Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

An added bonus to this trip:  we took a wrong turn and saw a garage sale where a retired man was selling bird houses he makes with licence plate roofs.  Very cool!

• Barn Swallows
• Tree Swallows
• Great Blue Heron
• American Goldfinch
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Mallards - male and female
• Yellow-Headed Blackbird* - male
• Wood Duck
• American Robin
• Song Sparrow (feeding a juvenile Brown-Headed Cowbird that was larger than the sparrow.  The sparrow was frantically jumping/flying back and forth between food sources and the large chick, the chick seeming to have an endless appetite and the poor song sparrow quickly running out of steam.  It was quite the sight to see.  Cowbirds are infamous for dumping their eggs in other species' nests, but to see the strain it caused on the mother bird was pretty amazing and a little sad.)
• Wilson's Snipe*
• Gadwalls
• Common Yellowthroat
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Bewick's Wren
• American Bittern 
• Cedar Waxwing
• Brown-Headed Cowbird
• Red-Breasted Sapsucker*
• American Coot and chicks (I was first to see the little, brightly colored red chicks, just for a second.  I knew my cousin was going to think I was crazy, but I had to admit I saw some sort of little red bird.  As I expected, an expression of disbelief spread across his face.  Soon they made another appearance, this time with the parents and it all made sense.  It was the first time either of us had seen a Coot chick.  We had no idea they turn from red to black!)
• Brewer's Blackbird
• Northern Flicker (Rolling around, dust bathing.  Another odd sight of the day.)
• Cinnamon Teal*
• American Kestrel
• Turkey Volture
• Red-Tailed Hawk

*Lifer

Great Blue Heron

We also saw Red Painted Turtles

Walking trail portion of the refuge.

Scappoose Field

Just a place near my parent's house I use to go to while I was growing up.  A quiet stroll through the woods and up to the field.

• House Finch
• Spotted Towhee
• American Robin
• Wilson's Warbler*
• Barn Swallows
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Hermit Warbler*
• Black-Headed Grosbeaks - male and female
• Oregon Junco
• Bewick's Wren

*Lifer

Black-Headed Grosbeak - female
OK, I admit this was after I got back from the field, but their house boarders the woods :)

A sad, but noble attempt to capture the Hermit Warbler.

Even if I didn't see any birds, the field has much to offer.

Beaverton Creek Nature Trail

Another stroll through Beaverton Creek.  Nothing ground breaking, but I like to keep track of what I see each visit.

6.21.11

• Cedar Waxwing
• Mallards
• Red-Winged Blackbirds - male and female
• American Robin
• Barn Swallows
• Tree Swallows
• Mourning Doves
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Bushtits

6.22.11

• Mallards
• Wood Duck
• Killdeer

Newport

Not a birding trip per say, but I was on the constant lookout.


6.16.11

• Western Gulls
• Barn Swallows
• Great Blue Heron
• Rock Dove
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Brant
• Swainson's Thrush - call
• American Kestrel
• Surf Scoters* - male and female

6.17.11

• Osprey - hoovering and diving
• Great Blue Heron
• Common Murre
• Paligic Cormorants
• Brandt's Cormorant*  (Clearly identifying itself with it's bright blue gular patch glimmering in the sun)
• Song Sparrow
• White-Crowned Sparrow (perched on a fence next to me without me noticing it and startled me when it sang loudly so close to me)
• Western Gull and juvenile
• Barn Swallows
• Turkey Vultures (close enough to see their red heads)
• House Sparrows - male and female

6.18.11

• Barn Swallows
• Tree Swallows
• Yellow Warbler* - male
• Surf Scoter
• Black Scoter* 

6.19.11

• Gull - chick
• Common Murre
• Black Oystercatcher
• Western Gulls
• Glaucous-Winged Gull*
• Paligic Cormorant
• Brandt's Cormorant
• Song Sparrow
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Turkey Vulture

*Lifer

Low tide at Cobble Beach

Yaquina Lighthouse - lots of huge rocks here, filled with Common Murre, Gulls, and various Cormorant.

Sometimes there's even Harbor Seals!

Jewell Meadows

The same day as the Fort Stevens/ South Jetty trip, on the way home.

• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Steller's Jay
• Ruffed Grouse* (That was a strange sight, like nothing I had ever seen before. Just standing on the side of the road.  I was a little baffled by it.  I exclaimed, "Did you see that?! Looked like a chicken... yet not...")
• Band-Tailed Pigeons* -male and female
• Tree Swallows
• Turkey Vulture 

*Lifer

Elk at Jewell Meadows

Fort Stevens, South Jetty, Astoria area

A great trip!

• Caspian Terns*
• Brown Pelicans
• Western Gulls
• Brants*
• Canada Geese
• Barn Swallows
• Cliff Swallows*
• Tree Swallows
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Pelagic Cormorants*
• Gadwalls* - male and female
• Song Sparrows
• Brown-Headed Cowbird*
• Great Blue Heron
• American Robin
• Turkey Vultures
• Cedar Waxwing*
• Mourning Doves
• Common Raven
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Northern Flicker
• Rufus Hummingbird
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Bald Eagle
• Osprey
• Nashville Warbler*
• Swainson's Thrush*
• Red-Tailed Hawk

*Lifer

South Jetty, Brown Pelican

Pacific Tree Frog

Sauvie's Island

Just a short, impromptu drive around the island.

• Barn Swallows
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• American Goldfinches 
• Osprey
• Great Blue Heron
• Tree Swallows
• Bald Eagle

Cannon Beach

An awesome trip to the beach just to do some birding.  The first of what would turn into several beach birding trips.

• Brown Pelicans*
• Pelagic Cormorants*
• Red-Breasted Merganser* - female
• Harlequin Ducks* - male and female
• Tufted Puffins* (high atop Haystack Rock, only visible through the scope, saw 3)
• Mallards
• Common Murre* (by the hundreds)
• Western Gulls
• Common Tern*
• Barn Swallows
• Killdeer*
• Northern Flicker
• American Goldfinch
• House Sparrows - male and female
• Black Oystercatchers*
• Common Raven* (Surprisingly impressive!)
• American Crows

* Lifer

Haystack Rock