April 12, 2014 Siletz Bay Natural Wildlife Refuge

It was a great day for birding, especially for Siletz Bay. Not much wind at all. Sunny and nice. We had a great turn out, with people from Eugene, Laughlin NV and Portland. I think we had over 20 people. Laura and Jack did a great job on the walk. Jack Hurt was there for back up info. The field trip started at the Salishan Market parking lot. We walked the foot path that runs along Siletz Bay. The tide was coming tide so a lot of the birds we saw were a little far out. We saw Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Whimbrels, Rufous Hummingbird, and Laura spotted a "Black-legged Kittiwake. " Jack Hurt said it was a bird you don't normally see along the shore. You see that bird more out in the ocean.

Some of us stopped at Siletz Keys on the way home from the field trip. We saw a sweet little Marsh Wren that was just carrying on . . . singing a loud, vibrant song. We think it might have been telling another wren to stay away. Whatever its reasons, we really didn't care, it was just cool to listen. I wish I had recorded it. I did get to see him, just before he flew away. Not quick enough to photo though. Laura and Caren saw him and commented on his tail sticking up. When I finely got a glimpse of the little guy, they were right, his tail was sticking straight up and I mean straight up... It was pretty funny to see. So he was either showing off to a damsel or shooing away a rival. The photo of the "Osprey" was at Siletz Quay. The others are from the field trip.

(As reported by Jody Picconi)