New yard photos!

Here are a few recent photos from our yard. The Rufous Hummingbird still comes around everyday. The Juncos, Pine Siskins, Towhee and Varied Thrush are still hanging around. Pretty late in the year for them to be around, but we'll take them!

Here is a very odd looking Bushtit. Notice how brown his head is and how distinctive the line between his head and body are? Is this normal?



A male Anna's Hummingbird at one of our feeders.



2 male House Finches eating some black-oil Sunflower Seed.

A Yellow-Rumped Warbler through our office window. I wish it was more clear, but the rain and double-pane glass wouldn't afford that.


A Townsend's Warbler feeding on the ground.


One of the many Hawks that come through the yard on a weekly basis. This one is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.


A Robin getting ready to bathe.


A Robin bathing!


A small flock of Bushtits.

Snow...Round 2

Well, it snowed again here in Portland. About 2 inches fell last night, and boy, did it bring the birds in! We woke up this morning to a yard overflowing with birdies. The Lincoln's Sparrow was back (he hasn't been here since the last snow) and the Warblers were back in force. It's over half melted now but it was sure pretty while it lasted. Here are some photos from the yard. Hope you enjoy.

For the last week or so, we have only been seeing about 5-10 Juncos in the yard. Today, we easily had 40. We just need to snow to come in and fill the yard back up.


2 of the 5 or 6 Yellow-Rumped Warblers that are in the yard full time.


A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet was nice enough to pose for a close-up.


We are now getting 4-5 Townsend's Warblers in the yard during the day, too.


Such gorgeous birds.


The Yellow-Rumped Warblers feed more on the ground than they do on the suet.


The House Finches seem to be getting their breeding plumage.


A Chestnut-Backed Chickadee and a Red-Breasted Nuthatch sharing some suet.


We have been seeing more of the Bushtits recently. They weren't coming around very much in the last month or so.


This morning, there were dozens and dozens of Pine Siskins and Lesser and American Goldfinches on the thistle feeders. I know the thistle sacks look dirty, but I assure you that they are washed regularly.


A Song Sparrow, 2 House Sparrows, Golden-Crowned Sparrow and a White-Crowned Sparrow.


This morning, Michelle heard a loud crash against our living room window. A Pine Siskin had struck the window pretty hard. When I went out to get him, we were both sure that he wasn't going to make it. He was on his side and his legs looked mangled. We picked him up, put him in a box and gave him some food and water. After about 20 minutes, I opened the box to see if he was still alive and, WHOOSH, he flew out of it and into the garage. It took us about 10 minutes to catch him and release him in the backyard. He flew off and seemed to be completely recovered.


A Towhee, Golden-Crowned Sparrow and a House Sparrow.


As we were in the office watching birds through the window, we heard another crash against the window, but this time, the crash came from the inside. Apparently, our cat Gem didn't like the idea of a squirrel on our window ledge. So she threw herself against the window got tangled in the blinds and made one heck of a racket while doing it.


Then, one of our dogs, Black Top, got in on the action. At first, he didn't seem to know what it was or what to do.

Then, he threw himself against the window. The squirrel shot of the ledge and ran into a nearby tree, thankful to have made it out alive!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Good morning to everyone! I have been a bad, bad blogger the last week. I can't believe I let 8 days go by without posting. Sorry about that.

The Great Backyard Bird Count of 2009 starts Feb. 13th and runs for 4 days. It's another chance for birders from all over the US and Canada to help ornithologists get a glimpse of where birds are all around the country during those 4 days. It might not seem like much but this information is invaluable to scientists and the birding community, not to mention the birds! This is by far the easiest citizen science project there is.

All you have to do is count birds for at least 15 minutes during one of those four days (longer if you like!), count the greatest number of any species you see at one time and then you just go to the GBBC's website and enter the info into the system. Very simple and, best of all, it's completely free! You can count from anywhere you like (i.e. backyard, local birding hot spot, park) and you can bird as many places as you like. Last year, I think I went to 10 different spots in the area. Just remember to turn in a separate count for each area.

So, I'm challenging all of you readers out there to commit to at least 15 minutes of bird counting over the 4 days and then submit your results. I'll beg if I have to! I would especially like the local Oregon birders to get involved. Are you with me? I hope that sound is a collective nodding.

Anyway, I'll post more info as the date draws closer. But for now, you can check out their website http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ and have a look for yourself. Take care and good birding!

Here are some photos from the yard and a couple of spots around Portland.

The Townsend's Warblers are in the yard all day long now.

They definitely add some color to the yard.

The Yellow-Rumped Warblers are also in the yard all day.

I counted 5 Yellow-Rumped at one time a couple of days ago.

This is at a local duck pond, near Michelle's office. This is a domestic duck but what is up with those feathers? We haven't ever seen that before.

Flicker tongue!

A female Lesser Scaup in breeding plumage. Taken just behind Michelle's office in Beaverton.

House Finch on one of the bird baths.

House Finches galore!

Mr. Hummy looking as cool as ever.

A Red-Tailed Hawk at the duck pond.

These were all American Wigeons. There were so many of them that they made the water look like it was boiling.

A Blue Heron, also behind Michelle's office.

A Greylag (domestic) Goose keeping it's eye on us.

A female Brewer's Blackbird.

Here are a few photos from our BirdCam.

Finally caught the Spotted Towhee!

A White-Crowned Sparrow

House Finch, Song Sparrow and a House Sparrow.

A lonely Song Sparrow wondering why the $#&*% squirrel knocked the feeding tray off!

BirdCam Photos

Here are some recent photos from our BirdCam. We hope everyone had a great start to their New Year and we hope you enjoy the pics! We set the camera up on the ground in the very back part of the yard, by a bramble pile we have set up for the birds.

A White-Crowned Sparrow


Red-Shafted Northern Flicker


A Dark-Eyed Junco


Steller's Jay


A Yellow-Rumped Warbler


A Golden-Crowned Sparrow


A Song Sparrow


What're you lookin' at??