D River Open Space

Driving down the main drag in your hometown, have you ever looked up and said, "Gee, there's an EGRET sitting up in that tree!"?  That's one of the many things I love about living on the Oregon coast!  And that's exactly what happened on our way to D River Open Space this week!  

Great Egret

Great Egret

 



















A couple of young folks out walking were completely unaware that a huge white GREAT EGRET was several feet above them in the tree!

But the fun was just beginning!  Over the bridge into the Open Space parking area, a much smaller GREEN HERON was out pacing on the logs in the shallow water.

Green Heron

Orange Crowned Warbler

In the bushes, ORANGE-CROWNED and YELLOW WARBLERS flitted around -  

Yellow Warbler

I counted six one day and five the next, but they were so fast and well-hidden, it sure seemed like more!








Down the boardwalk toward the campground, the CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES were busy.  We also had a good look (but no photo) of a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER - our first of the fall migration season!

Trust me, there's a Willow Flycatcher up there!

High in the trees, a FLYCATCHER caught my eye.  I snapped several distant photos hoping to get a good enough picture to positively identify this late-remaining flycatcher!






After seeking help from my friends on the Oregon Birding List and Birdfellow.com, it appears to be a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, who sometimes hang around this late. 

Mallard

 


A female MALLARD hung around in the water - in the spring, we saw a bunch of Mallard and Canada
Goose chicks in the area!  







If you're in the area this month, try to stop by and check for fall migrants, and perhaps a late Flycatcher!  To find out more about D River Open Space, check out my April 2011 blog...