I drove from Salem south along I-5 to Ashland today. Tomorrow the Bay Area. My one birding stop was Ankeny NWR, then Ashland Pond Some images, including those wonderful Lithia Park Dippers in downtown Ashland.
In south Yamhill County the terminus of Lafayette Road before it meets Hwy 221 was covered with Cackling Geese in migration, having stopped for a snack of grass shoots. There were at least 5000 geese at table:
Ankeny: Greater Yellowlegs, Western Sandpipers, sleeping Shoveler pair.
Cacklers at Ankeny: 
Drift of cottonwood cottonwool at Ankeny: 
Hawthorn at Ashland Pond:
Osprey on nest platform at the Wheatland Ferryboat landing, Marion County. 
One of two Dippers at Bridge #3 in Lithia Park, wearing leg bands: 
Chokecherry:
Wood Duck mama at Ashland Pond:
Harry, I was in Denver last week and saw dippers for the first time since my last visit to Ashland and thought of you.. thanks for posting!
By: Michael Perlin on April 21, 2016
at 2:22 am