Dark-eyed Junco

Another image taken on August 13 at Bayocean Spit. I enjoy the spit for its variety of birds, variety of terrain and lengthy hike (it's about 8 miles if you walk the whole periphery).

If I remember right, this was the only Dark-eyed Junco I saw that day and it stuck around long enough to get several shots of it. I had a rented 400mm f2.8 lens that day with a 1.7x teleconverter, so I was able to get a pretty clear shot. The sharpness of this lens is noticeably better than my 300mm f5.6 (and noticeably heavier; 12 lbs!).

Song Sparrow - Juvenile

While I wait in anticipation of the coming holiday with hopes of better weather so I can finally get out and do some birding, I have been going through some past pictures.

I took this picture of a juvenile Song Sparrow as I trekked across the sand dunes at Bayocean Spit towards the beach on August 13th. Juvenile Song Sparrows that I have seen tend to be a bit scruffy looking and variable in the amount of breast striping. This one has very little striping, but I'm still quite sure it is a Song Sparrow as its overall look says Song Sparrow.

Semipalmated Plover

I visited Bayocean Spit back in mid-August this past summer and got some really close looks at a flock of shorebirds on the beach. It started with a couple of Semipalmated Plovers which were eventually joined by a mixed flock of Sanderlings and Western Sandpipers.
I had rented a 400mm f2.8 lens and a 1.7x teleconverter from Pro Photo in Portland, which made the shoot that much more pleasurable as I was able to get even closer and clearer pictures than I would have with my 70mm - 300mm kit lens.
I was basically either kneeling or sitting on the beach with the camera mounted on a fully retracted monopod so I could get it as low as possible. I had a huge number of photos to choose from and have kind of been avoiding going through them as I knew it was going to take a lot of time and work. But, I finally got started on them tonight and choose some of the best Semipalmated Plover images to post.
I'm especially fond of the bottom photo as it pictures one of the Plovers taking a very short nap (I assume since its eyes got sleepy looking). I haven't seen a shorebird squat down like that before.
One behavior that I noticed for the first time was one of the Plovers shaking its leg. At first I thought there might be something wrong with it, but then I noticed that it was switching between its legs. I posted a question about it on OBOL and found out that they (along with other Plovers) do this to improve their chance of finding prey in shallow water.

Red-necked Grebe

Not the best picture I've taken, but it is my first Red-necked Grebe sighting. I saw it floating out in Tillamook Bay from Bayocean Spit on August 13, 2011.

Black-tailed Deer

Just before I ran into the rash of Fox Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes on Bayocean Spit a week ago Saturday, I came across this Black-tailed Deer. It was just standing there staring it at me. Finally, after 30 seconds or so, it turned and slowly walked off into the thicket behind it. As I moved in a little closer I could see that there were actually two more Deer further back.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

I was able to get some close looks of this Chestnut-backed Chickadee as it was feeding on pine nuts at Bayocean Spit. There were a few of these Chickadees in the area and, like the Fox Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes, were unusually tame.

Pacific Wren

Winter Wrens like to hang low in the brush making it hard to see them and this one was no different. The difference in this case, however, was the brush. What is normally some type of foliage, was instead a pile of logs and large sticks. This left the Wren exposed for longer periods of time than is normal. The pile of wood was located below me as the trail rose up a bank with the beach below, so I was actually looking down on the Wren.

Fox Sparrow

As I mentioned yesterday, I saw more Fox Sparrows this past Saturday on Bayocean Spit than I have in my whole life. What was so interesting is how tolerant they were of me. At one point, while kneeling, with them just a few feet in front of me, my memory card filled up, yet they didn't even flinch while I changed out the card.
It was really fun to watch them scratch away at the leaves and debre looking for things to eat.
They would spend a fair amount of time working on one spot, then quickly move to another.

Hermit Thrush

While the beach side of Bayocean spit was slow, the Tillamook Bay side was pretty active. Along with the first winter Glaucous Gull and Red-necked Loons I've already posted, I saw Surf and White-winged Scoters, Horned and Western Grebes, Common Goldeneyes, Bald Eagles and an usually high number of Fox Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes.
The Fox Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes started once the trail veered off the shore line and into the woods. I first saw four Fox Sparrows just off the trail scratching tirelessly through the dead leaves looking for food. While I was shooting the Fox Sparrows, the first of a series of Hermit Thrushes appeared, teasing me by only sitting still long enough to get a quick look, but not long enough to get a shot off.
Then I noticed another Thrush just up the path. This one was a little more cooperative, letting me get a few shots. It was pushing mid afternoon by then and the clouds were getting heavier and the light dimmer, but I did manage to get a couple of shots that were good enough to post.
While I don't know much about the singing of the Hermit Thrush, I found them similar to Song Sparrows in that all I heard them vocalize was a faint chirp. Nothing compared to the amazing songs they sing during the breeding season.

Red-throated Loon

I saw two new species on Saturday at Bayocean Spit; the Glaucous Gull posted earlier and these Red-throated Loons. At least I'm pretty sure they are Red-throated Loons. There is a fair amount of variation in the neck coloring, but the cleanest of the birds fit well for a non-breeding Red-throated.
I believe the smudgier necked birds are juvenile as Sibley has illustrated them with more dark gray coloring.
If you look closely at the second bird from the right in the lower image, you will see that it has some reddish feathers on its lower neck. I wonder if these could be breeding color feathers?

Sanderling

I walked around Bayocean Spit near Tillamook on Saturday. It's quite a walk, about four miles each way. I walked the ocean beach side first. There weren't very many birds on the beach that morning, but I did get some great looks at some Sanderlings.
I saw two flocks fly by and one of them decided to land just in front of me. It's great fun to watch them scurry along the waters edge looking for small invertebrates. They follow the surf out and then come running back as it comes back in. I used this to my advantage, positioning myself near where they would end up as the water came in and kneeled down low to be less ominous. Sure enough, they came in very close to me.
Shortly after a Western Gull swooped in and landed not far from the action with a crab in its bill.

One of the Sanderlings took interest and started to move in.

I inadvertently helped it out as I moved in by spooking the Western.

This gave the Sanderling its opportunity. While it showed interest and picked at the crab a little, it didn't start feasting.

Feeling bad for the Gull, I backed off and it eventually returned to the crab.

Glaucous Gull - Paler 1st Winter

I thought I'd try to beat the cold today by going to the coast. :-) It's usually the other way around, but it was going to be very cold here today and the forecast indicated that the coast would be a little warmer. It was also supposed to be sunny. I'm not so sure it was much warmer, and it was hardly sunny, but I was well prepared for the cold and the wind was light.
I decided to go to Bayocean Spit and it turned out to be a pretty good day. For one, I saw my first Glaucous Gull. It threw me though as it turned out to be a paler 1st Winter juvenile. I expected a Glaucous to look a lot like a Western with a paler gray back and white wing tips. But, this one was practically all white except for a small amount of very pale brown speckles that I really didn't notice until it flew.
Besides the almost all white color, the other indication of a 1st Winter bird is the fact that it has a very dark eye.

Double-crested Cormorant

Another image from my Bayocean Spit trip back in Sept. Double-crested Cormorants are one of my favorite birds. There is something about their head, feet and wing and back feathers that give it a prehistoric look.

Brant?

Back on Sept 11, I made my first (and so far only) trip to Bayocean Spit near Tillamook. It was a gorgeous day and I walked the entire perimeter of the spit. I saw several interesting birds including a few new ones. I started on the beach side and returned on the bay side.
Shortly after making the turn, just as the bay starts for form a beach, I came upon a handful of what appeared to be some strange looking ducks on a very small island just off the beach. I took several pictures and decided they were probably some type of Mallard hybrid. Since I typically identify birds from my pictures rather than in the field, I didn't look as closely at the birds as I might or I would have realized this was probably a bad conclusion.
After moving on further I came upon a large flock of assorted gulls on a large mudflat. I thought to myself, what the heck, I'll walk out and see what I find. It was a bit gooey out there, but I managed just fine. Eventually I noticed some black ducks out on the water which turned out to be my first sighting of Surf Scoters.
In order to get as close to the Scoters as I could, I worked my way out to the waters edge onto some soft sand until I was at the base of a small sand berm that extended into the water. At the end of this berm was a couple more of these strange looking ducks. I sort of ignored them as I was watching the Scoters, but eventually they slowly moved towards me until they were standing right next to me. One them had a bum leg so it hobbled as it moved. I snapped a few pictures and then moved on.
When I got home, I puzzled over these pictures, but could not figure out what they were. Then a couple weeks later I was looking through my copy of Sibley's field guide when I came across the page on Brants. I was unaware of this goose before then and it hit me that although these "duck's" color was off, the general shape was more goose like than duck. The bill was black and small and the legs black. They even had the remnants of a white band around their upper neck. Though the coloring was brown and mottled, it otherwise was fairly consistent with a Brant. The other characteristic it exhibited was either a rather severe case of feather wear, molting or both. However at the time, I still wasn't convinced.
Well I've been thinking about those pictures recently and took another look at them tonight. I'm more convinced now that they are Brants, so I've decided to post them.
I welcome comments on whether you agree or disagree with my conclusion. I also welcome comments on the state of their feathers and the coloration.

Pelagic Cormorant

Taken back on Sept 11, I came across three birds like the one above along the beach. Each was solitary and each was fairly trusting. I've struggled to determine whether they are Pelagic or Brandt's Cormorants. Based on a lack of a buff throat and relatively narrow bill, I believe these are Pelagic Cormorants. Furthermore, I believe them to be juveniles based on somewhat soft bill corners and their lack of fear with my presence.

Red Crossbill

While walking along the Tillamook Bay side of Bayocean Spit, I came across a path that lead into a grove of pines. It was a short path and ended up at an opening with a couple if pit fires and a small pond.
As soon as I approached the opening I noticed some bird activity to my left in a bush by the pond. I couldn't get a good look at the birds and as I approached, they flew across the opening and a couple landed on the the top of two pines. I took some quick pictures, but they didn't stick around very long.
The image above was the best image I got and really the only one I felt comfortable with identifying them as Red Crossbills. The crossed bill is easily seen and while the coloration is a little vague, I believe this is a female.

Surf Scoter

While walking back from the tip of Bayocean Spit along Tillamook Bay last Saturday, I came along a flock of gulls out on a mudflat. I decided to go out and get some closeups, but it wasn't long before I realized that the flat is flooded at high tide as I sunk into the mud a couple of inches with each step.
Once I got close to the gulls and began shooting, I noticed some black birds swimming out in the bay. At first I thought they were some Cormorants, but as they get closer I realized that they were more duck-like in shape. Taking a closer look through my lens, they turned out to be Surf Scoter. My first sighting!
There were seven of them, five males and two females. The males have quite the flamboyant bill. They were feeding and for a while they seemed to take turns diving for food and then later, would all dive together. I lucked out again as they slowly made their way toward me allowing me to get some reasonable pictures. All-in-all, I saw five new species that day.

Peregrine Falcon

Just as the Sanderlings flew off at Bayocean Spit, I noticed a hawk flying out over the water. It was chasing another bird and they dipped in and out between waves as I watched. It was quite a ways out and as I watched, it eventually flew inland not far from me, but rather high in the sky. I had doubts that the pictures would turn out well enough to identify the hawk as they can be difficult to figure out, especially at such a long distance.

When I got home and downloaded the pictures from my camera to my computer, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only could I identify the bird, but that it had actually caught the bird it was chasing. Based on the order that I took the pictures, the above image must have been taken just after it caught the bird as you can see it hanging underneath.

It wasn't until I looked at some of the later pictures as it was flying overhead that I was able to get a fairly clear view of it with distinguished features. Again, much to my surprise, this "hawk" turned out to be a Peregrine Falcon. It's coloration suggests it is a juvenile as it was more brown than an adult and its belly has longitudinal striping rather than lateral.

Sanderling

Today I decided to explore the area around Tillamook. My first stop was to Bayocean Spit and I ended up spending most of the day there. Because the sun was just rising, I decided to walk the ocean beach side first since it would light the birds along the shore well. After walking the full length of the beach, I walked the gravel road back along Tillamook Bay.
While the birds were a little spotty, there were a few good opportunities. One of those was my first sighting of Sanderlings. I saw a flock of about 35 fly in along the shore and land at shore's edge not far ahead of me. As I moved in closer, I noticed they were actually moving towards me, so I just stood there and let them come to me. I like it when the birds cooperate like that. :-) At one point a larger wave came in and the whole flock ran in just ahead of it. Then, just as fast as they flew in, they all took off together.
When I got the images on my computer this evening, I wasn't sure if they were Sanderlings or Semipalmated Sandpipers. There's a lot of similarity between the two. Then I noticed in Sibley's field guide that Sanderlings have a pronounced white strip on the upper side of their wings. Luckily, I had taken some pictures of them as they flew away. When I opened the image posted above, it was obvious that these were Sanderlings as the white wing stripe was there just as Sibley illustrated.