September 12, 2024 Cutler City & Siletz Bay

On a beautiful fall morning, 22 people​ gathered to enjoy a bird walk in Cutler City Wetlands. Although birds were not abundant in the forest, ripe huckleberries were found in profusion. Once we arrived at Siletz Bay, everyone's binoculars were trained on Greater Yellowlegs, Brown Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Double-crested Cormorants, and numerous gulls. Mark Elliott enjoyed his last bird walk weekend as our fearless leader, and his first under our new name, Seven Capes Bird Alliance.

Sightings of the day:

American Crow 
Steller's Jay
European Starlings
White-crowned Sparrow 
Eurasian-collared Dove
Brown Creeper
Swallow 
Red Crossbill 
Red-winged Blackbird
Greater Yellowlegs
Turkey Vulture 
Double-crested Cormorant 
Western Gull
Brown Pelican

Greater Yellowlegs, photo by Ruth Shelly

Group at Siletz Bay by Tom Rice

Trip leader Mark Elliott with our new Seven Capes Bird Alliance sign, photo by Ruth Shelly

May 10, 2024 Cutler City Wetlands & Siletz Bay

Great Blue Heron juveniles, photo by Ruth Shelly

Cutler City was the perfect place to welcome birders from Denver, San Jose and Gresham. Right there we were greeted with the sounds of hungry juvenile Great Blue Herons. This rookery is only two years old and all 19 birders were very excited. As we walked through the wooded area, the native rhododendrons were in full bloom. The bay provided more excitement.

Birders on trail, photo by Ruth Shelly

Sightings of the day:
Wilson’s Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Great Blue Heron
Downy Woodpecker
American Crow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
European Starling
Great Egret
Osprey
Mallard
Tree Swallow
Canada Geese
American Goldfinch
Violet-green Swallow
House Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Double-crested Cormorant
Sanderling
Bald Eagle

September 8, 2023 Cutler City & Siletz Bay

ASLC’s birdwalk sponsored by Lincoln City Explorience was led by Halle Renn with 24 participants. It was a quiet walk through Cutler City Wetlands and the neighborhood. We spent time watching an Eagle and Cormorants enjoying the sun.

Sightings of the day:

Group, photo by Tom Rice

Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Cedar Waxwing
Chipmunk
Anna’s Hummingbird
Stellar’s Jay
Northern Flicker
Black-capped Chickadee
Spotted Towhee
House Finch
White-crowned Sparrow
Eurasian Collared Dove
Brewers Blackbird
American Crow
Bald Eagle
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Rufous Hummingbird
Merganser
Red-winged Blackbird
Pied-billed Grebe
Brewer’s Blackbird

May 12, 2023 Cutler City Open Space

Mark Elliott walked 21 birders through the beautiful Cutler City Open Space. It was a warm and pleasant morning. Participants were delighted to see the native rhododendron in full bloom. While listening and looking for birds it’s also an opportunity to make new friends.

Sightings of the day:

Birders on trail at Cutler City Open Space

Great Blue Heron
Canada Geese
Wilson’s Warbler
Blackheaded Grosbeak
Bushtit
American Robin
Tree swallow
European Starling
Common Merganser
White-crowned Sparrow
Black-capped Chickadee
Violet-green Swallow
Vaux’s Swift
Dark-eyed Junco
Orange-crowned Warbler
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
House Sparrow

Rhododendrons in bloom

September 9, 2022 EXPLORIENCE Cutler City Wetlands Open Space

Leaders Mark Elliott (field trip guide) and dawn villaescusa talk about Lincoln City Exploriences and the history and value of our Lincoln City Open Spaces before we start our walk. Photo: Janet Bleck

It was a beautiful day for an Explorience! Our Lincoln City Audubon field trip leader, Mark Elliott, took 13 bird enthusiasts to Cutler City Wetlands Open Space, a unique wooded wetland just south of Lincoln City! A Swainson's Thrush greeted us when we arrived, but the woods were mostly quiet as we walked.

Coming out of the woods, we walked to the south end of Cutler City where we had great views of the mouth of Drift Creek at Siletz Bay - the tide was low but coming in and we had great views of herons, egrets, cormorants, and more! Two Osprey and a Belted Kingfisher were hunting. Walking back along the roads, a flock of Barn Swallows and Vaux's Swifts were fly-catching over our heads - a rare opportunity to see the two. Mark talked to us about swallows and swifts and how to identify them while they swooped overhead. In spite of a quiet start, we ended up seeing 27 species!

Sightings of the day:

Janet gets some smiles before snapping a photo of our bird walk leaders. Photo: Janet Bleck

Swainson's Thrush
Great Blue Heron
Steller's Jay
Band-tailed Pigeon
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Turkey Vulture
Eurasian Collared Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
American Crow
European Starling
House Sparrow
House Finch
Northern Flicker
Red-winged Blackbird
Great Egret
Osprey
Brandt's Cormorant
California Gull
Western Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Belted Kingfisher
Rock Pigeon
Barn Swallow
Vaux's Swift
Brown-headed Cowbird
Western Tanager

Looking out over Siletz Bay at the mouth of Drift Creek. This was where we saw the most bird life. Photo: dawn villaescusa

This walk was part of Lincoln City Exploriences! https://www.oregoncoast.org/events/exploriences

Thank you to our sponsors Explore Lincoln City and Lincoln City Parks & Rec.!

December 6, 2019 Siletz Bay: The Bayhouse to Cutler City

Photos complements of Ernie Rose

Explore Lincoln City sponsored this walk starting at the Bay House. Mark Elliott led a group of 10 birders through Cutler City. The rain did not put a damper on the group’s enthusiasm. We scored a list of over 20.

View fullsize

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Sightings of the day:
Chestnut-backed Chickadee ~ Belted Kingfisher ~ Steller's Jay
Varied Thrush ~ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ~ American Robin
Northern Flicker ~ European Starling ~ Song Sparrow
American Crow ~ Dark-eyed Junco ~ Anna's Hummingbird
Cooper's Hawk ~ European-collared Dove ~ Rock Pigeon
Bald Eagle ~ Great Blue Heron ~ Golden-crowned Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler ~ Red-winged Blackbird ~ Bufflehead
Double-crested Cormorant ~ American Wigeon ~ Surf Scoter
Common Merganser ~ Mallard ~ Gadwall ~ American Coot
Western Grebe ~ Townsend Warbler

April 26, 2019 Cutler City Wetlands Open Space and Josephine Young Memorial Park

Our regular team was out of town, but Ger Killeen, Kate Saunders, and Deborah Bergeron stepped up to lead the walk through the Cutler City wooded wetlands and over to Siletz Bay in Cutler City. Seventeen people were on the bird-walk. Ger with help from Kate did a great job leading this walk!

Sightings of the day:
Wilson's Warbler ~ Song Sparrow
Eurasian-collared Dove ~ Wrentit
Black-capped Chickadee ~ Bushtit
Tree Swallow ~ Steller's Jay
Semipalmated Plover ~ Dunlin
Western Sandpiper ~ Western Gull
Turkey Vulture ~ Bald Eagle
American Crow ~ Bufflehead
White-crowned Sparrow ~ Rock Pigeon
Orange-crowned Warbler ~ Caspian Tern
European Starling ~ American Robin
Brown Creeper ~ Spotted Towhee
Violet-green Swallow ~ Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-rumped Warbler ~ Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Photos complements of Deborah Bergeron

January 18, 2019 Siletz Bay - Bay House to Cutler City

This was the first time we've met at the Bay House and walked through the Cutler City neighborhood to view the other side of the bay. There were 20 hardy souls braving the bracing weather - the wind kept the water choppy so it was hard to scope for waterfowl. From the parking lot we meandered through the neighborhood where we got some of our best birds. We ended at end south end of Fleet Street where we enjoyed two Black Turnstones, a couple of Common Loons, and a distant Bald Eagle.

Sightings of the Day

Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Turnstone
Western Gull
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
American Robin
European Starling
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Townsend's Warbler

Thanks to Lincoln City Parks & Recreation for sponsoring!

October 12, 2018 Siletz Bay, Taft to Cutler City

What a beautiful day to walk with 18 birders around Cutler City and Josephine Young Park. We had visitors from Tucson, Los Angeles, and Tidewater. Among the 25 species were Red-necked Grebe, Townsend Warbler, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Surf Scoter.

Great Blue Heron photo courtesy of Ernie Rose

White-crowned Sparrow photo courtesy of Ernie Rose

Sightings of the Day

Eurasian-collard Dove
Mew Gull
Great Blue Heron
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
European Starlings
Rock Dove
Townsend Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Northern Flicker
Anna’s Hummingbird
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Great White Egret
Bufflehead
Semipalmated Plover
Red-necked Grebe
Dark-eyed Junco
American Crow

May 21, 2015 Cutler City Wetlands Open Space & Josephine Young Memorial Park

There were 10 of us on the walk this morning and what a treat. Nature embraced us everywhere. What an interesting, mossy location! Interestingly, we heard many birds but very few showed themselves. The small birds flittered around so fast, faster than we could either ID or photograph them. It was a very enjoyable walk with tall, wild rhodedendrons and other interesting flora. The walk ended at Josephine Young Memorial Park where 5 immature eagles and an osprey were seen during a very low tide.

Sightings of the Day
Varied Thrush
Steller's Jay
American Robin
American Crow
Rufus and Anna's Hummingbird
Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
European Starling
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Song Sparrow
Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Orange-crowned Warbler
Spotted Towhee
White-crowned Sparrow
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Eurasian-collared Dove
American Goldfinch