May 18–20, 2018

May 18–20, 2018: Where Linda visits the La Grande, Oregon, area for the Ladd Marsh Birding Festival, and determines that eastern Oregon does have many virtues (Ok, I knew that but had yet to experience that). Even the town of La Grande is a fine place to spend a few hours and grab dinner. There’s a birding store called The Bobolink, which we did not stop at because we were literally on a mission to find … Bobolinks.

The play-by-play of what was a fabulous weekend:

On Friday, May 18, we drove from Salem to La Grande just in time to grab a bite at Side A Brewing in La Grande, check into our Grande Hot Springs yurt, and go and find two new 2018 Oregon birds: Bobolinks and a Eastern Kingbird. I also happened to notice that our hot springs were surrounded by a glorious marsh, which turned out to be THE Ladd Marsh. A fine start to the trip. The love was just beginning.

Dobbs Lane, southeast of La Grande, Oregon; May 18, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Bobolink; Dobbs Lane, southeast of La Grande, Oregon; May 18, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Dobbs Lane, southeast of La Grande, Oregon; May 18, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Savannah Sparrow, loving the camera once again; Dobbs Lane, southeast of La Grande; May 18, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Waxing Crescent; Grande Hot Springs; May 18, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

On Saturday, May 19, we had not signed up for a tour so we birded on our own in the area. Our first stop was to the area around the La Grande airstrip to find Short-Eared Owls (reported the day before on eBird), with much success. We then checked into one of the birding “stops” the festival had set up and met and chatted with a handful of other enthusiastic birders. Everyone was so excited about the birds. The contagious and animated energy we all exchanged I’m sure made us look like looked like a bunch of twittering bushtits. We got some great tips and continued on our way and ended the day with an additional three 2018 birds: Vesper Sparrow, Ring-Necked Pheasant, and Horned Lark.

Short-eared Owl (a little creepy looking IMO); Airport Lane; La Grande, Oregon; May 19, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Bullock’s Oriole; Grande Hot Springs; La Grande, Oregon; May 19, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Thief Valley Road; southeast of La Grande, Oregon; May 19, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Thief Valley Road; southeast of La Grande, Oregon; May 19, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Northern Flicker; Grande Hot Springs; La Grande, Oregon; May 19, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

On Sunday, May 20, we birded with a formal festival tour in and around Ladd Marsh and up Rhinehart Canyon just north of La Grande. Birding and the fact that I’m getting older are lending themselves to early mornings, which I admittedly love. Getting up early to go birding while I was in my 20s was painful, but I did it frequently. Waking up at 6 or even 5:30 AM now doesn’t really phase me, so this morning’s alarm of 4 AM wasn’t awful. In fact, once we arrived to our meeting spot, a number of cars were leaving, having just birded pretty much in the middle of the night, listening to secretive marsh birds. Apparently we got to sleep in.

This day kicked off with new birds around every corner, with the great great help of our tour guide Trent Bray, who also happens to be the owner of The Bobolink biding store in La Grande. New 2018 Oregon birds this day comprised 10 species: Snow Goose, Gray Partridge, Ruffed Grouse, American Bittern, Wilson’s Snipe, Calliope Hummingbird, Canyon Wren, Veery, Gray Catbird, and MacGillivray’s Warbler.

Morning birding along Wilkinson Lane; Hot Lake, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Snow Geese; Wilkinson Lane; Hot Lake, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Grande Ronde River; Rhinehart Canyon; Elgin, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Car-now-pedestrian bridge over Grande Ronde River; Rhinehart Canyon; Elgin, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Rhinehart Canyon; Elgin, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Eastern Kingbird; Rhinehart Canyon; Elgin, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Western Wood-Pewee; Rhinehart Canyon; Elgin, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Rhinehart Canyon; Elgin, Oregon; May 20, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

New Birds for 2018: 16
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 183

 

 

 

 

May 6–12, 2018

Company Lake; Troutdale, Oregon; May 6, 2018

New Birds:
House Wren
Spotted Sandpiper
Bullock’s Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Cowbirds; Company Lake; Troutdale, Oregon; May 6, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

House Wren; Company Lake; Troutdale, Oregon; May 6, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Killdeer; Company Lake; Troutdale, Oregon; May 6, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Jackson-Frazier Wetlands; Corvallis, Oregon; May 7, 2018

New Birds:
Virginia Rail

William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; Benton County, Oregon; May 12, 2018

New Birds:
Band-tailed Pigeon
Western Wood-Pewee
Cliff Swallow
Swainson’s Thrush
Yellow-breasted Chat
Western Tanager

Savannah Sparrow: William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; Benton County, Oregon; May 12, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt

New Birds for 2018: 11
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 167

 

May 5, 2018

Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018

Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Northern Flicker (female); Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Orange-crowned Warbler; Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Orange-crowned Warbler, with the not-so-often-seen orange crown; Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

 

Bald Eagle; Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Wood Thrush (me); Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Clint Burfitt.

A shy Bushtit; Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Phyciodes mylitta; Skinner Butte; Eugene, Oregon; May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Savannah Sparrow; canola field north of Corvallis, May 5, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

New Birds for 2018: 1
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 156

 

May 2, 2018

May 2, 2018, was my birthday, and I took the day off work. I went birding.

My first stop was Witham Hill Natural Area just northwest or Corvallis. I didn’t get any new birds here, but it was a lovely walk in the woods and a great early way to start my birthday.

My next stop was Mary’s River Park in Philomath. I got three new 2018 birds here: Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow Warbler, and Warbling Vireo. The park appears to function mostly as a dog park and Frisbee golf destinations, but I found a few wooded trails, including one that took me to the river’s edge. I stayed here for an hour by myself.

Mary’s River Park; Philomath, Oregon; May 2, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

I continued on to Finley, and got an additional three species: Sora, Western Kingbird, and Cassin’s Vireo. Among other secretive marsh birds, at the very very end of the Vimeo video at the end of this post, you can hear the Sora.

Camassia quamash (camas) in bloom in Finley’s wet prairie habitat; William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; May 2, 2018; photography by Linda Burfitt.

Western Kingbird; William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; May 2, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Oregon Ash riparian hardwood forest; William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; May 2, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Oregon Ash riparian hardwood forest; William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; May 2, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Cassin’s Vireo; William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge; May 2, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Listen to Finley marsh birds here –> https://vimeo.com/268320144

New Birds for 2018: 6
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 155

April 29, 2018

William-Finley National Wildlife Refuge =
the gem of all birding places in the Willamette Valley

We headed to Finley on April 29, 2018, and focused on the west side of the refuge where it is largely forested (oak woodland mixed with some Douglas-fir). It rained on us a lot, and I could not get any photos of actual birds. I did, however, get a video and three new Oregon 2018 species (two of which you can hear in the video): Hutton’s Vireo, Black-throated Grey Warbler, and Wilson’s Warbler.

Oak Woodlands; William-Finley National Wildlife Refuge; April 29, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Oak Savannah; William-Finley National Wildlife Refuge; April 29, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Oak Savannah; William-Finley National Wildlife Refuge; April 29, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Click here to see the video: https://vimeo.com/268218882

After Finley, we visited the Timberhill Natural Area in Corvallis, and I got a bird #149 Chipping Sparrow.

Timberhill Natural Area; Corvallis, Oregon; August 29, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

New Birds for 2018: 4
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 149

 

April 15, 2018

We took a quick trip to the Oregon Coast on April 15, 2018, when Abby was in town last month. We stopped by Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area  to look for a Brown Booby, which had been seen there that week. No booby. I did, however, see “a few” Common Murres and one Black Oystercatcher, Oregon 2018 Birds #141 and #142.

Common Murres through my scope; Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area; Oregon Coast; April 15, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area; Oregon Coast; April 15, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt (thru my scope).

Later on during the week of April 15, I got two additional 2018 Oregon birds: The Vaux’s Swifts arrived and are now daily visitors in the skies over our house (I adore listening to them). I also got my FOY Orange-Crowned Warbler in Minto-Brown.

And, on April 22, 2018, I finally got some Pine Siskins in the Bronson’s Creek area in Cedar Mill, Oregon.

New Birds for 2018: 5
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 145

 

April 8, 2018

Yes, April 8 was nearly a month ago. I’m catching up.

On our way back from Burns, Oregon, last month, on April 8, 2018, we caught wind of some Red-Necked Phalaropes at the Philomath Sewage Ponds. This species is a relatively common migrant in Oregon on or nearshore, but is rarely seen inland in Oregon. We decided to take a small detour to get this species on our way back to Salem. We arrived to the ponds about 1 hour before sunset, saw the phalaropes spin around on the water*, had great conversations with some birders from Corvallis, and watched the sunset from the ponds.

*Phalaropes spin around on the water to “kick up” tasty bites. The “Spinning Phalaropes” would make a great band name.

Watching Red-Necked Phalaropes spin around on the water; Philomath Sewage Ponds; Philomath, Oregon; April 8, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Red-Necked Phalaropes spinning around on the water (I should have taken a video; it’s very amusing); Philomath Sewage Ponds; Philomath, Oregon; April 8, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Sunset from the Sewage Ponds (don’t knock it ’till you try it!); Philomath Sewage Ponds; Philomath, Oregon; April 8, 2018; photograph by Linda Burfitt.

Later on during the week of April 8, I got three additional 2018 Oregon species: Violet-Green Swallow and Common Yellowthroat in Minto Conservation Area in Salem, Oregon, as well as a singing Lazuli Bunting in my backyard in Salem, Oregon.

New Birds for 2018: 4
2018 Year-to-Date Talley: 140