Cedar Waxwing at Jackson Bottom Wetlands, Hillsboro, Oregon on 23 June 2010 by Greg Gillson.It's finally stopped raining! ...At least for a couple of days... Birds are busy with their family duties here at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon.
One interesting species here at the Wetlands is the BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD. It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds and lets the foster parents raise their young. This week we've observed both LESSER GOLDFINCHES and HOUSE FINCHES with juvenile cowbirds following them begging for food--indicating two of the local host species so far.
A surprise bird was a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD that put in a brief appearance in the wetlands on June 23. There are no definite previous records for the Preserve. This species is a rare almost-annual late spring migrant in wetlands in Washington County.
Here is this week's list of observed birds.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Hooded Merganser
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Pied-billed Grebe
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch