May 2014 – Pueblo Mountains
This owl was one of two chicks in a nest along Cottonwood Creek.
Great Horned Owl
May 2014 – Malheur National Wildlife Area
Just a few hours after the above photo… another Great Horned Owl nest. This one had older chicks and a mother bird keeping watch.
Great Horned Owl
May 2014 – Pueblo Mountains, Oregon
A much clearer photo of this often shy bird. I found these to be quite common in the higher-elevation sagebrush of the Pueblo Mountains. Perhaps that’s partly due to the isolated nature of the place.
Horned Lark
June 2004 – Mt. Townsend, WA
A Horned Lark, with his meal in beak… flying around the alpine meadows on top of Mt. Townsend in the Olympic Peninsula
Horned Lark
May 2014 – Pueblo Mountains, Oregon
This bird made only a brief appearance along Little Cottonwood Creek. While this seemed an unusual place to find this bird… it’s similar to the Western Wood Pewee, but note the slightly white buffed area on the back. It would be easier to identify from the other side.
Olive-sided Flycatcher
May 2014 – Hart Mountain NAR, Oregon
It was kind of strange seeing this bird in a hot desert area… perched in a bush. But, whatever… There are small bits of early summer wetlands in the Warner Valley, which is where this photo was taken.
Willet
May 2014 – Petroglyph Lake, Oregon
There were a number of Avocets at Petroglyph Lake, and I was able to sneak up a bit on them…
American Avocet
May 2012 – Lower Klamath Lake, California
Nice to see some Avocets on Lower Klamath Lake… Just couldn’t get much closer on this trip.
American Avocet
May 2014 – Champoeg State Park, Oregon
The Western Bluebirds in Champoeg State Park are likely some of the more well-known and well-photographed of their kind. All the birds I’ve seen there have leg bands, which means they were likely raised as chicks in this same location. There are nesting boxes set up all around the park, some not far from the walking paths. As a result, these normally skittish birds can be relatively tolerant of people.
Western Bluebird – Male
Western Bluebird populations have been declining in recent years due to a loss of habitat, and more to competition from more aggressive birds like the European Starling. But, at least this pair is trying to keep the species going… I, um… caught them in the act of making more Bluebirds (photo not shown, as this is a G-rated website)
Western Bluebird – Female
I spent a bunch of time chasing this bird from tree to tree to tree, and round back again.
Orange-crowned Warbler
An Orange-crowned Warbler flares its tail for a moment. Not the sharpest photo, but at the moment, the only one I have. This bird is common, but can be difficult to photograph, as it spends much of its time high in the treetops, and hardly stays still for a moment.
Orange-crowned Warbler
May 2014- Champoeg State Park, Oregon
A Violet-green Swallow stretches its wings. These birds look similar to the more common Tree Swallow, but note how the white surrounds most of the eye. This one was hanging out with a bunch of Tree Swallows.
Violet-green Swallow
June 2008 – Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
Smith Rock State Park is a great habitat for swallows. There are plenty of steep inaccessible nesting locations, and the nearby crooked river ensures a steady supply of insects for food, and water. This was another one of those opportunistic shots – the swallow just paused for a moment…
Violet-Green Swallow
May 2014 – Champoeg State Park, Oregon
This appears to be a Cooper’s Hawk, perhaps a year old – still with juvenile plumage. These hawks are a bit hard to identify, but this one was surely too big to be the similar Sharp-shinned Hawk. Cooper’s Hawks are Accipiters, whose primary prey are other birds. They are quick and nimble hunters, swooping through the trees to snag their prey.
Cooper’s Hawk
2003 – Hillsboro, Oregon
I’m fairly certain this is a Cooper’s Hawk… a female, possibly young male? The Sharp-shinned hawk looks similar, but is a bit smaller. So, without much else to go on, I’m going by size… even though there isn’t much to get a good scale on. If you have any other opinions, I’d love to hear them. Anyway, it was a fun little encounter – it just hung out on the lawn for a bit, then flew off.
Cooper’s Hawk
May 2014 – Cottonwood Canyon – John Day River, Oregon
I’ve seen these in many other places, but never managed to get a decent photo till now. This one was near the top of a juniper tree, but I managed to climb a nearby hillside to get a “bird’s eye view” as it were…
Townsend’s Warbler