This week.

Let's start with Monday's typical spring weather:  rain, sun, and hail.  I walked out of Fred Meyer to find a lovely double rainbow and stopped to take a photo with my cell phone.  I got in my car and looked back at the entrance- every single person that walked out that door whipped out their phones and did the same.  Even old men you might not think had a cell phone. 


We Portlanders sure love our rainbows.

While I was in San Diego Mountain Bluebirds began migrating through town.  I tried a couple times to track one down, following reports on both Larch Mountain and Powell Butte.  No luck, only Westerns.


The amount of logging that is going on at Larch Mountain is wild.  Every time I visit there are new bare patches of land.  This one is not as recent, and at least has some small trees growing.


My friend and I walked up past where the main road is closed for winter to hide my wildlife camera.   Hopefully it caught something good or at least interesting...

On Wednesday evening I walked the dogs and checked in on my local owl nest. 


Surprise!  Two big fluffy owlets!


I checked on them last night just after dusk and I got to see one of the parents feeding one of the owlets, while the other cried it's head off.  Neato!

My Powell Butte bluebird search was less successful, in that zero bluebirds of any kind were seen.  I did find a Merlin near the orchard...



Yesterday I went down to Fern Ridge Reservoir, with a stop in Alvadore to finally see the local Northern Mockingbird.  There were a lot of distractions along the way...



Finally I made it to the mockingbird spot but could not find the bird.  I decided to hit up Fern Ridge then try again afterwards.


Forced dog-posing at Perkins Peninsula...


A pair of Tree Swallows perched next to their nest box...


I explored a park I had never visited before on the reservoir- Richardson County Park.  It's a campground with lots of tall pines and oaks, as well as a docking area.  As I had hoped, the oaks there were home to some Acorn Woodpeckers...


The park was filled with the sounds of Hutton's Vireos, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Chestnut-backed and Black-capped Chickadees.  I definitely plan to check it out again the next time I'm down there.

My return trip to Alvadore was successful.  The mockingbird was exactly where he was supposed to be- in a holly tree near Decker Nursery.  Yay!


It's been a good week!!  Time to try to find where the heck I hid that wildlife camera...

Comments

  1. Your second owlet shot is absolutely beautiful! Nice work!

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  2. Sweet stuff Jen...though I think those Turkeys are planning something...a vengeful Thanksgiving.

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  3. Those little fluffballs are sure cute! (I mean the owlets, but I guess you could think I meant Ralph and Jake...they are cute too!!) Can't wait to see the trailcam pics.

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  4. Hi Jen, your owlets are awesome.. And the turkeys are really cool, do they know they are jaywalking in the street? I would love to see the Acorn Woodie.. Great birds and cute dogs. Have a great day and good birding.

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  5. The owl babes are too cute!! They seem very tolerant of you. Goad you got to see the Mockingbird, he is a beauty, and the boyz are looking good in their photo!! Fun to see the turkey strutt too!

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