Bird Ramblings

Northern Pintail

Lane Sewall, our Dallas Retirement Village bus driver, took us on a trip last week that resident Vern Beeson put together to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The fog cleared just before we arrived at this sprawling 1,800-acre refuge. Due to the government shut down there were no staff on hand to answer questions or help with suggestions, so we just rambled around on our own. We soon learned that the best place to see and photograph birds was the viewpoint in front of the Visitors Center. Vern provided a spotting scope, and we were able to get a closer look at the amazing number of waterfowl. The Northern Pintail, as show in the photo above, was the overwhelming species, and it was also probably the most beautiful species with the sharp contrasting colors. Northern Pintails are primarily winter visitors here, arriving in large numbers in November and leaving in March. 

DRV resident LaVerda Gallager points out a bird to fellow resident Ginny Wyman

Rich Guadagno Trail

Western Meadowlark

 A dry November morning with bright sunshine was the perfect incentive to get in a good birdwalk and we chose the Rich Guadagno Trail at nearby Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge. It's the only trail open at the Refuge this time of year as the other trails are closed to protect wintering waterfowl. It's also the only trail in the vicinity with a good amount climb to get in a good workout. We were not disappointed and got in a good walk with a good number of birds. Western Meadowlarks were busy filling the air with song. You can see our eBird Checklist here.

Bird Ramblings

Downy Woodpecker

Welcome to "Bird Ramblings", a new series replacing the former "Thursday's Birdwatch" series. This Downy Woodpecker was our favorite bird of the day during a bird walk Jeanette and I took on Monday here in Dallas on a short section of the Rickreall Creek Trail System, the Sgt. Ian Tawney Memorial Park Trail, which runs along Rickreall Creek between Main St and Levens Street.  The Rickreall Creek Trail System, or RCTS is made up of 8 different segments, this section, built in 2007, was the second to be constructed. I have already blogged about both the East, and the West ends of the Rickreall Creek Trail System and plan on posting other sections in upcoming Bird Ramblings. 

Rickreall Creek Trail System (2)

Last Tuesday morning we walked the West-end of the Rickreall Creek Trail System. Yesterday, Friday, we walked the East-end of the Rickreall Creek Trail System. We are so fortunate here in Dallas to have this system of trails that parallel Rickreall Creek in its journey West to East through our town of Dallas. In all, the trail system, or RCTS, has been developed in 8 different phases, the first completed in 2004. On this walk we parked at the Aquatic Center and took the trail to its East-end and back. Here is our eBird List with photos. 

 

John C. Barnard Park

Last night, curiosity got the best of me, and even though it was dusk, I had to check out the progress at Dallas' newest city park, John C. Barnard Park. When we drove up to the park, even though the perimeter was still surrounded with orange netting, the small parking lot was open. We drove in and parked, and the workers, just finishing up for the day, said, "congratulations, you are the first to park in the new parking lot!" The park is very impressive, laid out with winding walkways which we tried our best to navigate in the approaching darkness. The photo shows the covered picnic area, which was just finished this week. This morning will be the official ribbon-cutting.    

Rickreall Creek Trail System

 This morning, we went birding on the far West-end of the Rickreall Creek Trail System. Fall colors were great, and recent rains have brought Rickreall Creek up to an acceptable level. Birds were a little scarce, but the chance to get out and get in a good walk during a dry window in the weather was pure joy. Here is our bird list.

 

Places We Love to Bird - Huddleston Pond

Yesterday was a day of brilliant fall color and sunshine and Jeanette came up with the idea of driving out to the nearby small town of Williamina to Huddleston Fish Pond for some birding. Huddleston Fish Pond was a former log pond for Hampton Lumber Company. Besides attracting fishermen, locals use the circling path as a good place to take a walk. We, however, have treated it as a serious birding location since January 2014, turning in 97 checklists to eBird, identifying 130 different species of birds. Here is our list from yesterday.

 

This is the 9th in a series of posts entitled, "Places We Love to Bird". For the curious, you can do a search up in the right-hand corner with that title and come up with the other eight posts.

New Dallas eBird Hotspot!

Dallas' newest city park, John C. Barnard Park, is officially now an eBird Hotspot. I went there today to check on the park's progress. Construction is still underway, which means that it is still fenced off from the public, with ribbon-cutting set for November 8th. I went ahead and made up a bird list while walking the street-side sidewalk. Here is my very short list, The park is shaping up for a very impressive venue. A great place for families and kids, and with all the landscaping that is going in, and particularly the pollinator garden area, just recently planted, it is going to be an excellent location for bird watching as well.  
 

Thompson's Mills

On Wednesday, October 22, Dallas Retirement Village provided a bus trip for interested residents to historic Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site. Located off of Highway 99E near the quaint town of Shedd, the flower mill was operational before even Oregon was a state. It has survived fire, floods, and the ravages of time to provide an interesting visit with a glimpse into the past.

 It was particularly exciting for Jeanette and me because we had worked there as volunteers around 20 years ago.  Of course, we were interested in noting the changes to the mill proper, the additional collection of historical machinery, and the changes to the water system that provided power to the mill. Puzzling to us was that we did not have any notes or photos of birds for our time there, but that was a before birding had taken over our lives and became our passion.  We sought to rectify that on this day and made up an eBird observation list, used the Merlin app to identify sounds, and took photographs. The most exciting bird of the day was this Bald Eagle, shown below trying to hide out in a cottonwood tree. 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

I hear reports of hummingbird activity on a regular basis. This photo of a male Anna's Hummingbird was taken at our juice feeder on Monday. Recently I learned a couple of new things about hummingbirds through the thoughtfulness of Dallas Retirement Village resident Earl Kimball. He recommended a PBS Nature program, "Hummingbirds - Magic in the Air". I was surprised to learn that hummingbirds are "the smallest of all the warm-blooded creatures". Also that they can live up to twelve years. As winter is just around the corner, remember it's important to continue to provide juice for our smallest of friends.

Pollinator Garden Day!

Today was Pollinator Garden Day at the John C. Barnard Park, a brand-new Dallas city park. This was an event put together by the Polk Soil & Water Conservation District and the City of Dallas. Located on east-end of Academy Street, the park has all kind of playground facilities, winding sidewalks, a basketball court, and now a pollinator garden with 300+ native plants! I volunteered to take photos, plus I made up a bird observation list, and have nominated the park for an eBird Hotspot. I was so pleased that the first bird I head singing was a Western Meadowlark, Oregon's State Bird. 

Construction is not quite finished, but this is a park I highly recommend and will be returning to for sure.

Thursday's Birdwatch!

Our Red-breasted Sapsucker is back! Last week on October 8th we found a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the Weeping Cypress tree on Tilgner Ave across the street from the Maintenance Building. It's always a treat to peer into that tree and find the Sapsucker at work. Jeanette and I have been keeping records of bird observations at Dallas Retirement Village using eBird.org for over 5 years now.  Our very first sighting of a Red-breasted Sapsucker at DRV was on Jan. 9th, 2020. The species has since been seen here 76 times, almost every month of the year, except it has never been seen during the months of June, July, or August. Why? Is the sap not running in those summer months, or are the birds off nesting in some secluded locations? Let me know if you have an opinion. 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

This is a first-year juvenile White-crowned Sparrow, one of a mixed group of four adults and juveniles we spotted on a bird walk on September 28th in the shrubbery of the west-end of DRV's Assisted Living building. You may not recognize this as a White-crowned Sparrow because it's a dull colored juvenile instead of the sharp contrasting white and black crown of an adult. We have White-crown Sparrows scattered throughout DRV, and this juvenile is proof of their successful nesting this year. 
 

Seeking Solace

 

Inspiration Garden at Mt. Fir Park in Independence is a favorite birding location for us. We went there this morning to seek solace in these tyrannical Trump times. There were no ICE agents lurking in the parking lots, nor military helicopters overhead, only the drone of a small private plane. People were walking their dogs; volunteers were working at trimming the shrubs. Birds sang; flowers still continue to bloom. Ash Creek lies placid, awaiting the coming fall rains. The air was fresh, the sun was shining, all was right with the world. We identified birds, took photos, and made an eBird List. All the lies, hate and greed of this administration seemed miles away. The leaves will die and fall to the ground; we wait with hope for the magic of new life to fill our world once again. 

baby Turkeys wait for their mom.

Sunflowers wait to feed the finches

Fernhill Wetlands

 Dallas Retirement Village residents Vern and Anne Beeson put together a bus trip to Fern Hill Wetlands in Forest Grove. DRV provided the bus and driver, Lane. Fourteen residents braved the rainy weather for this adventure. Enroute, we made a stop at the Carlton Bakery for some extra energy. Fern Hill is a part of more than 700 acres in Forest Grove owned by Clear Water Service for water resource management. Jeanette and I, with our friend and fellow resident, Dan Sewell, did the Fernhill Lake Loop, putting together an impressive bird list which you can see here. 

Greater Yellowlegs

Wilson's Snipe

After everyone got to explore as much as they wanted of the impressive grounds, the trails, and the ponds, we boarded the bus to go to McMenamins Grand Lodge for lunch. 

Gathering Time for Vultures

This morning Jeanette and I took a drive south of Dallas on the Kings Valley Highway, making a stop at the historic Ritner Bridge, a Polk County Park. This Turkey Vulture was spreading its wings to warm-up in the morning sun, preparing for flight. With a wingspan of five and half feet, it's an impressive sight.  It's that time of year when Turkey Vultures bunch up to fly south for the winter. On this day we counted 17 at this location, circling around forming a loose group.   

 

Thursday's Bird Watch

My guess is that most people will recognize this bird as a Turkey. In the birding world, in order to separate this from the domestically raised Turkey, this is known as a Wild Turkey. This is one of ten Wild Turkeys we saw here at Dallas Retirement on Sep. 17th. Wild Turkeys are seasonal visitors here at DRV, continuing to hang around until early Springtime when they disappear to bread and nest in a more isolated area, and then in a couple of months reappear here with new young ones in tow.  Here is a link to our eBird list for that morning.  

Sarah Helmick Park

My choice for birding this morning was Sarah Helmick State Park. I have said many times; place is almost more important than the birds for me.  And this park is a good example. I come here for the comfort, as in an old shirt well worn. It is well maintained by Oregon State Parks and rarely crowded. It is a quiet escape. We first birded here over ten years ago on March 25, 2014. I have now birded here 45 times, identifying 88 individual species of birds. It is also a spot steeped in history.  Sarah Helmick and her husband came over the Oregon Trail in 1845, taking out a Donation Land Claim in 1850. The Helmick family donated a portion for a park to the State of Oregon in 1922. 
 

Independence Osprey Update

It's fair to say the most watched Osprey nest this year in Polk County is the nest at the Riverview Park in Independence next to the Independence Hotel. The reason is simply because it can be watched via a camera. The result is that a large number of persons get to see it from the comfort of their homes, or the convivence of their phones. There have been some tough years watching this nest fail again and again, but this year was somewhat of a success.  The adults managed to mate and successfully hatch two eggs.  The first chick to hatch had the advantage, and the second chick a few days later was always behind in feeding and growth, and in fledging. The second one ended up failing to leave the nest successfully.  The adults, as is normal, where the first to head south for the winter. The successful juvenile continued to hang around the nest for or a while, but then no one had seen it for a number of days. Jeanette's sister and brother-in law, Patty and Kordell Blair, while staying at the hotel, notified us of a successful sighting of an Osprey. Yesterday I went in search, and I found it just across the river in a tree. This is this photo. I am pleased to have a record of its existence. Its departure could happen any day for his journey south. 

Thursday's Birdwatch

This is a fired-up male Anna's Hummingbird, read to defend his territory. This photo was taken on Sep. 10th from our bedroom window out into The Lodge Central Courtyard. Males seen in their normal non-threatening position appear to have a black head and throat plumage, but when aggravated they are able to flash these feathers into this fluorescent read color. They can also use this same technique to attract a female, but it is now too late in the year to be thinking of breeding, so I feel certain that this is a territorial dispute.  I'm hoping that he will remain vigilant all winter in defending his territory and be ready for a female visitor come Spring.
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

This is an American Goldfinch photographed on August 30th in the Dallas Retirement Village community garden. Gone are the bright yellow colors of their breeding season and replaced with the dull winter plumage they will wear until Spring.  This American Goldfinch is feeding on a Sunflower plant. This season has been a fantastic one for Sunflowers in our community garden and now is the perfect time to visit the garden and observe a flock of American Goldfinches feeding on the Sunflower seeds.
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

This is a Great Egret, photographed in nearby Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge on August 29th. Great Egrets are about the same size as our more common Great Blue Heron. In the last several decades the range of the Great Egret has moved north, and they can now be seen year-round here in Western Oregon. They can easily be seen from Coville Road at what is known as The Narrows. This year their numbers are the highest I can remember with as many as two dozen at a time. Of course, early morning is the best time to see the most birds there. 

Honeybees and Sunflowers

This is a great time of year to visit our community gardens at Dallas Retirement Village.  This year in particular we seem to have an outstanding collection of sunflowers. And the honeybees are now busy doing their thing of pollinating the flowers while collecting their nectar. Next will come the flocks of American Goldfinches to feed on the sunflower seeds. 
 

Silver Falls State Park

South Falls

On Tuesday, August 26, Jeanette and I joined the Dallas Retirement Village bus for an outing to Silver Falls State Park. The park is filled with memories for us.  My first visit was 80 years ago to a plumber's picnic. We arrived in my dad's 1940 GMC panel truck. My next visit to the park was seven years later for a week at church camp in the old CCC barracks. Jeanette attended Girl Scouts Camp there in the 50's and then again to work as a camp counselor. In an amazing coincidence, Jeanette and I got married here on May 9th of 1993. 

On this trip, I got to hike down under the South Falls with four of DRV's lovely's, LaVerda Gallager, Jeanette Scott, Ginny Wyman, and Mavis Cloutier.

This shows the complete group just after finishing a delightful lunch, after a fun time of hiking and exploring the South Falls area. Thanks go to Wellness Director Francy Stoyer, Bus Driver Lane Sewell, and their helpers Nat and Robin for a very memorable day.

Thursday's Bird Watch

In order to escape the extreme heat of last week, Jeanette and I traveled to the coast for an overnight trip in our van. The most eye-catching bird that we saw was this Black Oystercatcher, on the rocky cliffs of Boiler Bay State Wayside, just north of Depot Bay.  Black Oystercatcher are one of the easiest birds to identify with their plump black body, long sturdy orange bill, bright red eyes, and bubblegum-pink legs. 
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

This is juvenile White-crowned Sparrow that was photographed here at Dallas Retirement Village last Friday, August 15th. This White-crowned Sparrow is recognizable as a juvenile by the brown crown stripes in place of the adult's strikingly contrasting white and black crown stripes. The nesting season appears to be ending, marked by the absence of the bright singing of the adult males.  On this day of the photograph, a dozen birds were traveling in a mixed flock of adults and juveniles, busy feeding on bugs and seeds in the water collection basin in the South-East corner of DRV.

Happy Birthday Jeanette!

Jeanette got her wish, and gave me a kiss

August 18th is Jeanette's birthday and the plan was that she would get to do whatever she wanted! First thing in the morning her hubby drove her and two of our friends, Dan and Karen Sewell, to the coast for breakfast at the Otis Cafe, where Dan treated us all to breakfast. 

Next, we went birding at one of Jeanette's favorite locations, Alder Island in the Siletz National Wildlife Refuge. We had great fun with all four of us using the Merlin phone app to identify birds by sound. We made an impressive checklist, which you can see here.

In the evening Jeanette's brother Bill Dye joined us, our daughter Lisa Borja, and our sister-in-law Mary Sites, for dinner at The Grill in The Lodge here at Dallas Retirment Village.

The grand finale was birthday cake in our apartment. Bill provided his home-made traditional Dye family chocolate cake. 

 

 

Thursday's Bird Watch

 Saturday morning, while checking the Dallas Osprey nest at the former Willamette Mill Site on Main Street, this Green Heron flew in and stole the show.  It landed high in a Cottonwood tree where my wife, Jeannette, got this photo. Green Herons like to hang out along waterways and ponds.  Although the log pond is longer there at the mill site, remnants of the North Fork of Ash Creek can still be seen in the area.  I think that this probably provides the kind of habitat that the Green Heron likes.  This may also be a clue to where the Osprey get some of their fish. 

Thursday's Bird Watch

This is an exciting time of year to be watching Osprey nests. This pair of juveniles were photographed in the nest at Riverview Park in Independence next to the Independence Hotel. The parents no longer spend time on the nest; they simply drop off fish for the young to eat on their own. The juveniles are growing rapidly and are getting ready to start flying. They can be seen stretching their wings getting ready for the big day they take flight, which is close at hand. In the coming weeks the parents will encourage their young to fly and fish for themselves. It's worth a trip to Independence to have a look.
 

DUMP TRUMP

 Jeanette and I attended a protest today in Dallas. It's been going on every Saturday for six months. It's a protest against Donald Trump and the terrible reign of terror and lawlessness that he has brought down upon our country.  Has our protest accomplished anything? Probably not, but it seems important to stand up and be counted. To say, this is not right to destroy an America that we grew up in that was concerned about the future of the world, that wanted to do something about climate change, that believed in free press, and that believed in truth and honesty. 

Thursday's Bird Watch!

 

Occasionally I am asked here at Dallas Retirement Village, "What kind of doves do we hear here calling all the time". The answer is that they are Eurasian Collared-Doves, a non-native species.  Eurasian Collared-Dove are much more common than our native Mourning Doves, in fact probably by 90%. One reason for their larger numbers is that they able to breed year-around, so it's possible for them to have 6 broods a year.  Also, the Eurasian Collared-Doves do well in urban settings, whereas the Mourning Doves prefer a more natural setting of field and woods.  This photo is of a pair of Eurasian Collared-Dove taken recently atop the roof above the Central Courtyard of The Lodge here at DRV. 
 

Thursday's Bird Watch

The Wild Turkeys are back!!! Saturday morning, Mary Ransier, affectionately known as "front desk Mary", reported seeing Wild Turkeys at Dallas Retirement Village. I got lucky and spotted them in the afternoon.  Ten turkeys in all, the one mother and seven juveniles shown here, plus two juveniles on the other side of the fence.  The deer in the background was accidently in the photo.  These are the first Wild Turkeys of this season. They will be hanging around here at Dallas Retirement Village through the winter until the middle of April when they always disappear to some hidden location to have their babies, and then once again in July a mother will be back with her new brood.

Mark O. Hatfield Park

We went to check-out Dallas' newest city park, Mark O. Hatfield Park this afternoon.  It was just dedicated last Wednesday, and in my research, I found that it was formerly known as Birch Street Park. It's a small park with a lot of playground equipment, so we did not have very high hopes for a birding location.  We were pleasantly surprised, and even with a very short visit we had 10 different species of birds. Here is our bird list. Another surprise is we found a half dozen comfortable and conveniently located benches.  This is definitely a winner, and we will be returning.

 

Thursday's Bird Watch

The busiest place to see birds at Dallas Retirement Village is in the Central Courtyard of The Lodge.  We have had nesting going on of Anna's Hummingbirds, Dark-eyed Juncos, European Starling, Eurasian Collared-doves, Violet-green Swallows, and now, White-crowned Sparrows.  This is by far the most successful year we have ever had, and the most vocal of all these birds is the White-crowned Sparrow, show here.  His high-pitched trill puts a smile on my face daily.  This is actually the first year for them to nest in the Central Courtyard. In past years they have nested in the rose bushes at the East-end of The Lodge around the Jasper Street Entrance.  Take a stroll through the Central Courtyard some time and enjoy the sights and sounds.