Record-setting heat and cloudless days are not the best conditions for birding or photography, but here we are. It is sometimes hard to motivate oneself to get outside when the weather is so harsh, but there is always something to see. So here are some images from a warm walk around Fernhill Wetlands.
Black-headed Grosbeaks are one of our more attractive summer residents.
Lots of babies have already fledged. Here a Red-winged Blackbird is being harassed by a hungry youngster.
It has been such a delight to have an active Purple Martin colony at Fernhill the past few years.
Purple Martin on an unclouded day
Ospreys were soaring high over Fernhill Lake. I didn’t see any dive for fish while I was there.
The ducks have started their summer molt, but the Pied-billed Grebes are still looking dapper.
A lovely Mourning Dove on an ugly fence
The most unusual bird of the day was this Western Grebe. They are frequent winter visitors here, but they do not nest anywhere nearby.
Southbound shorebird migration has already begun, so expect them to show up soon.
Happy Summer
Spring migration has come and gone, and many birders agree that it was a dud. Numbers and diversity seemed quite low in the Portland area this spring. So now we concentrate on the summer residents, like this Black-headed Grosbeak.
Most Golden-crowned Sparrows are gone by late May, so this bird found on June 2 was noteworthy.
At Tualatin River NWR, this Lazuli Bunting was singing in the same patch of Nootka Rose that has hosted them in previous years. 
Tualatin River NWR is hosting at least two pairs of Blue-winged Teal this summer.
Purple Martins at Fernhill Wetlands
Bewick’s Wren are usually working heavy cover, so it was a treat to find this one dust bathing in the middle of a gravel road.
Hooded Merganser preening at Fernhill Wetlands
Spotted Sandpiper
This Gadwall is already starting to molt into his dull summer alternate plumage. I often refer to late summer as Ugly Duck Season. It seems a little early for ducks to be losing their sharp breeding colors.
This American Crow was finding either food or water in the top of the stop sign post on Mt. Tabor.
Black-headed Grosbeaks returned to the Portland area in large numbers last week. This damp individual was singing in low brush on Mt. Tabor.
Another Black-headed Grosbeak singing in the sun at Cooper Mountain, but from the top of a tall tree
An Olive-sided Flycatcher, singing in the rain. This species often hangs out at tree-top level, but this guy came down for some nice eye-level viewing.
House Finches were munching on dandelions on Mt. Tabor.
Here is a typical view of a Swainson’s Thrush, seen on Cooper Mountain during our Warbler and Flycatcher Class. This bird did not vocalize and stayed partially hidden in the brush the whole time, but we decided on the ID based on her warm buffy color, lack of dark spots on the breast, and lack of tail dipping behavior. Darker breast spotting and tail dipping would suggest Hermit Thrush.
I am helping with a series of point counts on the Oak Island section of Sauvie Island (Birding Oregon p.56). The goal is to gather baseline information on bird species using this area before habitat restoration work begins. The habitat consists of large oaks, grassy fields, and scattered thickets along the shore of Sturgeon Lake.
John Rakestraw 