Towheeblog

Barn Swallow adult on nest, Sauvie Island.Young in Barn Swallow nest…hungry.Purple Martins at Goble Landing.  It was heartening to see so many martin colonies along the coast in both Oregon and Washington State.White Pelicans cleaning up after dining…Trojan Park west of Scappoose, OR.Yellow-headed Blackbird in feeder on Sauvie Island. Note the yellow vent feathers are showing.This Pacific Northwest trip brought some new birds to the Texas birders I was with.  But nearly everywhere we went near water this familiar figure was to be seen: Only to be seen once, this family group of Hooded Mergansers at Wapato Greenway on Sauvie Island. The grand cock of Longview, WA: Wilson’s Warbler male near Coffeeberry Lake, Fort Stevens State Park northwest of Astoria: Wrentit, also near Coffeeberry Lake:  Caspian Tern over Astoria waterfront: Astoria Bald Eagle, a species that we saw seven days out of eight. Crow. Two of three young Peregrines in nest above Yaquina Head Visitors Center. Young White-crowned Sparrow, Astoria. Adult White-crowned with grub for the young.

This trip was run by Partnership for International Birding.  We began and ended at Portland but went to Sauvie Island, Ft. Stevens State Park, Fort Clatsop, down the Oregon Coast through Cannon Beach (puffins!), Newport and Florence, at Fern Ridge and over the Cascades to Bend, Sisters and up Mt. Hood.  Thence into Washington for Nisqually NWR, Luhr Beach, the Olympic Peninsula, by ferry to Victoria and back (for the Skylark).   In eight days.