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.

The Goal: 60 Species in 2 Days

Day one
Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge 
5.18.12
My cousin and I

• Killdeer(s)
• Great Blue Heron
• Barn Swallows
• Canada Geese + goslings 
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Belted Kingfisher - male
• Northern Flicker
• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Mallards
• Bald Eagles
• Gadwalls - males
• Violet-Green Swallows
• American Crows
• Brewer's Blackbird - male
• Vaux's Swifts
• Song Sparrows
• Common Yellowthroat
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Bank Swallows
• Cedar Waxwings
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
• Brown-Headed Cowbird - male
• Tree Swallow
• American Goldfinches
• Ringed-Necked Ducks - males
• American Coot
• Cliff Swallow
• Savannah Sparrows
• Purple Finches
• Orange-Crowned Warbler
• Western Wood-Peewee*
• Red-Breasted Sapsuckers
• Black-Headed Grosbeaks
• European Starlings
• Bushtit
• Lazuli Buntings* - both sexes!
• Spotted Towhee
• American Kestrel

*Lifers!!

We certainly mopped the floor at TRWR, it was awesome!

Then, later that day, at my house and randomly:

• House Sparrows
• Rock Doves
• Pine Siskins
• Turkey Vultures
• Yellow Warbler
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Oregon Juncos
• Mourning Dove
• Rufous Hummingbird - female
• Steller's Jay

The total species for the day:

50!

The always GREAT Blue Heron

Bald Eagles making quite the raucous. 

Red-Breasted Sapsucker flailing about comically. 

Lazuli Bunting - male

Lazuli Bunting - female

Ocean Shores, WA

Boy what a trip...  It took a bit longer than we expected, but the delays made us miss the down pours but not the birds! =D

• American Robins
• Western Gulls
• Surf Scoters
• Red-Breasted Mergansers
• Buffleheads
• Common Loon
• Snowy Owls* - it seemed to know we had a rough day and decided to come to us instead of making us find it :)
• Bald Eagle - and juvenile
• White-Winged Scoters 
• Sanderlings - it was crazy bc the first time we saw them it was a fairly large group and this time it was a single one (at first) then a bit later it was a group of thousands!
• Black Turnstones*
• Common Goldeneye
• Greater Scaups
• Western Sandpipers*
• Horned Grebes
• Northern Harrier
• Western Grebes

*Lifers!

Snowy Owl - female or juvenile?

Black Turnstones

Snowy Owl - not positive if this is the same one or not... it seems like this one has a bit of a widow's peak.

Sanderlings

the Sanderlings took off in waves

thousands of them

Astoria

A lovely day at Astoria yesterday.

• Red-Tailed Hawks
• American Robins
• American Crows
• Great Egrets
• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• American Wigeons
• European Starlings
• Steller's Jays
• Mourning Dove
• Brewer's Blackbird
• American Coots
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Gadwalls

We expected South Jetty to be a pretty big attraction, as it usually is, but let me tell you... I don't think anyone could ever see less in such a prime location.  I don't know where the birds were yesterday morning, but they weren't at the jetty.

• American Crows
• Western Gulls - and I'm not even talking, "oh it was just a bunch of gulls"... it was more like, "oh my goodness, there's a gull!!!"
• Song Sparrows
• Great Blue Heron

South Jetty
cloudy and foggy with a slice of sunshine

Not only were the pickings slim, we really worked to get to the beach.  The tide was high, with a stream blocking the beach, so we walked into the field, through tall grass and soggy ground to jump over the stream once it was narrow enough. Then we struggled our way through taller grass, sand, logs and bushes, over the sand dune to see.... absolutely nothing on the beach, in the water or in the sky.  Oh wait, there were more crows in the far distance!  It was kind of weird.

Next we tried the main beach access and the wooded trails near by.

• Sanderlings* 
• Bald Eagles
• Pacific Wren* - a division of Winter Wren
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Chestnut-Backed Chickadees
• American Robins
• Varied Thrushes
• Northern Flickers
• Downy Woodpecker
• Common Ravens

*Lifers!

The Sanderlings suddenly took off out of sight

the culprit
(take a look at those beefy legs!)

then he just leaves

a juvenile Bald Eagle follows

Northern Flicker  (25% black and white photo)

deer scratchings

At one point the walking trail goes through a tunnel, beneath a road, and right next to that was a dead Western Grebe.  We were speculating how it died. I noticed there was a trail of feathers leading from the road, down the embankment to where it lied and I thought it could have flown in front of a car and bounced off the windshield (something my cousin and I unfortunately witnessed with a crow and a car ahead of us one trip).  My cousin pointed out that grebes can't walk and would have no reason to be near woods (especially flying low to the ground), making it all the more mysterious.  

Next we stopped at a sewage plant of sorts, which surprisingly, was recommended in a birding pamphlet.  It also borders the Columbia River.

• Greater Scaup* - we stood there with our books forever, realizing Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup are soooo similar that it's ridiculous. 
• Double-Crested Cormorant
• Common Loon
• Buffleheads
• Western Grebes
• Anna's Hummingbird
• Ruddy Ducks

Greater Scaup

You never know what you're going to come across.  A part of me REALLY wanted to take a peak, but I think there may have been someone inside.

And there was waterfowl in there...
:(

Lastly we checked out the Eagle Sanctuary off Highway 30 that several people have recommended to me.  Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was almost dark, so there wasn't a whole lot out there, but I have a feeling this place has a lot of potential early in the day.

• Mallards
• Green-Winged Teals
• Great Blue Heron
• Tundra Swans

Sapsucker holes

Sauvie's Island

Yesterday I went out to search for the Harris's Sparrow down Rentenaar Road that has been seen by everyone but me and a man I met there who was on his fourth return to try to see it.  Although I didn't see it, I saw a lot of other birds and even....a lifer - gasp!

• Oregon Juncos
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Red-Tailed Hawks
• Western Scrub-Jays
• American Robins
• American Wigeons
• Mallards
• Bald Eagles
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows - soooo many....
• Tundra Swans
• Mourning Doves
• European Starlings
• Great Blue Herons - including rookery
• American Crows
• Sandhill Cranes
• Snow Geese
• American Coots
• Northern Shovelers
• Ring-Necked Ducks - males
• Bufflehead - female
• Canada Geese
• House Sparrow
• Song Sparrows
• Northern Flickers
• White-Crowned Sparrows
• Great Egret
• Common Mergansers - males and females
• Spotted Towhees
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Red-Winged Blackbirds - calls
• Northern Harrier
• White-Throated Sparrow*
• Green-Winged Teals
• Canvas Back
• Cackling Geese
• Dusky Canada Geese
• Western Meadowlarks

*Lifer!

Bald Eagle - take off

Mourning Dove

Bald Eagle - juvenile

playing around

Golden-Crowned Sparrow

Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge

• American Crows
• American Robins
• American Coots
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Canada Geese
• Red-Winged Blackbirds - males
• Northern Shovelers
• European Starlings
• Buffleheads
• Ring-Necked Ducks
• Ruddy Ducks
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Great Blue Heron
• Cackling Geese
• Song Sparrows
• Oregon Juncos
• Western Scrub-Jays
• Mallards
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglets
• Brown Creeper
• American Wigeons
• Eurasian Wigeons
• Gadwalls
• Green-Winged Teals
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Pintails - males
• Western Bluebirds* - males and femalesr
• Pie-Billed Grebes
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows
• Downy Woodpecker - male
• Yellow-Rumped Warblers
• Black-Capped Chickadee

*Lifer!

Western Bluebird - male (paint brush mode)

Downy Woodpecker - male

Bald Eagle

Lincoln City

Josephine Young Memorial Park

• Western Gulls
• Bald Eagles
• Buffleheads - males and females
• Surf Scoters - males
• White-Winged Scoters* - male and female
• Double-Crested Cormorant
• Horned Grebe
• Common Goldeneyes
• Red-Breasted Merganser - female
• Common Raven
• Spotted Towhee
• House Sparrow
• Red-Winged Blackbird - call

*Lifer!

Bald Eagles

Not a great photo, but I'm happy to get my first White-Winged Scoter - male
(If you look closely you may be able to see the tip of the white wing, in an even crappier shot, you could see more of it, but it was so blurry)

White-Winged Scoter - female!

Double-Crested Cormorant

Fogarty State Park

• Varied Thrushes - male and female
• American Robins
• Oregon Juncos
• Hermit Thursh
• American Crows
• Black Oystercatchers
• Bald Eagle
• Surf Scoter - male
• Black Scoters - males
• Pelagic Cormorants
• Hairy Woodpeckers*
• Northern Flicker
• Anna's Hummingbird - call

*Lifer!

Varied Thrush

Black Oystercatcher - pair - can you spot them? :)

Handsome Black Oystercatcher

Hairy Woodpecker working away

Boiler Bay

• Western Gulls
• Glaucous-Winged Gull
• Pelagic Cormorant
• American Crows
• Common Loon

East Devil's Lake

• Common Merganser - female
• Common Loon
• Tree Swallow
• Buffleheads - males and females
• Yellow-Rumped Warblers
• Golden-Crowned Kinglets
• Lesser Scaup
• Western Gull - carrying a fish in it's mouth!
• Bald Eagle
• Canada Geese
• Rock Doves - including a rusty plumage variety 

Pacific Loon...?

Along Highway 101

• Brewer's Blackbirds - females
• Common Merganser - female
• American Kestrels
• Western Scrub-Jays
• Red-Tailed Hawks
• American Robins
• Brants

Sauvie's Island

On the way to visit family, stopped off at the Sauvie's Island bird blind to count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count for 25 minutes.

• Double-Crested Cormorants - 5
• Western Scrub-Jays - 3
• Red-Tailed Hawk 
• American Crows - A murder (probably 20)
• American Kestrel
• Red-Winged Blackbird - call
• European Starling (I don't know how it's possible, but I only saw the single one.  So weird!)
• Mallards - 300
• American Coots - 5
• Great Blue Heron
• Canada Geese - 25
• Snow Geese - 300
• Sandhill Cranes - 7
• Oregon Junco
• Bald Eagle
• Great Egret

Snow Geese

Scappoose

This trip to Scappoose was supposed to be a birding trip to Columbia Botanical Gardens and Dalton Lake, which is between St. Helens and Columbia City.  We failed to find the birding areas of the garden, and instead skirted the opposite end of it which was filled with no trespassing signs.  We also happened across a really cool house for sale with an awesome view of the river and Sand Island. So we hung out there for a bit and enjoyed the view, then it was off to Walmart, because what's a trip to St. Helens without stopping at Walmart? Hahaha.... :)  

But anyway, at almost any given visit to my parent's house in Scappoose is a birding experience.  Here's what I saw there:

• Oregon Juncos
• Pine Siskins
• Red-Breasted Nuthatch
• Spotted Towhee
• Steller's Jays
• Bald Eagle
• Red-Tailed Hawks
• Song Sparrow
• American Robin
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
• Western Scrub-Jay

Pine Siskin

Whitaker Ponds Nature Park

Once again, one birding trip in a day is not enough, especially if one of us gets a lifer in the first one.  Gotta keep that momentum going! 

• American Crows
• Bald Eagle
• Oregon Juncos
• Great Egrets 
• Canada Geese
• Song Sparrows
• Belted Kingfisher - female
• European Starlings
• American Wigeons
• Mallards
• Ring-Necked Ducks - males and females
• Green-Winged Teals - male and female
• Eurasian Wigeon* - male
• Great Blue Herons
• Gadwalls - males and females
• Hooded Mergansers - male and female
• Downy Woodpeckers - male and female
• American Robins
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Anna's Hummingbirds - call
• Western Scrub-Jay
• House Finches
• Pine Siskins
• Yellow-Rumped Warblers
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Cinnamon Teals - male and female
• Double-Crested Cormorant

*Lifer!

Great Egret
Never seen at Whitaker Pounds by either of us, and we saw four!

Sharpening it's beak.

Quick, let's get outta here!

Bald Eagle and Great Egret in passing.

It was a strange day at the pond.

Downy Woodpecker - male

Pine Siskin

House Finch pair

Downy Woodpecker - female

American Robin