Sightings of the Day
Whimbrels
Western Sandpiper
Sanderling
Caspian Tern
Bald Eagle
Brown Pelican
Hummingbird
American Robin
Barn Swallow
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
American Crow
Common Raven
Wrentit
Cedar Waxwing
Great Blue Heron
Gulls- California, Western, Ring-billed
Had a very nice bird outing this morning guided by Jack Hurt. To our surprise we shared Bayocean with a 5K and 10K foot race. In spite of such a foggy morning, birders did manage to see and photograph a number of birds. The highlighted bird of the morning was the Wrentit. Jack Doyle managed to get a great shot of the elusive bird. Another great find were Caspian Terns.
Sightings of the Day
American Goldfinch
White-crowned Sparrow
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Glaucus-winged Gull
Semi-palmated Plover
Belted Kingfisher
American Robin
Black-headed Grosbeak
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Crow
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Common Yellowthroat
Wrentit
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Flicker
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Song Sparrow
Canada Goose
It was a beautiful day, if a bit windy at the start, for a bird walk along the water. There were 18 people who joined us. A couple having just moved to Rockaway from Idaho, and someone from Tacoma, and Olympia, Washington enjoyed birding in a new area. It was nice to be able to share this time with them. Our leaders Dick Demarest, and Jack Hurt did an amazing job of helping the group identify those shore birds that we were hoping to see.
Sightings of the Day
Canada Geese
Double-crested Cormorant
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Ring-billed Gull
House Finch
Pelagic Cormorant
Western Gull
American Crow
Cedar Waxwing
Western Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Song Sparrow
American Robin
Purple Finch
Great Blue Heron
Least Sandpiper
Wrentit
Dark-eyed Junco
European Starling
This year's bird walk at Bayocean came with a few surprises. Generally, our field trips begin at 9am. Last year's trip to Bayocean began at that time, but the tide was not right so we made up for it this year. We counted about twice as many birders this year over last year. Including 4 guides, twenty-nine birders gathered in the Spit's parking lot at 2pm when the tide was coming in rather than going out. That brought the shorebirds closer to us along the bank of the spit. Immediately, a young Brown-headed Cowbird was bold enough to let the birders get quite close to it, which delighted the photographers in the group. Flying over the group were gulls, terns, cormorants, and swallows. In the nearby mudflats were geese, gulls, plovers, and yellowlegs. After traveling about 1/4 to 1/3 distance to the end of the spit, most of the birders turned around and split into separate groups, some wanting to get back soon to the mudflats before the tide was completely in, others heading over to the ocean side, and a few others continuing ahead a bit further before returning back to the parking lot. Back at the cars, several folks were chatting when 3 immature Bald Eagles flew over offering perfect photo opportunities. All in all, it was once again a very enjoyable bird trip!
Sightings of the Day
Brandt Goose
Brown-headed Cowbird
Caspian Tern
Whimbrel
California Gull
Great Blue Heron
Savannah Sparrow
Double-crested Cormorant
Ring-billed Gull
Cedar Waxwing
Barn Swallow
Semipalmated Plover
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Belted Kingfisher
Black Capped Chickadee
And those that stayed longer…..
Brown Pelican
Pacific Loon
Common Murre
American Crow
Wrentit
White Crowned Sparrow
Western Gull
Bald Eagle
This writer is truly beginning to believe that the ASLC bird walks are scheduled by retirees! :-)
Last month, some folks from Lincoln City had to get out of bed by around 6:30am to make it to the Yaquina Head bird walk. This walk wanted us at Bayocean at 8:30 in the morning! Yes, I'm complaining about the early morning hours but, ahhh, what a totally enjoyable experience.
After introductions in the parking lot, we chose to walk the fog-laden ocean side of the spit of land. As we approached the sandy beach, birds were visible mostly only through binoculars. It's amazing that what looks like a barren, seaward vista to the naked eye becomes a parade of seafaring birds flying here, there, and everywhere through the glass of a pair of binoculars! Cormorants, murres, gulls, pelicans, and other sea birds. Drop your binoculars and, poof, they're all gone!!
From there, we walked through the woods of the spit and were surprised by the quiet and the near non-existent activity of birdlife till we arrived at the bay's shore. American Crows began squawking loudly. Birders know that means there is either a raptor or raven nearby. We heard but couldn't see. But we did see Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Sandpipers scouring the mudflats for aquatic invertebrates and other delectables.
Sightings of the Day
Barn Swallow
Great Blue Heron
Brown Pelican
Mallard
Common Raven
American Crow
Cedar Waxwing
Common Murre
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Western Gull
Savannah Sparrow
Double-crested Cormorant
Caspian Tern
Common Loon
Marbled Murrelet
Northern Flicker
Western Sandpiper
Red Crossbill
Wrentit
American Robin
Bewick’s Wren
Bald Eagle
Least Sandpiper
Fox Sparrow
Semipalmated Plover
Ring-billed Gull
Greater Yellowlegs
Wilson’s Warbler
Violet-green Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Canada Geese
Great Egret
Steller’s Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Song Sparrow
Swainson’s Thrush
Mammals
Oregon Grey Squirrel
Nutria
Twenty-two birders gathered at the Bayocean Spit, west of Tillamook, for the ASLC event starting at 1pm. The dusty road didn't dissuade folks from starting the Audubon Society of Lincoln City birdwalk, with binoculars, field guides, and cameras in hand. As has been a regular, opening sight in our birding events, Bald Eagle welcomed us as it sat watching our forward progress toward the end of the Bayocean Spit. Sparrows and Chickadees flittered in the brush, and Great Blue Herons were spotted roosting in the evergreens above. Chattering Kingfishers were seen hovering over the water and periodically diving to snatch small minnow snacks. The Marbled Godwit gave all photographers amongst us a rare opportunity to capture its portrait in very close range. We walked very carefully under a very large Yellow Jacket bee's nest which hung just above the path.After walking only about a third of the way to the Spit's end, we turned around. The tide was lower now and there the orchestrated flight of the Sandpipers as they moved from one mud flat to another. There is so much beauty watching them fly in uncanny unison in quick, short flights.
Sightings of the Day
Western Gull
California Gull
Marbled Godwit
Ring-billed Gull
Song Sparrow
Bald Eagle
American Robin
Great Blue Heron
White-winged Scoter
Pelagic Cormorant
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Wilson’s Warbler
Red-necked Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Savannah Sparrow
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Baird Sandpiper
Peregrine Falcon
Greater Yellowlegs
Red-tailed Hawk
Tree Swallow
American Crow
White Crowned Sparrow
Northern Harrier
Wrentit
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-throated Grey Warbler
