2011 January 21 - Sauvie Island

We started this mostly sunny January day at Mark Greenfield's house with coffee and treats, and a walk around his pond, giving us several birds on the list. Some of the highlights were two perched Peregrine Falcons, a flyover of both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans which gave us an excellent size comparison, several opportunities to see the lovely Sandhill Cranes, a very active group of Lincoln's Sparrows in a blackberry patch, and a flock of Western Meadowlarks perched in trees.

Snow Goose. Chen caerulescens.
Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii
Canada Goose. Branta canadensis.
Trumpeter Swan. Cygnus buccinator.
Tundra Swan. Cygnus columbianus.
Eurasian Wigeon. Anas penelope.
American Wigeon. Anas americana.
Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos.
Northern Shoveler. Anas clypeata.
Northern Pintail. Anas acuta.
Green-winged Teal. Anas crecca.
Lesser Scaup. Aythya affinis.
Bufflehead. Bucephala albeola.
Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus.
Common Merganser. Mergus merganser.
California Quail. Callipepla californica
Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus.
Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.
Great Egret. Ardea alba.
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.
Mew Gull. Larus canus.
Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarensis.
Eurasian Collared-Dove. Streptopelia decaocto
Great Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus.
Anna's Hummingbird. Calypte anna.
Downy Woodpecker. Picoides pubescens.
Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.
Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.
American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.
White-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta carolinensis.
Brown Creeper. Certhia americana.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.
American Robin. Turdus migratorius.
European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.
Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.
Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca.
Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.
Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolnii.
White-throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis.
Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.
Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis.
Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.
Western Meadowlark. Sturnella neglecta.
Brewer's Blackbird. Euphagus cyanocephalus.
House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus.
Lesser Goldfinch. Spinus psaltria.

National Geographic channel launches birding show

I'm very excited to learn the National Geographic WILD TV network is debuting Aerial Assassins, hosted by James Currie on Friday, January 20, 2012. The new hour-long show delves into the Sonoran Desert to track Harris’s Hawks.

2012 January 14-15 - Ocean Shores, WA

Well, this is going to be a pretty difficult weekend for Dan to top. Most of us got lifers, and some of us got multiples. The weather was interesting with pelting hail, gently falling snow, and dry and sunny conditions.

I listed 70 birds and, as always, if I've left anything out please email me or go ahead and comment on the blog and I'll update the list. Please post photos you took this weekend, or add anything else you want to share about our field trip.

*Additions to the list from Nancy Doty and Meg Ruby bring the total to 75.

Greater White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons.
Emperor Goose. Chen canagica.
Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii
Canada Goose. Branta canadensis.
Tundra Swan. Cygnus columbianus.
American Wigeon. Anas americana.
Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos.
Northern Pintail. Anas acuta.
Ring-necked Duck. Aythya collaris.
Greater Scaup. Aythya marila.
King Eider. Somateria spectabilis.
Surf Scoter. Melanitta perspicillata.
White-winged Scoter. Melanitta fusca.
Bufflehead. Bucephala albeola.
Common Goldeneye. Bucephala clangula.
Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus serrator.
*Hooded Merganser
Red-throated Loon. Gavia stellata.
Common Loon. Gavia immer.
Horned Grebe. Podiceps auritus.
Red-necked Grebe. Podiceps grisegena.
Western Grebe. Aechmophorus occidentalis.
Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus.
Pelagic Cormorant. Phalacrocorax pelagicus.
Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.
Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.
Northern Harrier. Circus cyaneus.
Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter striatus.
Cooper's Hawk. Accipiter cooperii.
Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.
American Kestrel. Falco sparverius.
*Peregrine Falcon (seen by Meg and Jenny on the road)
American Coot. Fulica americana.
Killdeer. Charadrius vociferus.
Long-billed Curlew. Numenius americanus.
Black Turnstone. Arenaria melanocephala.
Surfbird. Aphriza virgata.
Sanderling. Calidris alba.
Least Sandpiper. Calidris minutilla.
Rock Sandpiper. Calidris ptilocnemis.
Dunlin. Calidris alpina.
Mew Gull. Larus canus.
Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarensis.
*Herring Gull
Western Gull. Larus occidentalis.
Glaucous-winged Gull. Larus glaucescens.
*Glaucous-winged x Western (Olympic) Gull
Rhinoceros Auklet. Cerorhinca monocerata.
Rock Pigeon. Columba livia.
Eurasian Collared-Dove. Streptopelia decaocto
Snowy Owl. Bubo scandiacus.
Anna's Hummingbird. Calypte anna.
Belted Kingfisher. Megaceryle alcyon.
Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.
Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.
American Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Common Raven. Corvus corax.
Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Poecile rufescens.
Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.
American Robin. Turdus migratorius.
Varied Thrush. Ixoreus naevius.
European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.
Spotted Towhee. Pipilo maculatus.
Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca.
Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.
White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys.
Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.
Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis.
Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.
*Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus.
House Sparrow. Passer domesticus.

Testing to the Limit

From The Animal's Guide to Britain Chris Packham puts a northern goshawk through its paces in the lab.

 

2012 January 7 - Ridgefield, WA

We had a comfortably warm, dry and calm day for our first Winter 2012 term outing. A couple of the memorable moments were getting especially good looks at a Red-breasted Sapsucker, Trumpeter Swans, and a very obliging Red-shouldered Hawk (as well as a coyote). I have a count of 52 species, but it feels like some of the expected birds are missing from the list. Please feel free to add to this post or email me and I'll adjust it.

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Additions since the first post. Thank you to Nancy Doty and Meg Ruby!

Bushtit

Brown Creeper

Common Merganser

White-crowned Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Wood Duck

Marsh Wren

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Greater White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons.

Cackling Goose. Branta hutchinsii

Canada Goose. Branta canadensis.

Trumpeter Swan. Cygnus buccinator.

Tundra Swan. Cygnus columbianus.

Wood Duck. Aix sponsa.

Gadwall. Anas strepera.

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.

Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus.

Ruddy Duck. Oxyura jamaicensis.

Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps.

Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus.

Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.

Great Egret. Ardea alba.

Bald Eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

Northern Harrier. Circus cyaneus.

Red-shouldered Hawk. Buteo lineatus.

Red-tailed Hawk. Buteo jamaicensis.

Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus.

American Coot. Fulica americana.

Sandhill Crane. Grus canadensis.

Long-billed Dowitcher. Limnodromus scolopaceus.

Wilson’s Snipe. Gallinago delicata.

Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarensis.

Herring Gull. Larus argentatus.

Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus ruber.

Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus.

Steller's Jay. Cyanocitta stelleri.

Western Scrub-Jay. Aphelocoma californica.

Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus.

White-breasted Nuthatch. Sitta carolinensis.

Bewick's Wren. Thryomanes bewickii.

Golden-crowned Kinglet. Regulus satrapa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regulus calendula.

American Robin. Turdus migratorius.

European Starling. Sturnus vulgaris.

Yellow-rumped Warbler. Dendroica coronata.

Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca.

Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.

Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolnii.

Golden-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla.

Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus.

Western Meadowlark. Sturnella neglecta.

Purple Finch. Carpodacus purpureus.

House Finch. Carpodacus mexicanus.