EagleCam

Posting this Bald Eagle webcam site for Basho. :)

This is the Bald Eagle cam I watched last year. I have the HummerCam and RaptorCam permanently open on my desktop at work all day. I am not sure the boss understands.

Radiolab: Snow Geese and a toxic lake

A remarkable story of a deadly mining pit in Montana and the 342 Snow Geese who landed in it. Definitely worth listening to. Actually, everything on Radiolab is worth listening to.

"Soren Wheeler takes us to Butte, Montana--where an open pit copper mine’s demise leads to a toxic lake filled with corrosive runoff. Reporter Barret Golding goes to visit the pit lake, and writer Edwin Dobb tells Soren the story of a pile of dead snow geese who made an ill-fated landing on the water. Soren also talks to husband-and-wife chemists Andrea Stierle and Don Stierle, whose startling discovery reveals the secret life inside a death trap."

Blue Mountain Wildlife

There's a raptor rescue site in Pendleton that I wanted to let you know about called Blue Mountain Wildlife. Lyn Tompkins runs the facility with just a few volunteers and writes a weekly newsletter that I enjoy very much. I've learned that nearly every bird admitted has lead poisoning, many show shot pellets on xray, and many have new or healed fractures and tissue damage from being shot or electrocuted. If you are out that way please take a few minutes to visit their facility and say hello to their education birds.

UV identifies gender

Chickadees can identify gender by UV differences. Because birds can see UV light and we can't, decals and other window treatments can deter birds from fatally crashing into windows while not obstructing your view.

Capturing Sound

Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a couple of stories about sound recording. Good stuff.

Listen Up!

Capturing Natural Sound

Family helpers

I was talking today about stories in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology "BirdScope" Winter 2010 issue regarding cooperative nesting in Western Bluebirds.

This article describes Acorn Woodpeckers' family dynasties and this article describes Pygmy Nuthatch cooperation. In the same newsletter is a page describing the cooperative behavior of six species of birds.

2011 March 19 - Sauvie Island

A beautiful day with "lifers" for many of us. It seems unfair to single out any species, but the Harris's Sparrow gave us all four Zonotrichia! The Barn and Great-Horned Owls, Eurasian Wigeon, Redhead, Red-breasted Sapsucker and elegant Sandhill Cranes made the day for me.

I listed 66 species today. Did anyone see a Gadwall or Brown Creeper?

Mammals:

Coyote

Townsend's Chipmunk

Nutria

Deer

Snow Goose. Chen caerulescens.

Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii

Canada Goose. Branta canadensis. (incl. Dusky subspecies)

Tundra Swan. Cygnus columbianus.

Wood Duck. Aix sponsa.

Eurasian Wigeon. Anas penelope.

American Wigeon. Anas americana.

Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos.

Northern Shoveler. Anas clypeata.

Northern Pintail. Anas acuta.

Green-winged Teal. Anas crecca.

Canvasback. Aythya valisineria.

Redhead. Aythya americana.

Ring-necked Duck. Aythya collaris.

Lesser Scaup. Aythya affinis.

Bufflehead. Bucephala albeola.

Common Merganser. Mergus merganser.

Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps.

Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus.

Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.

Turkey Vulture. Cathartes aura.

Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

Northern Harrier. Circus cyaneus.

Cooper's Hawk. Accipiter cooperii.

Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.

American Kestrel. Falco sparverius.

Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus.

American Coot. Fulica americana.

Sandhill Crane. Grus canadensis.

Killdeer. Charadrius vociferus.

Mew Gull. Larus canus.

Herring Gull. Larus argentatus.

Mourning Dove. Zenaida macroura.

Barn Owl. Tyto alba.

Great Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus.

Belted Kingfisher. Megaceryle alcyon.

Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus ruber.

Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.

Pileated Woodpecker. Dryocopus pileatus.

Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.

Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.

American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.

Tree Swallow. Tachycineta bicolor.

Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina.

Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.

Red-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta canadensis.

White-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta carolinensis.

Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.

Pacific Wren. Troglodytes pacificus.

Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.

American Robin. Turdus migratorius.

European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.

Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata. (Both Myrtle and Audubon's)

Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.

Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca.

Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.

Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolnii.

White-throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis.

Harris's Sparrow. Zonotrichia querula.

White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys.

Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.

Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis.

Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.

Brewer's Blackbird. Euphagus cyanocephalus.

House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus.

Hyperlinks in posts

Did you know that the subject lines of the blog posts are hyperlinks that will take you to the sites mentioned? If you don't see a link in an article, just click on the heading. Try it with the Raptor Cam and the Hummingbird Cam posts. :)

Hummingbird Cam

This is almost too cute for words. I see there are two tiny babies in the even tinier nest of an Allen's Hummingbird.

Raptor Cam

If you haven't tuned in to watch the downtown Portland Red-tail Hawk nest, check it out. This is my third year of watching the Red-tails nest and it's both educational and a bit addictive. The best part is working in a tall building downtown and getting to see the parents flying over the city and see the fledglings' first days out in the world. Last year they spent a bit of time on the Pioneer Place building where I could watch the family right out my window. Cool.

The first egg was laid on Friday, March 11. Last year there were three chicks, one of which died quite young, two fledged and one of them was hit by a car and was unable to be returned to the wild and is now serving as an education bird in another part of the state.

2011 March 12 - Washington County Field Trip

I counted 44 species of birds and one muskrat today at Killin Wetlands. Highlights were the Gray Jay and Pygmy Owl and up-close views of the Acorn Woodpecker and Townsend's Warbler.

Post if I missed any species on this wet day.

Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii. (on the road to Forest Grove)
Wood Duck. Aix sponsa.
Gadwall. Anas strepera.
Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos.
Northern Pintail. Anas acuta.
Ring-necked Duck. Aythya collaris.
Lesser Scaup. Aythya affinis.
Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus.
Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.
Great Egret. Ardea alba.
Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.
Northern Harrier. Circus cyaneus.
Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.
American Kestrel. Falco sparverius. (on the road to Forest Grove)
American Coot. Fulica americana.
Band-tailed Pigeon. Patagioenas fasciata.
Eurasian Collared-Dove. Streptopelia decaocto
Northern Pygmy-Owl. Glaucidium gnoma.
Acorn Woodpecker. Melanerpes formicivorus.
Hairy Woodpecker. Picoides villosus.
Pileated Woodpecker. Dryocopus pileatus.
Hutton's Vireo. Vireo huttoni.
Gray Jay. Perisoreus canadensis.
Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.
Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.
American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Common Raven. Corvus corax.
Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Poecile rufescens.
Bushtit. Psaltriparus minimus.
White-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta carolinensis.
Brown Creeper. Certhia americana.
Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.
Pacific Wren. Troglodytes pacificus.
Marsh Wren. Cistothorus palustris.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.
American Robin. Turdus migratorius.
Varied Thrush. Ixoreus naevius.
European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.
Townsend's Warbler. Dendroica townsendi.
Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.
Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.

2011 March 5 - Finley National Wildlife Refuge

I counted 60 species. Our group fragmented quite a few times, so I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a few. Please add any missing species and adjust the total.

Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii
Canada Goose. Branta canadensis.
Wood Duck. Aix sponsa.
American Wigeon. Anas americana.
Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos.
Cinnamon Teal. Anas cyanoptera.
Northern Shoveler. Anas clypeata.
Northern Pintail. Anas acuta.
Green-winged Teal. Anas crecca.
Ring-necked Duck. Aythya collaris.
Bufflehead. Bucephala albeola.
Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps.
Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus.
Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.
Great Egret. Ardea alba.
Turkey Vulture. Cathartes aura.
Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.
Northern Harrier. Circus cyaneus.
Red-shouldered Hawk. Buteo lineatus.
Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.
Rough-legged Hawk. Buteo lagopus.
American Kestrel. Falco sparverius.
American Coot. Fulica americana.
Killdeer. Charadrius vociferus.
Greater Yellowlegs. Tringa melanoleuca.
Rock Pigeon. Columba livia.
Mourning Dove. Zenaida macroura.
Great Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus.
Acorn Woodpecker. Melanerpes formicivorus.
Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.
Black Phoebe. Sayornis nigricans.
Hutton's Vireo. Vireo huttoni.
Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.
Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.
American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Tree Swallow. Tachycineta bicolor.
Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina.
Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.
Bushtit. Psaltriparus minimus.
White-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta carolinensis.
Brown Creeper. Certhia americana.
Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.
Marsh Wren. Cistothorus palustris.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.
Wrentit. Chamaea fasciata.
Western Bluebird. Sialia mexicana.
American Robin. Turdus migratorius.
Varied Thrush. Ixoreus naevius.
European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.
Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.
Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.
Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.
Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis.
Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.
Western Meadowlark. Sturnella neglecta.
Brewer's Blackbird. Euphagus cyanocephalus.
Purple Finch. Carpodacus purpureus.
House Sparrow. Passer domesticus.

How do you say that?

A cute article describing how to pronounce some of the trickier bird names. I found it while researching the right way to say "Bewick." What do you think it should be? BEW-ick or BEE-wick?