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,