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Tag Archives: birding

Just a Few More Birds

On the trip to see cranes and Snow Geese, I saw about sixty bird species. There should have been more but I was pretty focused on the big charismatic birds. I did get a few photos of the others – Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels and Bewick’s Wrens. The hawks and kestrels were setting up their territories and we saw the hawks’ nest. The kestrels probably had a tree cavity staked out. You can see in one picture, that the female kestrel had found some good food nearby.

I remember the first time I saw a Bewick’s Wren in SE Washington probably more than twenty years ago. At the time they were considered unusual for this area. Now they seem widespread in eastern WA. I don’t know about the rest of the state. It used to be that Marsh Wrens were common but I haven’t seen one in years. Maybe I’m just not getting to the right habitat at the right time.

Snow Geese

I went a ways south a couple weeks ago in search of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. It was time for the cranes to arrive in central Washington and I knew the geese had wintered there so I figured it would be a good time to see these charismatic birds. The dogs and I stayed at Potholes State Park in our new little travel trailer. (I forgot to make a photo of it. Next time.) This area is known for the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project and the geologic story of the Ice Age Floods.

I first saw some Snow Geese when I crossed O’Sullivan dam, the structure that holds the Potholes Reservoir in place. They formed a dense white mat in the distance. I was able to photograph them from a hill above the dam. Later, I saw skeins of them flying overhead going north and south but mostly north. The next day, we made our way to Royal Lake and I was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Snow Geese and more were arriving from the south! I had heard there were about 50,000 of them but seeing this spectacle, I’d say there were far more. It seemed impossible to count them. In addition to the Snow Geese, there many 1000’s of Northern Pintails and other waterfowl on the water.

Family Photos

Family photo sessions are always special, especially with my favorite loons. I hope to see them again soon.

Spring Birding

The girls and I had a field trip day at the big river this week. Somehow, we picked the nicest day ever this year, so far. It got up to 64 and sunny with clear blue skies! I had hoped we might see or hear some cranes but no luck. I feel like they are late getting up here. We did see many herons and cormorants on their nests and flying back and forth. Also, a few raptors, lots of ducks, some loons (maybe some that we see during the summer in the Highlands?), killdeer, many blackbirds, a pair of grebes I have not identified (probably Horned or Eared) and others. And a beaver. Willow found lots of sticks and stinky things. And she likes to watch birds. Sky really just enjoyed the day, getting in and out of the river and finding her own sticks. If you look closely at the big nest near the end, you will see the top of the head of its resident.

Those Golden Eyes

Female goldeneyes are always hard for me to ID. There are two kinds – Barrow’s and Common. The males are easy to separate so if I see a female and male together, I often assume they are the same species. Last week we saw two females, one with ducklings and one on her own. Looking at the All About Birds site from Cornell University, I think both of these are Barrow’s Goldeneyes. But I could be wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time.