This week's birds.

This week has been all about the motorless birding.  Mays Lake, Mason Wetlands, the Columbia River, random Columbia Slough spots, secret lakes and ponds... 

Baby...blackbird? Starling?  Mays Lake

From Wednesday's dogwalk out to Mason Wetlands...

Osprey
Killdeer
Common Yellowthroat, collecting twigs
Common Yellowthroat, collecting twigs
FOY Yellow Warbler
Mason Wetlands has become one of my regular patches- I've had 71 species there this year alone.  I tend to stay out of the actual wetlands part to avoid disrupting all the birds and animals.  It's not that large of an area so it's easy enough to scan the place with bins from various spots around the wetlands.  But on Wednesday I watched two goobers with binoculars walk right on through, flushing birds left and right...


There are no signs prohibiting this behavior, but still... disheartening.  You don't need to trample everything to see the birds there, and you'd probably see more by not doing this.  Ugh.  Anyway. 

White-crowned Sparrow
Columbia Slough looking deceptively lovely at NE 148th
It's officially Mallard duckling season...


From yesterday's walks...

Wood Ducks, Mays Lake
Along one part of the slough trail I had six different male Black-headed Grosbeaks in like ten yards.  It was nuts.  All but one was singing, the other one was eating.


Cedar Waxwings are back.  They're at every patch, in my yard, everywhere I go.  It's nice.


Brewer's Blackbird
Young starling or cowbird or something along those lines...
That's about it for my motorless stuff.  I added three birds to my year list this week and I'm up to 114.  Not bad!  In other news I have been dealing with something else:


Yeah.  This is a baby raccoon.  It seems they have nested in the roof of a building adjacent to my friend's yard.  This is the second one to have appeared in his yard, the first did not survive a run-in with the dogs.  I told my friend to leave it outside all night where he found it and that mom should come get it.  Unfortunately she never came back and my friend is scared of it so I am the one stuck with dealing with it.  At least it's cute and seems fairly healthy.  Good times!

The one that did not survive, RIP

Comments

  1. Awww sorry bout your raccoon baby...My sis in CO volunteers for an animal rescue she has been bottle feeding baby raccoons for a couple weeks now..I wonder why Mom didn't come get it? You've had some good spring birds flying your way!

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  2. Such pretty places you get to go, and that Wood Duck shot is fantastic.

    It looks like the Raccoon pulled the ol' gypsy switch on ya.
    In Italy gypsies come up and try to make you hold their baby by acting like they're going to drop it. Then they try to grab your wallet out of your pocket while your hands are full.
    They never counted on being beaten with their own baby though...

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  3. Nice stuff. I find it's almost easier to get flight shots to Common Yellowthroat than perched ones. Good luck with the raccoon.

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  4. Local birding is the best. Good stuff!

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