Red-shouldered Hawk – John Rakestraw

Rentenaar Road

January 31, 2022 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites

Rentenaar Road on Sauvie Island remains one of the better sites in the Portland area to find a nice diversity of winter sparrows, along with other songbirds and waterfowl. While this trip did not produce any rarities, there were plenty of birds and sunshine to make the trip worthwhile. White-crowned Sparrows, pictured above, are among the more common species.

Golden-crowned Sparrows are usually the most common sparrow in the winter flocks.

fox This Fox Sparrow kept close to the heavy cover.

Once considered a rarity in this area, White-throated Sparrows are now reliable winter residents.

Red-winged Blackbirds

Another Red-winged Blackbird, showing off her colors

This Red-shouldered Hawk was the most unusual find of the day.

finches Several birds were bathing in puddles in the road. Here a male Purple Finch cavorts with a female House Finch.

swans Waterfowl numbers were a little low on this trip. Ducks and geese face pretty heavy hunting pressure on Sauvie Island. Numbers should increase in the next month as hunting seasons expire and some birds start moving north. This flock of Tundra Swans kept their distance from the road.

mt. st. helens As the weather was clear on this day, there were nice views of Mount St. Helens, here with a lenticular cloud.

Happy Winter.

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.

Smith and Bybee Wetlands 24 Oct. 2013

October 26, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements

The morning at Smith and Bybee Wetlands in northwest Portland started out foggy. At the Smith Lake canoe launch, 12 Greater White-fronted Geese were among the many waterfowl. It is getting late for White-fronts in the Willamette Valley.

There were a lot of Cedar Waxwings flycatching and feeding on various fruiting trees. This is a young bird, given the overall scruffy appearance and the lack of red tips on the tertials.

This Pileated Woodpecker was very vocal and perched out in the open on a distant utility pole.

This Red-shouldered Hawk was among the many Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers present on the property.

The current low water levels allow you to hike quite a ways out into the wetlands. Marsh Wrens are common in the shrubs and reed canary grass.

Song Sparrows are also common in the tall grasses. The best bird of the day was a Swamp Sparrow, but he eluded the camera.

Pacific Chorus Frogs were singing everywhere, but this is the only individual I could see.