Dusky Canada Goose – Ethical Birder

Killin Wetlands

November 6, 2020 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites

Another freakishly sunny autumn day took me to Killin Wetlands.

This park was developed fairly recently, with a nice parking lot and some informational signage.

The trails don’t get very close to the water, so a scope would be useful.

Here are just a few of the thousand or so Cackling Geese that were using the site that morning. You can also see a few Dusky Canada Geese and Northern Pintails in the photo.

I don’t think I have ever seen so many Nutria in one spot. Here are just a few, sunning themselves on a little island.

I thought the weedy patches along the trail would host more sparrows, but a few Song and Golden-crowned were all I could find.

There is a nice stand of pines on this site. I think it would be a good spot to look for owls in winter.

Northern Flicker

Just a little to the west of the Metro Park is the original Killin Wetlands site at the corner of Cedar Canyon and Killin Roads. There are no trails here, but you can get close to the water.

American Wigeon

Three River Otters were a treat to see.

Happy Autumn

Sauvie Island

February 16, 2015 by John Rakestraw, posted in identification challenges, OR Birding Sites

I took my waterfowl class out to Sauvie Island. The trip produced a nice variety of ducks and geese, and the weather was freakishly nice for February. Here are some Ring-necked Ducks, Dusky Canada Geese, and a couple of Buffleheads.

Some more Dusky Canada Geese. The red neck collars help to clinch the ID. Lesser Canada Geese are fitted with blue collars, while Ridgeway’s Cackling Geese have yellow ones.

One of the more interesting birds of the day was this hybrid Greater White-fronted X Cackling Goose.

This Satyr Comma was basking in the sun. While the early spring is enjoyable in the short term, it may have negative effects on the flora and fauna in the long term.

Waterfowl Class

February 28, 2014February 28, 2014 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.

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

This Coyote was munching on a vole.

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

This 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.

You 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.

Canvasback, looking very regal
Same bird, looking not quite so regal

American Wigeon pair, Dawson Creek

Bufflehead, preparing to dive

Ridgeway’s Cackling Goose

Winter in the Wetlands

February 16, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in behavior, mammals, OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

We are in that late winter season when birding seems to slow. I don’t know whether there are actually fewer birds around this time of year or we have just already seen the local winter residents so they don’t hold our attention. In any case, the best birding is usually found in and around wetlands. Here are some recent shots from area wetlands from the past couple of weeks.

Great Blue Herons are always around, and have started hanging out in their nesting colonies.

This Dusky Canada Goose was enjoying the sunshine at Ankeny NWR.

Coyote, Vanport Wetlands

Another Coyote, at Ankeny NWR

This Nutia at Fernhill Wetlands seemed unconcerned with the group of birders walking by.

Here is a Red-winged Blackbird sharing a nyjer feeder with a Lesser Goldfinch at Jackson Bottom. I don’t recall seeing blackbirds eating nyjer before.

Spotted Towhee, Jackson Bottom

Sauvie Island

February 2, 2013 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

I led a tour on Sauvie Island this week. This is a great time of year for birding Sauvie, as the hunting season is over and there are still large flocks of waterfowl and wintering sparrows.

Here are some Snow Geese within a flock of Dusky Canada Geese. If you look closely you will find one Taverner’s Cackling Goose and a couple of Mallards.

One Greater White-fronted Goose was hanging out with the Taverner’s Cackling Geese. Greater White-fronts are hard to come by in winter, so we were fortunate to find this individual.

Green-winged Teal, the smallest duck in North America, and one of the prettiest

A very distant view of a Rough-legged Hawk

Ankeny NWR 2/23/12

February 27, 2012 by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites, seasonal movements

I birded Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge in preparation for my waterfowl class. Waterfowl numbers have dropped considerably in the past week, suggesting that some birds have already started their northward migration.

Pintail Marsh

Pintail Marsh hosted this small flock of Tundra Swans and Dusky Canada Geese. Protecting winter habitat for the rare Duskies was the main reason for establishing the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Most of the wintering geese were grazing in fields surrounding the marshes. The flock consists mostly of Taverner’s Cackling and Ridgeway’s Cackling Geese.

These very alert Northern Pintails seemed to be keeping watch over the nearby Green-winged Teals and American Wigeons.

Ankeny has two boardwalks that provide access to flooded woodland habitat. This is the Rail Trail.

This Brown Creeper was probing patches of moss on the tree trunk.

If you look closely you can see he is holding a tiny organism in his bill.

Sauvie Island

March 22, 2010 by John Rakestraw, posted in nesting, seasonal movements

Here are a few recent shots from Sauvie Island (Birding Oregon p. 55).

Sandhill Cranes are still present in good numbers.

Here are some Sandhills with three Dusky Canada Geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis). Note the red plastic collar on the goose on the far left. That is a quick way to identify this subspecies.

While the Sandhill Cranes and Dusky Canada Geese will fly to Alaska to nest, the Great Blue Herons are in full nesting mode now on Sauvie Island. Here is a section of a rookery in a distant tree line. You can see the bulky nests and, if you look closely, several birds perched in the branches.