I wanted to do some local birding this morning so headed to my nearest wildlife area, Smith & Bybee Lakes. I was also hoping to spot the Red-shouldered Hawk seen yesterday. Dipped on the hawk, but finally saw the hundreds of pelicans and egrets hanging out at the lakes.
I left Smith & Bybee and headed to Kelley Point Park so I could walk the dogs for a bit. We started our walk on the beach along the Willamette where I wasn't expecting to see many birds. I was surprised to find lots of birds, especially a tolerant Pileated Woodpecker...
Chickadees and warblers were moving through the area also. The rain made for some fuzzy photos...
Black-throated Gray Warbler
While I was watching the warblers, I saw the woodpecker come flying out of the trees with another bird in hot pursuit. The woodpecker flew straight over the Willamette towards Sauvie Island and the other bird turned around and returned to a nearby tree. It was a robin. Really? A Pileated Woodpecker can be chased away by a robin?? Wuss.
Here's something I've never seen get chased away by a robin:
Yeah snails! Also at Kelley Point I saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, my first of the season... Good times!
I left Smith & Bybee and headed to Kelley Point Park so I could walk the dogs for a bit. We started our walk on the beach along the Willamette where I wasn't expecting to see many birds. I was surprised to find lots of birds, especially a tolerant Pileated Woodpecker...
Chickadees and warblers were moving through the area also. The rain made for some fuzzy photos...
While I was watching the warblers, I saw the woodpecker come flying out of the trees with another bird in hot pursuit. The woodpecker flew straight over the Willamette towards Sauvie Island and the other bird turned around and returned to a nearby tree. It was a robin. Really? A Pileated Woodpecker can be chased away by a robin?? Wuss.
Here's something I've never seen get chased away by a robin:
Yeah snails! Also at Kelley Point I saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, my first of the season... Good times!
Thanks for the lovely illustration of this area. I've just come back to the Northwest after many years away in California, and your posts are beautiful and instructive in terms of places I must get out to see. I miss my egrets and pelicans from the Bay Area. It's great to know where I can see them up here.
ReplyDeleteJen, it sounds like a great birdie day for you. The white Pelicans are cool lookin birds and the Pileated is always a favorite of mine. I guess the kinglets will be showing up here soon too. Great post and photos.
ReplyDeleteLaura and I stopped at Force Lake and Smith/Bybee yesterday. We saw MANY shorebirds at S/B, but no pelicans! And we didn't see a red shouldered hawk, although Laura kept hoping we'd see a falcon hunt a shorebird, but we never did. It was still a nice walk and we missed the rain!
ReplyDeleteA Pileated up close and personal! Very cool.
ReplyDeleteCool shot of the woodpecker! So jealous.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful surroundings and some worthy bird sightings, too. Glad to know I'm not the only one who tries to juggle dogwalking, birding and photography at one time...
ReplyDelete