Newport, OR.

I spent the day in Newport checking out the grebes and scoters and loons and such... I had remarkable luck and took way more photos that I've taken on a day trip in a loooonng time!  I headed straight to the South Jetty...

...and was rewarded with a Pigeon Guillemot!


I saw a LOT of Common Loons today in various stages of molt... This fella had a snack:


At the Hatfield Marine Science Center, a Western Gull chose the salad for breakfast.


I walked the nearby Newport fishing pier and found some great birds...



Another Common Loon but super close up!  Those red eyes really pop!



At one point I stopped to take a (terrible) photo of a cormorant perched on the bridge- I looked down and there were two Harlequin Ducks directly below me!


After that I headed over to the bayfront and walked around one of the docks.  There were a bunch of Mew Gulls bobbing around...


There were quite a few Surf Scoters around, many of which seemed to be first winter males:


Of course there were some ladies also...



There was a lone White-winged Scoter hanging around also...


There were a variety of grebes represented including my first Clark's Grebe for 2011:


Other grebes included a Western Grebe...


...an Eared Grebe...


...and of course some Horned Grebes.


Now for the highlight of my day... A Common Loon in full on breeding plumage!!!


So awesome!!



Now that was a perfect trip!!

Comments

  1. Great shots! The bay harbor is one of my favs.

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  2. That loon is excellent. It's really exciting when you see them so far along in their molt - it's enough to convince you that they really ARE that cool yodeling bird of the north after all!

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  3. Great pictures send some of them down to me. Looks like spring has sprung at your place.

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  4. What a trip!! Thats one super loon shot--love to see that black head and the Polka DOTS--excellent bunch of grebes--so cool to see the tuft behind the eye on that eared Grebe--

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  5. What a great day you had! I love the Loons. We have to travel a little further north to the Adirondacks to catch a glimpse of them.

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  6. I'm just starting to try and identify gulls- that Mew Gull is beautiful.

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