Saturday, November 29, 2008

Red Winged Blackbirds.


Okay, here are the pictures of the Red Winged Blackbirds that came to the yard on PFW Week 2!




Well, some more Blackbirds showed up today so I guess the wait for the ever elusive RW Blackbird is over!

Friday, November 28, 2008

PFW Week 2

Wheew!
What a count day! Check out this list! (Complete post and photos coming soon).


  • Western Scrub Jay 2
  • Red Breasted Nuthatch 2
  • Black Capped Chickadee 3
  • House Finch 4
  • Dark Eyed (Oregon) Junco 6
  • Bewick's Wren 1
  • Song Sparrow 2
  • Annas Hummingbird 1
  • Spotted Towhee 2
  • American Crow 1
  • American Goldfinch 3
  • Northern Flicker 1
  • Downy Woodpecker 2
  • Pine Siskin 15
  • Bushtits 62
  • Red Winged Blackbird 26
  • European Starling 1

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Raptor Quiz and Koll Wetlands

Okay, here is the quiz. What are these two Raptors?
Be sure to leave a comment with your answer.






Now, while you're finding the quiz out here is some action from Koll Wetlands.

This is a panoramic photo from the rock table that is there.

A Song Sparrow by the water.

Mallards going in the water.

When I reached the bank of the pond I accidentally scared away this Green Heron.
Can you see him?

Great Blue Heron and Mallards.

Great Egret and Common Mergansers.

Great Egret.

Common Mergansers.

Great Blue Heron where the Otters were.

Northern Shovelers, Common Mergansers, Double Crested Cormorants, Ring Necked Ducks and Mallards.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Hawks Hawks and more Hawks!

What is it with Hawks lately?
We have had two visits from Coopers Hawks and one from the Sharp Shinned Hawk recently.
Plus I was reading that Seth and Michelle from Portland Oregon Backyard Birds have had 40 or so visits from their local Sharpie, and I think two from the Coopers!
Is it always like this?
I have not yet been through the full cycle of Northwest birds yet so I don't know if it's just an easy meal because there are so many birds in winter? I don't know yet but as soon as summer comes I should know :-)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Sharped Shinned Hawk.

This morning we woke up to a Sharp Shinned Hawk on our fence.
He went down on the ground Where the Sparrows roost. Then all of a sudden he spotted a Junco and attacked it. With swift moves the Junco darted over to a nearby tree. But the hawk was not done yet. He then Lunged himself at the Junco. Again with Swift Moves the Junco Escaped, (NICE JOB JUNCO!!!!!!! WELL DONE!!!!!!!). Then our Biggest ( probably around five pounds or so) Squirrel climbed up on the fence. I was going to get video of the Junco's escape, but my sister RAN over to the sliding glass door as fast as she could and scared away the hawk. ( I assured her that a little 10 inch Sharpie was less likely to fly off with a five pound squirrel then the hoard of birds on the patio right in front of him, not to mention the escape against one of our local Red Tailed Hawks the Squirrel had Back in October). "But I didn't want "Stanley" to get eaten".
Okay it just means more birds on the Patio :-)



P.S. Hope you don't wake up to this happening :-)

Have a good day and happy birding!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Project Feeder Watch!

I just got done with the first two days of Project Feeder Watch!
Here is my list.

American Goldfinch: 7
Spotted Towhee: 2
Dark Eyed ("Oregon") Junco: 22
Song Sparrow: 4
Red Breasted Nuthatch: 3
House Finch: 5
Anna's Hummingbird: 3
Western Scrub Jay: 2
Black Capped Chickadee: 3
Downy Woodpecker: 2
Lesser Goldfinch: 3
Bewick's Wren: 1
Northern Flicker: 1
Pine Siskin: 1
Bushtits: 34

Time spent watching: 1-4 Hours.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Tualatin River NWR

Here are some pictures from our trip to Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge back in September.

We started here at the new nature center, (which they did a very good job on) and then went on the trail.


This turned out as a nice picture of the river.


On our way back to the car we stumbled upon this little guy.


HaHa its good to have a hybrid in Oregon.

Bird list for that day:

  • Western Scrub Jay
  • Stellers Jay
  • Black Capped Chickadee
  • Red Breasted Nuthatch
  • Canada Geese
  • American Goldfinch
  • Mystery Bird
  • Red Tailed Hawk
  • Bewick's Wren.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Long lost Blackbirds!

Finally! When I went on a walk in Greenway park I saw a big flock of Red Winged Blackbirds!
I haven't seen a single Red Winged Blackbird since before we bought our house!
They were perched up in a tree making their "coonkaree" sound to each other. I was beginning to think that back in June was the last time I was going to see one of those guys, but thankfully not!

Things have been pretty much the same in our yard, but the birds like the Squirrel Buster Mini so much that I have to fill it up almost every day! By about 10:00 AM, the feeder is picked clean by all the birds, (not the squirrels)!

Perfect timing on the Project Feeder Watch people's part. I just got my forms in today and on starting day too.

Have good, happy birding and if you signed up for PFW have a good time!
Bye.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Aaah the good life of a birder...

Aaah yes the yard is teeming with birds once again, Nuthatches, cute little Chickadees including those adorable, tiny little Chestnut backed Chickadees, Woodpeckers, Brown Creepers, the long lineup of winter Sparrows, Juncos, Kinglets, Bushtits, Towhees, Hummingbirds, first time new arrival a Yellow r....Hey! AAARG! you have got to be kidding!!



November backyard bird count as of Nov. 4:

1) American crow
2) American Goldfinch
3) Brown Creeper
4) Black Capped Chickadee
5) Chestnut Backed Chickadee
6) Scrub Jay
7) Gull (FO)
8) Coopers hawk
9) Downy Woodpecker
10) Hairy Woodpecker
11) Ruby Crowned Kinglet
12) Red Breasted Nuthatch
13) Bushtits
14) Spotted Towhee
15) Song sparrow
16) Bewick's Wren
17) Golden Crowned Sparrow
18) Junco
19) House Finch
20) Purple Finch
21) Lesser Goldfinch
22) Yellow Rumped Warbler
23) Canada Goose (FO)
24) Northern Flicker
25) Pine Siskin
26) Fox Sparrow
27) Anna's Hummingbird

P.S. I didn't see some of these birds until I got the Brome Squirrel Buster Mini for Only $26.99! Thanks Backyard Bird Shop!!!!!
Bye.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Great October Bird Count

  • 1) Black-Capped Chickadee
  • 2) Scrub Jay
  • 3) Steller’s Jay
  • 4) Red breasted nuthatch
  • 5) Bewick’s wren
  • 6) Dark eyed junco
  • 7) House finch
  • 8) Purple finch
  • 9) Bushtits
  • 10) American goldfinch
  • 11) Mourning dove
  • 12) Lesser goldfinch
  • 13) Anna’s hummingbird
  • 14) Spotted towhee
  • 15) Song sparrow
  • 16) White crowned sparrow
  • 17) American crow
  • 18) Red tailed hawk (FO)
  • 19) Northern flicker
  • 20) American robin
  • 21) Downy woodpecker
  • 22) Hairy woodpecker
  • 23) Common raven
  • 24) Cedar waxwing
  • 25) House wren
  • 26) Tree swallow
  • 27) Canada goose (FO)
  • 28) Mallard (FO)
  • 29) House sparrow
  • 30) Wood duck (FO)
  • 31) Pigeon (FO)
  • 32) Great blue heron (FO)
  • 33) Pine siskin
  • 34) Coopers hawk (FO)
  • 35) Chestnut-backed chickadee
  • 36) Belted kingfisher
  • 37) Osprey (FO)
  • 38) Golden crowned sparrow
  • 39) Mountain chickadee
  • 40) Brown Creeper
  • 41) Ruby Crowned Kinglet
  • 42) Nashville Warbler

GOBC fun!

WOW! What Fun!!
Thanks Northwest Nature Nut for hosting the Great Bird Count of October! It was really fun counting all the birds and making new backyard and blogger friends! Are you doing this next year?

Thanks to everybody else for keeping me entertained all the way through October with your bird lists. I was checking almost every day to see what birds you were seeing at your house.
It was great fun and I don't want it to be over.

Well, I signed up for Project Feeder Watch and it looks fun so I will be occupied with that :-)

When we wait for the PFW good luck and good birding.
Cheers!