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

Whitaker Ponds

Part two of yesterday, after a call from my cousin to join him and Elvira to try to get the Black Phoebe.  Of course I can't refuse such an offer and I was off to join my fellow birders on the exciting chase of a new bird.  (We didn't see it, but it was still a great trip!)

• American Robins
• Downy Woodpeckers
• Cedar Waxwings
• Canada Geese
• Yellow-Rumped Warblers - in full breeding plumage!
• Mallards
• Green-Winged Teal - male
• Northern Flicker
• American Crows
• Oregon Juncos
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Bushtits
• Anna's Hummingbird - call
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
• GREAT HORNED OWLS - and owlets! (so ridiculous looking - love them!)
• Spotted Towhee

Great Horned Owl... so very great

By this time no doubt getting annoyed by me

A sequence of events - I watched a pellet fall to the ground...

Owlets - this picture sooo doesn't give it justice...  but you get the idea...  

Beaverton Creek

• Anna's Hummingbird
• House Sparrow - male
• Mourning Dove
• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Bufflehead - female
• Oregon Junco
• Mallards
• Song Sparrow
• American Robins
• Great Egret
• Gadwalls
• Hooded Merganser - male
• American Coot
• Northern Shoveler
• Green-Winged Teal - male
• Black-Capped Chickadee - call

heehee Mallard butt...

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

Fanno Creek Nature Trail

• Anna's Hummingbirds
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• American Crows
• Mallards
• Song Sparrow
• Hooded Mergansers - male and female
• American Robin
• Oregon Junco

Anna's Hummingbird - male

Blossoms.... of sorts...or...something... :)

One of those fuzzy caterpillars everyone loves. 

Tualatin Hills Nature Park

• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• American Robins
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglets
• Northern Flicker
• Mallards
• Oregon Juncos
• Canada Geese
• Downy Woodpecker

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
I was so excited he was close enough to take pictures, but man he wouldn't stop moving around.
 Unfortunately this was my best shot of  him. Nice butt, am I right? ;)

Knoll Center Wetlands Park

• Northern Shovelers - male and female
• Mallards - male and female
• Northern Flicker - male
• European Starlings 
• American Crow
• Belted Kingfisher - female
• Song Sparrow
• Red-Winged Blackbird - call
• Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
• Green-Winged Teals - male and female
• Oregon Juncos
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Canada Geese

Northern Flicker - male

Northern Shoveler - male

Beaverton Creek Wetlands Park

• Mallards - males and females
• Great Egret
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Song Sparrow - call
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Buffleheads - male and female
• Oregon Juncos
• Northern Shovelers - females

Scappoose Field

• Oregon Juncos
• Spotted Towhee
• Northern Flicker
• Golden-Crowned Kinglets
• American Crow
• Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird
(A little blurry, but I'll take what I can get!)

Commonwealth Lake Park

• Domesticated Waterfowl
• American Wigeons
• Bufflehead - male
• American Coots
• Mallards
• Great Blue Heron
• Western Gull
• Song Sparrow
• Oregon Junco
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Pied-Billed Grebe
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Varied Thrush*
• Steller's Jay
• European Starlings
• Brewer's Blackbird
• American Robins
• House Sparrow
• Canada Geese
• Golden-Crowned Sparrow
• Green Heron
• Red-Winged Blackbird - call
• Common Merganser - female

*Lifer!

American Coot

Double-Crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Whitaker Ponds Nature Park

• Western Scrub-Jay
• American Robins
• Northern Flicker
• Song Sparrow
• Oregon Juncos
• American Crow
• American Wigeon
• Canada Geese
• Mallards
• Hooded Mergansers
• Bufflehead - female
• Ring-Necked Duck
• Gadwalls
• Double-Crested Cormorant
• Belted Kingfisher - female
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Horned Owl!

Way too dark by the time we saw the owl :(

Sauvie's Island

• White-Breasted Nuthatch*
• Barn Swallows
• Tree Swallows
• Ospreys
• European Starlings
• Western Scrub-Jay
• American Goldfinch
• Anna's Hummingbirds
• Oregon Junco
• House Finch

*Lifer

Audubon Society

• Steller's Jay
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
• Red-Breasted Nuthatch
• Bushtits
• Oregon Juncos

Scappoose Field

Just a place near my parent's house I use to go to while I was growing up.  A quiet stroll through the woods and up to the field.

• House Finch
• Spotted Towhee
• American Robin
• Wilson's Warbler*
• Barn Swallows
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Hermit Warbler*
• Black-Headed Grosbeaks - male and female
• Oregon Junco
• Bewick's Wren

*Lifer

Black-Headed Grosbeak - female
OK, I admit this was after I got back from the field, but their house boarders the woods :)

A sad, but noble attempt to capture the Hermit Warbler.

Even if I didn't see any birds, the field has much to offer.

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

Fanno Creek Nature Trail

We were surprised at the amount we saw here, being that it's a short stretch near a highway.

• Oregon Junco*
• Tree Swallow
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Song Sparrow
• Mallards w/ ducklings
• Canada Geese
• Cooper's Hawk*
• Western Tanager*
• Spotted Towhee
• Northern Flicker
• American Goldfinches* - male and female
• House Finch
• Bushtits
• Wood Ducks - males and female
• American Robins
• Bewick's Wren*
• Great Blue Heron

*Lifer