I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Pullman, Washington for work... here are some bird pics snapped at rest stops:


Killdeer plover


barn swallows a plenty


I've never seen a swallow on the ground before... weird.

And here are some shots from birding last weekend at Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge up near Mt. Adams:


not a bird, a Pacific tree frog


yellow headed blackbirds ganging up far out in the marsh


Mt. Adams


a little house wren

Sorry this post is so short... homework awaits...

Big Day

Today my friend Tori and I journeyed to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge in Washington... I had heard so many great things about it and was so glad to finally get there! What an awesome birding spot! Here are some of the pics:


Song sparrows everywhere


spotted towhee


cedar waxwing


tons of cinnamon teals- life bird!


blurry yellow headed blackbird


painted turtles basking


great horned owl squinting at us


tree swallow leaving the nest


love that cinnamon teal


savannah sparrow- another life bird!


red winged black bird screaming


finally a visual on the common yellowthroat!


great egret stalking


blurry juvenile wood duck

Other life birds included redhead ducks, Wilson's snipe, bushtit, and what we think were blue-winged teal. There were other interesting birds like white pelicans, baby pied-billed grebes, killdeer, mystery flycatchers and the blooping of a bittern. Great day.

Back at home, the breeding scene is in high gear. I snapped this young western scrub jay on the driveway:



the chickadee family is doing well... mom and dad are very busy catching caterpillars and other juicy bugs for the kids and bringing them home:






Mom or dad after a bath in the creek, bummer about the leaf in the way. Chickadees can be hard to shoot because the white often gets over-exposed.

I love having the little family so close by- the parents are pretty used to me lurking now. When I put my ear to the house, the babies' voices are starting to take on that raspy little chickadee tone. Wonder when they will fledge...

Buntings before breakfast

It is a beautiful day in Hood River, and yesterday I spotted some lazuli buntings up on Hood River Mountain so I decided to come back this morning with my camera.


The view on the way up was great.


cedar waxwing


tree swallow


the lovely lazuli bunting

My trip to Texas started off with a bang when we pulled into my sister's driveway and saw this cool guy hanging out in her yard:


A Mississippi kite




I am calling this a black-chinned hummingbird, although it could be a ruby-throated...


gotta love the GBH


Green anole in my parent's yard


I dragged my parents and my niece to the Trinity River Audubon center south of Dallas... it was very cool. Lots of western kingbirds.


Western kingbird




Mourning doves




My favorite


Lots of painted buntings


Eastern kingbird

After arriving back in Portland I spent the afternoon at Mt. Tabor Park to kill some time. What a great park! Three hours there flew by and the place was hopping with birds!


Western wood pewee


I am thinking this is a hermit thrush, not a swainson's...


cool views


the lesser goldfinches were in abundance... fun to see them in their breeding plumage


Can you spot the brown creeper?

It was a great trip to Texas to see family, and a great afternoon birding in Portland on the way home. Lots of life birds to be had, including summer tanagers and yellow-billed cuckoos, and of course sightings of my old favorite the scissor-tailed flycatcher. No pics of them on this trip, but there is always next time.

Back on the home front, the chickadees have hatched in my nest box and make the sweetest little peeping sound when you put your ear close to the ventilation holes. The mom and dad have been busy going in and out, and so far the 1-1/8" diameter hole has been successful in keeping out the nosy house sparrows.