Moe from Albert Ryckman’s expedition to British Columbia:
There is no limit to how long you can and should stare at a male Harlequin. The gray-head is a female Common Merganser. Hummer’s a male Rufous, back from his winter vacation. All the other birds should be easy to identify.
Now there is more time between sunrise and sunset than there is between sunset and sunrise. That sunlight-nighttime shift has been paralleled by birdy changes. Two months ago our garden had more goldfinches than juncos. Juncos linger, goldfinches all gone. The males starting to sing in late February was the hint–hormones rising and soon to follow: the need to find nesting territories. Just in the past three days the wintering Varied Thrush have disappeared. The local turkey flock that numbered 21 for weeks has disintegrated into singles and pairs. Somewhere the hens may be starting to nest. I no longer see a Bushtit flock of 20+. A pair once in awhile, or a handful still unmated. A pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches in our garden, honking and feeding together. Canada Geese incubating eggs, ditto the bald Eagles at Riverfront Park. Most ducks are paired now. Red-wings claiming their bit of cattail marsh. A downy pair side-by-side. Starlings checking out possible nest cavities. A robin singing from high in a walnut tree. Despite the continued chilly and wet weather, plums and magnolia and forsythia are in bloom.
Wood River Valley, north of Klamath Lake. Superb photos by Marty Karlin. Look in to the eyes of another creature:
Above: Prairie Falcon, harrier, roughie, ferruginous, red-tail, Golden-crowned KINGlet, mammal known for badgering its enemies (or edibles). Badgers are often visible at Malheur. There are some openings for the Malheur Birding trips in May and September. I will be leading them for the Malheur Field Station–contact Field Station for details, if interested. A wet winter could make this a very interesting spring and summer for birding.
BAJA
All the following from John Matthews: “Penina and I got back from our (trip) to Baja to watch whales and birds a little over 2 weeks ago… been recovering ever since! The Baja Gray Whale Expedition was sponsored and conducted by the OSU Marine Mammal Institute was officially 9 days.”
That’s a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above.
THE ART OF THE BIRD
Don’t be outta your gord, really get into it:
If you want to see these up close, even buy one:
Karen Hoyt’s BEAUTIFUL BIRD GOURDS will be at
Capitol Woodcarvers 2023 SHOW at the Center 50+ in Salem, Oregon.
Center 50+ is 2615 Portland Rd. NE, Salem.
Posted in birding, birds, birdsong, Klamath Basin, mammals, Marion County, raptor | Tags: Ferruginous Hawk, gourds, Mexico, Prairie Falcon, Rough-legged Hawk, whales, Wood River
I have now found a second Canada Goose active (inactive really, as they squat down for hours) at Fairview Wetlands here in Salem.
On alert–perhaps the mate of one of the incubators:
Females lay eggs, incubate alone and keep the nestlings warm and dry until they leave the nest. He is on guard duty–see above.
I felt sorry for the swallows fighting wind and cold (chill factor 37) over the wetlands.
In our garden, Audubon’s Warbler at suet, as seen through window and rain:
Call him “Spot”
Fairview Wetlands, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 23, 202
18 species
Cackling Goose 200 all fly overs
Canada Goose 5 two active nests visible
Northern Shoveler 30
Mallard X
Green-winged Teal 12
Ring-necked Duck 2
Bufflehead 4
Ruddy Duck 1
American Coot 30
Wilson’s Snipe 1
Tree Swallow X
Violet-green Swallow X
American Robin 1
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 8
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4 all Audubon’s
954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 22, 2023
18 species
Wild Turkey 1
Mourning Dove 2
Northern Flicker 1
Steller’s Jay 1
California Scrub-Jay X
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1
Bushtit 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Varied Thrush 2
American Robin 1
House Finch X
Fox Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow X
Nashville Warbler 1 first of year in Marion County–pics on yesterday’s blog
954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 23, 2023
15 species
Wild Turkey 2
Mourning Dove 2
California Scrub-Jay 4
American Crow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Bewick’s Wren 1
Hermit Thrush 1
House Finch 2
Fox Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 30
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
THE ART OF THE BIRD
Don’t be outta your gord, really get into it:
If you want to see these up close, even buy one:
Karen Hoyt’s BEAUTIFUL BIRD GOURDS will be at
Capitol Woodcarvers 2023 SHOW at the Center 50+ in Salem, Oregon.
Center 50+ is 2615 Portland Rd. NE, Salem.
One of the first birds in our garden this morning–a Hermit Thrush bullying the juncos. Right now the only finches in our garden are House Finches, one pair probably will nest nearby. Two months ago the American Goldfinches out-numbered the juncos (30 or more) and there were usually several lessers. Now: zero. They’ve gone off to potential breeding habitat which we do not have for goldfinches.
THREE! White-throated Sparrows in one part of our garden at the same time, 134PM. Bad light, light rain, they kept moving…so here’s a past pic:
Canada Goose on nest at Fairview Wetlands:
Also at Fairview, this male Ruddy Duck in full courtship mode. Tail-up, more rudder than ruddy, perhaps?
Other ducks:
Another shot of yesterday’s Nashville Warbler:
Zonotrichia pair–golden-crowned and white-throated:
Climate report and graphic showing how change will hit different generations of our species–click here. To read official
summary of the newest IPCC report–click here.
If you see a Hooded Vulture pass by, call the Oakland Zoo. Wind-downed tree smashed into aviary compound and six birds escaped–click here,
Posted in birding, birds, ducks & geese, garden feeder, global warming, Marion County, migratory birds, natural history, nesting, oregon, sparrows, thrushes, warblers, Willamette Valley | Tags: Canada Goose, climate, Fairview Wetlands, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Green-winged Teal, Hermit Thrush, IPCC, Nashville Warbler, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia
I had less than an hour to bird today. Garden work, shopping (twice!), lunch with friends. Less than an hour for Fairview Wetlands walkaround–six Turkey Vultures passed overhead. Yet, I saw two species for the first time this year. If I had been projecting what might turn up next–Osprey (still not seen one), maybe a third swallow species, Purple Finch a-wandering, a pipit in some open field, maybe some white-fronted geese passing by. Oh no!
After lunch we were in our hosts’ back garden oohing and aahing over the many bright blossoms. A White-breasted Nuthatch hit their feeders. Two Mourning Doves fed near our feet. As I glanced up to admire the blue sky, I saw the flashing white wings. About twenty White Pelicans circling high over Salem, maybe near the Willamette River. It was only the third pelican sighting in Marion County for ’23, first this month.
Later at home, I was cleaned up after muddy garden work. Glanced out the window to see if Mr. White-throat was at the sunflower chips I’d scattered–what is that bright critter? Not a goldfinch. If I had been pushed to predict the third warbler I’d see this year in our garden (yellow-rumps and Townsend’s have been irregular, but not scarce), I might have guessed yellowthroat, or most likely orange-crowned. Oh no!
When I first saw NAWA it was in front of the house, down on the ground. Like a heron swallowing a three-foot snake, it was gulleting a long hazelnut tassel, four times longer than the bird’s beak It finally got swallowed and the bird survived. So my first pictures were crud–I was shooting through a window, then between boards on the porch railing, and finally through the metal bars of a rose trellis. Click on any image to get the full-screen bad effect.
So this is the first 2023 Nashville Warbler in either Marion or Polk County–closest previous eBird records for this year have been at Newport and Eugene. This species does NOT breed near Nashville, TN. They just pass through on their way to more northern breeding ground. They do breed across Oregon in brushy habitat that suits them.
This bird left the front of the house and politely migrated to our backyard suet feeder where our photo session developed,
Posted in birding, birds, garden feeder, Marion County, migratory birds, natural history, oregon, warblers, Willamette Valley | Tags: Nashville Warbler, White Pelicans
The Great Blue Herons in the Willamette Valley are beginning to nest. Click here for my Salem Reporter piece on the colony along I-5 north of Salem, and some general info on the herons’ world.
The results of the annual Feederwatch been collated. The bird most likely to be seen by Feederwatchers in Oregon: junco. Keep in mind much of this observation nis actually done near feeders, in gardens, and other locations near people and pets. If the observations had been done above the snow-line in Oregon, raves might have out-numbered juncos in Feb-March Feederwatch period. Juncos are surprisingly successful in North America. They are one of the few bird species that out-number our species, so far. They excel at junconess, even though that usually means nesting on the ground. Nearly all fall and winter juncos have numbered over 20 every day in my garden. In summer nearly all head back into mountains, and one pair nests near us.
The junco was reported by 96% of the watchers in Oregon, making us the #1 junc-bird state. Washington was second at 94% with Conn, RI and NJ all coming in at 92 or 93%.
Other people-tolerant species in the top five: BC Chickadee, Anna’s Hummingbird, House Finch, flicker. Ten most commonly seen birds in Oregon–click here.
Nationally the BC Chickadee’s cold-tolerance led to a 97% saturation among Maine watchers, a mere 96% in Minnesota. Anna’s Hummingbird was seen by over 70% of Oregon’s watchers. The starling ranked only 13th in Oregon. In D.C. it was reported by 90% of watchers.
Photographer and birdman, Albert Ryckman, is in Victoria, BC, right now. Here’s a first look at what he’s seeing:
THE ART OF THE BIRD
Don’t be outta your gord, really get into it:
If you want to see these up close, even buy one:
Karen Hoyt’s BEAUTIFUL BIRD GOURDS will be at
Capitol Woodcarvers 2023 SHOW at the Center 50+ in Salem, Oregon.
Center 50+ is 2615 Portland Rd. NE, Salem.
WHEN: Saturday, April 1st 10 AM to 5 PM & Sunday, April 2nd 10 AM to 4 PM.
Posted in birding, birds, birdsong, Dipper, ducks & geese, ducks and geese, hummingbird, Marion County, migratory birds, natural history, nesting, ocean birds, oregon, sparrows, Willamette Valley, woodpeckers, wren | Tags: Anna's Hummigbird, British Columbia, Canada, Harlequin Duck, Hooded Merganser, Pacific Wren, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Spotted Towhee, Victoria
Reports from Malheur indicate the area is its average average annual snowpack in some places. That can only be good news for the many species that depend on marshes and streams and wet meadows. Some are migrants, others are species that try to nest locally. That includes White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, terns & gulls, ibis, shorebirds and waterfowl. Here are two maps shared by Rick Vetter. From USDA:
Click here for video of presentation by Dr. Teresa Wicks on water and bird life in that area.
In a more generalized discussion, I spoke to Salem Audubon in 2020 about climate trends and what they may hold for Oregon birds–you can click here for that video. Go 5 minutes in to hear the presentation, after tech problems at beginning.
An eyewitness along Hwy 205 south of Burns, has told me the Ferruginous Hawks were back on the lone juniper west of the highway. A nest in use for several years ion that tree had collapsed fallen to the ground there by the end of last summer. It has been a successful nest site for the ferrugys so it would not be unusual if they simply rebuilt.
We all know Sooty Grouse will attack if you park in their parking lot (i.e. near nesting mate)…but hoiw abiout a much larger, angry grouse? Beware the Capercaillie–click here.
Here’s my contemporary report on an attacking sooty, blocking traffic, on a rural road just outside Ashland–click here. I’ve talked with hikers who stop for lunch only to get attacked from behind. Sooty wounds–gives you something to grouse about.
Posted in birding, birds, global warming, natural history, nesting, oregon, raptor | Tags: Capercaillie, Malheur, snowpack
This is March Madness of a sparrow kind. Seven sparrow species in our garden today! That’s a record. If I violate true taxonomic
“law” I could even count the House “Sparrow” though he’s a Eurasian interloper here. Sparrow total, linguistically, is eight.
Three Zonotrichia today (missing only Harris’s)–the newcomer was a white-crowned, likely heading to Alaska. Golden-crowns and white-throated continue to be seen (for now). Towhee…fox…song…and the majority of sparrows all winter here have been the numerous juncos. Seven species.
An interesting note about the House Sparrow. It was a female and she was observing her fellow invasive, a pair of starlings. They were investigating a possible nesting hole under the roof peak of our neighbor’s garage. The female sparrow watched the two bigger birds check it out, perhaps thinking to herself. If they don’t take that apartment, I will.
Posted in birding, birds, natural history, nesting, oregon
Our calendar, based on arithmetic not nature, says Monday is the first day of spring. Hah, spring is all around us. There was song and sound in the air: red-wings, American Goldfinch, flicker, chorus frog, Varied Thrush, yellow-rump. The Canada Geese pairs at Fairview Wetlands were angrily contesting possession of the nest platforms. Much honking and flapping about. Song Sparrows contesting thicket control. A flock of swallows at Fairview–cousins: tree and violet-green. English daisies blooming. Buds on most deciduous plants. I’ve been working on rocks for garden borders, as I removed from the pile I uncover mobile sowbugs, slugs, false black widow spiders. Good and not: saw my first housefly and ladybug today. Yesterday several beetles were clinging to our window screens. Plant nurseries are filling up with young plants.
Don’t tell Nestle, but not all Junc-food is bad for you:
While we down Pun Alley, I gotta say our squirrels’ fifth appendage is superbly tail-or made:
That appendage has more shapes than Twitter has lies. I especially enjoy the S-curve, as in S-quirrel.
Teal at Fairview–they are rarely calm enough for a good shot (widely hunted):
Right below the box in the water stands the only snipe I could locate at Riverfront Park yesterday. Eagle nest attended and sentinel on duty nearby:
Hey, fellow Willametters, did you know we are living in one of the world’s great places? That’s according to Time, click here.
Fairview Wetlands, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 18, 2023
26 species
Cackling Goose 30 fly over
Canada Goose 8 territorial disputes going on
Northern Shoveler 30
Mallard 15
Northern Pintail 12
Green-winged Teal 8
Bufflehead 4
Anna’s Hummingbird 2
American Coot 30
Killdeer 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Northern Flicker 1
California Scrub-Jay 3
American Crow 4
Tree Swallow 6
Violet-green Swallow 10 first6 swallows of year at this location
European Starling X
American Robin 7
House Finch 4
Dark-eyed Junco 2
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 7
Spotted Towhee 4
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Posted in birding, birds, birdsong, ducks & geese, finches, flora, garden feeder, insect, Marion County, migratory birds, natural history, nesting, oregon, raptor, Salem, shorebirds, sparrows, squirrels, swallow, thrushes, Willamette Valley, woodpeckers | Tags: Fairview Wetlands, Green-winged Teal, Junco, spring
Well, the Riverfront Park eagles are dependable, predictable, one on nest, the other elsewhere. No nestlings to feed so all is calm, consistent, today and yesterday and tomorrow (until hatching) merge into a 35-day waiting period. Last time I was at Riverfront the footbridge went over water only–no gravel bar. Water has receded and gravel reappears. As did birds who like that spot–kingfisher (always a male, nest somewhere near?), three Killdeer and three snipe! Those long beaks pump in and out of the riverbed–the intense sensory system on the beak tip sending lots of data to the snipe brain–feel, chemical analysis, vibrations. Just info leads to bits and bites. The bird was too busy to turn around and look at me. Today’s successful snipe hunt:
Salem Riverfront Park, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 16, 2023
14 species
Cackling Goose 20
Canada Goose 12
Mallard 10
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Killdeer 3
Wilson’s Snipe 3
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Bald Eagle 1 on nest
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
American Crow 9
European Starling 2
American Robin 25
House Finch 1
954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 16, 2023
17 species
Wild Turkey 15
Mourning Dove X
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Steller’s Jay 1
California Scrub-Jay 4
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1
Bushtit X
Varied Thrush 2
American Robin 1
American Goldfinch X
Fox Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 30
Spotted Towhee 2 mated pair feeding together
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Posted in birding, birds, corvids, ducks & geese, eagles, flora, Marion County, migratory birds, natural history, nesting, oregon, raptor, Salem, shorebirds, sparrows, Willamette Valley, winter birds, woodpeckers | Tags: Bald Eage, Fox Sparrow, Riverfront Park, Wilson's Snipe, Yellow-rumped Warbler
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