Tag Archives: Golden-crowned Sparrow

Post-Snowpocalypse Ramblings

Posted on January 28, 2017 by

The Portland area got a dump of about 10″ of snow recently. It was lovely on the first day, but for the next week it was a pain, with roads being impassable from the ice and snow. When I was … Continue reading →

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Sauvie Island

Posted on March 18, 2016 by

I went to Sauvie Island to scout areas for my Little Brown Birds class next week. The huge flocks of waterfowl that spend the winter there have dwindled, but there are still a lot of birds around. This White-crowned Sparrow … Continue reading →

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More Wetlands

Posted on February 6, 2016 by

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 … Continue reading →

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Wetland Birds

Posted on March 17, 2015 by

While spring migration has not really ramped up yet, locally nesting birds at Fernhill Wetlands and Jackson Bottoms are starting to pair up, and the winter flocks are breaking up. A few Least Sandpipers have arrived at Fernhill. These Killdeer … Continue reading →

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Little Brown Birds

Posted on March 31, 2013 by

I took my Little Brown Birds class to Sauvie Island. The sparrow flock along Rentenaar Road is thinning out, but all the expected species are still there. For the third year in a row, the star of the day was … Continue reading →

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Early Spring

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

This is that long awkward time of year between winter and spring. The big winter flocks have broken up, but the spring migrants haven’t returned yet. As I have said before, there is always something to see, but we have … Continue reading →

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Rentenaar Road, Sauvie Island

Posted on January 2, 2013 by

Rentenaar Road, on Sauvie Island, is one of the better sparrow patches in the Portland area. I found ten species this morning, about typical for this time of year. This boldly patterned White-throated Sparrow was one of the prettier ones. … Continue reading →

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Tualatin River NWR

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, located just a few miles southwest of Portland on Hwy 99W, is a wonderful refuge for wintering waterfowl, despite its location in such an urban area. The dikes around the wetland areas are closed to … Continue reading →

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Sparrowpalooza

Posted on December 1, 2011 by

I spent the morning in Scappoose, OR, this morning looking for a Brambling that was seen about a week ago. I didn’t have any luck with the Brambling, but it was great fun watching the variety of sparrows that were … Continue reading →

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Autumn Sparrows

Posted on November 1, 2010 by

Autumn brings an influx of sparrows to the Willamette Valley. Like many groups of birds, the sparrows aren’t that hard to identify, they are just hard to get a good look at. White-crowned Sparrow, hiding behind a twig Golden-crowned Sparrow, … Continue reading →

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