Brid Ramblings - Sparrows

White-crowned Sparrows are having a successful nesting season in the Central Courtyard of The Lodge here at Dallas Retirement Village. This photo shows a mama feeding her new juvenile. This photo was taken on Saturday the 23rd in front of resident Liz McClues's patio, who has thoughtfully put out a ground level seed feeder. Th juvenile makes demands to have the seed placed right in its mouth. Meanwhile the father in a nearby tree proudly sings out his familiar song. Liz is thrilled to have what she calls a "whole family".
 

Bird Ramblings - Bluebirds

 Western Bluebirds are busy feeding babies! This location is at the Community Garden here at Dallas Retirement Village where a nesting box is located in a corner of the chain link fence. This is the mother bird, ready with an insect in her beak to fly up to the nesting box. You have to watch closely to catch the parents doing this feeding because they are in and out of the box so quickly. This photo was taken on Tuesday, May 12th.

UPDATE: During lunch at the Red House Bistro on May 19th, I noticed House Sparrows around the Bluebird's nesting box. I was immediately concerned because I know from experience that House Sparrows, given the opportunity, will kill baby Bluebirds. I went to check the nest and was pleased to find the nest empty, indicating that the juvenile Bluebirds have fledged, meaning that they have left the nest. I took the nest box down to prevent the House Sparrows from nesting.

Bird Ramblings - Starlings

Last Thursday morning when Jeanette and I were looking for birds in Dallas Retirement Village we were surprised to hear a California Quail call out.  This is an unusual species to hear in this urban setting.  We did not see it, so we walked on. Next, we heard a Robin. Again, we could not find it. Next, we spotted this European Starling, and we knew right away we had been fooled. European Starlings are non-native birds, and thrive in urban settings, in fact we have them nesting in The Lodge eaves here at DRV. They are known to mimic the call or song of up to a dozen different species. Be cautious when you hear a bird you cannot see and be on the look-out for a nearby Starling. 
 

Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday, May 9th, was our 33rd Wedding Anniversary! We celebrated by returning to Silver Falls State Park where we were married. The ceremony took place in this meadow, which is now known as Smith Creek Village. Quite a flood of memories for us. The weekend that we were married, our families spent the night in the cabins, the ceremony was held the next morning in this meadow before we left in our Toyota for our honeymoon, a bicycle camping tour of the Columbia River Gorge.

Silver Falls State Park has held many memories for us. I first visited this park for a plumber's picnic when I was 5 or 6 years old. Jeanette attended Girl Scout Camp at Smith Creek and later worked as a camp counselor. We have returned over the years here to hike many of the trails, photograph the flowers, ride mountain bikes, and camp in various RVs.

On this day we parked at the South Falls parking lot and started right away making a bird list. We wandered through the area checking out the gift shop and attended a bird demonstration of hawks and raptors.  After lunch in the Lodge, we drove up Smith Creek.

We have had an amazing life together. More than we could have possibly dreamed of, and one that we continue to be grateful for.      
 

Bird Ramblings - Swallows

 This is a closeup of a Violet-green Swallow that I took on Sunday May 3rd. You can see how this swallow gets its name if you notice the violet patch on the butt, and the green coloration on the back. This photo was taken here in Dallas at the Mark O. Hatfield Park at the intersection of SE Birch and Stump Streets, just across the street from the Dallas Seventh-day Adventist Church. I recommend this small park for bird watching. There are a number of benches conveniently located that make a good place to sit and listen and watch for birds.  

Bird Ramblings - Mallards

Last Saturday, April 25th, we took advantage of the nice weather and went for a bird walk at Dallas City Park. My best photo for the morning was this pair of Mallards on the other side of Rickreall Creek. I might be reading too much into this photo, but it looked to me like the male is standing guard as the female looks for a nesting location. It's a wonderful opportunity for the residents of Dallas Retirement Village to have such an amazing park so close-by and so full of the wonders of nature.
 

Bird Rambling - Hummingbirds

Anna's Hummingbirds continue to star in the center stage of bird watching in The Lodge Central Courtyard of the Dallas Retirement Village. This week's news is that we have success with a new baby bird. For many days we could only see a tiny bill sticking up out of the nest. But in this photo taken last Friday the 17th, we have a little better look. Notice the short beak and the yellow at the base, both indicators of a juvenile. So far, it's been impossible to catch a glimpse of the mother feeding it, but because it continues to grow, I'm sure that she sneaks in unseen. 

(Editorial Update: Because of the lag in time between writing and publication, I can now report the baby bird has successfully fledged and has been seen in various locations in the Courtyard for several days now.)   
 

We Have Hope

 "Hope" is the name we have chosen for our new Coachmen Pixel 1.8RB camping van. Two weeks ago, we took Hope on her Maiden Voyage to the Oregon Coast. On this trip yesterday, we took her to a favorite birding location up the Santiam Canyon to Lyons City Park and adjacent John Neal Memorial Park. It is obvious to us that this van represents for us our "hope" that we are not too old to still enjoy some adventures. We are not ready to give up adventuring and simply accept a sedentary life in our retirement facility. We look to Hope to take us not necessarily on long trips, but on short trips nearby, to experience a quick getaway. Hope has a number of creature comforts that will help in our travels such as a bed that is easily accessible, and cooking appliances to aid meal preparation. Plus, many new improvements in the Ram chassis to aid safer driving and navigation, and a generator to back-up electrical systems.  

Bird Ramblings - Osprey

 An Osprey pair are back this year to the nest in front of the Independence Hotel. We went to check on the nest site on April7th and got this photo of the male coming in for a landing. The other exciting news is the live camera is operating again, making it easy to keep an eye on the Osprey's coming and going, and hopefully success in producing babies. You can see this cam by searching on YouTube for "Independence Osprey cam".

Bird Ramblings - House Finch

This is a male House Finch, photographed above the Jasper Street Entrance of The Lodge here at Dallas Retirement Village on April 2nd.  He and his female partner are setting up a nest in the tall shrubs at the Entrance. He is often heard singing from this roof-top perch. She is rather drab in color and seems to prefer to stay out of sight probably on the nest deep inside the shrub. There is a possibility that we have two pairs interest in nesting there.
 

Maiden Voyage

Salmon River Estuary - Fraser Rd 

This weekend was our first overnight trip in our new 2026 Coachmen Pixel 1.8 camper van. It was a loop to the Oregon Coast and back. Our first stop on Saturday morning was on Fraser Rd at the Salmon River Estuary to bird. Here is our bird list. 

Siletz River NWR - Siletz Keys

Continuing south through Lincoln City, our next stop was the Siletz Keys at the Siletz River National Wildlife Refuge. This turned out to be our best birding location of the trip with 35 different bird species. Here is our list.  This was also our lunch stop which we enjoyed sitting in the van with the sliding door open and watching and listening to the birds

Paddle Park - Yaquina Bay

Our afternoon stop was at Paddle Park along Yaquina River Rd., after a stop along the way for a short nap. For some reason it was an exceptionally quiet time for birds. Here us our bird list.

Depot Slough Path - Toledo

Our last stop of the day was at the park at the Depot Slough Path. This is a favorite spot for us to bird, and in the lingering light the best birding sighting was an Osprey on a nest eating a fish. Here is our bird list. Our night was not the best, still learning about the bed set-up, the temperature controls, and the battery endurance. 

Sunday, we completed our loop back to home to Dallas via Corvallis. Made a stop at Philomath Safeway for a snack and then on to lunch at Burgerville in Monmouth and a check on the Osprey nest in Independence, where despite reports of sightings, we saw nothing.  

Bird Ramblings - Hummingbirds

 The top topic concerning birds at Dallas Retirement Village among The Lodge Residents is the nesting Anna's Hummingbirds in the Central Courtyard. We have already had two failed nests but currently have four separate trees containing occupied nests. This nest was photographed on March 21st. Notice the light-colored lichens that sort of "shingle" the outside of the nest. Although hard to see, the whole nest is bound together with spider webbing. Take a tour through the Courtyard and perhaps take a seat on a bench and watch closely for the hummingbirds.

Bird Ramblings - Osprey

 Osprey Are Back! The middle of March is when we expect to see migrating Osprey returning to their nesting sites here in the mid-Willamette Valley. Starting on Sunday March 15, Jeanette and I spent 5 days checking 10 different Osprey nest sites in the surrounding area. This photo was taken here in Dallas on Tuesday the 17th at the former Willamette Mill site on South Main Street. It is an easy location to look over the chain link fence and watch the female and male cooperating in rebuilding their nest, mating, and raising their young.

Bird Ramblings - Bluebirds

 Dallas Retirement Village Apartments resident Greg Hattan tipped me off that Western Bluebirds were showing a great interest in the nesting box in the Garden Area. Jeanette and I went to check the next morning, Sunday March 8th, and I got this photo of the pair. The male is shown inspecting the inside of the box while the female waits anxiously for his report. Greg knows from his many years of experience on his farm that this is early for Western Bluebirds to actually be building a nest. We will all be watching to see if this pair of bluebirds follow through.

First of The Year Osprey

 Yesterday we checked out nine near-by established Osprey nest sites, looking for our first Osprey of this season. We found it at Wallace Marine Park in West Salem. The nest is located in the baseball area. It has become sort of a tradition for us after our friend John West clued us into paying attention to Osprey arrival times. This was in March of 2015 when he reported an Osprey on a nest on Murlark Ave. in West Salem. Thanks John, we always look forward to this time of year when the Osprey return to nest.

Bird Ramblings

Violet-green Swallows are back! Our first of the season Violet-green Swallows were spotted here at Dallas Retirement Village on Sunday March 1st. We were out putting up nesting boxes that are specifically designed for swallows, when Jeanette suddenly noticed three Violet-green Swallows circling about. Later, I was lucky enough to get this photo of one of the swallows checking out the dryer vents on The Lodge. Previously the Violet-green Swallows were last seen here at DRV on September 4th before leaving for winter locations to the South. 

 

Bird Ramblings - Scrub Jay

Charles C. Barnard Park, located on the east-end of Academy Street continues to be one of our favorite Dallas City Parks to watch birds. One of the most consistent birds we see there is the California Scrub Jay, shown here with a peanut in its beak. This photo, taken February 15th, suggest to me that homes adjacent to the park have bird feeders with peanuts.

The "Lane Express" will be taking DRV residents on a bus trip to this park on March 11th. Be sure and call Lore Balzer at 5033623-1853 to reserve a seat,
 

Bird Ramblings - Merlin

Last Merlin?? Everyday Jeanette and I check the tall cedar trees here in the Dallas Retirement Village for a Merlin, expecting to see the last one of this season because it is the time when Merlins will migrate north as far as Alaska for their breeding season. This photo was taken on February 22nd in front of The Lodge main entrance, and could quite possibly be the last one for this year. If it is we won't see a Merlin back here until next winter, normally in November.

Bird Ramblings - Sapsucker

One of the birds that we consistently keep an eye out for here in Dallas Retirement Village is the Red-breasted Sapsucker. This one was photographed on the 12th of February at its usual location on Tilgner Avenue. It is actually the most common member of the Woodpecker Family to be seen here in Dallas Retirement Village. However, it is only a seasonal visitor from September through April. Presumably, from May through August they are off somewhere busy with nesting in a location that has older trees appropriate for making a cavity nest. The bottom line is that if you want to see them here this season, it needs to be in the next two months.   
 

Cattail Cove State Park - 2018

Here is where we were eight years ago on the 14th of February, Cattail Cove State Park in Arizona. We were working as volunteers leading bird walks, and because the campground was crowded, we elected to stay in the boat overflow lot. There were no hook-ups for electricity, water or sewer. We recently had solar panels installed on the roof of our Leisure Travel Serenity, so that took care of our electrical needs. On one of our days off we would drive down to the dump station to empty our grey and black tanks and fill up our freshwater tank. Then we would drive into Lake Havasu City to buy our groceries for the week. It was an exciting season, we had discovered Great Horned Owls nesting in the cliffs next to our parking spot, which we would hear in the evening, and early in the morning. This was the last year of 10 years wandering south for the winter. Lots of great memories and many wonderful friendships. 
 

Bird Ramblings - Hummingbirds

We had a lot of excitement this past week at Dallas Retirement Village when Executive Assistant Susan Fink discovered this female Anna's Hummingbird building a nest in a dogwood tree in The Lodge Central Courtyard. Susan went and got Administrative Receptionist Mary Ransier, who took this photo. This is our first Hummingbird nest of the season. Time will tell if she finishes the nest. I always worry that too much human curiosity will cause her to abandon the nest building site. We will be monitoring all the trees in the Courtyard for any possibilities. - Jim Scott  
 

Bird Ramblings - Bluebirds

Western Bluebirds have made an early appearance and have been visible here in Dallas Retirement Village for several weeks. This Western Bluebird was photographed on January 24th at Kirk and Cheryl Wagener's Garden Home backyard feeder. Cheryl had alerted me earlier to their presence. Western Bluebirds always show up early and seem to be interested in the area, checking out nesting boxes. Then, suddenly they disappear for about a month, which I suggest is a honeymoon period, before coming back 
 in a serious effort of nest building.

Eden Gleann Wetland

Yesterday afternoon we stopped by Eden Gleann Wetland.  Located at the eastern end of SE Academy St., it is Dallas' newest eBird Hotspot. During a recent birding trip to nearby Barnard Park, we met a resident of Eden Gleann Community, Linda Barton, and she tipped us off to this amazing new birding location.

 

The best photo of this trip was this adult female Red-winged Blackbird. Hanging around with her was a 1st year female, and out of sight was a male giving off his complicated shrill song. 

This is an easy spot to birdwatch from the sidewalk, and we will definitely be returning. Here is the link to our eBird Checklist. 

Bird Ramblings - Hummingbirds

 This is a photo of a female Anna's Hummingbird taken on January 24th here at Dallas Retirement Village in The Lodge Central Courtyard. We are seeing a lot of hummingbird activity right now, the dogwood trees are starting to bud, and females seem to be selecting a tree to build a nest in. In the coming weeks we will see some territorial disputes, courtship behavior, and nest building. February will bring us some occupied nests with eggs being incubated.   

Van Goes Bye-Bye

Our 2022 Winnebago Solis Pocket was taken this morning to Johnson RV in Sandy, Oregon for sale. Anyone interested in purchasing this well-cared for camping van, call Johnson's at 503-668-5400 

Bird Ramblings - Robin

On January 13th a flock of a dozen or more American Robins were busy feeding on the red berries of a European Mountain Ash Tree here in Dallas Retirement Village. With the cold temperatures we have been having, I suspect that worms may be a little hard to get out of the frozen ground, no problem, the Robins can switch to eating berries. I love the adaptability of birds!

Bird Ramblings - Merlin

Best bird of last week here at Dallas Retirement Village has to be this Merlin, photographed on Tuesday the 6th right in front of The Lodge main entrance. It has been hanging around constantly for several weeks now. Look for it on either one of the tall conifer trees to the north, where it likes to perch at the very top of the tree.  Make sure to get a look at it soon because by the end of the month it will probably be gone, off to its summer home in Canada.
 

Bird Ramblings - Warbler

This Yellow-rumped Warbler was photographed in a cherry tree along Tilgner Avenue in front of the Assisted Living building here in Dallas Retirement Village on December 31st. I think of the Yellow-rumped Warbler as a winter bird because they appear here starting in November and continue until April when they move to higher elevations in the conifer forest for nesting. I say this with a degree of certainty because I have documented their presence and/ or absence here since November of 2019. Look to enjoy their bright yellow accents for the remaining winter months.