As we gathered in the parking lot of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, we whipped our heads to the right to view a large flock of ducks flying above the water. "Look over there, the Bald Eagle is spooking them," said our field guide Mark Elliott. A Bald Eagle! Thinking back at all the field trips this writer has made with ASLC, there was only one birdwalk that didn't start with the appearance of a Bald Eagle. Interesting, eh?!! As we readied our binoculars and cameras to witness the local birdlife in front of us, we viewed American Coots, Surf Scoters, Common Loons, Hooded Mergansers and Ring-necked Ducks. At the start, the weather was dry and in the high 40s but grew progressively worse as time flew by. When we turned the corner around the Science Center, we saw flocks of Northern Pintails, Blue-winged Teal, and American Wigeons. To escape the wind and rain, we tucked ourselves in a little shelter building on the nature trail. The Belted Kingfisher that hovered over the water disappeared in a flash when some of us were getting set to take its picture! European Starlings, American Crows, and Rock Doves passed overhead.

California Gulls were entertaining us with their acts of attempting to break clam shells by crashing them to the earth below from the sky up above. They must have been youngsters 'cause they were dropping them on sand rather than on harder surfaces. A hummingbird silently whizzed by. I thought I heard a couple of birders say they also saw a Northern Shoveler out on one of the sandbars in the bay. Eagle made one more appearance and then disappeared. A House Finch was grabbing as much seed as it could from the Science Center's birdfeeder. Making the loop back to our cars, we then headed for the south jetty of Yaquina Bay. Mark said we'd see a Harlequin Duck there, and sure enough there it was! It even climbed on a rock where it posed for all the photographers. By now, the rain was falling faster and the wind and cold chilled us to the bone.

Brrr, it was time to go. Some went back north to join up for the day's last sightings at 51st St in the Taft area of Lincoln City, and the rest went their separate ways. All in all, we made the best of a damp, winter day and were warmed with contentment with the birdlife we witnessed.

Sightings of the Day
White-crowned Sparrow
Western Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Bufflehead
Coot
Surf Scoter
Lesser Scaup
Common Loon
Bald Eagle
Hooded Merganser
Belted Kingfisher
Song Sparrow
European Starling

American Crow
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Great Blue Heron
Pacific Loon
Black-capped Chickadee
Gold-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Anna’s Hummingbird
Harlequin
Horned Grebe
Glaucous Gull
Pelagic Cormorant