Summertime motorless birding.

I have been majorly slacking this summer on the motorless birding.  I realized I only added a couple birds to my year list in June and ZERO in July.   Oops.  So yesterday I headed out on my bike to Troutdale to hopefully add some new birds.  I stopped along the Columbia River to look at a heron majestically posing in front of the sunrise and noticed a little Common Merganser family...


The next distraction I encountered was a recently roadkilled skunk on Marine Drive.  I could seriously poke dead stuff ALL day long.  It fascinates me to no end.  Plus this guy was adorable:


I also stopped to watch a couple of Osprey attempt to perch on the same piling with a large fish.  Eventually one Osprey won the spot and the other flew around calling (the "winner" was under attack by Purple Martins though, and decided to take off with the fish).  Here's the "loser":


And a bad shot of the winner, just to show the size of the fish...


Eventually I made it to Troutdale, stopping along Sundial Road to check out a family of Lazuli Buntings, the first new motorless birds of the day.


One thing I learned yesterday was that sometimes families of Lazuli Buntings sound an awful lot like Bushtits.  Weird.

I pedaled on to the bike path that leads to the Troutdale Sewage Treatment Plant.  Woohoo!  While scanning the pond I heard a Wrentit singing from the blackberries behind me- another new motorless bird!  The swallows were putting on a show, perching on the fence and even creeping on the bike path.


This area has become a good spot for Bank Swallows, with much talk about them likely nesting near here.  I managed to find a couple, like this one perched on the fence...


My third and final new motorless bird for the day!   On the ride home I stopped to look at a couple of Turkey Vultures relaxing on a telephone pole.  I rarely see them perched around here so this was cool.


That's about it from my morning ride... I still have a number of gaps in my list that I SHOULD have by now- harrier, Redhead, meadowlark, Caspian Tern... Hopefully I'll get out again soon!  Good times!!


Comments

  1. Jen, glad you are adding to your motorless list. That Osprey does have a big fish. I love the last scene, very pretty. Happy Birding.

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  2. Cool stuff. That skunk is a cutie and, I must admit, I always kinda liked that sour skunk smell.

    That second Osprey certainly is a winner. It's bananas how they manage to fly away with a fish that must weigh three times, or more, what they weigh.

    Your last shot is an absolute stunner.

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  3. You have a knack for finding dead things, that's for sure. It *is* rare to see TV perched. Cool. Love that last scenic shot! I've hardly been birding at all lately...I need to get out more.

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  4. Wow, that is one big fish the Osprey has; good thing they carry them in the optimal aerodynamic position:) Love that last scenic shot; fabulous!

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  5. Jen you put us all to shame...your tireless efforts always pay off and I know you enjoy every moment, as much as we enjoy reading about it! WOW that was a big fish...quite a load to fly off with. The landscape at the finish is really sweet love the processing!! Awww for the poor skunk..:o(

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