Jackson Bottom birds: July 16-22, 2010

Northern Flicker, Jackson Bottom Wetlands, Hillsboro, Oregon on 19 July 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

Earlier this spring a few American Kestrel nest boxes were donated to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon. This week we noted that one of the nest boxes was occupied. No, not by kestrels. Instead, this nestling NORTHERN FLICKER (above) was peeking out begging for food.

Another exciting news item to report is that the nestling BALD EAGLE made its first flight on July 19.

Signs of fall migration picked up this week with numerous shorebirds, including about 30 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and a lone RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. On July 18 an adult BONAPARTE'S GULL put in a one-day appearance.

Here is this week's list of birds.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ruddy Duck
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull
California Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Free bird walk Wednesdays

Northern Flicker, Jackson Bottom Wetlands, Hillsboro, Oregon on 8 March 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

It seems quite early, but this Northern Flicker apparently already is excavating a nesting cavity.

This bird is just one of the 55 species seen this morning on an impromptu bird walk at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Wednesdays are going to be my free bird walk days, going forward...

From 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays I will lead bird walks at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve (map) from the Education Center. We'll start this week, March 10 and 17, then skip a few weeks and start again regularly on April 21. We'll walk liesurely on up to 3 miles of wetland trails (can be a bit muddy, but no wading).

For one hour at noon (starting April 7) is Wednesday's regular Lunch With The Birds. For this community program I'll set up scopes on the back deck of the Jackson Bottom Education Center and greet visitors and answer their bird questions as we watch the many birds visible from that new location. Until then we will still meet at the North View Shelter, which provides distant views of the Bald Eagle nest.

Then, starting March 24, I will lead a free Wednesday bird walk at the Hillsboro Library Main Branch (map), from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. This is near the Hillsboro Airport off Brookwood Parkway, and we'll walk a mile or so of the paved walkways around Dawson Creek Corporate Park. Many ducks winter here, and some are residents, including the striking Wood Ducks. Acorn Woodpeckers have a large colony in the swale behind the park. Park on the north side near the Bike Pavillion.

Attendance is limited to about 15 persons for the Jackson Bottom and the Hillsboro Library bird walks, so advanced registration is requested. Send email to Greg Gillson at greg@thebirdguide.com to see if space is available.

I hope to see you at one of these activities on Wednesdays!

What bird is that?... Questions and answers

Question: (June 6) "Hello Greg,
My son and I spotted a unique bird in our backyard. Can you identify this from the attached picture?
Thanks,"

Mike, location not given

Answer: I do, indeed, recognize the silhouette, Mike. That's a Northern Flicker.

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Question: (May 30) "Greg, Thanks for your web site. It's very educational and very well laid out.
I work in Salem, Oregon and generally see the same birds that I see in my Portland neighborhood, but last week, I was walking back to my office around 12:30 p.m. and heard a bird song that I'd not heard before. I immediately assumed it was a warbler and I still believe so but I cannot put the song to the bird. I have listened to every warbler song on-line that I might expect in our area and cannot match it. Can you help?
The bird was singing in a mature purple-leaved plum so not a huge tree perhaps singing8-10' up in the tree. I never saw the bird while it was singing. I cautiously circled the tree (going out into the street and across the street to try to see it, but no luck seeing the bird!). This is an area of high-density buildings both government and apartments with heavily-parked lots and lots of pedestrians. There are many mature trees and shrubs around these buildings, however. The purple-leaved plums are the street trees on this street.
The song was fairly fast-paced, sounding more like a Warbling Vireo than any warbler song that I can I.D.
It eventually flushed and flew away from me and I could see that it was warbler sized with a flash of yellow on the rump and perhaps olive. It definitely wasn't a Lesser Goldfinch or an American Goldfinch. It wasn't their song.
Any ideas? The bird was solitary and flew into a large red maple row against a large apartment. I had started to draw a crowd with my cautious movements and my staring into the tree! I thought I better get back to work so didn't see the bird again. I've never seen a Warbling Vireo as I'm mainly a back-yard birder. Could it have been a Warbling Vireo with the yellowish rump? Such a sweet but vigorous song in such an urban area.
Thanks for your help, Greg."

Steve in SW Portland, Oregon

Answer: Steve, while Warbling Vireo is certainly possible at the time and place your saw this bird, the description of the yellow rump just doesn't fit. Thus, I would suggest that it is the most abundant migrant in western Oregon during the spring. Guess what? It has a yellow rump in its name! There are two races of Yellow-rumped Warblers and both migrate through the Pacific NW, Myrtle breeds farther north and starts migrating as early as March, and Audubon's starts in May, but both occur through spring. The voices, both calls and songs, are different. Many recordings are of the more widespread (common in the East) Myrtle Warbler. So make sure you are listening to the correct bird recording. Listen to the Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler songs on Cornell's "All About Birds" online field guide site.

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Question: (June 3) "Hello Greg - I'm going nuts trying to discover the author of a fantastical call that I hear all day, every day right now. Here's my best description of it:
A single high-pitched, upwardly rising note, that spirals upward in three "loops", ending in a shimmery, echoing glissando effect. I am referring to this unseen bird as the Ventriloquist due to the amazing shimmery finish at the end, like water ripples spreading. It seems that between these beautiful calls, the bird hops around and makes a tiny, quiet, single "po" call. Then the upward-spiralling call again and again. It's so beautiful. I recall hearing it all last Summer and it just started again a few weeks ago.
Today I saw a classic LBB (little brown bird!) in the vicinity of the call... Looked just like a Hermit Thrush or so, with large eye and needle-sharp insectivore bill. Buff color with some speckles at the throat and barely lighter buff belly.
Any hope of IDing this masterpiece? I am always trying to get a glimpse of the singer but the bird is very, very shy. I live near a forested wetland with tons of cover. Lots of Robins around and lots of other birds too. (blog link below) If you can help me, it would be just wonderful. If not, I totally understand!! Thanks for reading this. Sincerely,"

Bonnie in Quilcene, Washington
http://back2theland.blogspot.com

Answer: What a beautiful and accurate description of the song of Swainson's Thrush! Most people have a very difficult time describing a bird song or call, but you nailed it, Bonnie! The spotted thrush with buff underparts is Swainson's and not Hermit Thrush. Hermit Thrushes have more gray underparts and breed in the high mountains (spruce and true fir) and those that breed in Alaska will winter in your lowland woods. Hermit have rusty rump and uppertail. Swainson's Thrushes are rare north of Mexico before mid-April and head back down there in September when their distinctive "whit" and "heep" calls are heard overhead during their night migration. Swainson's Thrushes may be one of the most abundant birds in riparian foothill clear cut regions of red alders before the Douglas fir grow up too much. The other abundant birds in Swainson's Thrush habitat are Wilson's Warblers and Warbling Vireos. Listen to Swainson's Thrush song in Cornell's "All About Birds" field guide.

What bird is that?... Questions and answers

Send your queries about Pacific Northwest bird identification or behavior or other topics. I'll do my best to figure out what you saw. I'll do some research. Then I'll write an article to answer your question. If you have a certain question, no doubt others will, too, and appreciate knowing the answer. My goal will be to do one Q & A article each week, answering all the questions I receive that week. I'll just use your first name and city in my answers. If you send photos I will likely use them (perhaps cropping and adjusting exposure for the web) so others can see what you are seeing.

Send questions to me using this link: PNWBB Q & A

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Question: "Hey Greg, My name is Mark.. and I live in... Lake Oswego. I was just looking out my rear window 2 stories up into a large Big Leaf Maple and saw what I thought was a Solitary Vireo (which one I am not sure, Cassin's?) but it had a red patch on the top of its head. This startled me, so I tried to find photos or mention of a red headed vireo but there doesn't seem to be such a thing....do you know what it was I saw? Greenish with white wing bars and buff colored underneath, belly and breast. Don't currently have access to my bird books. TIA, Mark"

Mark in Lake Oswego, OR

Answer: A small green bird such as you describe could be a vireo, as you first guessed, Mark. Both Cassin's and Hutton's vireos match your description in the Pacific Northwest--except for one important detail as you discovered--vireos do not have red crowns! A small green bird that does have a red crown is Orange-crowned Warbler. They are very common in spring migration (right now) and through the summer in the West. However, they do not show obvious white wingbars as you describe. That leaves the tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet (as shown in the thumbnail to the left; click for a larger view). Now, only the males have the red crown. And as in the Orange-crowned Warbler, the red only shows when the bird raises its crown feathers. This happens when they are aggitated--perhaps when displaying before a female or when upset about an intruder into their territory.

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Question: "Hi Greg, I spotted this wonderful bird having a mid-afternoon meal in my garden. What beautiful markings he/she had. I’ve not seen birds like this here before.... Can you tell me what species it is? Thank so much."

Claudia in Portland, OR

Answer: Your bird is a male Northern Flicker, Claudia, a type of woodpecker. They are often found on the ground eating ants--their favorite food! We have an article on that bird here: In the backyard... Northern Flicker.

What bird is that?... Questions and answers

Send your queries about Pacific Northwest bird identification or behavior or other topics. I'll do my best to figure out what you saw. I'll do some research. Then I'll write an article to answer your question. If you have a certain question, no doubt others will, too, and appreciate knowing the answer. My goal will be to do one Q & A article each week, answering all the questions I receive that week. I'll just use your first name and city in my answers. If you send photos I will likely use them (perhaps cropping and adjusting exposure for the web) so others can see what you are seeing.

Send questions to me using this link: PNWBB Q & A

This week's questions seem to have repeating themes. All four questions this week came from Washington, two from Bellingham, two were American Robins, and two were birds nesting in evergreen wreaths on the front door!

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Question: "Our fresh Christmas [wreath] did great through the winter so we left it hanging on our front door. About 3 to 4 weeks ago I noticed activities of a robin around the wreath. I thought it was picking up tweaks to build its nest until later I found out that it was actually building a nest on the Wreath. There were 3 eggs in the nest and the mother bird has been with them at times... We restrained from using our front door but. The garage door is located in the front of the house. Every time the garage door opens and closes it still alarms the bird and it flies away. With the bird being gone so often and at times for a prolonged period of time would the eggs hatch? I thought about bringing the nest with the wreath to show my daughter's kindergarten class. I hesitated because she hasn't given up her eggs yet. Sound pretty silly questions but please educate me on this. Thank you!"

A mom in Olympia, WA

Answer: Robins are quite tolerant of human disturbance. Once the eggs are laid the mother bird will be less likely to leave the nest. You are correct, though, that the eggs may fail if they cool off too much while the adults are flushed away from their nest. Robins may attempt to renest up to 3 times in a season. It is their way of assuring offspring as, on average, only 2 nestlings live to adulthood to replace the parents every 4-6 years or so--the average life span of an adult bird. One thing to keep in mind, though. It is illegal to possess the nest, eggs, feathers, or body of birds in the US without a license. Thus, taking the old nest to your child's school, while an excellent nature lesson, is a bad citizen lesson! Perhaps you can find a volunteer at a local Audubon Society that has the proper permits and collection for a fun school assembly show-and-tell.

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Question: "Hi Greg - I have a wreath on my front porch a small brown/beige bird has made a nest in. There are three blue eggs in the nest. Is there any way to identify what kind of bird it is? Thanks."

Linda in Seattle, WA

Answer: I believe your bird--if not an American Robin as above--is the House Finch. The female is all brown, while the male has a red forehead and breast. The eggs will hatch about 3 weeks after they are laid and the young will leave the nest about 3 weeks after that. See: In the backyard... House Finch.

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Question: "I live in Bellingham and have heard a distinct pre dawn song for years. I used to listen it when I was burning the midnight oil in college, when I heard it I knew I needed to kick it up a notch to complete my paper. Recently I was walking to my car at 4:30 and noted the same measured warble. What bird would most likely produce this pre-dawn song in this area? I wish I had a recording of it but I don't."

W in Bellingham, Washington

Answer: The earliest riser and one of the first singers in spring, is the American Robin. See: In the backyard... American Robin. You can find a recording of the song on the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's web site: All about birds: American Robin. Another bird that might sing early in the pre-dawn in April is White-crowned Sparrow.

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Question: "Can you help identify a bird for us? We live in a rural area outside Bellingham and have several different types of birds from small to the larger Robins and even ducks and some geese. The bird in question is a "robin" sized greyish bird, that looks in many ways like a dove, with a distinctive black bib on its chest and robin red colors under its wings."

David outside Bellingham, WA

Answer: David, your bird is In the backyard... Northern Flicker.

In the backyard... Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker, Rood Bridge Park, Hillsboro, Oregon on 13 March 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 

Like the tale of the blind men describing an elephant, a new birder seeing this bird for the first time may be confused as to the identity of this unusual woodpecker. Will they note the robin-sized brown bird with black bars on the back probing on the ground with a long bill? Will they note the flashing orange wing and tail linings and white rump as it flushes away? Will they see a large white-breasted bird with round black spots and a black crescent on the chest sitting on their fence? Or will a person only "discover" this bird as an unwelcome spring dawn alarm clock, declaring its territory by drumming loudly and incessantly on their home's downspouts or siding?

This widespread woodpecker breeds in woods and forests across North America from the treeline of Alaska and northern Canada south to Cuba and through Mexico. They retreat from northern areas in winter. Two forms formerly considered separate species, Yellow-shafted Flicker and Red-shafted Flicker, were lumped in the 1970's into one species, Northern Flicker.

The breeding form in the Pacific NW is the "Red-shafted" form, with salmon-colored (pinkish-orange) wing and tail linings. The face is gray with brownish crown. Males, such as the one pictured above, have a red malar (moustache) stripe. The form found in eastern North America has yellowish wing and tail linings. The face is brownish with a gray crown and a red nape mark. Males have a black malar stripe. These forms intergrade in the Great Plains and western Canada. Birds from these intergrade zones show odd or contradictory combinations of facial markings or yellow-orange wing linings. These appear in the Pacific Northwest primarily in fall and winter. "Pure" Yellow-shafted Flickers are rare in the West.

Flickers spend as much time on the ground eating ants as they do on trees. You may attract flickers to your backyard feeders by offering suet or a peanuts. Flickers readily accept nest boxes built about 18-24 inches tall, with a floor of 7.25 x 7.25 inches, and an entry hole with a diameter of 2-1/2 inches about 14 inches from the bottom. Place nest boxes in the shade at a height of 8 feet or more. Search the web for "flicker nest box plans."