We Have Hope

 "Hope" is the name we have chosen for our new Coachmen Pixel 1.8 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.