I Used to Hate Birds

This weekend I got up to Larch Mountain a couple of times, plus out to eastern parts of the Columbia River Gorge.  The running theme was awesome wildflowers which I have become way more interested in than ever before.  I even paid eight bucks for the new Oregon Wildflowers app that OSU just released.

The trip up to Larch on Saturday was inspired by my friend recently buying a first generation 4runner and being excited to take it out somewhere cool.  As we were driving up Brower Road my friend caught sight of an owl...

We did some exploring of random abandoned houses in the woods...


One house had a bunch of newspaper pages from January 1974.  The rental section was most amusing to me... 1612 N Killingsworth, a one bedroom in a 3-plex, $88 a month.


There were some pages of Sunday comics from the 80's also.  I probably read the same ones over donuts as a kid. 

Our last stop on Saturday was at Dodge Park in Sandy for some snacks and a spontaneous hike.


There were more western corydal…

So much birding, so little proof.  I'm going to see what I can dig up from the last week for you, but really there just haven't been a lot of photo ops.  And just to make sure you are not disappointed, let me clarify that there are absolutely NO RUSTIC BUNTINGS in this post.  I was 30 minutes late to that party. 

Mallard fight, Lake Sammamish parking lot (WA)

Eurasian Collared-Dove and Lesser Blue Wood Jay



Western Bluebird, Larch Mountain

FOY Warbling Vireo, Columbia Slough bike path

                      Dead Barn Owl, hanging in tree, Shillapoo Wildlife Area

FOY Western Kingbird, Shillapoo Wildlife Area

White-crowned X Golden-crowned Sparrow, Shillapoo Wildlife Area


Curious cows, Vancouver Lowlands (and yes, Jake made out with one or two of them)

Red-breasted Sapsucker, Mount Tabor

Wilson's Snipe, Airport Way

Robin and worm

That's pretty much it from recent outings.  I'm up to 106 for my motorless list and hope to add more next week once it stops raining so much.  Good time…

Lately I've been spending most of my birding time focusing on my motorless list, but this week the weather got a little chilly/rainy so I decided some car birding wouldn't be the worst idea.  Here's what was going on at Ridgefield...


First goslings of the year.  Always cute.


Cinnamon Teals

Wilson's Snipe

Greater Yellowlegs

Blue-winged Teal



 Common Yellowthroat

Booming American Bittern

So yeah, some alright birds up there, but nothing crazy.  This week's motorless birding walks have included walks to Johnson Lake, Mays Lake, Mason Wetlands, lots of Columbia Slough spots, and lots of spots along Airport Way.  On Monday I found a Black-throated Gray Warbler near Johnson Lake...


I also did my best to turn an Orange-crowned Warbler into a Palm Warbler.  I failed.

 Right?

Yesterday at Mason Wetlands I added Vaux's Swift and Sharp-shinned Hawk.  Of course I easily ID'ed that hawk in seconds.  Haha. 


This morning I walked the dogs to a bunch of regular spots, not really…