Rocky Raccoon

We discovered yesterday that we have a new camper in the area.  Actually he is probably not new, and probably not a he, because the report was that there was a Raccoon with babies.  We had stopped to talk to a camper with binoculars and we were discussing birds, when he asked if we had seen the raccoons.  We had not and the first chance we had we went to look for them and found nothing.  We encountered the camper a second time and verified the location and made a second attempt. We were just about to give up when I suddenly spotted the den in the spruce tree. We will be checking again with the hope of getting to see more than one.

A Success Story

Every time I see this brightly striped yellow and black caterpillar it brings a smile to my face.  It is the larva of the Cinnabar Moth. It stands out as a success story in the fight against invasive  plants, and it's been done with a biological tool.  In the 1950's I remember my Dad's concern and frustration in doing battle with the poisonous Tansy Ragwort in the cow pastures of our farm. In the 1980's I became aware of the use of the Cinnabar Moth to control the tansy when a State of Oregon Agriculture botanist asked permission to hang a trap at my home along Pringle Creek in Salem to be able to monitor the Cinnabar Moth population. The way the Cinnabar Moth helps in the battle against the Tansy Ragwort is that the larva thrives on devouring the foliage of the Tansy Ragwort. When we arrived at the coast this summer I noticed the Cinnabar Moth busy laying its eggs on the emerging Tansy Ragwort. Today while stationed on the Oregon Dunes Loop Trail waiting for hikers to arrive at the beach I noticed the larva busy devouring the Tansy Ragwort.  In a period in time that we seem to losing the battle with invasive plants like European Beach Grass, Scotch Broom, and English Ivy, the success of the Cinnabar Moth stands out as a success story.

Cinnabar Moth adult- taken at Luckiamute Landing State Natural Area - June 2, 2013

Great, Great, Great Herons

After three days of being at home in West Salem we are back to the coast. It is a glorious morning here on the Siltcoos and we did our favorite morning ritual, a bird walk on the Lagoon Loop Trail. I spotted this Great Blue Heron, and even though I have more than enough photos of Great Blue Herons, this one high in a Sitka Spruce tree with a blue sky background seemed too good to pass up.

While I was talking this first photo Jeanette said, "How many Herons do you see?"  I took a second look at the tree and above the first heron I saw the second one. So I took a photo of it.

Then Jeanette said, "look again, there is a third Heron way in the top".  Sure enough, up near the top was this immature Heron.

Three Herons during a bird walk is grand enough, but three Herons in the same tree at the same time is over the top. We're guessing Dad, Mom, and Junior.

The Thing I Like About Juveniles

The thing I like about juvenile birds is their naivety. They are unaware of the ways of the world. They haven't caught on to some of the important facts of life --- like humans could be predators. Therefore they are easier to see than an experienced wise adult. This morning's juvenile Pileated Woodpecker shown above is a case in point.  We heard and then found him pounding away on a big fir tree limb.  He paused, gave us a curious look and then went back to pounding. An adult, once spotting us would have vanished immediately.  Another example comes from yesterday when a juvenile Song Sparrow showed up on our patio in a rather carefree way before being ushered out of harms way by an adult Song Sparrow. Next time you notice a bird that seems to tolerate your presence more than normal, consider it might be a juvenile.   

Birding at Home

Two little baby Tree Swallows peer out of the entrance hole in their nesting box in the above photo, hoping to see mom or dad coming with another bug. We are home for a few days off from our volunteer jobs at the coast. When we arrived last night I noticed that the side panel on this nesting box used for inspection and cleaning was open.  I checked and there were baby birds inside and they appeared to be some what alive.  It's a mystery as to how the nail could have been pulled out and the panel opened.  Perhaps a cat or a raccoon? I saw no adult swallows around so I was concerned that the babies would get taken care of. I refastened the panel and hoped for the best.  I kept an eye on the box all day today and did see some visits by adults, but not many, so I kept my fingers crossed.  By this evening I notice these little heads appear. I took this photo while sitting on the living room couch, my preferred birding location when I am home.  My other favorite location when home is sitting on the patio.  I tried that this afternoon, and identified 19 species in an hour, submitting them to eBird via my iPhone and never had to get off my butt. Home is good.

Stoping to Smell the Roses

Felt kind of puny today, so didn't work on the Scotch Broom while we were at our volunteer spot on the beachhead of the Oregon Dunes Loop Trail.  Didn't make a bird list either or get any bird photos. I guess you could say I took time to "stop and smell the roses", as I did pay a little more attention to the flowers under foot and took a few photos.

Beach Pea

Coastal Strawberry

Seashore Lupine

Excuse Me!

"Excuse me, can't you see I'm having my lunch here"?  That's what I think this Osprey seems to be saying in this photo.  If you think Osprey only fish in lakes and fresh water rivers, here is proof to the contrary. I watched this Osprey take this fish right out of the ocean.  Lack of a "necklace" would indicate this is a male, and although the male does all the fishing for the female once she is on the nest, this one is gobbling up the fish right here on the beach.  I guess the other possibility is that he doesn't have a mate, or maybe he will share the next one, but I watched him make two successful catches which he ate while still on the beach.