Jackson Bottom

10.29.12

• Steller's Jay
• Cackling Geese
• Oregon Juncos
• Pine Siskins
• Anna's Hummingbird
• Mourning Dove
• House Finch
• Western Scrub-Jay
• American Robin
• Spotted Towhees
• Song Sparrows
• Bewick's Wrens
• Mallards
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Great Blue Herons
• Canada Geese
• Northern Harrier 
• Great Egret
• Green-Winged Teals
• Northern Shovelers 

I'm impressed by how much yellow this Pine Siskin has, and surprisingly, it was like that one both sides!

Female House Finch

Detailed and dead

The best example of the difference between Canada Geese (Large) and Cackling Geese (Smaller).  Believe me, when they're not standing next to each other, it's extremely difficult to tell the difference. :)

Halloween-y.  More dead stuff.  I think these were purposely burned. 

Geese in a V.

Golden-Crowned Sparrow

A disruption by a raptor upset a lot of water fowl.

Cooper Mountain

5.31.12
We specifically went back to Cooper Mountain, (where the Black-Throated Gray Warblers had been seen about a month ago) on the 31st of May, because that is the last day of Spring, according to my metro area bird check list.  So, I wanted to get more Spring birds checked off the list before Summer started.  Well, I think we were too late for the warblers, but we saw some good stuff, and Komito even got a lifer.

• Anna's Hummingbirds
• White-Crowned Sparrows
• American Crows
• Cedar Waxwings
• Band-Tailed Pigeons
• House Finch
• Spotted Towhees
• Tree Swallows
• Northern Flicker
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Western Bluebirds
• Black-Capped Chickadee 
• Oregon Juncos
• Lazuli Bunting - male - it's so funny how you'll never see a bird, but the moment after it becomes a lifer, you see it all the time!
• American Robin
• Orange-Crowned Warbler
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Purple Finches
• Savannah Sparrows
• Barn Swallows
• American Goldfinches
• Lesser "Green-Backed" Goldfinches

Western Bluebirds - female and male

Female Western Bluebird

Hanging out near the bluebirds, Lazuli Bunting - male.

Crazy-eyed White-Crowned Sparrow

Lesser "Green-Backed" Goldfinch and House Finch

Backyard Birds

I've been wanting to do a post all about backyard birds and I figured no better time then now, since we're moving soon and will have all new birds visiting  in an all new location.


Like I've mentioned before, I have always had some interest in birds.  
This is the earliest photographic evidence of that... (haha) 


It's so funny, the random things that come up when you go through old photos.


Hahaha! I almost forgot about this...  
In Dec. of 2006, this male Ringed-Necked Pheasant* literally appeared in our backyard one day out of no where.

April 2008 - this Orange-Crowned Warbler* caught my attention.

In June 2010, a male Downy Woodpecker* would come by for a daily visit to a bird bell I put out on my patio.

I set up my bird feeder around the time I first started really getting into birding.  
(Around March 2011)  Since I set up my feeder at the beginning of my birding "career", many of the birds I saw were lifers.  Seeing and successfully identifying birds on my feeder helped fuel the growing birder within. 


March 2011

House Finch

April 2011

• House Finches*
• Black-Capped Chickadees*
• Song Sparrow
• Yellow-Rumped Warbler* - male

May 2011

• Cooper's Hawk - scoped it from the living room! heehee
• House Sparrow - male
• Red-Winged Blackbird - male
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Red-Winged Blackbird - female
• Anna's Hummingbird* - male
• Black-Headed Grosbeak*
• Purple Finches - after so many house finches, I started to develop a keen eye.

Red-Winged Blackbird and House Sparrow - weird combo

Young male Red-Winged Blackbird 

Black-Headed Grosbeak

June 2011

• Mourning Doves*
• Great Blue Heron - flying majestically above
• Northern Harrier - perched on the play structure at my apartments!
• Norther Flicker

*Lifers!

July 2011

• Song Sparrow - after being gone for 2+ months.  and even now I rarely see song sparrows at my feeder.
• American Goldfinch

September 2011

• Oregon Juncos - for some reason it took them forever to show up at my feeder, but they basically haven't left since.
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Downy Woodpecker - back for the first time in over a year! only briefly this time :

This Anna's Hummingbird comes by on a daily basis and sits on that branch, chattin' up a storm.

A young House Sparrow sits in a basket of seeds.  I love this one because he almost looks like a tiny hawk staring down at his prey.

The now full grown House Sparrow emerges from the basket of seed.

October 2011

• Lesser Goldfinch
• Steller's Jay

Lesser Goldfinches

An Oregon Junco takes a try at the branch

November 2011

• Spotted Towhee

Thomas loves Black-Capped Chickadees

December 2011

• European Starling - surprisingly they've only visited 1 or 2 times

January 2012

Anna's Humming bird 

Febuary 2012

• Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Yellow-Rumped Warbler, a rare visitor to my feeders

March 2012

• American Goldfinches - first of the season!
• Great Egret - flying above
• Song Sparrow
• Lesser Goldfinches

Guinea Hen - this was at an apartment we looked at - a potential backyard bird if we moved in.  We also saw a Peacock!  Apparently there's a stable near by where a bunch of these birds live.  How weird is that?  

House Sparrow 

House Sparrow - male and House Finch - female

Scappoose Dike

• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Canada Geese
• Mallards
• Gadwalls
• Northern Pintail
• Song Sparrows
• American Robins 
• Great Egret 
• Great Blue Herons
• Double-Crested Cormorants - including juveniles
• House Finches
• American Coots
• Northern Harrier
• Green-Winged Teals

Beaverton Creek

We decided to hit up Beaverton Creek early, since we've been going there in the evenings lately.  We got there at 9am and saw SO much more than usual.

• American Robins
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Mallards
• Pied-Billed Grebes
• Red-Winged Blackbirds - males, as usual 
• Song Sparrows
• Wilson's Snipe (I'm only 90% sure of this.  It was pretty close, but I only saw it for  a second, as it flew off.  I'm hoping I'll see it again soon.)
• Anna's Hummingbirds
• American Crow
• Yellow-Rumped Warblers
• Green-Winged Teals
• Buffleheads
• Northern Shovelers
• Canada Geese 
• Hooded Mergansers
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglets
• House Finches
• Western Scrub-Jays
• Northern Flickers
• Cooper's Hawk
• Cedar Waxwings (I was pretty excited to see them.  Last time I saw any was the beginning of August!)
• Ring-Necked Duck - female
• Oregon Junco

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Black-Capped Chickadee

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Too bad this one is so out of focus, but I just love this classic Warbler pose!

A young male Red-Winged Blackbird

House Finches 

Look how happy this Hooded Merganser is to have found such a delectable snack!

We were so close to this Cooper's Hawk, but the angling wasn't so great.

The Ceder Waxwings finally made an appearance!

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