Smith and Bybee Lakes Wildlife Area

We were so excited about the two uncommon lifers, that we took it as an omen to keep birding.  We headed over to Smith and Bybee, a place I hadn't been since my first birding trip, just over a year ago.

• Oregon Juncos
• Rock Doves
• Canada Geese
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Band-Tailed Pigeon
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Belted Kingfisher - call
• American Robin
• Bald Eagles
• Brown Creepers
• Bushtits
• American Crows
• Northern Shovelers - males and females
• Hooded Merganser - female
• Gadwalls 
• Bewick's Wren
• Hermit Thrush
• Spotted Towhee
• Golden-Crowned Kinglets
• American Wigeon
• Ruddy Ducks - male and female
• Pied-Billed Grebe
• Bank Swallows*
• Canvasbacks*
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

*More lifers!

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

Christmas Bird Count with the Audubon Society of Portland.

• American Crow
• Downy Woodpecker
• Canada Geese
• Mallards - male and female
• Northern Pintails
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Cackling Geese
• Ring-Necked Ducks
• American Wigeons
• Golden-Crowned Kinglets
• Anna's Hummingbirds
• White-Breasted Nuthatch - call
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• House Finch 
• Oregon Junco - call
• Song Sparrows
• Great Blue Heron
• Cooper's Hawk
• Bufflehead - female
• Wood Ducks - male and female
• Northern Shovelers
• Gadwall
• Green-Winged Teal
• Brown Creeper
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Varied Thrush
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Northern Flicker
• Common Merganser
• Double-Crested Cormorant
• Belted Kingfisher
• Lesser Goldfinch
• American Goldfinch

Downy Woodpecker

frosty spiderwebs 

Tualatin Hills Nature Park

• Spotted Towhee
• Song Sparrow
• Barn Swallows
• Violet-Green Swallows
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Northern Flicker
• American Robin
• Western Tanager
• Bushtits
• Brown Creeper
• Steller's Jay*
• Western Scrub-Jay*
• Bald Eagle
• Cooper's Hawk
• Black-Headed Grosbeak
• Mallard - female
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• House Finch
• House Sparrow
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Downy Woodpecker
• Oregon Junco
• Anna's Hummingbird
• Bewick's Wren
• Brewer's Blackbird* - male and female

*Lifer

Smith and Bybee Lakes Wildlife Area

This was my first official birding trip.  It included binoculars, a scope and the ever important coffee debriefing, where we review all the birds we see, write them in our birding journal and check off any new species.  Of course at this point I didn't have a birding journal, but my cousin did give me a checklist of local birds.  I missed a lot of what was seen by others while I tired to figure out the binoculars I had borrowed.  During the debrief, I could picture only  two of the species we saw, the others just seemed to be small random birds, A.K.A "Little Brown Jobbers".  Regardless, I was interested in another trip at some point.  

• Juvenile Bald Eagle*
• Bushtits* (I remember thinking, "BUSH-whats?!?!")
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Brown Creeper*
• Song Sparrow*
• Bufflehead*

*Lifer

Digiscope picture of the Juvenile Bald Eagle