Hayden Island.

With the realization that it was NOT raining this morning I took a peek at the Oregon birding list to see where the action was...  I quickly came across the mention of a White-winged Scoter off Hayden Island and decided to head that way.

I found the big raft of birds exactly where they were supposed to be...


Scaups and grebes and scoters, oh my!  It was a bit like Where's Waldo while I scanned for the scoter...  I eventually found at least one...


I think this next one is a different one- looks lighter, maybe a female or a juvenile?


In this next shot you can see the scoter (in the center), at least three Horned Grebes, maybe nine Western Grebes, a Bufflehead, and a bunch of scaups...


I think I also found the Red-necked Grebe, but I'm not positive:

It looks very much like a 1st winter.. Wish it had been a bit closer!

So that makes it 179 birds for me, for the last year... Pretty sweet.  180 if anyone can verify that Red-necked Grebe!

I stopped by Force Lake on my way home... Not a lot of action but I did see this guy...

Can't go wrong with a Bald Eagle....

Comments

  1. Affirmative on the grebe...the female scoter is a Surf judging by the amount of white on the face and bill size/shape.

    Eagles are never wrong.

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  2. looks like a great time birding, some nice birds.

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  3. I went to Columbia Point yesterday after work. I joined three other birders that were already there; Tom, Lyn, and another fella i didn't get the name of.

    While i was there i did not see any Surf Scoters -- just the WW's. Lynn grabbed some sweet photos of the adult male and what appear to be female juveniles. You can view them at the link below and compare them to your observations.

    http://columbiariverimages.com/Birds/Trips/columbia_river_upstream_I-5_bridge_11-18-10.html

    We also had the Red Neck Grebes come in as well as a Common Loon.

    Anyway, as an aside -- do you even own a pair of binoculars? :)

    greg

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  4. Oh, i forgot about your question on the RN Grebe. Lyn got a picture of one as well. You can compare her image to your observations. It can be found --

    http://columbiariverimages.com/Birds/Birds/red-necked_grebe.html

    greg

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  5. Winter grebes and scaup are tough, and I don't get a lot of "practice" with them. But the tough ones are what makes birding so much fun. And suddenly you discover that you know, and wonder why you ever thought it so difficult

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