May Bird report

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Bird report for North West Pacific Coast, May 2006

As we approach 250 species on our North American bird list, it is becoming more difficult to find “new” species, especially as we have been in coastal habitat for most of the past 6 weeks. Outlined below are some of the wildlife highlights we have experienced on our travels north through Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island, not an exhaustive list of birds seen.

Ospreys and Bald Eagles have been seen almost daily, as have Common Loons. Other exciting sea and estuary birds have been Caspian Terns, Pigeon Guillemots, Red-necked Grebes, Rhinoceros Auklets, Horned Grebes, Marbled Murrelets, Harlequin Ducks, Black Oystercatchers and Common and Red-breasted Mergansers.

The whole of the west coast has been good for sea-lions and seals.
The High Desert of northern Oregon brought us our first ring-necked pheasant and black-billed magpies, both very common birds to us back at home in Norfolk. We also found Pronghorn Antelope here.

We met up with our old friends the migrating Sandhill Cranes just outside Portland at Sauvie Island, where there were also masses of migrating geese - Brant, Cackling and Canadas, with the odd Aleutian.
From the north Oregon coast northwards, we have met the Rufous Hummingbird, lots of elk, and far more shorebirds - Western and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Red Knot, Whimbrel, Killdeer, Dowitchers, Semi-palmated, Black-bellied and Pacific Golden Plovers.

It is more difficult to find smaller birds, but when we do spot them they are often very spectacular. Examples include Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Pine Siskin, Black-capped Chickadee, Winter Wren, Varied Thrush and Spotted Towhee.

Northern Flickers remain fairly common, as do many varieties of swallows and martins -Purple Martins, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows.

The most memorable birding sites include:-
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge - our first sightings of Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser, Greater White-fronted Goose and Common Yellowthroat.
North Olympic Peninsula Coast - sightings of Harlequin Ducks, Marbled Murrelets, Rhinocerous Auklets and Otters.
Mount Rainier - Clark’s Nutcracker and Gray Jay.
West Coast Vancouver Island - lots of otters, black bears, sea-lions, pine marten, as well as loons, grebes, shorebirds, eagles, ducks, mergansers, etc, etc.

Enjoy the pictures!

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Photos

Shorebirds
Western Sandpipers

Canada Geese
These are Cackling Geese and one or two Aleutians

Hooded Merganser
with green winged teal on the left