Bird Ramblings - Violet-green Swallow

 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.