All photos copyright John Rakestraw unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Tag Archives: Spotted Towhee
Dog Days
I am not sure why the hottest days of mid-summer are referred to as “dog days.” My dogs want nothing to do with the heat, and the hot weather puts a damper on bird activity as well. Wetlands tend to … Continue reading
Posted in nesting, OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements
Tagged American Crow, Bewick's Wren, Greater Yellowlegs, Green Heron, House Finch, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-toed Salamander, Northwestern Garter, Osprey, Purple Martin, Spotted Towhee, Tree Swallow, Western Screech-Owl
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Pittock in the Pandemic
I visited Pittock Mansion in northwest Portland the other morning. The gate to the park is locked, but you can park in the neighborhood and walk up the hill. It is nice to be able to bird the entrance road … Continue reading
Post-Snowpocalypse Ramblings
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
Baby Towhees
Young Spotted Towhees have been showing up at the feeder. It is always fun to see them, as they look so different from their parents. This plumage can be confusing to those unfamiliar with it, but there are clues to … Continue reading
Little Brown Birds
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
Winter in the Wetlands
We are in that late winter season when birding seems to slow. I don’t know whether there are actually fewer birds around this time of year or we have just already seen the local winter residents so they don’t hold … Continue reading
Rentenaar Road, Sauvie Island
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
Sparrowpalooza
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