Central Oregon.

Last week was kind of lame for me so I decided a weekend in the woods was in order.  I headed back to Sisters for a couple nights of camping and birding.  From what I hear, the weather was far better there than in Portland anyway, with stunning sunrises both mornings.


The first area I wanted to check out was near where I found a White-headed Woodpecker on my last visit, near the intersection of Forest Service Road 1018 and Highway 242.  I ended up visiting this area three times with great results.  First off, my first Black-backed Woodpecker!


Also in the area were lots of Hairy Woodpeckers:


...and a very cooperative White-headed Woodpecker!


And his other side...


I spent a lot of time letting the dogs drag me around the forest along Cold Springs Cutoff (FSR 1012).  I think they were just following chipmunk smells but we found some good birds too. 

My camera generally hates focusing on Western Bluebirds.  I don't get it really.  Here's one of the few shots I managed despite seeing dozens of them during my trip:


Yellow-rumped Warblers were by far the most abundant species...


Flickers were pretty thick too... [Oops, but this is not a photo of one... It's a female Williamson's Sapsucker.. thanks!]


I was stoked to find a Williamson's Sapsucker in practically the same spot I left one back in June, in a pose that seriously makes my neck hurt:


No wait, here's the painful one:


Ravens were everywhere, though not often posing for pictures. 


On this trip I found the local Pinyon Jays rather easily.  This one was digging deep under the bark of this branch...



Sadly, once again I found a Pygmy Nuthatch and only got terrible photos of it...


That was about it for birds, but I can't forget to mention the chipmunks, squirrels and deer that are everywhere...


And some other cool stuff around the area...


Oh and I lied, there's one more bird... On the drive home I stopped along the highway to look at some Gray Jays.  Bad photos.


Good times!!

Comments

  1. just one word - Jeh-Luss
    I've got to get back there! I am missing two of your woodpeckers from my list and that is not a good situation; it's a woodpecker wonderland over there. I may pester you for your sighting locations later on.
    Laura

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  2. What an awesome weekend! Great photos, especially the Pinyon Jay. I need that one.

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  3. Wow, great birding, and your photos are amazing as always!

    I think your flicker may be a female Williamson's...

    Our flicker (red-shafted) has a gray face and spots on its breast/belly, while the female Williamson's shows a yellowish face and has barring on her breast and sides. Without referencing Sibley, I wouldn't have been able to describe these features, but there's just a GISS (General Impression of Size and Shape, or in this case, color and pattern) about her that doesn't ring flicker to me.

    Good birding!

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  4. Jen, your photos are getting better and better!

    Rhett is right--your "flicker" is a female Williamson's Sapsucker. The males and females are so different that they were described as separate species for a number of years!

    Greg

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  5. @Rhett- thank you for the correction! I had actually considered female Williamson's but I didn't think it looked like the one in Sibley's...

    @Greg- interesting!!

    @Laura- pester anytime!

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  6. Awesome series of photos. You've got two there that I've not been able to see yet...Black-backed Woodpecker and Pinyon Jay.

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  7. Wow, I love all the woodies, especially the white headed one. And your mosaics are awesome. Your doggies are cute, I am glad you included their photos too.

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  8. Jen, this post has to be one of your best in regard to number of species and quality of photos! Very impressive work! The second white-headed is my fav of the bunch but they're all really super.

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