Sleeping in the Forest

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.