Where the Deer and the Antelope (and the Birders) Play

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge includes about a quarter million acres in Lake County, OR. It is not close to anything, but is definitely worth the trip. The weather here in early June tends to be cool and breezy, and my recent visit was true to form.

In the morning, I parked at the campground and walked up toward the top of the large fault block that is Hart Mountain. It was a four-hour round trip through low sage steppe with aspen groves along the creeks. The riparian areas held MacGillivray’s and Yellow Warblers, Dusky Flycatchers, Bullock’s Orioles, and lots of Robins. In the more open habitats, the most common birds were Brewer’s and Vesper Sparrows, Rock Wrens, and Horned Larks.

These two Mule Deer kept a close eye on me as a walked up the jeep trail.

Pronghorns are the main reason this refuge came into being. Not actually antelope, Pronghorns are the fastest land animals in North America, having evolved alongside the now-extinct American Cheetah. Most of the Pronghorns I saw that day were rather skittish, keeping a good distance from me.

This individual was apparently not too concerned. On my way up the mountain, he lay fairly close to the road and watched me go by.

Near the top of the ridge is this large cairn, which stands almost eight feet tall. I’m not sure why some people are compelled to stack things. Monty Python addressed  this issue with their Royal Society for Putting Things On Top of Other Things.

Exposure to cold and wind limits plant growth near the top of Hart Mountain, but many of the rocks host colorful lichens.

On my way back down the mountain, I again passed the unconcerned Pronghorn.
Despite the cold, he has already started to shed his winter coat. If you look closely, you can see just a bit of a yellow tag in his left ear. This identifies this animal as part of a study tracking Pronghorn migration between Hart Mountain and Sheldon NWR in Nevada.

Farther south on the refuge lies a little patch of Ponderosa Pine forest known as Blue Sky. Since the habitat is so different from the surrounding sage steppe, it is worth exploring for different bird species, especially in migration. On this cold blustery day, I found Lazuli Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, Warbling Vireo, and White-crowned Sparrows. The large trees are attractive to various owls, I am told.

Another Mule Deer

Brewer’s Sparrow. Like most small songbirds, they live their lives in defiance of auto-focus point-and-shoot cameras.

Mountain Chickadee, in slightly better focus.

 

Warner Wetlands 6-7-12

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites

Just north of the little town of Plush, OR, is Hart Bar, a small interpretive site at the southern end of the Warner Wetlands Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Birding Oregon p. 21). A short trail leads through the marsh, providing views of shorebirds and waterfowl. The parking area has a primitive toilet and several interpretive signs. On the day of my recent visit, the wind was quite strong, making it difficult to hold optics steady but also protecting me from the clouds of mosquitoes that can be a problem here.


White-faced Ibis feed in the grassy areas near the water. I think the tall grasses provided them with shelter from the wind.


American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts are two common nesting species in this area. Willets are also common, but proved to be a little shy.


American Avocet


Black-necked Stilt


Wilson’s Phalarope


Blue-winged Teal is always a good find in Oregon. Gadwall and Cinnamon Teal are more plentiful here.


Yellow-headed Blackbirds share the marsh with Brewer’s Blackbirds.

There are gravel roads running through the Warner Valley. But Hart Bar is easily accessed from paved Hogback Road, and provides a nice variety of wetland species. It is definitely worth a stop on your way to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.

Vanport Wetlands

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites


Vanport Wetlands, in north Portland, is an unassuming little site next to an off-leash dog park. A chain-link fence surrounds the property, so most views of birds are distant. Despite the small size and limited access, Vanport almost always hosts some interesting birds.


The Ruddy Ducks are sporting their breeding plumage.


Red-winged Blackbird


Vanport is the only reliable site in Portland that I am aware of that hosts Yellow-headed Blackbirds.


Marsh Wren


Nala, the Swamp Thing. The water currently extends beyond the fence, providing a place for dogs to play without disturbing the birds swimming nearby.

Sandy River Delta

by John Rakestraw, posted in behavior, OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

Migration is winding down and the summer residents are back in force at the Sandy River Delta. Specialty species such as Eastern Kingbird and Yellow-breasted Chat put in appearances, but were not photogenic.


Lazuli Buntings can be found singing from virtually every blackberry thicket.


This male Brown-headed Cowbird was wooing a female. Cowbirds don’t really form pairs. The males display, sometimes in groups, to attract a female. After mating, the two go their separate ways. Since the female deposits her eggs in the nests of other species, there is no need for the male to stick around to help.


I never tire of seeing Bullock’s Orioles, especially when they pose in the open sunshine.


River levels are still very high, so some of the trails at the north end of the site are flooded. Nala, the all-weather, all-terrain, all-the-time puppy, does not mind at all.

Hooded Merganser

by John Rakestraw, posted in nesting, species profile


This Hooded Merganser, found at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Reserve, had a brood of 10 little ones. The young birds were spread out over a large area, so I could never get them all in the same frame. They were actively feeding among the emergent vegetation, and a few of them were diving.

Hooded Mergansers nest in hollow trees or nest boxes, just as Wood Ducks do.

Random Images

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, seasonal movements

Early May is always a good time for seeing returning migrants and other signs of spring. Despite our cool damp weather, spring continues to slowly make inroads. Here are some random images from the past week.


May is warbler month across most of North America. This Wilson’s Warbler was feeding just outside our living room window.


Two River Otters were swimming in the wastewater ponds at Cannon Beach.

This otter had a pink nose, perhaps from an injury.


This male Rufous Hummingbird was flashing his colors at Stanley Lake in Seaside.


Surf Scoters at Fort Stevens


Black-headed Grosbeaks returned this week. After a winter of little finches, these birds make a bold impression when they appear at the feeder.

Like most birds, this grosbeak brings his leg up over his wing to scratch his head. I would think it would be easier to go under, but it seems to be working for him.


This Raccoon was soaking up a bit of sun at the Sandy River Delta.


This large aquatic mammal was also seen at the Sandy River Delta engaging in an activity known as “fetching.” Scientists still have not determined the purpose of this obsessive behavior.

Jackson Bottom 4/26/12

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

I took a client to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Reserve in Hillsboro (Birding Oregon p. 60).  Continuing restoration efforts at that site are creating some nice habitat, and the birds are responding.


Cinnamon Teal were actively courting.

There was lots of head bobbing and chasing of rival males.

taking a break


Jackson Bottom is swarming with swallows. Tree Swallows claim most of the many nest boxes.


Cliff Swallow


Restoration work has created shallow ponds and open mud, which is attractive to migrant shorebirds like these Western Sandpipers.


Three Dunlins in various states of molt. The front bird is least advanced, while the bird in back is in full breeding plumage.


Two Dunlins on the left, Western Sandpipers on the right.


Western Sandpiper, with Dunlin in the background


Least Sandpipers


This Solitary Sandpiper was a nice surprise. They are an uncommon spring migrant.


The resident Canada Geese have already hatched their broods.

April Teasers

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

After the wettest March on record, April has  provided a few sunny days to help awaken us from our rain-induced torpor.


I made a quick trip out to Fernhill Wetlands to look for the Swamp Sparrow that has been reported there. Between the sunbreaks, I still had to dodge a few passing squalls.


I missed the Swamp Sparrow, but this Song Sparrow was very cooperative.


Here is the same Song Sparrow in a little more natural setting, if you consider invasive Reed Canary Grass to be natural.


Much of the loop around Fernhill Wetlands has been blocked off, supposedly to reduce disturbance to the new Bald Eagle nest.

A pair of eagles has been hanging out in this little grove of cottonwoods for years, so I would imagine they are used to birders and joggers going by, but better safe than sorry.


The Yellow-rumped Warblers have molted into their flashy breeding plumage. This one is an example of the “myrtle” race.


On Saturday I took some clients out to Sauvie Island for a morning of birding. This view of Mt. St. Helens is from the west end of Rentenaar Road.


Sandhill Cranes, seen here with a flock of Cackling Geese, were common in the morning.  But as the day progressed, many birds circled up on thermals and then headed north. By noon, most of the cranes were gone.


Most of the sparrows seen just a week earlier had moved on. Two White-throated Sparrows were a treat. Singing Orange-crowned Warblers and five species of swallows were other good signs that migration is stepping up. I’m looking forward to the next sunny day.

Sauvie Island 4/5/12

by John Rakestraw, posted in behavior, OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

I took advantage of the dry weather to scout Sauvie Island (Birding Oregon p. 55) for my Little Brown Birds field trip.


Sandhill Cranes are still present in good numbers.


The Osprey nest along Rentenaar Road is occupied again.


We just had our wettest March on record, so water levels are high. This is the view from the end of Rentenaar Road. The white speck on the lake is an American White Pelican. White Pelicans have become increasing common on Sauvie Island in recent summers, but sightings this early in the year are unusual.


Here is the same bird coming in to land.


I take my LBB class to Sauvie for the abundance of sparrows. (We ended up with ten species of sparrow on our trip.) Here is a White-throated Sparrow, one of the rarer species in our area.


This Fox Sparrow was bathing in a puddle.


still bathing


all clean

Individualism: All of these things are not like the others

by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges

There are two statements that will immediately and significantly damage a birder’s credibility: “I’m sure of the ID, because the bird looked exactly like the picture in my field guide.” and “It couldn’t be that species because it doesn’t look like the bird in my field guide.”

The fact is, no bird looks exactly like the picture in the field guide. Field guide illustrations are either an artist’s interpretation or a photo of a particular individual at one moment in time. Every bird is slightly different from every other bird. Rather than looking for birds that are an exact match to a picture, our goal in field identification is to combine elements of size, shape, color, pattern, sound, and behavior into a recognizable species.


Here we have a “textbook” Thayer’s Gull in winter plumage. The head is round, giving the bird a petite or gentle expression.  The eye is dark, the underside of the primaries show a lot of white, and the bill is that characteristic greenish-gray color with a bright yellow tip.


This Thayer’s Gull is not quite as round-headed as the previous bird, and the the bill is more yellow, but everything else seems OK. Head shape will vary with the bird’s position, and males tend to be more “robust” than females. So we have a little variation on this bird, no need to panic.



The forehead on this bird is really flat, like that of a Herring Gull, and the bill is noticeably longer. The white underside of the outer primaries is still good for Thayer’s. If you zoom in, you can see the pink orbital ring, also good for Thayer’s. While some Herring Gulls show dark flecks on the iris, their eyes never appear this dark.  It appears that we have a very butch Thayer’s Gull.


And now we know why some birders avoid gulls. The pale eye suggests Herring Gull, but up to 20 percent of Thayer’s Gulls can have a pale iris. The head is pretty round, suggesting Thayer’s. The bill is neither too big or too small, and is very yellow. No orbital ring is visible. What we can see of the underside of the primaries is white, but we can’t see it all. So do we have a robust Thayer’s Gull with a light iris, or a very demure Herring Gull?


Here is a similar bird, but the bill is a little smaller and you can see a pink orbital ring, making this a good pale-eyed Thayer’s Gull.

All this variation cannot be covered in a standard field guide. For complicated groups like gulls, more detailed identification guides are very useful. Then you can say, “The bird looked similar to the one in the gull guide.”