Easter Escape

Toledo Waterfront Park

Early Sunday morning, Jeanette and I fled Dallas Retirement Village in our camping van to spend the day birding in Toledo. Enroute, we made stops at Ellmaker Wayside State Park, and Chitwood Covered Bridge (see bird list here).

In Toledo, the Port of Toledo Waterfront Park, continues to draw our attention trip after trip. The concrete walkway on the Depot Slough Path is the perfect combinations for birding with a walker. The Osprey nest site provided our third location and viewing of Osprey mating in the last 24 hours. Here is our e-Bird List. 

After lunch in the comfort of the van, and a great phone call with daughter Lisa, we drove on down Yaquina Bay Rd. to Port of Toledo's Paddle Park, where I sat at the dinette and worked on bird lists and photos, and Jeanette roamed the park and docks identifying and counting birds. See her list here.

Hummingbird Wrap-up

In this photo, Jeanette is pointing out to our good friend and fellow resident, Dan Sewell, an Anna's Hummingbird nest. This is the location of the first nest we found this year in the Central Courtyard at the end of February.  We later located a second nest at the other end of the courtyard.  We have kept track of both nests with daily visits.  I also set up my spotting scope in the den, which allowed us to take a close look at this nest site on almost an hourly basis. It's been fun to watch the mother feed the two chicks and watch them grow. This week they finished and fled the nest. Next, we will start watching for a hopeful second round.
 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

In a follow up of last week's article about the arrival of our Violet-green Swallows here at Dallas Retirement Village, with the picture of a male; this week's photo is of a female checking out the nesting box of Mary Clair Site's on her third-floor balcony of the Lodge.  This photo was taken on March 9th.  There were 6 to 8 Violet green Swallows swooping around in the air checking out the area.  Mary's nesting box was used successfully last year.  It will be interesting to see when it is decided which pair will take up residency and build a nest this year. 
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

Our Swallows are Back! They always put a smile on my face as I remember my mother's excitement at the returning swallows to the nesting box that she could see from our kitchen window. It was infectious, and I realize now, it left a lasting imprint on me. This photo is a Violet-green male perched on the third-floor rain gutter of The Lodge.  It was taken on April 1st.  They have arrived from their winter grounds as far away as Mexico. I have been keeping track of my observations here at Dallas Retirment Village through eBird.org for the past five years.  They typically arrive here around the last of March and then leave in the middle of September.  Look for them as they currently are busy swooping around chasing insects and looking for nesting sites.  
 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

Our Anna's Hummingbirds now have babies! This photo of the mother feeding a baby was taken on March 24th in the Lodge Central Courtyard here at Dallas Retirement Village. Acting on a hunch that we might have a second nest, Jeanette and I made an effort to look closer at the other trees in the Courtyard and we found a second nest, and much to our surprise this nest also had a mother feeding a baby.  In fact, both nests appear to have two babies.  I expect the babies will remain in the nest, being fed by the mothers until around the 15th of April.
 

Spring Birding

Anna's Hummingbird

Spring birding is the best! This morning the sun was out here at Dallas Retirement Village, and the birds were active. We have two hummingbird nests in the Central Courtyard, and both have babies which they are busy feeding.

White-crowned Sparrow

A male White-crowned Sparrow was singing his heart out in his best effort to attract a female

Violet-green Swallow

A pair of Violet-green Swallows were checking out possibilities for nesting sites.

Dark-eyed Junco

A Dark-eyed Junco came out of its hiding place beneath the shrubbery.

Wild Turkeys

A pair of young Wild Turkeys creped quietly into the area to look for bugs. 

 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

BLUEBIRD UPDATE - - Last week I showed a photo and wrote about watching our Western Bluebirds at a nesting box by the Pavilion here at Dallas Retirement Village. This week the surprise is that they have moved! It now appears that they have chosen the nesting box in the garden area. This photo was taken on Saturday March 22nd. They seem to be comfortable spending more time closer together, so hopefully this new location will work out. The bench near the garden entrance is a good place to sit and watch them.
 

Birding at Fort Yamhill

This morning Jeanette and I went birding at Fort Yamhill State Heritage Area, another of our favorite places to bird. It is also steeped in the history of the contact and interaction of the native populations, the invading settlers, and the United State Army. It's always thought provoking to visit this park, particularly this section of the historical trade route used by the coastal and valley natives for thousands of years. In fact, according to David Lewis, author of "Tribal Histories of the Willamette Vallet", recent archeological evidence supports human habitation at 10,000 years. Let that settle in your mind. So, as we walk this ancient path, boarded with ferns and trees, seeking out birds by song and sight, it is for us a sacred moment. 
 

First Osprey!

Jeanette and I have been tracking Osprey arrivals in Polk County for the past ten years. Amazingly they are quite predictable in their arrival date from their winter grounds as far away as South America. I checked the last three years for two of the major sites we check in West Salem, and their arrival dates vary from March 19th to the 22nd.

This morning, we went out to check on a group of nests in the West Salem area.  The Murlark Ave. nest site was empty, as was the Patterson St. nest site, and the Bartel Dr. nest site. When we got to Wallace Marine Park, we struck gold. Here at the ball field nest site, we found a female Osprey on the nest crying her eyes out. We took a few minutes to photograph and add the information in to eBird.org, and then we noticed a 2nd Osprey in flight.  It made a couple of loops around the ball field area and then landed in the nest. The male Osprey! 
 

On our way out of West Salem, we made a stop at the Salem Audubon Nature Reserve to check out their nest site.  Nothing on the nest, but across the street in a conifer tree we spotted what I think was a male Osprey. On the way home we checked a couple of nest sites in Independence, and a site in Dallas.  All were empty. 

We are so excited for our first Ospreys of the season and look forward to keeping track of their development in the upcoming months before they leave us again in September for their winter hangouts.  

Thursday's Bird Watch!

A pair of Western Bluebirds here at Dallas Retirment Village are getting serious about nesting once again.  This nesting box is located at the Pavilion.  They have used this box for several years, and it easy to sit in the comfort of the Pavilion and look out to the north and watch them settling in.  I took this photo on March 13th, and they were very busy playing "catch me if you can."  The drab-colored female is the lower one, and the puffed-up brighter bird above is the male.  In the days ahead they we be bringing in grass to build a nest.  Then she will set on the eggs, and after the chicks have hatched, the busy time begins when they feed the babies.  Be sure and visit the Pavilion in the days and weeks ahead to watch the progression. 
 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

 We have more excitement in the hummingbird world here at Dallas Retirement Village!  This is a male Rufous Hummingbird, photographed by Lodge resident LaVerda Gallager at her third-floor balcony juice feeder on March 6th. This is only the second Rufous Hummingbird to be reported in Polk County this year! In general, Rufous Hummingbirds migrate through the Willamette Valley in the Spring on their way North for nesting, and then again on their way South for the Winter.  Although smaller than our resident Anna's Hummingbirds, thay are fierce competitors, and cause quite a commontion while they are passing through. 

Thursday's Birdwatch!

A NEW NEST!  During lunch at the Red House Bistro with our downstairs neighbors, Roger and Sandy Coburn, they mentioned to us that they had hummingbirds coming and going into their dryer vent.  They wondered if they were nesting in the the dryer vent.  After lunch, Jeanette and I went to investigate.  We concluded that the hummingbirds were probably not nesting in the vent but instead gathering lint to construct a nest in a more suitable location.  We turned our attention to the dogwood trees in the courtyard and almost by accident found the nest with the female in it.  I have now set up a scope in my den where I can observe it, and today as I write this, Friday February 28th, the female is busy working on the nest. 

Chitwood Bridge Check In

Jeanette at Chitwood Bridge

The town of Toledo is perhaps our favorite get-away location, and we were ready for our Toledo "fix". An escape in the van for the day was just what we needed. Our route plan was to take Highway 20 and detour at the Eddyville exit to the "old" highway and on to Chitwood.  We first stopped to check out the Chitwood Bridge last year in May. Here is our bird list.  We were impressed with the birding enough that I suggested it as an eBird Hotspot, which it now is. The sunshine was great, and we had a good variety of birds. Here is our bird list for the day. For more on the Chitwood Bridge check out this blog.  
 

 

Jeanette inside the bridge

We continued on to Toledo and birded the Depot Slough Path, another eBird Hotspot that we have enjoyed many times. Here is the bird list for today.  After enjoying lunch in the sunshine, we traveled on the Yaquina Bay Rd. to Paddle Park, another favorite. Jeanette folded down the bed in the van for me, and I took a nap and rested while she birded. When she came back, she laid down to rest, and I sat at the dinette and worked on bird photos. This is Jeanette's eBird List and photos. We left for home feeling refreshed an energized. The trip was just what we needed for a reset.   

Thursday's Bird Watch

I can't believe that this week I am featuring a bird I dislike, but here it is, - - a European Starling.  I took this photo here in Dallas Retirement Village on January 19th. A non-native, European Starlings were first brought to the United States from England and released into New York's Central Park in 1890 as part of a local Shakespeare Society's plan to introduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespear's works. They quickly spread across North America. Here in DRV they are among the top dozen birds to be seen all year around.  A worry is that they out compete many native cavity nesting birds.  Most annoyingly they mimic a variety of other bird calls and songs, creating confusion. 
 

Possible First Nesting Site of the Year

It's a beautiful morning, the sun is out, all is right with the world.  We took a quick little walk in our Central Courtyard this morning to check the dogwood trees for any possible new Anna's Hummingbird nests. No nests, but we did see a Eurasian Collard-Dove fly in and then disappear. Checking closely in the rafters we discovered the nest site! Sort of like Columbus looking for India and discovering America. Well, we are happy to have our first possible nesting site of the year.  Eurasian Collard-Doves are unique in that they can nest year around. We will be paying close attention to this location in the days and weeks ahead.

February 22, 2018

On this day, seven years ago we were in Arizona, working as Volunteers at Cattail Cove State Park, on the Colorado River. This photo shows a group of campers we had taken on a bird walk up a canyon to observe a Great Horned Owl's nest we had found earlier. Wonderful memories of how and where we spend many of our winters.    
 

Birding from the Van

Continuing rain, cold and snow in the recent days have caused us to choose to do most of our birding from the van. It's a good option. It's warm and dry in the van, and a comfortable way to bird without causing pain to my back. 

This bird, a female American Kestrel, America's smallest member of the Falcon Family, was spotted while driving on Sauerkraut Rd. in rural Polk County. Here is our eBird Observation List.
 

Winter Survival

We still have snow on the ground, and when we went out this morning to check on the van, we noticed a lot of bird activity, particularly Western Bluebirds! We wondered what they could be finding to eat.  We noticed that they seem to be checking out the bare spots under the shrubbery.  Then, Jeanette noticed that they were also looking for water. We were inspired to provide some food and water for them.  I put out a suet feeder and Jeanette set out some meal worms and a dish of water.  

 A female Western Bluebird, one of a group of five, is shown here in a tree all fluffed up trying to stay warm.

Next, we noticed the group found the Beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri). A thank you goes out to my sister-in-law, Patty Blair, for the plant identification.  This male and the rest of the flock went right to work harvesting the berries.

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Thursday's Bird Watch!

This Dark-eyed Junco was photographed at a seed feeder at the Assisted Living facility here in Dallas Retirement Village on January 19th.  Dark-eyed Juncos are the first birds I remember as a child.  I recall looking out my grandmother's window and seeing the Juncos on the snow. Their dark colors made such a striking contrast against the white snow.  Consequently, I always consider Juncos to be winter birds, and that's basically true. Although Dark-eyed Juncos have been observed here at Dallas Retirement Village year around, their largest numbers are normally seen in the winter.  However, this year seems different, and I don't know why, but we have yet to see any large flocks. 
 

More Birding from the Walker

We continue to go for a bird walk almost every day. The big impediment is my walker. It takes a little more logistics to load and unload the walker into either the car or the van. And then there is the consideration that the birding destination needs to have a concrete sidewalk for the walker. This does limit the possibilities; however, the walker is a necessity, and it allows me to sit, and by resting my elbows on the handlebars I am able to hold the camera still enough to take photographs. An example is the Anna's Hummingbird male, taken this morning at the Ash Creek Restoration Site in Independence. 

The big news, lurking in the background, is that on Friday we had an appointment with Dr Orina, a Neurosurgeon at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and we are now on the path for a Laminectomy & Fusion in the next few months. Hopefully this will lead to the freedom of normal walking and no dependence on a walker.  

 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

 Our balcony was very busy last Thursday with what we assumed was courtship behavior by a pair of Anna's Hummingbirds.  This went on for hours, making it hard for us to get anything done.  After three days of observing them chit chatting on the perch and then breaking out into full blown war, and then settling down for more conversation, only to repeat the whole drama over and over, we realized on close examination that we did not have a pair in courtship, but two females, bickering over the feeder or whatever. A male would also look different with a more complete throat patch.

Thursday's Bird Watch!

This White-crowned Sparrow was photographed on a seed-feeder at the Assisted Living facility here in Dallas Retirement Village on January 20th.  White-crowned Sparrows are one of the easier birds to identify with their striking white crown stripes, and in Spring you cannot help but hear the males singing out boldly. They are year-round residents here at DRV, preferring to build their round grass formed nest in low shrubbery.  In fact, I found a nest with four eggs in a rosebush here at DRV at the Japer Street Entrance in May of 2020.  It's hard for them to make it through a nesting season without being interrupted by the gardeners, but that is the world we live in.  
 

First Vulture Sighting of the Year

Jeanette spotting the Turkey Vulture over the trees

After lunch today we went in search of new birds for this year's Polk County eBird List.  At the top of the list was the Red-breasted Nuthatch. It has the highest percentage for us to see, and one of the locations we have observed it in the past was the Ash Creek Restoration Site in Independence. Plus, I figured the trees along the creek would give us some protection from the bitter north wind. We did not hear or see any Nuthatches, but we did get a complete surprise of a Turkey Vulture! This is a bird we would not except to see this far north until sometime in March. Not only was this a first sighting for us in Polk County, but this is also a first sighting this year for anyone in Polk County!

 

Winter Escape to Toledo

Jeanette & Jim on the Depot Slough Path

We were desperate to escape the daily sub-freezing temperatures that we have delt with for the past week, so this morning we took off in the van for Toledo to do some birding. Arriving in the Toledo area we counted some birds along the Sturdevant Rd. Marsh, and at East Slope Park, making quick lists from the warm comfort of the van.  At Waterfront Park in Toledo, we had sunshine, and the temperature was 37 degrees. We bundled up and stepped out of the van to walk the Depot Slough Path. Here is our bird list and photos. Back to the van we warmed up and enjoyed some lunch.  Next it was off to Paddle Park

Jeanette at Paddle Park overlooking Yaquina Bay

Paddle Park is a favorite of ours, and almost a secret. Few people come here, even though there is a nice dock, boat launch, restrooms and parking. Birding is always good here. Here is our bird list and photos. 

Our weather changed and clouds replaced the sunshine.  Looking to the west we saw some blue sky, so we continued along the Yaquina Bay Rd. to Newport, and then north on Highway 101 to Lincoln City, and back to Dallas. We felt we had an adventure and an escape from the daily humdrum. 

Here is a link to some of the parks in Toledo. 

 

 

Thursday's Bird Watch

I always think of Yellow-rumped Warblers as "winter" birds.  Checking the information in eBird for Dallas Retirement Village, Yellow-rumped Warblers have been reported here at DRV from November thru April.  They are most easily identified by a yellow or white throat and the yellow rump.  I photographed this Yellow-rumped Warbler in Kirk and Cheryl Wagner's Garden Home backyard feeder on January 12, 2025. In an important announcement, Bird Watch! will now be shared with Assisted Living in their weekly newsletter, the Brentwood Tribune.  A thank you goes to Sue Olmstead who made the suggestion.   
 

Thursday's Birdwatch!

This is a Red-shouldered Hawk, photographed on January 3rd in the Dallas City Park. Do not confused this with the more common larger Red-tailed Hawk.  The Red-shouldered Hawk is a somewhat recent arrival to Oregon, having expanded its range northward in the last four decades.  We have observed them here in the Dallas City Park and along the Rickreall Creek Trail System from the first of September thru the middle of May, which brings up the question where do they go in the summertime during breeding and nesting season?  I suspect they go to more remote locations in the coast range. I have no evidence, but it is my best guess.

In an update from last week's article on the Bald Eagle; Dallas Retirement Village resident, Judy Widmer, went in search of the Bald Eagle's nest. She texted me for confirmation on the location before locating it herself. Which brings up a point, if you have questions, feel free to text me at 541-670-9189.

 - Jim Scott  
 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

It's almost a given that you can see Bald Eagles at nearby Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge, especially if you drive down Smithfield Rd. where this nest is located.  The female is shown at the nest in this photo, and the male is on a limb off to the side in the same tree. It's impossible to miss the giant Cottonwood tree this nest is in on the South side of Smithfield Rd., East of Livermore Rd. Bald Eagle pairs continue to use the same nest year after year, so we will be watching this nest as we did last year.  This photo was taken on December 31, and on that day we saw a total of 8 Bald Eagles at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge.
 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

This is a Mourning Dove which is our native dove.  The other common dove to be seen here at Dallas Retirement Village is a Eurasian Collared-Dove, a non-native introduced species. They are easy to tell apart, the Mourning Dove lacks the black collar on the neck of the Eurasian Collared-Dove.   In addition, the Mourning Dove is a light tan color, and the Eurasian Collared- Dove is a light grey color.  In general, the Eurasian Collared-Dove is seen more often here at DRV, so we were surprised and pleased when we saw four Mourning Doves together the day took this photo on December 24th here at DRV. 

Final Bird of The Year

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Yesterday we took off in the van for a day of birding at Baskett Slough NWR.  It is a favorite way of ours to bird in bad weather.  We turn on the furnace and enjoy the warmth and comfort of the seats as we locate and photograph birds. We were parked enjoying our lunch at the Morgan Lake parking lot, when a man pulled up in a pickup and walked over to talk with us.  It was Ken Chamberlain, a well-known and experience birder.  He recognized our van. As we chatted about birds, he mentioned that he had found the rare, Black-crowned Night-Heron at the Sheridan South Side Park. We had looked for it a couple of weeks ago but had failed to find it.  He explained exactly where he had found it, so we said our goodbyes and traveled on to Sheridan. Arriving at the first pond, we searched the water line on the far side and grassy banks to no avail. I asked Jeanette for a cup of coffee. She went back to the stove to boil water and make coffee and asked ME to find a photo so she would know what we were looking for.  While I was looking for an image of the Back-crowned Night-Heron, she brought up my coffee, picked-up her binoculars and exclaimed, "there it is".  With her instructions, I proceeded to locate it and take some photos. It's a juvenile, so not the distinct black and white coloring that we are familiar with from our years in Southern California and Arizona. We were thrilled to have our last bird of the year to be this special, Black-crowned Night Heron.