Category Archives: mammals

Ridgefield NWR

Posted on February 14, 2018 by

On rare occasions, I cross the Columbia River to visit Washington. When the weather is less than stellar, the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge offers a nice way to get close to wildlife without getting too wet. A … Continue reading →

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Koll Center Wetlands

Posted on November 25, 2017 by

A couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons has been hanging out at Koll Center Wetlands recently. This spot is strictly parking lot birding (pull up, get out of the car, and scan the pond), but it has attracted more than it’s share … Continue reading →

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Mount Hood

Posted on October 6, 2017 by

At least once a year I like to visit the moonscape that is Mount Hood above Timberline Lodge. The birding there is hit or miss, sometimes yielding great spectacles like a flock of 200 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, and sometimes offering little … Continue reading →

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Fernhill Wetlands

Posted on July 22, 2017 by

With the ongoing renovations taking place at Fernhill Wetlands, each visit throughout the year is a new experience. Most of the breeding species have done their thing, and the resident waterfowl have molted into ugly duck season. Water levels are … Continue reading →

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Smith Rock State Park

Posted on July 7, 2017 by

I hadn’t been to the dry side of Oregon for far too long, so I took a trip to Smith Rock State Park. The avian stars of this site are the White-throated Swifts that nest here. They did not disappoint, … Continue reading →

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Northwest Portland Wetlands

Posted on May 26, 2017 by

I went out to Smith and Bybee Wetlands and Vanport Wetlands to check for migrants. The Smith and Bybee area was pretty slow. Water levels were high so some of the trails were inaccessible. Vanport had some really interesting birds, … Continue reading →

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Siletz Bay

Posted on November 24, 2016 by

This Common Scoter was recently found in Siletz Bay, just south of Lincoln City. This is only the second record of this species in North America, so he was definitely worth chasing. The Common Scoter seems pretty comfortable in Siletz … Continue reading →

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Timberline

Posted on July 17, 2016 by

I hiked from Timberline Lodge to the snow fields above Silcox Hut. My main target was Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. I missed the finches, but there is always something fun to see on the mountain. There were a lot of skiers and … Continue reading →

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Birdathon 2016

Posted on May 16, 2016 by

The Weekday Warblers birdathon team made its inaugural trip on May 12. We birded the north coast from Cannon Beach to Fort Stevens, with a stop at the Sunset Rest Stop on the way. We did well with seabirds and … Continue reading →

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Mt. Rainier NP

Posted on September 14, 2015 by

We made our first visit to Mt. Rainier NP in Washington last week. This park is an easy drive from Portland. I like getting above the tree line to the alpine meadows, seen here, but the park has large areas … Continue reading →

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