NEST AT THE OLD MILL: Was built by Bill Smith, one of the people behind the Old Mill District. His old office looked out over that platform. The nest is still there.

WHERE TO LOOK: River trail through the Old Mill. Riverbend Park. The stretch near Colorado Avenue. Crane Prairie once the road opens in late spring.

THE SOUND: Sharp. High-pitched. Whistling. Louder than you'd expect for a bird that size. You'll hear it all summer once you know what it is.

When the osprey show up on the Deschutes, it means the same thing every year.
Spring is here.

Banner Resources

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The Best Trivia Nights in Bend: Where to go, what to expect, and how to find your new regular spot at a trivia table.

This Week’s Conditions
☀️ Sunrise: 7:00 am
🌅 Sunset: 7:22 pm
High Temp: 69°F
Mt. Bachelor: 32” base depth
Local Shop of the Week: Found Natural Goods
Local Artist of the Week: Cooper Art

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🐶 Luna – 7 years, Chinese Shar-Pei/Saint Bernard
Luna is friendly and affectionate and can’t wait to be a part of a new family. She is housetrained and has previously lived with young kids.

🐱 Domino – 1 year - Australian Cattle Dog/Mix
This 1-year-old Australian Cattle Dog is an absolute love bug who is ready to find his forever home.

🐶 Harley - 1 year- Pitbull/Mix
This sweet boy is just over a year old and still very much in his puppy era, playful, loving, and full of energy. Harley has been a little shy meeting new pups here at the shelter.

The Bend Banner is as local as it gets. Written here, for the people who actually call this place home.

No big media machine, no out-of-town editor guessing what Bend cares about. Just a weekly letter built from real conversations, real places, and real curiosity.

If you choose to support it, every bit helps me bring you more of the good stuff. The stories, the characters, the weird corners of this town that deserve a spotlight.

Appreciate you, friends. Thanks for being part of this.

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