The Gorge

11.25.12
Early B-day gift for me!  I had been to the Gorge birding one other time, visiting different places.  It was about a year ago, and like then, it was super chilly.

• Red-Tailed Hawks
• Great Egrets
• Bufflehead - male - first of the season!
• Northern Flickers

Rowena Crest

• Oregon Juncos
• Common Ravens
• Bald Eagles + juveniles 

(We also saw 5 Black-Tailed deer!)

Juvenile Bald Eagles

Tom McCall Nature Preserve (across the street from Rowena Crest)

• Northern Flicker
• Western Scrub-Jays
• American Robins
• Steller's Jays
• Mallards
• Purple Finches
• Red-Winged Blackbirds - male
• Song Sparrows
• Varied Thrush

Excellent views

Confusing with no sky, only water.

Hope shining through the distant clouds.  It was a cold first half of birding.

An American Robin among all the Red-Winged Blackbirds.

Across the river, on the Washington side, we tried for Horsetheif Butte, but it was closed for the season.  Must try again after April...

Chamberlain Lake

• American Kestrels
• Double-Crested Comorants + juveniles
• Mountain Chickadees - These, and the next 4 species were seen at the rest stop, who knew?  Granted it was a nice rest stop... :)
• White-Breasted Nuthatches
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
• Canada Geese
• Red-Tailed Hawk

Rowland Lake 

• Golden-Crowned Kinglet
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows
• Spotted Towhee
• Western Scrub-Jays

We stared at this rock for a long time, thinking it was where an Acorn Woodpecker has been spotted.  Turns out it was the wrong spot.  Do'h!  Pretty area though.