Eurasian Wigeon – John Rakestraw

Winter Waterfowl

January 18, 2021 by John Rakestraw, posted in seasonal movements

Waterfowl seem to dominate the birding scene in the Willamette Valley in winter. Year-round residents, like this Pied-billed Grebe, are joined by a host of winter migrants.

My camera hates white birds, but managed to capture this Common Merganser pretty well.

I usually gloss over Mallards, but they are a pretty duck.

Ring-necked Duck

Eurasian Wigeon have been hard to come by the past couple of winters, so it was nice to see this pretty boy at Dawson Creek.American Wigeon remain common on grassy lawns and ponds.

Green-winged Teal, also at Dawson Creek.

There are other birds around this time of year, like sparrows and raptors. But while it is nice to see that Merlin fly overhead and the flocks of Golden-crowned Sparrows deep in the brush piles, sometimes it is good to take the time to study and appreciate the waterfowl that sit out in the open in the daylight.

Happy Winter

Random Images

January 11, 2017January 11, 2017 by John Rakestraw, posted in behavior

Life and inclement weather have conspired against me of late, so my outings have been far too few. But here are some photos from recent weeks.

A trip to Broughton Beach provided nice looks at a small flock of Horned Larks. I want to read up on the many subspecies of Horned Larks to see which ones are found in Oregon. Whether I would be able to distinguish them in the field remains to be seen.
This female Eurasian Wigeon has been hanging out at Commonwealth Lake.

Pied-billed Grebes, Commonwealth Lake
The Portland area received about ten inches of snow last night. While this unusually large snowfall made for a lovely winter wonderland, it is quite challenging for the resident Anna’s Hummingbirds.

I finally got around to making some vegan suet (equal parts coconut oil and peanut butter with a little corn meal mixed in). It took the birds a while to find it, but it has become quite popular. Here is a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

the nuthatch sharing with a few Bushtits

and a big old wad of Bushtits. Other species seen eating the suet include Bewick’s Wren, Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Black-capped Chickadee. I hope some warblers find it soon. We shall see.

More Wetlands

February 6, 2016February 6, 2016 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

Wetlands in the Willamette Valley are very birdy in winter, so those areas tend to get most of the birding efforts this time of year. Of course, given the amount of rain we have had the past few weeks, it is hard to find any place that isn’t a wetland.

My recent waterfowl class was supposed to bird Jackson Bottom, but since that site was flooded we went to Dawson Creek behind the Hillsboro library. We found three Eurasian Wigeons, including this male.

Most of the Cackling Geese we saw were flying over, but this Taverner’s Cackling Goose posed nicely for us.

Smith and Bybee Wetlands hosted a large flock of Eurasian Collared Doves. Here are four feeding along the railroad track with two Mourning Doves in the foreground.

This Red-shouldered Hawk is a regular at Smith and Bybee, but seldom sits out in the open.

This male Ruddy Duck was on Force Lake. It seems odd to me that Ruddies don’t molt into breeding plumage until late spring.

A flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows were hanging out in the blackberries by Force Lake. I’ll have to start scouting sparrow patches soon for my Little Brown Birds class in March. Hopefully the rain will taper off by then.

AmberGlen Business Park

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, Uncategorized

Several office parks in the Hillsboro area have nice open spaces that attract birds. AmberGlen has a pond next to a large lawn which attracts good numbers of gulls in winter.

Most of the gulls on my recent visit were Ring-billed Gulls, but two Mew Gulls were in the mix. Here is a nice comparison of the two species.

Ring-billed Gull enjoying a roust

and a swim

This Glaucous-winged Gull was rocking the lipstick.

Ring-necked Ducks

Here is a male Eurasian Wigeon, with an American Wigeon in the background. I am guessing this is a young bird molting into his first adult plumage. It seems a little late in the season to me, but I don’t know whether this Asian species has a different molt schedule from his North American counterpart.

Vanport

December 31, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites

I took Nala to the dog park next to Vanport Wetlands in hopes of seeing a bird or two between throws of the ball.

A male Eurasian Wigeon made a brief appearance.

Green-winged Teal

gadwall drake A pair of Gadwalls swam in the nearby slough.

ring-billed gull preening The large flock of gulls that had been hanging out in the area were not around that morning, but a large puddle hosted this Ring-billed Gull along with some Mew Gulls.

Mew Gulls bathing

Cannon Beach

January 25, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in behavior, OR Birding Sites, rarities

While I recognize the serious nature of the current drought, it is hard to be unhappy about sunshine in January. So after many weeks of not birding, I finally got out and spent a day on the coast. On the path around the Cannon Beach wastewater ponds, I came across a flock of Greater White-fronted Geese.

This Eurasian Wigeon was hanging out with the Mallards at the wastewater treatment plant.

Ring-necked Duck

In the surf around Haystack Rock, there were lots of Surf Scoters and Black Scoters, but they kept out of camera range. This is a Harlequin Duck. No, really.

The mouth of Ecola Creek, at the north end of Cannon Beach, is a favorite hangout of the local gulls. I found Western, Glaucous-winged, California, Mew, Herring, and Thayer’s. Unfortunately, photographing white birds in bright sunshine against a dark background is beyond my rudimentary skills. Most of my shots consisted of glowing white blobs surrounded by lovely blue water. This shot of a third-cycle Thayer’s Gull bathing in the creek is at least recognizable.

This Red-shouldered Hawk was at Mill Ponds Park in nearby Seaside.
The same bird in the middle of a roust
I couldn’t get a flight shot of the Red-shouldered in focus, but this at least shows this species’ beautiful pattern.

Westmoreland Park, 2/27

February 28, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

As spring approaches, the numbers and diversity at Portland’s Westmoreland Park are starting to wain. The winter gull flock is down to Glaucous-winged X Western hybrids and two Herring Gulls. While there is no shortage of white-cheeked geese, there were very few other species of waterfowl on this visit.

The highlight of this trip was a pair of Hooded Mergansers squabbling over a large crayfish. The female finally won possession and, with a great deal of effort, swallowed the crustacean.

There must be some powerful muscles in that little neck.

Two Eurasian Wigeons, both females, remain with the local American Wigeon flock. Here is one of the Eurasians next to a male American.

Here is a close-up of the Eurasian Wigeon. Note the warm brown color and the lack of a black outline around the base of the bill.

Taverner’s Cackling Goose, with a partial white neck ring. It will be just a few weeks before these birds head back north, and we will have to console ourselves with warblers and flycatchers.

Westmoreland Park

January 27, 2013February 2, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges, OR Birding Sites

Westmoreland Park, in southeast Portland, is always worth a quick visit in winter.

This Canvasback has a mud on her face from rooting around in the bottom of the pond.

Lesser Scaup

At least two female Eurasian Wigeons have been spending the winter at Westmoreland. No males have been reported yet this year.

This park is one of best gull sites in Portland, although by this time the gull flock is starting to thin out. This is a sleepy Herring Gull.

Westmoreland is also a good spot for studying the various subspecies of the white-cheeked goose complex. This is a Taverner’s Cackling Goose, identified by her medium bill (covered in down for some reason), blocky head, and pale breast.

Ridgeway’s Cacking Goose (stubby bill, round head, dark breast)

Western Canada Geese have long snakey necks, long bills, and pale breasts. While common in Cackling Geese, it is unusual to see such a distinct white neck ring on a Western Canada.

Western Canada Goose bathing

Sunny Day at Westmoreland Park

December 15, 2011 by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges, OR Birding Sites, Uncategorized

Best known as a local gull hotspot, Portland’s Westmoreland Park also hosts good numbers of Cackling Geese in winter. This December has been unusually dry and sunny, so instead of my photos being grainy and dark, they are now overexposed.

Ridgeway’s Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii minima) is the smallest race of Cackler, only slightly larger than a Mallard. Their stubby bills and purplish breasts are good field marks. Many individuals also display a prominent white collar.

cuteness

Of course, you can’t visit Westmoreland in winter without appreciating a Thayer’s Gull. This is such a hard bird to find throughout much of the country, I always stop to enjoy them, despite their local abundance. You can’t see this bird’s eye or bill, but the white underside of the far wing and the amount of white visible on the outermost primary (p10) on the near wing are both good clues to the bird’s ID. (yeah, I’m a bird nerd, and I’m proud.)

Eurasian Wigeon is another species that Portlanders enjoy on a regular basis, while birders elsewhere can only dream.

Eurasian and American Wigeons

March 5, 2011 by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges

It’s always nice when similar species pose side by side for direct comparison. These two wigeons, Eurasian on the left, American on the right, were engaged in some synchronized grazing. The female Eurasian Wigeon is a warm brown color, compared to the colder gray/brown tones of the American.

Male wigeons are easier. The Eurasian has a rusty head with just a hint of green behind the eye, and a clear demarcation between the pinkish breast and the gray vermiculated sides.