Home of the Osprey

East Devils Lake Road

There are two locations from which to view the nest on East Devils Lake Road.

The first is from a pullout on East Devils Lake Road. From Hwy 101, the nest is 0.4 miles southbound on East Devils Lake Road, or 4.0 miles northbound from Hwy 101, on the lake side of the road. The parking pullout is 0.1 mile south of the nest on the northbound (non-lake) side.

The second is at the corner of NE Neotsu Drive and NE 49th Street from the 5400 block of NE Neotsu Dr. Traveling north on HWY 101, turn right on NE Neotsu Dr at the post office. Continue for approximately half a mile where the road curves to the left around a small inlet of the lake. You will see a small boat launch and some fenced property, in front of which you can pull off the road and park. Please note that this location may be muddy on rainier days.

The nest itself is just across the small inlet. Follow the utility lines across the water with your eyes to find the nest on a pole that is slightly taller than the utility pole on the opposite shore. This nest may blend in with the trees behind it, so be patient with yourself if you don’t see it right away.

Lighthouse Square

This nest is visible from multiple locations, but the best public viewing point is at the north end of the Lighthouse Square parking lot. Parking is plentiful here, but you can park closest to where you will view the nest in front of the currently vacant storefront. The nest sits atop an erected pole that is just west of and slightly taller than the large business sign.

NW 28th Street

This nest sits on a platform above a utility pole just north of the corner of NW 28th Street and NW Neptune Avenue. Turn west on NW 28th St off of HWY 101, then continue for approximately 550 ft driving slowly and watching for the NW Neptune Ave street sign. This is a residential neighborhood with narrow streets, so park carefully on the side of NW Neptune Ave to check out the nest.

The viewing angle here is not the greatest for observing the nest since you’re practically right below it, but you may be able to see some behaviors such as nest building, taking off and landing, and feeding.

Kirtsis Park

This nest is built on top of a platform just east of the baseball field along NE Devil's Point Dr. There is plenty of parking here, and the nest can best be viewed from the parking lot next to the baseball field.

Nesika Park

To find this nest, you will need to navigate to the corner of SE 2nd Street and SE Mast Avenue. It may help to use your phone to navigate to Lakepointe Apartments. You can park along the sidewalk outside of the entrance to the apartment complex. 

Standing on the sidewalk looking west, you will see three tree snags that stand out against the forest background across a ravine. Find the middle snag to see the nest built in the uppermost crook of the tree's branches. You will need binoculars to see this nest in any detail, as it blends in with the trees behind it. Be patient with yourself if you don’t see it right away.

Morris Excavating

This nest’s location is notable as it sits directly in the middle of an excavation company’s property amid heavy machinery and an active quarry. From HWY 101, head east on SE 23rd for approximately 550 ft. Past the entrance to Morris Excavating, there is a paved pullout on the right side of the road overlooking the company property. Looking south, you can see that the nest is built on a platform above a utility pole in the middle of the property. 

This is an excellent location for observing Osprey nesting behavior, as the nest stands out against the bare dirt background and the pullout provides a great viewing angle. You will be able to see the nest and its occupants even without binoculars, though you will still want them to see closer detail.

SE 23rd Drive

This nest is located farther up SE 23rd Drive on the north side of the road. The pullout from which to observe the nest is a little more than half a mile up the road, but you may find it useful to go all the way to the FedEx property to turn around so that your car is facing the correct way when you park. Please note that this location may be muddy if it has rained recently. 

To see the nest, follow the utility lines with your eyes to the utility pole. The nest is located on top of an adjacent pole, just to the right of the utility pole. While the pole itself stands out against the trees behind it, you will need binoculars to see the nest, as it may blend in with its background.

Taft High School

To find this nest, navigate to Taft High School off of SE High School Drive. Traveling south on HWY 101, turn left onto SE High School Dr and continue approximately a quarter mile to turn left onto SE Spy Glass Ridge Drive. Take the entrance to the visitor and student parking lot on the right. This nest can be seen from multiple locations around the school, but the best unobstructed view is from the southwest corner of the visitor and student parking lot where you can easily park. Look toward the athletic field southwest of the parking lot and over the treetops to find the nest built on top of a tall light pole. This nest stands out against the sky, and the viewing angle provides an excellent view of nesting activity.

Please note that this location is at an active high school and adjacent to the nearby middle and elementary schools. For the safety of the students and to not interfere with school activities, it would be best to visit this nest outside of school hours and to avoid times when students and buses are arriving and leaving for the day (unless, of course, you are a student).

Taft Firehall

This nest is located on top of the tsunami siren at Taft fire station on SE Inlet Avenue. From HWY 101, turn east on SE 48th Place, then turn left after one block onto SE Inlet Ave. Continue up the hill, watching for speed bumps, and park in the gravel next to the parking lot. You will see the tsunami siren to the right of the building with the nest on top. This is an excellent location for Osprey observation and speaks to the resilience of the species. The siren is tested every week and is extremely loud, but the Ospreys still find it a suitable location for a nest!

Alder Island

While this nest is situated on Alder Island in the Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a good viewing angle can be found across the river on Siletz Highway (229 S). Of course, you’re welcome to walk the Alder Island nature trails to try and see the nest, but it will be difficult to observe nesting activities. 

Traveling south on HWY 101, take the left turn onto Siletz HWY before the Siletz Bay bridge. There is a paved pullout about a quarter mile up the road on the right, just before the highway turns sharply to the left. Park at this pullout and look across the river to the south. You will see the nest on a pole in front of a group of trees. Be patient with yourself if you don’t see it right away. You will need good binoculars to see the occupants and any nesting activity, as this nest is pretty far away and blends in with the trees behind it.

You can also see the nest from the Alder Island Trail of the Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge. From the parking lot, take the trail to the point where it turns right. Look left, and you'll see the nest platform. If you walk the loop counter-clockwise, you'll see the nest again to your right as you near the end of the loop before it rejoins the main trail.

Chinook Bend

You will find this nest by traveling east on Siletz Highway (229 S) for approximately 3.5 miles. The pullout where you can park, however,  is on the north side of the road, so you might want to find a good place to turn around so that you’re on the correct side of the road. You’ll know you’re at the right spot if you see large rosemary bushes next to the pullout. From there, look south, following the utility lines with your eyes to a utility pole. The nest is on a slightly taller pole next to the utility pole, and you will see it clearly as it stands out against the sky. You will need good binoculars to see nesting activity in any detail.

Ichwit Park

Ichwit Park is located approximately 6.2 miles from HWY 101 on Siletz Highway (229 S). The park entrance is marked with a sign where you can turn right and enter. There is plenty of parking here. You can find the nest by walking to the far left side of the park, through some trees, and over a small bridge. Coming over the bridge, you will see a prominent pole standing in the middle of a grassy area. The nest is on top of this pole. 

This nest is not occupied as consistently year to year as some of the other nests on this list. No observable activity had taken place here at the time of taking these photos, but perhaps a pair will arrive to repair the nest.