Crows in Trees and Ducks Out of Water

Last week, I spotted a crow in the bare branches of an oak tree silhouetted against the clouded sky. It inspired the watercolor below, which is the first I've found worthy of a frame. I trimmed the paper and fitted it into an old frame that Sarah bought from Goodwill and painted black.

Today I checked on some nests at Dawson Creek and spotted a group of squeaking wood ducks walking around under some oak trees. My guess is that they were looking for acorns.


A group of wigeons were foraging like small cows below the lichen trees that house a bushit nest. I have not seen the parents for a while, but the nest is growing.

I found a new bushtit nest in a branch hanging above the Library parking lot and noticed that the great horned owl and great blue heron nests are still active. I am organizing a Great Blue Heron Week event at the library in June, so I am praying that the heron rookery survives the spring!

Nest updates

This weekend, we checked in on our winter nesting friends at Dawson Creek Park. One heron was standing on its platform nest in the large Doug fir while another was watching over its space on a higher branch. If the nests are a success, these birds will be in the tree well into July.

The other nest at the park belongs to a pair of great horned owls.


The nest was still active as evidenced by a dark form in the break of a large trunk. The nest is so far away that the only development we've noticed is that the female has changed position since last week.

I have not found any other nests yet, but I expect to see the apartment house finches building any day now.

Heron Nest Attendance

On Sunday, Sarah, Andie and I birded Fernhill Wetlands then checked on the nesting herons at Dawson Creek Corporate Park. So far, two pairs are beginning to nest in the usual Doug fir. The nest construction seems to have just started because there is not a lot of material in the tree. An adult is standing guard in each nest.


A rough photo, I know. I need to try digiscoping the nest next time I bring a decent scope with me.



I informed the librarians at the adjacent Hillsboro Public Library about their new neighbors. I plan on organizing an event during Portland's Great Blue Heron Days this spring. I expect to lead a birding walk around the park and set up a scope inside the library so patrons can view the nesting behavior from the nonfiction section.
The great horned owl nest is still active and extremely difficult to view, probably a good thing for the parents. A great horned owl nest that is more easily viewed can be found here

Other happenings:

I have agreed to teach a bird biology course at Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus if enough students register. I signed on to teach last year, but the course did not fill. If it does not fill this year, I will remain a strictly apartment-based researcher.

During the next few months, I will likely lead several sanctuary tours at The Audubon Society of Portland. Sarah books many groups there in the spring and I get the call for help when her volunteers fail to sign up for tours. These tours are a lot of fun, but challenging because knowledge of natural history is much less important than ability to manage ten or more grade schoolers that are quite excited to be out of their classrooms.

I am finishing up analyses on hummingbird and dove nest success for my Forest Service research projects based in New Mexico. I should have a rough (very rough) draft of a research paper finished next week!