Memorial Weekend: part 2 - Jackson Bottom

Jackson Bottom
5.28.12
Me, Rush, Komito 


Initially the plan was to go to Ridgefield to try to see the Blue-Winged Teal that has been spotted there before, plus whatever other cool things happen to show up, Ridgefield never disappoints, however, Rush popped on OBOL before leaving and found that several of the teals have been seen at Jackson Bottom, and so it was, we went where the teals went.

• American Robins
• House Finch
• Cedar Waxwings
• Yellow Warblers
• Purple Finches
• Bushtit
• American Goldfinches
• Spotted Towhee
• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Warbling Vireo*
• Canada Geese
• Tree Swallows
• Mourning Dove
• Ring-Necked Pheasants - that was a surprise!
• Northern Flicker - male
• Great Blue Herons
• Mallards + 8 ducklings
• Northern Shovelers
• Cinnamon Teals
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Pine Siskins
• Turkey Vultures
• House Sparrow
• Barn Swallows
• Killdeer(s)
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Yellow-Headed Blackbird - male
• Gadwalls
• Cliff Swallow
• American Crow
• Hooded Mergansers - female + 6 young 
• Common Yellowthroats - male and female
• Ospreys 
• Western Wood-pewee
• Song Sparrows
• American Bitterns - what a treat!
• Savannah Sparrows
• Blue-Winged Teals* -yay!
• Marsh Wrens
• Black-Headed Grosbeak - male
• Northern Pintail

*Lifers!!

Well, it was a great trip, but we couldn't stop there.  After a quick lunch, it was time to get Rush that Virginia Rail we saw Saturday.

Cedar Waxwings

Mourning Dove

Male Northern Flicker

tiny, tiny mushroom

Male and Female Tree Swallow

Mallard and ducklings traveling through the mucky-muck.

American Bittern

Female Common Yellowthroat

Fern Ridge / Meadowlark Prairie / Finley Refuge

An awesome trip through and through, although the weather couldn't have been more bi-polar.  I always imagine Spring birding to be this very wonderful, picture-esq event.  In reality, Winter birding is much more tolerable.  We experienced frigid temperatures, down pours, sunshine, hail, strange dark/bright skies; all at once at times.  We even saw a fair share of "sucker holes", this is what my cousin calls it when the sky looks stormy and there is one chunk of clear, sunny skies, trying to trick you into thinking nice weather is coming.  Not the case at all.  Despite the weather, the birding was quite excellent. 


Furn Ridge

• Turkey Vultures - my first of the season!
• American Kestrels
• Acorn Woodpecker*
• Northern Flickers
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Canada Geese
• Tree Swallows
• Violet-Green Swallows
• Yellow-Rumped Warbler
• Song Sparrows
• Mallards
• American Coots
• Marsh Wren
• Ringed-Necked Ducks
• Golden-Crowned Sparrow
• American White Pelicans*
• Canvasback - male
• Pied-Billed Grebe
• Bufflehead - male
• Great Blue Heron
• Cackling Geese
• Savannah Sparrow 

*Lifers!

American White Pelicans

Crazy skies

Meadowlark Prairie 

• Green-Winged Teals
• Cinnamon Teal
• Northern Shovelers
• Northern Pintails
• Western Bluebirds
• Northern Harriers
• Great Blue Heron

Finley Refuge

• American Robins
• Northern Flickers
• Tree Swallows
• Violet-Green Swallows
• Great Blue Heron
• Northern Harriers - male and females
• Yellow-Rumped Warbler - male
• Western Meadowlarks
• Common Yellowthroat - male
• Spotted Towhee
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows
• Green-Winged Teals
• Mallards
• Red-Winged Blackbird - male
• Ring-Necked Ducks
• Osprey - my first of the season!
• Cinnamon Teals
• Song Sparrow
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Turkey Vultures
• Belted Kingfisher
• Bewick's Wren
• Greater Yellowlegs
• American Wigeons
• European Starlings
• Sanderlings
• Savannah Sparrows
• Red-Tailed Hawks

Western Meadowlark - male

Common Yellowthroat - male

Osprey

One last drench followed by large hail as we head back to the car.

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.

Multnomah Channel - Scappoose Dike

The first two were with my mom, also a novice at the time.


On 3.19.11 we saw:

• Double-Crested Cormorants* including juveniles
• Bald Eagle

On 4.2.11 we saw:

• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Osprey* - juvenile

On 4.24.11 with my cousin in attendance, and me with a developing eye to spot birds, we saw:

• Osprey - hoovering and their nest
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Bald Eagle
• Great Blue Heron - rookery
• Norther Flicker* - male
• Common Yellowthroat - male
• Rufous Hummingbird
• American Robin
• American Kestrel*
• Barn Swallow*
• Song Sparrow
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Turkey Vulture*
• Mallard - male
• Vaux's Swift*

*Lifer

Double-Crested Cormorant

Double-Crested Cormorant - drying wings

Turkey Vulture

Misc. things of interest 

Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve

Another very influential trip.  This time it was just my cousin and I, so I was really able to pay attention and listen.  I learned a lot that day.

• Rufous Hummingbird*
• White-Crowned Sparrow*
• Golden-Crowned Sparrow*
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Red-Winged Blackbird* - male and female
• Ring-Necked Duck
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Bufflehead - male and female
• House Finch
• American Coot
• Canada Geese
• Common Yellowthroat* - male (what a delight that was to see such an exotic looking, beautiful bird!)
• American Robin - male and female
• Tree Swallows* (there were so many swooping all around us, almost grazing my head at one point.)
• European Starlings* (I learned what a terror these guys are, but couldn't help but to be amused at their weird squishing sounds.)
• Wilson's Snipe*
• Northern Pintail*
• Marsh Wren*
• Great Blue Heron
• Double-Crested Cormorant

*Lifer 

Marsh Wren nest