Blackbirds

The tanagers seem to have gone off a bit on campus, so I took my kid and dog to Delta park to check out the waterfowl. Ramona was obsessed with eating rocks and dirt, so I didn't get much looking in, but saw several glorious yellow-headed blackbirds and red-winged blackbirds, as well as herons on the wing who looked like great kites hung in the sky. That neck posture, an s-curve, floors me. Incredible bird song. Will return with someone to look after the kid.

Great bird week

On campus tanagers are everywhere, as are barn swallows, swifts, and Wilson's warblers. Off campus, had dinner with friends who have a great house on a double lot full of mature trees last night. We ate outdoors; a busy nest of bushtits just above us flitted about, three tanagaers, several Wilson's warblers, two Stellar's jays, robins galore...they had a tree full of cedarr waxwings a few weeks ago and a barred owl last spring. I want to live on a double lot full of mature trees.

Red-Tails Courting!

I forgot to post this on Monday evening after I witnessed it.

The Red-Tailed Hawk of the Clark campus has found a mate!  I watched the pair fly right over Hanna/Hawkins/Foster at a great speed with the male performing his usual diving technique attempting to win over the female.  Unfortunately, she didn't seem too impressed (or at least while I was watching), for she didn't engage in the ritualistic talon-locking that signifies acceptance.  It's quite an amazing display, for those of you who haven't seen it!

"In the courtship display a pair of Red-tailed Hawks soars in wide circles at a great height. The male dives down in a steep drop, then shoots up again at nearly as steep an angle. He repeats this maneuver several times, then approaches the female from above. He extends his legs and touches or grasps her briefly. The pair may grab onto one other and may interlock their talons and spiral toward the ground.

When courting, a pair of Red-tailed Hawks soar in wide circles high above the ground. The male will dive, then shoot up again. After repaeting this maneuver several times, he will approach the female from above. He will extend his legs and touch or grasp her briefly. They may grab onto each other, interlocking their talons and spiraling to the ground."

That comes from this website, which I have verified the information as accurate from my knowledge volunteering at the zoo: http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/red-tailed-hawk.html

I tried to find a video of their courtship, but I couldn't find one on YouTube.  Keep an eye out around campus!!

Sightings at WSUV

I took a walk on one of the trails at WSUV this afternoon and took quite a few pictures.  I was pleasantly surprised at the spring activity; I noticed a large number of birds out and about.

A young American Robin was the highlight of my walk.  The parent was twittering around and not exactly happy that I was taking a picture of the young one.

A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (I'm pretty sure?) that would not hold still for more than two seconds.

And a Bewick's Wren, singing proudly on the snag.

Other sightings include a plethora of American Goldfinches, Black-capped chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, our friend the flicker, a Red-Tailed Hawk, and a small group of bushtits.  I also took a picture of what I think is an apple tree in bloom.

Return of the swifts!

As site administrator and geeky recent convert to bird watching, I reserve the right to report on bird stuff that happens off campus. My swifts are back. We got a new furnace several years ago, and a colony of swifts has been making a summer home of our now-unused old brick chimney for three summers, counting this one. I noticed them again about a month ago, but I think their numbers have increased, as I hear them above and see them several times every day, particularly at dusk when they circle and finally dive into the chimney. Are they chimney swifts or Vaux's? How do you tell? They appear as a near-perfect crescent when in flight, with a tapered tail. The last two years, when the hatchlings came of age, I could hear a surge of shimmery peeps coming from my pantry when the adults came home to feed the young. Standing next to my refridgerator and listening to a chorus of swifts in my kitchen is just good news all around.

Tripping Over Tanagers

Now that I'm sure what they look like, I saw two more on campus today. One in a leafy tree at the daycare and one in the conifer just off the handicapped access ramp behind the old security offices. They were bright, lively, and polite enough to let me take a good long look...

Spotted Towhee at the daycare

Hopping around near the shrubs. I would have mistaken it for a juvenile robin but for the red eye and the scrub-jay-like posture. What a swell bird!

I think I saw a Western Tanager

I am pretty sure, but wonder if it's possible--I saw it in a North Portland cherry tree, right on a city street. Might one have been there?

In the Heat of Spring

It was brought to my attention this afternoon (while I was in chemistry lab) that a Western Scrub-Jay appeared to be sick.  I walked out of the lab and went to see for myself what was going on.  It was a female panting underneath the trees lining the wall of APH, in the pathway right between APH and Science (across from the feeder).  I approached the bird, and she quickly stopped her lethargic behavior and waddled away.  She was dehydrated.

So, this is just a reminder that as the temperatures around here rise, keep your bird waterers filled for our fine feathered friends!

In other news, a couple of Rufous hummingbirds were battling it out and a male House Sparrow was busy performing a courtship display across from Dental.  Like we really need more House Sparrows around here.