mammals – Page 5 – Ethical Birder

Mt. Rainier NP

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, mammals

We made our first visit to Mt. Rainier NP in Washington last week. This park is an easy drive from Portland. I like getting above the tree line to the alpine meadows, seen here, but the park has large areas of forest, as well. The bird and mammal diversity was good on this trip, although the numbers of individuals were not as large as you usually find in parks such as Glacier or Yellowstone.

This American Dipper was swimming in one of the rivers; not very photogenic, but interesting behavior. The forested areas were too dark for bird photos, but Gray Jays, Varied Thrushes, and Red Crossbills were common.

Most of the birds in the alpine habitats were fast fly-bys. I did manage this photo of a young Cooper’s Hawk. The Prairie Falcon that was hunting the ridge was way too fast. I was hoping for White-tailed Ptarmigan on this trip, but perhaps the abundance of raptors was keeping that species out of sight.

This Black Bear spent many hours feeding on vegetation along one of the trails. We kept a respectful distance, unlike many other park visitors. The bear didn’t seem too concerned with his fans. He did get a little nervous when a couple was taking selfies with him.

Yellow-pine Chipmunks are common in the meadows.

Another view of the mountain. I definitely want to explore more of this area.

North Coast

July 25, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

I made two trips to the coast this week, once to scout for my Portland Audubon shorebird class, and again for the class itself. It is amazing how much difference a couple of days can make in the make-up of bird life in a given area. On Thursday, I found a total of 11 shorebirds of two species. During the class we found hundreds of individuals of 10 species. I am so glad it was not the other way around. This is the view from the Necanicum River Estuary, looking south. The tiny bump in the middle is Haystack Rock, about 12 miles away.

Whimbrel, Necanicum Estuary

Caspian Terns are common and very vocal all along the coast.

Elk, Necanicum Estuary

This Semipalmated Plover was the only shorebird at the tidal ponds at Fort Stevens.

Raccoon, on the mudflats near Parking Lot D, Fort Stevens (with a Caspian Tern and a California Gull)

This is one of two Ruddy Turnstones we found with a flock of Black Turnstones at the Seaside Cove.

White-crowned Sparrow, Necanicum Estuary

California Ground Squirrel, Hammond Boat Basin

Here is a good example of why this time of year may not be the best for learning gull ID. The plumage on this gull is bleached out and very worn. Judging from the size, shape, and pink legs on this bird (next to a normal non-breeding California Gull) I’m guessing this is a Glaucous-winged Gull, perhaps in his second cycle. I hope he grows some new feathers soon, or it will be a very cold autumn and winter.

Ridgefield NWR

July 17, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, mammals, nesting, OR Birding Sites

I don’t get up to Ridgefield NWR in Washington very often, even though it is a short drive from Portland. But lots of folks had recently seen adorable fuzzy little Virginia Rail babies, so I wanted to try my luck.

By the time I got there, the adorable fuzzy little babies had become rather unattractive adolescents, but it was still fun to see this usually shy species out in the open.

Another adolescent foraging near the rails was this little Nutria. The refuge staff tries to control the population of this introduced species, but they remain plentiful.

Northern Harrier

Black-tailed Deer, perfectly hidden among the teasel

There is not a lot of water on the refuge right now, so the Great Egrets were gathered on one of the remaining ponds.

We are entering Ugly Duck Season, when adult ducks molt into identical ratty plumages, making them much harder to identify. I am going with Cinnamon Teal on this mama and babies (all-black bill, overall warm brown coloring).

On the way home we stopped at Kelly Point Park along the Columbia River in NW Portland. California Gulls were gathered on the pilings.

This young American Crow (note the pinkish gape) was begging for food.

Nala, the large aquatic mammal.

Tilley Jane Trail

June 21, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, nesting, OR Birding Sites, Uncategorized

I walked the Tilley Jane trail on the east side of Mt. Hood. This trail starts near the Cooper Spur Ski Area and goes about two and a half miles up to the Tilley Jane Campground.

Much of the trail goes through an area that burned a few years ago, so there are lots of standing dead trees and wildflowers.

Burned areas are great for woodpeckers and other cavity nesters. This is a young Northern Flicker that was peeking out of her nest hole.

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Dark-eyed Junco. Yes, I can see them out my living room window, but they look better on the mountain.

We came upon this Black-tailed Deer nursing her new fawn. If the fawn had been hidden, I think the doe would have taken off. But since the baby was exposed, they both just froze as we passed by.

This Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel looks like she might be carrying a litter.

Charismatic megafauna among the lupines

At higher elevations, Cassin’s Finches became common, if not cooperative.

Along with the wildflowers are butterflies. The flowers are interesting in person, but not so much in photos. A few butterflies, like this Pacific Fritillary, posed for good looks.

This is a Persius Duskywing, which I had never heard of before.

Broughton Beach

January 25, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges, mammals, OR Birding Sites

Nala and I walked along the Columbia River from Broughton Beach to the Sea Scout base.

Greater Scaup was the most numerous species on the river, with smaller numbers of Lesser Scaup (fifth bird from the right)
Great Scaup (upper left) with Lesser Scaups, showing a nice comparison of size and head shape.

A few Western Grebes were snoozing on the water.

A Common Goldeneye came close enough to shore for some great looks.

Broughton Beach usually holds some interesting songbirds, but this Song Sparrow was the only one I saw on this visit.

A Beaver had been nibbling willow saplings when we approached. He swam out just a few feet offshore and continued downstream.

Smith and Bybee Wetlands

December 19, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

I walked through Smith and Bybee Wetlands after an unsuccessful gull chase in northwest Portland. Here are a few highlights.

A pair of River Otters were in the slough. It is always a treat to see this species.

There were actually a few birds around. I ran into several mixed flocks of small birds that defy point-and-shoot photography.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
The same bird, showing just a peek of his namesake ruby crown.

The slough had a few waterfowl, all keeping a safe distance from the otters. Here is an American Wigeon.

Northern Shoveler

Ring-necked Duck

Raptors were well represented by Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk, none of which wished to be photographed. Despite the rainy conditions, it was a productive trip.

Yaquina Bay

November 20, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

Yaquina Bay, at the town of Newport, is one of the more productive sites on the Oregon coast. On this visit, high winds reduced the number of birds that were out and about, but there was still a lot to see.

Common Loon with the catch of the day

Red-throated Loon

Pelagic Cormorant

Horned Grebe
Horned Grebe (above) and Western Grebe

Brown Pelicans

Long-tailed Duck

Surf Scoter

The flats behind the Hatfield Marine Science Center. There were lots of Mew Gulls, some Brant, and Northern Pintails. Note the Peregrine Falcon at the base of the fallen tree.

California Gull

Large numbers of California Sea Lions loaf on the jetties and docks on the bay.

Smith and Bybee Wetlands

October 1, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

Smith Lake, the larger body of water at Smith and Bybee Wetlands in NW Portland, currently has a lot of mudflat habitat, attracting good numbers of shorebirds and gulls.
Greater Yellowlegs at sunrise

Long-billed Dowitchers and Pectoral Sandpipers

Black-tailed Deer

While the shorebirds and gulls kept their distance on the mudflats, thus no good photos, American Pipits were working the shoreline at close range.

Boulder Birds

September 24, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, mammals

Here are a few birds I saw on a recent trip to Boulder, CO. There was nothing unusual, but there is always something to see.

This young Cooper’s Hawk was amazingly tame.

Bullock’s Oriole

American White Pelicans

White-breasted Nuthatch. Despite the proximity to the Rocky Mountains, this individual appears to be of the eastern race (Carolina Nuthatch).

I heard a lot of Blue Jays, but this is the only individual that I got a look at.

Rabbits are everywhere around Boulder. I think this is an Eastern Cottontail.

Rocky Mountain National Park

September 17, 2014 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, mammals

I spent a recent morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. We arrived before sunrise, so we got to watch the sun come up from high elevation. Note the Common Raven in the center of the frame.

My main target of this trip was White-tailed Ptarmigan. But despite walking through some lovely tundra, with scattered rocks and stunted pines, I dipped on this species again. Sing it with me: I am a rock….I’m not a ptarrrrrrrrr-ar-miiii-gan.