Memorial Day weekend at Malheur: Part 2

Black-necked Stilt near Hines, Oregon on 29 May, 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

[Click to read all Memorial Day weekend at Malheur posts.]

Malheur birding starts in the sister towns of Hines and Burns, Oregon. Burns is about 180 miles west of Boise, Idaho or about 125 miles east of Bend, Oregon (about 300 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon). [See the list of backyard birds of Burns.]

The agricultural fields immediately south of Burns and east of Hines are filled with large photogenic wading birds in late May. These include Sandhill Cranes, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts (above), Long-billed Curlews, Willets, Wilson's Snipes, White-faced Ibises, Wilson's Phalaropes, Great Egrets, and others. Yellow-headed Blackbirds sing from the fence rows. Black Terns hawk insects over the marshes. Redheads, Canvasbacks, Cinnamon Teals, and other ducks are found in every pond.

You may also see Coyotes, Badgers, Mule Deer, Porcupines, Belding's Ground Squirrels, Least Chipmunks, Kangaroo Mice, Pronghorn Antelope, and perhaps Wild Mustangs in the surrounding area.

Wilson's Snipe on fencepost overlooking flooded fields near Hines, Oregon on 25 May, 2007 by Greg Gillson.

Backyard birds of... Burns, Oregon

Red-winged Blackbird and Yellow-headed Blackbird, Hines, Oregon on 10 May 2008 by Larry Hammond.


 
The following common yardbirds are found in Burns and Hines, Oregon. To a large degree this list applies to many towns in the Great Basin eco-region.

The seasons listed are those when most common, though some individuals may occur at other seasons.

California Quail, year round
Red-tailed Hawk, year round
Rufous Hummingbird, spring, summer
Black-chinned Hummingbird, spring, summer
Eurasian Collard-Dove, year round
Rock Pigeon, year round
Mourning Dove, summer
Say's Phoebe, spring, summer, fall
Steller's Jay, winter
American Crow, spring, summer, fall
Townsend's Solitaire, winter
American Robin, year round
Varied Thrush, winter
Cedar Waxwing, fall, winter, spring
European Starling, year round
Orange-crowned Warbler, spring, fall
Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, spring, fall
Spotted Towhee, spring, fall
Lark Sparrow, spring
Lincoln's Sparrow, spring, fall
Song Sparrow, spring, fall
White-crowned Sparrow, fall, winter, spring
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco, winter
Bullock's Oriole, summer
Yellow-headed Blackbird, spring
Red-winged Blackbird, spring, summer, fall
Brewer's Blackbird, spring
House Finch, year round
Cassin's Finch, spring, summer, fall
Lesser Goldfinch, year round
American Goldfinch, year round
House Sparrow, year round

Less common birds:
Cooper's Hawk, fall, winter
Sharp-shinned Hawk, fall, winter
Great Horned Owl, year round
Western Kingbird, summer
Western Scrub-Jay, year round
Black-capped Chickadee, winter
Mountain Chickadee, winter
Bohemian Waxwing, winter
Nashville Warbler, spring
Golden-crowned Sparrow, spring, fall
Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco, winter
Pine Siskin, winter (irruptive, not common every year)

Because Burns and Hines are on the edge of huge wetlands, there are many birds often seen flying over local backyards:
Canada Goose, year round
Ross's Goose, spring
Snow Goose, spring
Turkey Vulture, spring, summer, fall
Northern Harrier, summer
Bald Eagle, winter
Golden Eagle, year round
Swainson's Hawk, spring, summer, fall
Prairie Falcon, year round
American Kestrel, year round
Greater and Lesser Sandhill Crane, spring
Ring-billed Gull, spring, summer, fall
Franklin's Gull, spring, summer, fall
Northern Raven, year round


This list was provided by Steve Dowlan who lives in Hines, Oregon. Be sure to visit Steve's photo site at Dowlan's Photography Log.

Thanks, also, to Larry Hammond for his great photo of the blackbirds from his backyard in Hines, Oregon.