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

Broughton Beach

Rumor around Portland has been that a flock of Horned Larks have been hanging around Fire Station 18 with the Snow Bunting and across the street at Broughton Beach on Marine Drive.  Sure enough, the first thing I see is a group of Horned Larks foraging on the ground.  Yay for a lifer!

• Horned Larks*
• Horned Grebe
• Double-Crested Cormorants
• Canada Geese
• Gulls
• Western Grebe
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Sandhill Cranes
• American Kestrel 

*Lifer!

Horned Lark

Horned Grebe

Western Grebe

Various glass and crud washed up on the beach

Including an old Pepsi bottle chunk

And hey, a feather!

Fire Station 18 - Marine Drive (near PDX)

Not a place to go birding, but we had heard a Snow Bunting had been hanging around there, so we had to go check it out, obviously.  Check out Elvira's post for the details of the trip.  (Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed!)

• Red-Shouldered Hawk* (we happened upon this out of pure luck because I missed the turn for the fire station.  It was perched on the fence by the road.  So cool!)
• Song Sparrows
• Great Blue Heron
• Killdeer - pair
• Snow Bunting*
• European Starlings
• Various Gulls

*Lifers! (Two lifers in less than an hour!)

Snow Bunting!
 I was so happy to be able to see this bird, let alone get a photo of it, even if the photo is sub-par)

After this we were so reved up, my cousin and I went to Delta Park, where an Acorn Woodpecker has been known the frequent.  No Acorn, but we did see:

• Northern Flicker - male
• Mallards - male and female
• Western Scrub-Jay

But the day wasn't over there...

Scappoose

My parents house:

• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Varied Thrush
• Red-Breasted Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• Oregon Juncos (That were freakishly larger than any I've ever seen.  The ones I see are not much bigger than chickadees.  These were closer to the size of a towhee!)
• Anna's Hummingbird

Multnomah Channel - Scappoose Dike:

• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Canada Geese
• Red-Winged Blackbird - male
• Purple Finches - males and females
• Sandhill Cranes
• American Robin
• House Sparrows
• Downy Woodpecker
• Bald Eagle
• Double-Crested Cormorant
• Common Merganser
• Pileated Woodpecker - call
• Great Blue Heron
• Northern Harrier
• American Kestrel
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Western Gull

Purple Finches - male and female

Western Scrub-Jay

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve

• Black-Capped Chickadees
• Oregon Juncos
• Lesser Goldfinch
• Anna's Hummingbirds
• Northern Shovelers
• American Wigeons
• American Coots
• Mallards
• Gadwalls
• American Kestrel
• House Finches
• Northern Pintail
• Song Sparrow
• Great Blue Heron
• American Robin
• Tundra Swan
• Western Gull
• Northern Flicker
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• European Starlings
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Great Egret 
• Golden-Crowned Sparrow
• Ring-Necked Duck
• Canada Geese

Golden-Crowned Sparrow

Beaverton Creek Wetlands Park

• Pied-Billed Grebe
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Mallards - males and females
• Canada Geese
• Great Blue Heron
• Red-Winged Blackbird - call
• Ring-Necked Duck

Pied-Billed Grebe

Red-Tailed Hawk

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 :(

Scappoose Bay Marina

• Steller's Jay
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Western Gulls
• Mallard - male
• Great Blue Heron
• Brewer's Blackbirds
• American Crow
• Turkey Vulture 

heehee!

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

Tualatin Hills Nature Park

This trip was more to test out my father-in-law's fancy digital SLR with the telephoto lens attached, but then again, I don't really leave the house and NOT bird, especially while in nature.  :)

• American Robins
• Anna's Hummingbird
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Steller's Jay
• Red-Tailed Hawk

American Robin

"Have you ever observed a humming-bird moving about in an aerial dance among the flowers - a living prismatic gem.... it is a creature of such fairy-like loveliness as to mock all description."     ~W.H. Hudson, Green Mansions

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

Red-Tailed Hawk

Rough-Skinned Newt

Garter Snake

Tualatin Hills Nature Park

• Lesser Goldfinch
• Northern Flicker
• European Starlings
• Western Scrub-Jay
• American Robin
• Mourning Doves
• Black-Capped Chickadees
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Steller's Jay
• Cedar Waxwing
• Red-Breasted Nuthatch*
• Pied-Billed Grebe

*Lifer!

Sauvie's Island

• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Tree Swallows
• Barn Swallows
• Cliff Swallows
• American Goldfinches
• Turkey Vultures 
• Western Scrub-Jay
• House Sparrows
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Osprey
• Song Sparrows
• Brown-Headed Cowbird
• Brewer's Blackbird
• Cedar Waxwing
• American Robin
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• American Coot
• Pied-Billed Grebe*
• Northern Flicker
• Lesser Scaup
• Mallards
• Albino Finch?* (It was the weirdest thing, it looked finch-like or even sparrow, but almost completely white.  During our debrief we considered the possibility of it being a McKay's or Snow Bunting, but quickly dismissed that because their not around here, especially in the summer months.  Later we would reconsider this.  Also, months later a report to OBOL said someone else saw this bird in the same place.)

Young Barn Swallows

*Lifer

Trojan Park

Mainly a place to play frisbee golf, but there's a few lakes, and where there's water, there's birds!

• Mallard - male
• Domesticated waterfowl
• European Starlings (I include them in hopes that one day I'll look back and realize their not so wide spread as they use to be.  Wishful thinking, I know.)
• American Robins
• Great Blue Heron
• Osprey
• Bald Eagle
• Tree Swallows
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Violet-Green Swallow
• Turkey Vulture 
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Belted Kingfisher*

*Lifer

Bald Eagle

Beaverton Creek Nature Trail

5.15.11

• Mallards - males, females and ducklings
• Canada Geese - and goslings
• Red-Winged Blackbirds - males and females
• Western Scrub-Jay
• Violet-Green Swallows*
• American Robin
• Chipping Sparrow*

5.16.11

• American Goldfinch
• Barn Swallows
• Tree Swallows

*Lifer