Rob Schulman and I birded Grand Island in Yamhill County for a little over two hours this morning. In perfect weather we got to see two new species for the year–a flock of Cliff Swallows at the bridge onto the island, three Osprey. Two of the Osprey were on nest atop platform erected especially for them. The swallows annually nest under that bridge though it is too early for mud gathering. We drove past the Keiser Farm’s old barn where the cliffies also nest and not a single bird was there…yet.
The White-crowned Sparrows looked sharp and prim in their fresh feathers; the Golden-crowns are still molting and a little scruffy-looking.
Sunday at Boiler Bay my wife and I saw Pigeon Guillemot offshore, returning for spring nesting. Pacific and Red-throated Loons were heading north as well. No whales seen in the gale-force wind and choppy white-caps.
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BOILER BAY BIRDS
Flat-headed gulls with dark gray mantles are Westerns. In multi-gull shot the pale one in middle is young Glaucous-winged and the round-headed, dark mantled gull in grass in second row seems to be a California. Shot showing the use of picnic tables by the natives includes adult Glaucous-wing in front.
NESKOWIN
Great Blue and Green-winged Teal:
GRAND ISLAND:
Grand Island, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Apr 6, 2021
34 species
Mallard 2
Ring-necked Duck 6
Common Merganser 2
Mourning Dove 1
Killdeer 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 3–FOY
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Great Horned Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 6
American Kestrel 1
Steller’s Jay 2
California Scrub-Jay 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tree Swallow 2
Violet-green Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 50–FOY
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
European Starling X
American Robin 30
Purple Finch 1
Dark-eyed Junco 1
White-crowned Sparrow 20
Golden-crowned Sparrow 40
Song Sparrow 8
Spotted Towhee 3
Brewer’s Blackbird X
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