Notes, birds, nature, meanderings.

Musings about birds, nature, and our meanderings on the Central Oregon Coast

Friday, August 26, 2011

August on the Oregon Coast - Part 2, Siletz Bay

It's August and the ducks are back and shorebirds abound!  The nature walk along Siletz Bay at Salishan is one of my favorite birding spots.  We've been trying to time our walks to be an hour or two before high tide so we can get the best view of the shorebirds.

I saw my first MARBLED GODWIT under these conditions, keeping company with a juvenile CALIFORNIA GULL.
Marbled Godwit && Juv California Gull
Song Sparrow


Resident SONG and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS pose in the grasses along the trail, as they seem to do whenever we're there.





 

Cardinal Meadowhawk



Dragonflies are plentiful now, large red and blue ones.  They are so fascinating - I may have to learn how to identify them!






Greater Yellowlegs




A GREATER YELLOWLEGS made his solitary way in the mud...








Peeps



while hundreds of PEEPS (various SANDPIPERS and PLOVERS) winged and foraged their way together....








California Gull (juv)



and a CALIFORNIA GULL seemed to enjoy his reflection in the water.










The ducks this time of year are mostly brown, males, females and juveniles almost indistinguishable.  NORTHERN PINTAIL and GREEN-WINGED TEAL are now appearing in flocks with the usual hundreds of MALLARDS.
Northern Pintail && Green-Winged Teal
American Goldfinch


On the trail away from the bay, CHESTNUT BACKED CHICKADEES and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH continue to delight, and often we get glimpses of BEWICK'S and PACIFIC WRENS, and even a pair of WRENTITS (yesterday).





 Visiting an hour or two before high tide (for the shorebirds), or at or near high tide (for the ducks), both make for consistently birdy August activity. 

6 comments:

  1. There were two of what looks like your Marbled Godwits around NE 72nd street the other day. They let me walk beside them, always jumping / flying at the last moment. I did see the bi-color bill, the checkerback back, saw the nobby knees. :) So exciting!

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  2. Hey it's so great to hear from you! I love that we're getting to where we can identify alot of what we see, even first-time birds!

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  3. Thanks Rick! I was lucky that he was so close to the path.

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  4. I'm pretty sure your dragonfly is a Cardinal Meadowhawk.

    Two great resources for Dragonfly ID in Oregon:
    THE book;
    http://www.amazon.com/Dragonflies-Damselflies-Oregon-Field-Guide/dp/0870715895/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314625920&sr=8-1

    and the web site:
    http://odonata.bogfoot.net/

    Cheers!
    greg

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  5. Thanks greg! The book sounds like a good idea, I'll check it out.

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