I cannot say that I am a huge fan of snow and ice storms, but I do like to take advantage of them for photography when they occur during the daytime hours. Poor weather brings the birds flocking to my feeders. This winter has been pretty mild so far. We finally had our first storms in the past couple of weeks. During these storms, I photographed my feeder birds through my sliding doors with pleasing results.
Dark-eyed Junco
As usual, the birds pose nicely on the branches that are attached to my feeder poles.
Downy Woodpecker (male)
Tufted Titmouse
Downy Woodpecker (female)
Hairy Woodpecker (male)
House Finch (male)
Black-capped Chickadee
I recently set up a fallen branch on top of my deck rails in hopes that it will provide a good perch for photo ops. It certainly has not disappointed me so far!
Tufted Titmouse
Dark-eyed Junco
White-breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco
White-breasted Nuthatch
I ended up sprinkling millet on the branch during a snow storm and the Juncos immediately enjoyed the treat.
Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco
I also propped up my old Christmas tree, as I have done since I moved to Pennsylvania. I added millet to the branches of this tree during that same snow storm. With this spread, I get up to a half dozen Juncos roaming around the little five foot tree at the same time.
At least the bad weather brings the birds! I’ll enjoy it while I can, from the comfort of my home.
Last December, I realized that I had a lot of vacation days that I had to take – five of which could be transferred to the first quarter of 2015. With those five leftover days, I decided to plan a trip for March to the state that I have drooled over when it comes to photographing birds – Florida. Two of my friends and I took off from work during the third week of March. The original plans were to go to the Gulf Coast, however, that seemed to be where all the spring breakers wanted to go. Since we only planned two-to-three months in advanced everything was booked, and anything left was too expensive. We looked to our friends on Facebook for some help and they recommended locations that would be spring-breaker free.
Our first location was in the vicinity of Orlando where we birded both Lake and Osceola counties. Our friend, Gallus, who is doing a Lake County big year, offered to take us around and show us some birds. I made a wishlist of birds that I would possibly like to see and Gallus weeded out everything that was not possible, let me know which ones would be givens and which we would have to work for. I am pretty sure that we saw most of the birds that were possible – we just had to save some for next time – Gallus did an amazing job!!
We were on our own for the evening that we arrived (Saturday, March 14) and got our feet wet at Brinson Park off of Lake Tohopekaliga. It gave us our first good looks at a Tricolored and Little Blue Herons, White Ibises, Anhingas, a cooperative Limpkin, Wood Stork and others. It was a nice start to what Florida has to offer.
A very cooperative Wood Stork
My first Tricolored Heron close-up!
White Ibis, photographed later in the trip at Venetian Gardens
Limpkin, photographed later in the trip at Venetian Gardens
An Anhinga pops its head up from feeding
On Sunday, Gallus picked us up and we were off for some birding. Our first stop was Clearwater Lake Recreation Area where we were greeted by a singing Yellow-throated Vireo. I am not used to hearing this bird so early in the year! Our goal was to find the nesting Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. On our way to the Woodpecker cavities, we ran into small flocks of migrants and nesters and also saw Pine Siskins flying overhead – this was a great county bird for Gallus since they can be hit or miss. Red-headed Woodpeckers and Brown-headed Nuthatches stole the show – these are birds that us northerners are not used to seeing.
The beautiful forest of Clearwater Lake Recreation Area
This Pine Warbler was part of the mixed flock
Along the trails, we heard a life bird singing – the Bachman’s Sparrow – many of them, actually. One eventually showed himself so that we could officially add him to our life list.
Bachman’s Sparrow on a nice perch
We made it to the Woodpecker spot were we found three birds who gave us great views. We hung around that spot to watch them some more.
This pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers were photographed later in the trip
After a successful first stop, Gallus took us to Venetian Gardens for the Purple Gallinule. We easily found these birds and also got great looks at White Ibises and Limpkins, as seen in the photos earlier in my post.
The beautiful Purple Gallinule
Our next stop was Lake Apopka with small hopes of seeing a rare bird, even for Florida, the Groove-billed Ani – I say “small” hopes because the bird had not been reported for two weeks. It was mid day and the trail offered no relief from the sun. The Ani location was almost one and a half miles in. As we were walking, a Grackle-sized black bird with a blunt bill flushed out of the grasses – the Ani!! He gave us nice looks then moved deep into the shrubs. We waited him out a little and were rewarded with even better looks, out in the open.
Groove-billed Ani
All of that walking in the hot sun was totally worth it. We also tried to get looks at King Rails, which would have been another lifer, but they would not show themselves. Our next stop was the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook where we hoped to spot a Short-tailed Hawk. Here, a platform was built over the forest. The view is beautiful!
The view from the platform at Green Mountain Scenic Overlook
Our next target bird was the Florida Scrub-Jay, with the promise of some Florida oranges from a non-private grove. I think it’s safe to say that we had both.
Florida Scrub-Jay with tangerines
We also found our first Loggerhead Shrikes along the road. We ended our day of birding with attempts to find Burrowing Owls. Unfortunately, they did not return to the area we tried. We did, however, get both Least and American Bitterns in one pond. It was my first time hearing them calling.
Just throwing in a photo of a White and Glossy Ibis to end the days trip report
The first day was a huge success. Gallus added four more birds to his big year list bringing his total to 181, as of that day (he has since added even more). To read his trip report, see his blog 2015 Lake County Big Year.
Since we found most of our target birds on the first day, we spent the next day chasing other probable lifers – the Snail and Swallow-tailed Kites, Short-tailed Hawk and Burrowing Owls. Our first stop was Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. Here, we had even better looks at the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and got some great photos of Eastern Meadowlarks. There were a ton of Vultures, some Osprey Eagles and other Hawks, but we did not get any of our target birds.
Eastern Meadowlark singing
Black Vulture in a tree
We tried another Burrowing Owl spot with no luck. We did see a ton of Cattle Egrets Crested Caracaras, Southeastern Kestrels, more Loggerhead Shrikes, Meadowlarks and Ibises.
Cattle Egret and cattle
Sandhill Crane
Leftovers from a Loggerhead Shrike
At this point, we were on a mission to find the Kites and checked out a few more hotspots. Gallus made the joke that we will see one from a parking lot without expecting it. We arrived at Brinson park and sure enough, a Swallow-tailed Kite flew by… while we were standing in the parking lot.
Swallow-tailed Kite
Gallus was pretty sure that he had a Snail Kite in the distance, but it was just too far. We tried our very last location at Lakefront Park – as we were driving, we spotted what looked like Harriers hovering over the marsh – NOPE! – they were Snail Kites! We parked and went over to where we saw the bird. Eventually, five different kites were in the area all at once. We watched as they hunted and even saw one transporting nesting material!
Snail Kite with nesting material
Snail Kite hunting
What a great way to end the first part of our trip! I have a ton more photos to share from the second part of our trip as we headed to the east coast. This part was more birding, the next will be more photography. I am extremely happy with the photo ops I had – I will post them soon!
The Pileated Woodpecker has been a nemesis bird for my camera for a long time. I heard and saw them often at my old house in New York, but only had a decent photo op once, from across a creek while the sun was setting behind the bird.
My local Pileated Woodpecker from New York
Sure, it’s a nice enough photo, but it was the only time it happened — until I moved to Pennsylvania. My backyard is all wooded and backs into about an acre of a non-private, mature forest. With age comes dead trees and a ton of trees with dead limbs. I get a lot of Downy Woodpeckers, a couple of Hairy Woodpecker pairs, a Red-bellied pair and also Flickers – along with my favorite, the Pileated Woodpecker.
The Pileateds are very vocal – I often hear them banging on trees or making their “kuk kuk” sound. I can usually easily find them, especially when the leaves are not so full. There are two areas that they prefer – a very dead and large Oak tree behind my house and a dead stump in front of my house. I’ve gotten my best photos from these trees – especially the one in the back.
Just today, the female was flying from tree-to-tree all around the woods. Every tree she stopped on had either a dead limb or holes to inspect.
Female Pileated Woodpecker inspecting a hole
They are always finding really good grub to feast on!
The male Pileated Woodpecker with a mouth full of grub
Female Pileated Woodpecker with her tongue out
They really do make a mess – The large oak already has plenty of holes in it and it’s only a matter of time before it has no more bark left.
Male Pileated Woodpecker chipping away at the oak
Female Pileated Woodpecker making a mess on newly fallen snow
I take most of my photos from either one of my decks or from my bathroom window, which gets me a nice look at the top part of the dead oak. I can open the window and shoot away without disturbing the birds. They also never seem to mind me while they are busy chipping away at the trees, as long as I do not make any sudden motion toward them.
Pileated Woodpecker with her crest up
Female Pileated Woodpecker in a thin tree
Male Pileated Woodpecker
Female Pileated Woodpecker
I am so happy to share my yard with these wonderful birds!
Every North American birder should try to make it to the tropics at least once in their lifetime, if finances allow it. The beautiful array of birds would be worth every penny. I took my first trip in December 2011 and stayed through New Years and the first week of January 2012. I visited four different locations: the Osa Peninsula, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Arenal Volcano and San Gerardo de Dota. Even though the trip was not based on birding, I racked up 130 life birds.
The trip was suppose to be during the beginning of the dry season, however, it rained for much of the trip. This led to mostly mediocre photos – many of which I never showed anyone else since they are not up to par with my normal work. Despite this, I wanted to share the beautiful birds that I saw, even with sub-par photos. I will also mix in some of the nicer photos – though, they were few and far between!
I’m not entirely sure where to begin, so I will jump in with some of my target birds. The bird names and locations are under each photo.
Resplendent Quetzal, San Gerardo de Dota
Blue-crowned Motmot, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Keel-billed Toucan, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Scarlet Macaw, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Note that I also wrote a post about the Quetzal early last year where you can see more photos. This was on bird that I had great photo ops with! I plan on doing the same for the Motmot.
As expected in the tropics, I saw many species of Tanagers, most of them were very colorful.
Rufous-winged Tanager, Arenal Observatory Lodge feeders, La Fortuna
Bay-headed Tanager, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Golden-hooded Tanager, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Flame-colored Tanager, San Gerardo de Dota
White-throated Shrike-Tanager, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Cherries Tanager with a Variable Seedeater, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Trogon Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota
Blue-gray Tanager, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Palm Tanager, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
These birds are also classified as Tanagers, but do not have it in their name. They are still equally as beautiful!
Green Honeycreeper, Arenal Observatory Lodge feeders, La Fortuna
Bananaquit, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Yellow-faced Grassquits, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Buff-throated Saltator, Arenal Observatory Lodge feeders, La Fortuna
I also saw some species of warblers that I do not get in the northeastern US.
Rufous-capped Warbler, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Buff-rumped Warbler, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Slate-throated Redstart, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Collared Redstart, San Gerardo de Dota
Tropical Parula, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Some of the birds were cool surprises.
I nearly jumped out of the car for the White-throated Magpie-Jays, Arenal Volcano
Common Potoo hiding in the brush, Sierpe River
White-whiskered Puffbird, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Slaty Flowerpiercer, San Gerardo de Dota
Black-throated Trogon, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
One of my favorite birds had a great mating display.
Montezuma Oropendola, Arenal Observatory Lodge feeders, La Fortuna
I saw a nice variety of different Flycatchers throughout my trip.
Great Kiskadee, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Tropical Kingbird in the rain, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Social Flycatcher, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Yellowish Flycatcher, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Black-capped Flycatcher, San Gerardo de Dota
Possible Mountain Elaenia (still being identified), San Gerardo de Dota
Common Tody-Flycatcher, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Black Phoebe, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Some of the finches were pretty unique…
Large-footed Finch, San Gerardo de Dota
Thick-billed Seed Finch, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Especially, the colorful ones in the Euphonia family.
Yellow-throated Euphonia, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Tawny-capped Euphonia, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Elegant Euphonias are hidden in this photo, Monteverde Cloud Forest
I did see some nice woodpeckers, including a couple I did not get to photograph like the Pale-billed and Lineated Woodpeckers.
Acorn Woodpecker, San Gerardo de Dota
Red-crowned Woodpecker, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
I also saw some birds from the Thrush family.
Clay-colored Thrush, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Sooty Robin, San Gerardo de Dota
Black-billed Nightengale-Thrush, San Gerardo de Dota
Black-headed Nightengale-Thrush, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Of course, I did see some parakeets too!
Orange-fronted Parakeets, between San Juan and Monteverde
Orange-chinned Parakeet, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
I did not see many raptors, but I was able to photograph some. Unfortunately, my Owl photos are not even good enough to show on this post and my lifer Crested Caracara is too terrible.
Common Black-Hawk, Cano Island
Yellow-headed Caracara, Sierpe River
Here are a few birds that I found by the water:
Magnificent Frigatebird, off of the Osa Peninsula
Sandwich Tern, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron perched over a waterfall, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Like their North American relatives, some birds were very vocal.
Great-tailed Grackle, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Brown Jay, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Some of the larger birds just chilled and let me get a nice look.
Crested Guan, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Black Guan, Monteverde Cloud Forest
Gray-headed Chachalaque, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
But many of the smaller ones were hard to catch!
Band-backed Wren, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Black-cowled Oriole, Arenal Observatory Lodge property, La Fortuna
Black-hooded Antshrike, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
Ruddy Ground-Dove, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula
As you can see, this post is lacking Hummingbird photos. I will put up a post specifically about them at another time since I saw so many! For now, and to close this post, I will leave you with a photo of my target hummingbird…
The next morning, we met with Dave at 4:30AM. We were happy that he arrived just at the moment that we did because it was still dark out and the only people out on the streets were hungover or high! We saw some…interesting people that morning. We had a long drive ahead of us – Dave wanted to bring us to the mountains up in Washington. We did not make many stops on the way – until Dave spotted a pair of California Quail on the side of the road. He stopped the car, backed up and let us get good looks and photos. Both Renee and I already started the day with a lifer!
Male California Quail on the roadside.
Further up the road, he spotted a Western Kingbird on a fence. Once again, he stopped the car, backed up and allowed us to photograph this cooperative bird. Another car-stopping lifer!
My lifer Western Kingbird on a wire.
The next stop we made was in an area that was clear cut with plenty of growth.
There were nice field birds in this clearcut area.
Here, we got our best looks at a male Western Tanager and found a family of Western Bluebirds. We caught one of the Bluebirds getting a meal ready for his young – he smacked the caterpillar around until it was more edible.
Our best looks at a male Western Tanager.
This Western Bluebird smacked and smashed the caterpillar before moving on.
After that, we headed into Trout lake through my favorite type of scenery – forest! The woodlands were very different from what I am used to in the east. Tall, beautiful firs and some pines filled the landscape.
Going up the mountain
My favorite scenery!
We stopped in several spots to find some forest birds. New life birds included Hammond’s Flycatchers and Cassin’s Vireo. We also got our first looks at the Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Audubon’s Yellow-rumed Warbler
After spending some time in the live part of the forest, We continued up the mountain in search of more specialties.
Looking up at Mt. Adams
The landscape changed drastically as we entered the area that burned in 2012 on the southeast skirt of Mount Adams.
Cascade Creek Burn
Within the blackened trees, were some survivors and new growth. The view was striking, dreary and beautiful.
Some live and burnt trees
We got out of the car and hiked by foot to find the birds that have eluded us thus far. Dave knew of a nesting cavity for an American Three-toed family, so we scoped it out. We immediately heard the nestlings calling from the hole but no adults were in sight. One stuck his head out and continued to call to its parents. We hung back and watched for about twenty minutes; no adults showed up. They must have been trying to lure the young out of the cavity.
American Three-toed Woodpecker nestling calling out
We searched for some of our other target birds and ended up dipping on Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers. We did finally see an adult American Three-toed Woodpecker as well as our first Black-backed Woodpecker and some Hairy Woodpeckers.
Rozi enjoying the hike
As we headed back down the mountain, we continued our search for more new birds. We got great looks at more mountain birds – the Mountain Bluebird and Chickadee.
Western Tanager and Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Chickadee life bird
Dave also found us a bird that I missed when a vagrant visited New York last year – a Townsend’s Solitaire. Lighting was terrible for photos, but we did get very good looks at this bird!
Townsend’s Solitaire lifer
Further down the mountain, we ran into some friends who were at the previous day’s barbeque. They were also having a slow day but gave us directions to a Williamson’s Sapsucker’s nest that was right off the road. It was an easy find and Mom came to the nest almost as soon as we got there. Dad followed.
Williamson’s Sapsucker female
Williamson’s Sapsucker male
While we were watching these birds, another Black-backed Woodpecker allowed us to get some nice looks. The nesting tree was also shared with a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches who busily made their way in and out of their cavity.
We finally left the mountain and made our way back to Oregon. On the way, we stopped for a local specialty – huckleberry smoothies – this time, at a more appropriate hour. We made our way through Conboy National Wildlife Refuge where we found more Western Kingbirds and our first Western Meadowlarks.
Another cooperative Western Kingbird
Our next stop was at a cemetery in search of Cassin’s Finches. We did find a male and female along with a Western Wood-Pewee, Gray Flycatcher, Western Bluebirds, Red-shafted Northern Flickers, a Red-breasted Sapsucker and my favorite surprise – Pygmy Nuthatches!
An unexpected Pygmy Nuthatch
Western Wood-Pewee
Back on the road, the scenery continued to “wow” us along the Columbia River.
Driving along the Columbia River
We made several stops in search of various birds but they were tough to find as the afternoon got hotter. Dave mentioned that we should keep an eye on hawks because there was a chance at finding a Swainson’s Hawk. I figured it would have been a long shot, however, not long after he said it I found out a hawk hovering near the road. Dave stopped the car and we got our first really great looks at a Swainson’s Hawk hunting the fields – we actually saw one!!
We eventually made it back into Oregon where Dave brought us to a spot that was known to have White-throated Swifts. There were tons of Swallows to pick through but Dave finally directed my eyes to a swift. The sun was behind the birds so all I could see was its silhouette. Eventually, I found another on my own, but still could not make out any real detail. We wanted to listen for Wrens, but the sound of cars filled the air. We made several more stops along the highway for the Wrens. We finally found two Rock Wrens – a juvenile showed itself and shortly after, an adult came out.
Rock Wren on a rock
The next target bird was the Lewis’s Woodpecker. We found one perched a bit far, but in the open. We also found some unexpected Grasshopper Sparrows – not a life bird, but still always a nice bird to see. Dave knew of a spot that we could get a better look at a Lewis’s Woodpecker and he did not disappoint. The beautiful bird showed off for us!
Lewis’s Woodpecker
We made a last attempt for Canyon Wrens but ended up finding more Rock Wrens and a Black-billed Magpie. This was my US-lifer Magpie, even though it was silhouetted against the sun.
Our next target birds, the Tricolored Blackbirds, were exactly where Dave said they would be (of course!). When we stopped the car, several females popped up – it did not take long for some males to fly in. We got some nice looks and they took off. Along the way, we also saw more field bird specialties – Western Meadowlarks and Kingbirds, Mountain Bluebirds and Horned Larks.
Tricolored Blackbirds
Our very last stop before finally heading out for dinner was at a residential hummingbird feeder which was known to get a nice variety of local hummers. The only ones that showed up were Rufouses – we got excellent looks at a beautiful male. We still had a long way to get home so we did not stay long. It was getting dark and we were tired and hungry. We stopped at the Rendezvous Grill for more good food and finally remembered to take a photo of the three of us inside the restaurant.
The birding trio – Renee, Dave and me
During this trip, I ended up with 54 life birds plus 3 US-lifers. We saw, in total, over 120 species of birds in the middle of summer. It was an excellent trip and Dave is a great guide who I will continue to keep in touch with and hopefully see again soon (Rio Grande Valley maybe?). I can’t even find the words to let him know how much we appreciated him taking us out on two days of non-stop birding. Also, thanks to Bob’s Red Mill and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for making this trip possible!
Back in March, I was announced as the winner of Project Feederwatch’s BirdSpotter Photo Contest. The grand prize was a three day trip to Portland, Oregon for me and a friend, courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill. The trip would include birding and a tour of the mill. Of course, I wanted to maximize the birding so I asked my birding friends about when a good time to go was. My friend Chris gave me the name of a Portland native, Dave Irons, who I sent a Facebook message to. Not only did Dave tell me when the best time to go was, he also offered to take us out birding. I sent him my “wishlist” of life birds – I’ve never birded in the Western United States so the list was not small. He replied back that he could get me most of the birds on it in a day’s worth of birding!
I asked my birding-travel-buddy, Renee, to join me. We ended up making plans for the Fourth of July weekend. We knew it would be crowded, but decided to spend the holiday miles away from home, across the country. We added an extra day on our dime so that we had one day to visit Bob’s Red Mill and explore Portland, one day to go birding with Dave and another to head to the coast to see an Oregon coastal specialty – the Tufted Puffin. As the trip grew closer, I asked Dave if he was interested in heading to the coast with us. I can only imagine his thought process when he said yes – it may have went something like “this spot is on the way, then that spot, and then we can go see [insert bird here] in this forest and [insert another bird here] on the way, then get to the coast to see the famous puffins before noon.” It didn’t take long for him to tease us with hints of the birds we can see along the way.
We arrived in Portland in the afternoon on July 2nd. After three flights and two short layovers, we needed some real food. We decided to check out Portland’s famous food trucks and ate more than our stomachs could handle. We walked it off at the Waterfront Park where I saw my first two life birds for the trip – the Violet-green Swallow and California Gull. Then, because we had an early dinner, went to the one of the famous Voodoo Doughnut locations to enjoy dessert.
Violet-green Swallow from later on in the trip.
We went to bed early… in fact, it was still light out… but to be fair, we were up since 1AM local time and it was nearing 9PM.
In the morning, we headed across the river to Milwaukie to visit Bob’s Red Mill. We arrived just in time for the tour – it was very interesting to learn the history or Bob’s Red Mill and also nice to see it behind-the-scenes. I never did get to meet Bob because he was in London, but I did get to meet his partner and shell an ear of whole grain corn in his office. After the tour, we stopped at the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store where we spent my gift certificate and ate some really good food.
Renee and me at Bob’s Red Mill
We headed over to Washington Park where we explored the Portland Japanese Garden and International Rose Test Garden. Bird-wise, I picked up two more lifers – a family of Black-throated Gray Warblers and a singing Spotted Towhee – and also saw my first Oregon subspecies of the Dark-eyed Junco.
This Spotted Towhee continued to sing even as we were nearby.
One of my favorite roses from the Rose Gardens.
We explored Portland some more, sampled flights of hard cider at a local brewery, went to an art walk, and ate delicious Thai food in the Pearl District. We ended up going to bed a bit early again because, the next morning, Dave was picking us up at 5:30 AM.
Pad Thai and Pumpkin Curry from Khao San
Dave arrived on schedule with an extra birding guest in the back seat – Rozi, the super relaxed and laid back dog. We eagerly hopped into the car and were on our way. As we drove along the highway, Dave pointed out that the birds on the wires were Western Scrub-Jays – a new bird for me. The local Brewer’s Blackbirds were also new and we even stopped the car so I could get good looks at these common birds.
Western Scrub-Jay with a filbert
Or first stop awarded us with a singing Western Wood-PeeWee; we tried to locate it with no luck. We continued up the road to find Acorn Woodpeckers – this would be a lifer for Renee and a US-lifer for me. We eventually found them further down and also got our first looks at a Bullocks Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeaks and a Western Wood-PeeWee who showed himself.
Bullock’s Oriole on the treetops
We made our way to the spot that Dave said we could get a Northern Pygmy-Owl. Renee and I had our doubts about actually seeing this bird but we certainly got more than we bargained for! Dave pulled out a small whistle that resembled a broken recorder (you know, that little instrument that you have to play in grade school?) and started tooting away. The trees started filling up with birds – Hermit and Wilson’s Warblers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Oregon Juncos – and then we heard the Owl call back from down-hill. The Owl progressively got closer until it flew to a treetop within view. The birds then started to focus on the Owl and were joined by Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks and Chestnut-backed Chickadees. Gray Jays gave us some back-lit looks, I saw my first Red-shafted Flicker, a Red-breasted Sapsucker flew in and Band-tailed Pigeons flew by at some point. We were racking up life birds like crazy!
One of the Northern Pygmy-Owl’s great perches
Hermit Warblers were pretty common!
The Oregon subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco
We headed over to Tillamook Forest Center where we could find more birds and, more importantly, have a nice clean restroom. We headed to a small bridge that overlooked a creek and searched for a bird that I was excited about seeing – the American Dipper. Dave found one foraging a bit far off, but not too far for our binoculars.
An American Dipper is hidden in here.
We finally headed off to the coast, but not without stopping at Tillamook Creamery on the way. It was 10AM and Dave insisted that we stop here to have some ice cream. We were on vacation so it didn’t take much to convince us to have ice cream for breaskfast. He gave us a 5-minute tour, we sampled some cheese and ordered our ice cream.
Proof that we had ice cream for breakfast.
On the way to the coast, we stopped at Bay City Oyster Company where I got my first Glaucous-winged Gulls. Back on the road, we got caught in holiday traffic. Not just beach traffic – parade traffic. We must have arrived just before the parade and passed crowds of people who waved to the cars passing by. It felt like we were in the parade! What a way to greet the out-of-staters (OK, so they were waving to everyone). Once we broke free from the traffic, we made a stop at Silver Point to do some sea watching. Heermann’s Gulls, Pelagic Cormorants and Brown Pelicans flew by and we had Pigeon Guillemots and a Black Oystercatcher fly in – one of which was my 500th life bird. If only I could remember which I saw first! I think I got my first good scope-looks at the Oystercatcher…
My 500th life bird is somewhere in this photo
And then the moment we were waiting for – not like the rest of the day wasn’t amazing because it certainly was – we arrived at Cannon Beach.
Haystack Rock was full of life birds!
We scoped out the rock from where we parked and got our first looks at Puffins – but Renee and I were itching to get closer. Low tide allowed us to get right up to the rock. Tufted Puffins, Common Murres and Western Gulls flew on and off the rock. The Puffins were, unfortunately, landing on the ocean side where there was more grass. A pair ended up flying on the beach side and we got fantastic scope views. Brown Pelicans were also plentiful and we got more looks at Pelagic Cormorants as well as Brandt’s Cormorants. Harlequin Ducks also swan down low and hung out on the rocks.
Tufted Puffin on Haystack Rock
Common Murre flying by
Brown Pelican flying by
Pigeon Guillemot on the nest
Pelagic Cormorants on their nests
Pelagic Cormorant with Common Murre in the background
After being in a dream world for about an hour, we headed to our next destination – LUNCH! Or, we tried to. Traffic stopped us from going to get fish and chips in Seaside but we did end up making some more bird stops along the way were we looked for Bushtits and Wrentits; it was very hot out so we had trouble finding them. We did, however, stumble upon our first Steller’s Jays and got close to a forging Black-throated Gray Warbler.
I was so happy to get good looks at Steller’s Jays!
Black-throated Gray Warbler foraging along the road
We ended up hitting some standstill traffic and went a new direction. Dave led us to Camp 18 for lunch. The restaurant was very interesting: built like a huge log cabin with logging equipment laid throughout the property. As soon as we walked inside, we saw bird feeders and gravitated toward them. We ended up having lunch along side Evening and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Rufous Hummingbirds, Purple, House and Goldfinches, Steller’s Jays and a Cooper’s Hawk who swiped up one of the songbirds.
I took this photo of Evening Grosbeaks with my phone – they were eating right outside the glass from me
We had to head home early – we were invited to a Fourth of July BBQ at Dave’s friend’s house – so we headed back after lunch. On the way, we kept an eye out for birds; we specifically tried looking for a Cinnamon Teal but came up empty handed. What we did find was a cooperative Lazuli Bunting.
The Lazuli Bunting’s song reminded me of the Indigo Bunting.
Finding life birds did not stop there – during the BBQ I got good looks at a female Anna’s Hummingbird and a couple of Lesser Goldfinches. No one minded me putting up my binoculars to look at birds – in fact, they encouraged it – it was a yard full of birders after all…
This winter was a harsh one. Our days were extremely cold and the snow seemed never-ending. It made me more anxious for spring than ever before.
The snow is finally all melted, birds are returning and the migrants are slowly coming through. Birds are pairing up and warm days are here!
Mourning Doves pair up early
While it is getting warm out, we are also having a ton of very windy days. It doesn’t stop the birds from coming, but it’s enough to annoy both of us!
Downy Woodpecker on a windy day
One of my favorite signs of spring are molting Goldfinches. They go from their more-drab winter coat to the most brilliant yellow.
The Goldfinches are molting!
I have a few nesting boxes up – one for Chickadees or Wrens, a ledge for Robins, Doves or Flycatchers, and a Brown Creeper box. So far, I have tenants in at least one of them.
Black-capped Chickadees took over this nesting box
I also found the nests of two other birds – Blue Jays are building one behind my neighbors house.
Blue Jays building a nest
I also spotted Nuthatches going in and our of a hole on my neighbors house. As much as I was excited to see this, I think I should tell them now so that they do not unknowingly patch up the hole while there are eggs or babies inside. Oddly enough, I just purchased a Nuthatch nesting box, so if my neighbors choose to evict their tenants, maybe I can set up my box nearby. Speaking of Nuthatches – I’ve seen them exchange gifts to each other a couple of times right outside my window.
White-breasted Nuthatch before stashing the seed
One bird who is nesting in the area that I have yet to find nests for are the Red-shouldered Hawks. I hear this bird more than I see it (I also hear the Jays mimicking them) and hope to find a nest one day.
Red-shouldered Hawk being mobbed by Blue Jays
I had my first visit from a pair of Cardinals. I’ve been hearing at least two males singing, but this is the first time I’ve seen them. Never again will I take such a beautiful bird for granted as I did in New York. I hope they decide to stick around my yard!
This Cardinal was a long-awaited yard bird
As for birds returning for the summer, I had a quick visit from my first non-Junco yard sparrow, a pair of Flickers are being very vocal behind my house and the Phoebes can be heard singing around the woods.
A brief visit from a Chipping Sparrow
Along with geese, blackbirds and gulls migrating overhead, I got my first feeder migrants of the season.
A male Purple Finch – one of many migrants passing through
A female Purple Finches behind the brightly-colored male
And that’s not all… the woods are becoming more active! So far, I’ve seen Pine Warblers and both Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, including some singing males. It was truly the first time that I felt like Spring is here.
Too bad this Pine Warbler would not come closer
The only decent photo I could get of this Ruby-crowned Kinglet
I cannot wait to see who else will pass by! Spring is HERE!
My township is less than two inches away from the being the snowiest February ever recorded set back in 1958. This coming Tuesday snowfall will most likely surpass the record. I am at my wits end with all of this snow!! There is still one thing (and one thing only) that I enjoy about it. That is, of course, the amount of birds that utilize my feeders and the photo ops they bring.
Let’s just say that my feeders were pretty busy…
Busy bird feeders
My most abundant guest is the Goldfinch… I lost count at 40 the other day when counting them for the GBBC. The only other finches I have been getting this year are House Finches.
American Goldfinch
Male House Finch with ice
Female House Finch
I live in the woods, so I also have tons of Woodpeckers.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Along all of my other regulars…
Mourning Dove braving the storm
White-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
The snow was so heavy on Thursday that it quickly accumulated on birds if they stayed still for a moment.
Dark-eyed Junco with snow accumulation
Mourning Dove with snow accumulation
Some birds took cover in the Christmas tree I have set up under the feeders.
Black-capped Chickadee in my Christmas tree
Dark-eyed Junco in my Christmas tree
I think, overall, the birds are as sick of all of this snow as I am.
Last week, I shared photos of birds on ice. The wintery weather continued this week with a heavy snowstorm. It was so heavy at times, that snow was just accumulating on the birds who would stay in the same place for a minute or more.
Dark-eyed Junco accumulating snow
I had at least thirty or so Juncos on my deck, in the trees and scattered around the ground.
Dark-eyed Juncos
It’s a good thing they are ground feeders or they would have cleaned me out!
Dark-eyed Junco
The Junco’s weren’t the only birds out during this storm – my feeders were very busy with all of my common visitors.
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Finch looking in
Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy and Downy Woodpecker comparison
It’s amazing how these birds can survive the winter. I’m happy to provide them with a helping hand.
When there is snow or ice, natural food for birds can be more difficult to come by so they flock to feeders in higher numbers. I woke up to plenty of ice this morning and it has not gotten warm enough to melt – the ice is still neatly covering tree branches and anything else that was not manually de-iced. I was able to get some photos this morning through my sliding doors of some of my common feeder birds – the first real “set” of photos from my new house. Enjoy!
Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Finches
Male House Finch
Mourning Doves, sticking together like usual
American Goldfinch
Male American Goldfinch
Even my feeder Chickadee was frozen
And some more birds from the next morning:
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker
Blue Jay close-up
Male Downy Woodpecker
Carolina Wren
Dark-eyed Junco moving snow around to search for food
