reptiles & amphibians – Page 5

Water Babies, Tualatin River NWR

July 29, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians

There are lots of youngsters in the wetlands these days. We haven’t had any rain in July, so water levels are dropping, concentrating wetland animals into smaller areas. This is a Spotted Sandpiper in that awkward adolescent stage.

The same Spotted Sandpiper, peeking out of a culvert

spotted 1 This adult Spotted Sandpiper may be the parent of the juvenile pictured above. Like many birders, she assumes the sign does not apply to her.

This young Pied-billed Grebe was grooming and stretching in the canal.

There are lots of tadpoles in the canal.
Unfortunately, they belong to the invasive American Bullfrog.

Every puddle has a school of baby bullheads this time of year.

Another invasive species, but darned cute, is this young Nutria nibbling on aquatic vegetation.

Maine, June 23-29, 2013

July 3, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, reptiles & amphibians

I spent last week in Maine, around Bangor and the central coast. The weather went from hot and muggy to cold and rainy, which might have to contributed to the overall poor birding compared to previous visits. I did see two lifers, one on the first day (Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow) and one on the last (Great Cormorant). It is always nice to see some eastern warblers, like this Blackburnian.

Eastern Phoebe, Mount Desert Island

Great Black-backed Gulls, Schoodic Point

Great Black-backed Gulls in this area are rather shy, perhaps because biologists have been “discouraging” them from hunting on the offshore tern nesting colonies. The gulls do not allow a close approach and quickly take off if you point a camera at them.

The Herring Gulls are happy to pose for mug shots.

Great Shearwater, Gulf of Maine

Great Cormorant, Schoodic Point, way out there, in the rain, but he still counts.

American Bullfrogs are an invasive species here in Oregon, so it was nice to see them in their natural range.

This dragonfly species was common in wooded areas, where they blended in with the tree trunks.

This more colorful species was at the edge of a meadow.

Spotted Sandpiper, Petit Manan NWR

Spotted Sandpiper and Eastern Willet, Petit Manan NWR

Eastern Willet, looking a little sleepy

Tualatin River NWR

June 16, 2013June 19, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, nesting, OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians

While the bird diversity has thinned out considerably in the past couple of weeks, I had some nice views of the summer residents at Tualatin River NWR. The resident Bald Eagles still have one youngster in the nest. He is expected to fledge any day now.

One of the parents was hanging out near the refuge headquarters, looking all regal.

This Common Yellowthroat was frequently seen carrying food, indicating he had a nest nearby.

Mourning Dove, feeding on the gravel road.
mourning dove eyes closed I think the blue eye shadow makes her look a little trashy.

Savannah Sparrows are common in the open habitats here.

Western Scrub-Jay

male Northern Flicker

Brush Rabbit. The tattered ear suggests that he has had a close escape or two.

This Townsend’s Chipmunk was eating grass seeds.

I saw two Rough-skinned Newts crossing the road. One of the most poisonous animals known to science, this species exudes equal amounts of toxins and cuteness.

Sandy River Delta, 5 June 2013

June 7, 2013June 7, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians

I took Nala on a hiking/swimming tour of the Sandy River Delta. We were there at midday, so we missed the dawn chorus, but the common species were still active and vocal.

American Goldfinch

In the open brushy habitats, you can’t turn around without seeing a Lazuli Bunting.

Lazuli Bunting

It was nice to find a couple of native Red-legged Frogs. This species often succumbs to introduced American Bullfrogs.

Nala’s main interest in the trip was swimming. She swam in a vernal pool, the Sandy River, and the Columbia River.

During the long hot walk back toward the car, she needed to cool off in this convenient mud hole.

SE Arizona Lizards

May 12, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, reptiles & amphibians

I have always enjoyed studying herps, and my recent trip to SE Arizona provided a nice opportunity to enjoy some new species. I don’t have a reptile reference for that area, so I am using this post to practice letting go of my need to name things. I invite you to enjoy the pretty lizards. If you know their names, feel free to leave a comment.

Ramsey Canyon

Madera Canyon

Patagonia

Saguaro National Park

Ramsey Canyon

Early Spring

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements

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 to find simple pleasures until the full decadence of spring migration commences in a month or so.

On a recent sunny day, this Varied Thrush perched outside the living room window. I don’t often see this species in sunlight. They are usually muted by the gloom of a rainy day or the shadows of the forest.

Pine Siskin at the nyjer feeder

For some reason, songbirds just look weird when viewed from the front.

Lesser Goldfinch

The male American Goldfinches are starting to get their summer color.

Golden-crowned Sparrow, Vanport Wetlands

This fairly large tree has been felled by Beavers at Smith and Bybee Wetlands. None of the branches appear to have been eaten, so I don’t know why the Beavers felled it, perhaps because it was there.

Northwestern Garter Snake, Tualatin Hills Nature Park. I am making the identification based on the small head, although I am not completely comfortable differentiating Northwestern Garter from Common Garter.

Fernhill Wetlands 11/1/12

November 4, 2012 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements

Things are hopping at Fernhill Wetlands, with rising water levels, an influx of several thousand geese and other waterfowl, and a few other goodies.

Cackling Geese have been arriving for weeks now, and the skies and fields around Fernhill are covered with these little guys.

A small flock of Greater White-fronted Geese were hanging out with the Mallards in Dabblers Marsh.

This interesting beast is a hybrid, a product of one of the local Canada Geese and a domestic Greylag Goose.

Here are some of the many Northern Shovelers feeding in their typical manner, swimming along with their faces in the water, as if their enormous bills are too heavy to hold up.

Two American White Pelicans have been hanging out at Fernhill for a couple of months now.

Shorebird numbers and diversity have dwindled. Here are a few Long-billed Dowitchers.

Greater Yellowlegs

The resident Bald Eagles were sitting around looking majestic. I watched one carrying a stick to add to their nest.

Great Egret

Several Northern Shrikes have been reported around the Portland area in recent days. This one is snacking on a large insect.

I saw three Common Garter Snakes on this trip, including one very young newborn about the width of a linguine. The colorful individual in this photo was about 20 inches long. Note the large laceration on his neck, presumably from a predator. Despite the severity of the wound, the snake was not bleeding and he crawled away after this photo was taken, so I am hopeful he will recover.

Sunkhaze Meadow NWR, Maine

July 6, 2012July 5, 2012 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, reptiles & amphibians

Sunkhaze Meadow NWR lies just northeast of Bangor, Maine. It is a huge open wetland surrounded by woods. During my recent trip to Maine, most of the sites I visited were along the coast. Sunkhaze is inland, so the birds were a little different, and the mosquitoes were much more abundant.

Beaver pond. The area had received a lot of rain recently, so the pond was very full.

Here’s a closer look at the Beaver lodge. The Beavers were out of sight, as expected during the day. A Star-nosed Mole was a nice find here, although he moved too fast for a photo.

Eastern Phoebe carrying food for her young.

Slugs were feeding on this colorful fungus.

Northern Leopard Frog

Red-eyed Vireo

Baby Turkeys! (Turklets? Turkitos?) I saw two females, each with a brood of about a dozen young. These were photographed through the windshield.

This is a neat site. Had the bugs not been so bad, I would have liked to have explored it more thoroughly.

Maine, 6-2011

July 7, 2011July 7, 2011 by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR, mammals, reptiles & amphibians

I spent just over a week along the coast of Maine, visiting sites between Ellsworth and Cutler. It is always fun to get reacquainted with eastern bird species and to hike in the boreal forest.

I saw 14 species of warblers on this trip. The vast majority of birds I saw were male, presumably because the females were on nests. Their small size, active habits, and dense habitat take them beyond the realm of point-and-shoot photography, but I managed to capture useuable images of two species. Black-throated Green Warblers were by far the most common species.

Ovenbird

This Spruce Grouse was at Petit Manan NWR. She had several downy chicks with her. The chicks are actually capable of flight, and flew into dense cover when startled. The adult remained on foot, keeping an eye on me and making contact calls to keep her brood together.

Blue-headed Vireo

White-throated Sparrow

Common Loon

Hermit Thrush, calling with a bill full of food for nestlings.

Red Squirrels were common and noisy in wooded areas.

This White-tailed Deer fawn was well-hidden in the woods. I only located her because she got up to take a stretch just as I was looking in that direction.

Moose tracks

Green Frog

This Eastern Garter spent much of the day basking beneath a compost bin.

Rugged shoreline near Cutler.

Malheur NWR

June 21, 2011 by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, nesting, OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most popular birding destinations in Oregon, not just for the abundant expected species, but also for the eastern vagrants that turn up there every year. Our Birdathon team from the Audubon Society of Portland visited the area June 7-9.

The trees and shrubs around the refuge headquarters are very attractive to birds.