Almost Spring

During the last week I have been hoping to spot some bushtits building their nests because this is usually the time of year they begin.


I have been unlucky so far, but I took a quick walk around Dawson Creek today to see if my luck would change.

At first, I did not see or hear any bushtits at their usual spots, but there were plenty of ducks to view. This time of year, I see mallards sitting on the grass instead of floating in the water. A flock of American wigeons chewed on the grass, as usual.

The local beavers have been busy working on the large willows.

A glaucos-winged gull has been frequenting this perch.

As I was about to leave, I heard the spishing calls of a bushtit pair in a grove of trees across the street from where they previously nested.

After a few minutes of watching, I saw them bring material to some droopy branches a few feet above the water. A pair of lesser goldfinches and a pair of black-capped chickadees joined the bushtits for some small-bird companionship. Maybe they will nest nearby.

Newport Birds and Beers

This weekend, we drove to the central coast for a volunteer seabird monitor get-together at the Rogue Brewery in Newport. We spent Friday night in the wonderful little town of Yachats, south of Newport. Our plan was to spend Saturday tidepooling and birding before an early dinner at the Rogue.
The seas were stormy and the tides were high, but we found some nice pools on top of the rocks.


A group of black oystercatchers did some tidepooling of their own on a nearby boulder.

As we drove north , the rain picked up and it felt like real winter weather on the coast. By the time we reached Newport, we could not leave the car without being drenched.

We took a quick walk along the Bayfront and spotted a few common loons in newly molted breeding plumage.


Driving along the south jetty, we admired the Yaquina Bay Bridge and looked for more birds.

We found a group of gulls and watched them from the car. The group included herring gulls, western gulls, glaucous-winged gulls, and a Thayer's gull. As I scanned the gulls, I noticed an especially pale bird towards the back of the group.

Judging by the white primaries and pink-and-black bill, it was a juvenile glaucous gull, a life bird for both of us! For the last three years, I have been scanning groups of gulls looking for this species, so I was pretty psyched to finally see one.

We spotted some more birds in the bay, but the pounding rain and wind made it feel like we were birding in a car wash.

After some great food and drink, we took another walk along the bay and spotted a male harlequin duck, a great note on which to end the birding day. We drove north to Pacific City and enjoyed spending most of Sunday indoors.

Tuesday at the Park

Today I took Andie on another walk at Dawson Creek Park

The bicolored bird on the island is a juvenile double-crested cormorant.

The bushtits are due to start nest building any day now. I checked out one of their usual haunts, but did not hear or see any of the tiny birds. Maybe the cold weather is slowing their motivation.

Despite the gloomy weather, the cherry trees were beginning to bloom.


Andie and I found a goose kill site in a field.

The bones and feathers were chewed, which makes me think a coyote was the culprit. Nicer weather is expected for the rest of the week, so I will be back to look for nests!

Snow in the Wetlands

Today I went to Killin Wetlands west of Banks, OR to scout a research project I am planning with Metro.


Shortly after arriving, huge snowflakes began falling. It looked like winter was far from over.


After a while, however, the sun came out and I found a small group of violet green swallows.


Looks like spring is coming after all.

Last weekend, I converted our dinner table into a studio as I finished an acrylic painting. Sarah bought me a pair of canvasses for Christmas and requested I fill them. For the painting above, I tried to capture the various shades of green, brown, and gray that compose the winter landscape of Washington County.

Friday Sun

After a cloudy week, Friday started out nice and bright.

A pair of kestrels took in the sun on the peak of a roof.

I took a walk at Dawson Creek Park to soak up some sun before the snow arrives tomorrow.

A pair of Canada geese swam near an island where they will probably be nesting soon.

A huge flock of cackling geese was lounging in another pond.

A cooper's hawk high in a snag watched over the park.

Apartment Climatologist

I have not been out much lately, so I have not been able to post observations of plants and animals. Instead, I have been inside reading papers on climate patterns in the western U.S. I am working on a presentation about climate change and southwestern birds for the Cooper Ornithological Society Conference in April and for several weeks my mind has been occupied with drought, El Nino, monsoons, and floods.

I find this climate work very interesting because of the complex relationships between ocean temperatures, winds, and our weather. For example, we now appear to be in a La Nina stage of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO).


This means that cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures have resulted in a cool, somewhat wet northwestern winter and a warm, dry southwestern winter.


This is the second La Nina event in two years, which seems abnormal because the ENSO cycle is supposed to last five to ten years. Throw in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and its interaction with ENSO and your brain will really start to hurt.

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking about lately.

Updates

The Great Bird Count of February has ended and I tallied 23 species seen and heard from the apartment. Not bad, considering I was gone for a week of vacation.


My favorite bird was also the last addition: a western gull, like the one above, spotted on a snowy morning.


The most frequently seen birds were probably the mourning doves that spend their days on our deck.

Now that the bird count is over, I will start a list of birds nesting in the neighborhood so I, and anyone else interested, can keep tabs on the Orenco-area nesting community.


Our local hummingbird nest remains active despite snow, freezing temperatures, and heavy rains.


Today I watched the female leave her nest and fly across the street and a busy construction site to reach a feeder on someone's porch. She may have nestlings by now, but they would be too small to observe for a while.