Sauvie Island - Part two

All the Sparrows got us excited to see more, so it was off to explore the island.

Lots of pairs of American Robins. Love them.

Tundra Swans

Spotted Towhee.  Very curious of Jeff.

Neat little nest.

Golden-Crowned Sparrow

This one came right up to me. :D

While looking at a Chipping Sparrow and wondering where the Harris's Sparrow might be, I turned to my right, to see him looking right at me, closer than ever!  

Harris's Sparrow - Notice quite different than the Harris's in the last post - I think this one is an older juvenile, or maybe an adult.

Female Red-Winged Blackbird

Sandhill Cranes

White-Crowned Sparrow

A fun sequence of a Golden-Crowned Sparrow picking at the Pussy Willow Tree.

Sauvie Island - Part one - More than one Harris's Sparrow

The day started out at my Grandparents-in-law, a happy birthday visit to Grandpa.  Turns out, the birding there cannot be beat.  

This is their back yard.

Oregon Junco and White-Crowned Sparrow

Male Anna's Hummingbird

Female Red-Winged Blackbirds (the first ones I've seen this year!) and Golden-Crowned Sparrow.

Harris's Sparrow

The small, whitish ball toward the middle is him.

He was also seen getting seed from these feeders.

Harris's Sparrow with Red-Winged Blackbirds

The seed that attracted this Harris's Sparrow.

Harris's Sparrow

Sauvie's Island

One of the best days ever... so sunny and nice out, got the bird I was looking for plus more and it was just a low key, spur of the moment trip with my newest birding buddy, my husband. The instructee has become the instructor!

• Sandhill Cranes
• Cackling Geese
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows
• Song Sparrows
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Red-Tailed Hawks
• American Coots
• Northern Harrier
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglets
• White-Crowned Sparrows
• Harris's Sparrow* - counting it as a lifer now because last time he alluded me, and appeared only in photographs.  Jerk... (And btw.. comparing the two photos,doesn't it look like 2 different birds?  I thought there was just the one Harris's... ?)
• Spotted Towhees
• Fox Sparrow
• American Crows
• Golden Eagle - juvenile (it was in the exact same spot my mom, cousin and I saw it almost exactly a year ago, on my first birding trip to Sauvie's Island - a ground breaking day in birding for me - check out the post :))
• Bald Eagle - and juvenile
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Western Scrub-Jays
• California Quails - at least 8 of them!  The first time I've seen them since I started birding.  The first time I saw them was in New Zealand, of all places to see a California Quail.
• Great Blue Herons
• American Robins
• Northern Shovelers - I was a little excited to see them because I had just mentioned  I hadn't seen them in quite a while.
• Northern Flicker
• Belted Kingfisher - male
• Dusky Canada Geese
• Canada Geese
• Greater Yellowlegs*
• Savannah Sparrows
• Killdeer(s) - I hate that, is the plural of killdeer killdeer or killdeers?  I would like to indicate when I've seen more than one.

*Lifers!

A flurry of Golden-Crowned Sparrows

Harris's Sparrow - compare it to a week ago. Different bird?

A sweet, brave White-Crowned Sparrow

California Quail

Sandhill Cranes and if you look closely, three Greater Yellowlegs!

Sauvie's Island

Yesterday was a two part birding adventure.  Part one was all about enjoying the sun, nature and solitude.  And, in like all outdoor situations, birding.  

• Western Scrub-Jays - shining brilliant blue in the sunlight
• Bald Eagles
• European Starlings
• House Finch
• Song Sparrows
• Red-Tailed Hawks
• Red-Winged Blackbird - call
• Dusky Canada Geese
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows
• Great Blue Heron
• Double-Crested Cormorant - flying above me, nearly crapping on me!
• American Coots
• Sandhill Cranes
• Northern Harrier
• Snow Geese
• Killdeers
• Oregon Juncos
• Spotted Towhees
• White-Crowned Sparrows - including young ones 
• Fox Sparrow*
• Harris's Sparrow - sneaking into photos

*Lifer!

Golden-Crowned Sparrow

Northern Harrier

Harris's Sparrow to the right... the sneaky bastard

Golden-Crowned Sparrow chowin' down, Harris's Sparrow quickly sneaks a bite - center

apparently there was a bee in the mix.  how my camera caught that, I don't know.  I DO know that had I been trying to get this shot, the bee would be a blob of nothingness.

A nice variety: Golden-Crowned Sparrows, White-Crowned Sparrow and young White-Crowned Sparrow toward center.

White-Crowned Sparrow

Golden-Crowned, flanked by young White-Crowned Sparrows