Tag: Dawson Creek

Waterfowl Class

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

I led my waterfowl class on a field trip to Sauvie Island and Dawson Creek. We had a few big misses (Gadwall and Wood Duck) but the diversity was pretty good.

mixed flockAt Wapato Access Greenway we found some Dusky Canada Geese along with the American Wigeons and Northern Pintails.

coyoteThis Coyote was munching on a vole.

swansTundra Swan was one of the most common species of the day.

lincoln's sparrowThis Lincoln’s Sparrow was very cooperative, posing out in the open for great scope views. But even then he blended in amazingly well with his surroundings.

cootsYou don’t get to see American Coots in flight very often, as they tend to walk or swim wherever they go. They have even been reported to migrate on foot.

canvasbackCanvasback, looking very regal
canvasback bathSame bird, looking not quite so regal

wigeon pair 1American Wigeon pair, Dawson Creek

buffleheadBufflehead, preparing to dive

cackler 1Ridgeway’s Cackling Goose

Dawson Creek

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, rarities

Nala and I went out to Dawson Creek Park in Hillsboro to look for a Rusty Blackbird reported the day before. This site, a private park associated with the office park behind the public library, is a manicured park with paved trails around a series of small ponds. It attracts good numbers of waterfowl in winter, some migrant songbirds, and a few resident Acorn Woodpeckers.

wood duck 5Wood Ducks are common in the ponds.
wood duck 2Some of the males were displaying to the females, swimming around slowly with their heads lowered.
wood duck 3Such a handsome boy

l cackling flockCackling Geese were grazing on the lawns.

kestrel 1American Kestrel
kestrel 2The same bird later, with lunch

wigeon 1There were just a few American Wigeons in one of the ponds. I expect their numbers to increase at this site within the next couple of weeks.
wigeon 2

rusty blackbird 1Just as I was finishing my tour of the site, I finally saw my target bird (the Rusty Blackbird, not the Mallard). It would have been nice to get some full-frame photos like some other birders were able to get about three minutes earlier, but I was glad to add this species to my Oregon list. There are less than 20 accepted records of this species in the state. Rusty Blackbirds have experienced drastic population declines in the last few decades.