Gathering Time for Vultures

This morning Jeanette and I took a drive south of Dallas on the Kings Valley Highway, making a stop at the historic Ritner Bridge, a Polk County Park. This Turkey Vulture was spreading its wings to warm-up in the morning sun, preparing for flight. With a wingspan of five and half feet, it's an impressive sight.  It's that time of year when Turkey Vultures bunch up to fly south for the winter. On this day we counted 17 at this location, circling around forming a loose group.   

 

Thursday's Bird Watch

My guess is that most people will recognize this bird as a Turkey. In the birding world, in order to separate this from the domestically raised Turkey, this is known as a Wild Turkey. This is one of ten Wild Turkeys we saw here at Dallas Retirement on Sep. 17th. Wild Turkeys are seasonal visitors here at DRV, continuing to hang around until early Springtime when they disappear to bread and nest in a more isolated area, and then in a couple of months reappear here with new young ones in tow.  Here is a link to our eBird list for that morning.  

Sarah Helmick Park

My choice for birding this morning was Sarah Helmick State Park. I have said many times; place is almost more important than the birds for me.  And this park is a good example. I come here for the comfort, as in an old shirt well worn. It is well maintained by Oregon State Parks and rarely crowded. It is a quiet escape. We first birded here over ten years ago on March 25, 2014. I have now birded here 45 times, identifying 88 individual species of birds. It is also a spot steeped in history.  Sarah Helmick and her husband came over the Oregon Trail in 1845, taking out a Donation Land Claim in 1850. The Helmick family donated a portion for a park to the State of Oregon in 1922. 
 

Independence Osprey Update

It's fair to say the most watched Osprey nest this year in Polk County is the nest at the Riverview Park in Independence next to the Independence Hotel. The reason is simply because it can be watched via a camera. The result is that a large number of persons get to see it from the comfort of their homes, or the convivence of their phones. There have been some tough years watching this nest fail again and again, but this year was somewhat of a success.  The adults managed to mate and successfully hatch two eggs.  The first chick to hatch had the advantage, and the second chick a few days later was always behind in feeding and growth, and in fledging. The second one ended up failing to leave the nest successfully.  The adults, as is normal, where the first to head south for the winter. The successful juvenile continued to hang around the nest for or a while, but then no one had seen it for a number of days. Jeanette's sister and brother-in law, Patty and Kordell Blair, while staying at the hotel, notified us of a successful sighting of an Osprey. Yesterday I went in search, and I found it just across the river in a tree. This is this photo. I am pleased to have a record of its existence. Its departure could happen any day for his journey south. 

Thursday's Birdwatch

This is a fired-up male Anna's Hummingbird, read to defend his territory. This photo was taken on Sep. 10th from our bedroom window out into The Lodge Central Courtyard. Males seen in their normal non-threatening position appear to have a black head and throat plumage, but when aggravated they are able to flash these feathers into this fluorescent read color. They can also use this same technique to attract a female, but it is now too late in the year to be thinking of breeding, so I feel certain that this is a territorial dispute.  I'm hoping that he will remain vigilant all winter in defending his territory and be ready for a female visitor come Spring.
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

This is an American Goldfinch photographed on August 30th in the Dallas Retirement Village community garden. Gone are the bright yellow colors of their breeding season and replaced with the dull winter plumage they will wear until Spring.  This American Goldfinch is feeding on a Sunflower plant. This season has been a fantastic one for Sunflowers in our community garden and now is the perfect time to visit the garden and observe a flock of American Goldfinches feeding on the Sunflower seeds.
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

This is a Great Heron, photographed in nearby Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge on August 29th. Great Egrets are about the same size as our more common Great Blue Heron. In the last several decades the range of the Great Egret has moved north, and they can now be seen year-round here in Western Oregon. They can easily be seen from Coville Road at what is known as The Narrows. This year their numbers are the highest I can remember with as many as two dozen at a time. Of course, early morning is the best time to see the most birds there. 

Honeybees and Sunflowers

This is a great time of year to visit our community gardens at Dallas Retirement Village.  This year in particular we seem to have an outstanding collection of sunflowers. And the honeybees are now busy doing their thing of pollinating the flowers while collecting their nectar. Next will come the flocks of American Goldfinches to feed on the sunflower seeds.