[obol] Beaverton/ Koll / Creekside Wetlands -

[Annette (Lange) Hildebrand]

*New- Coopers and Golden-Crowned Kinglets
  Posted: Bird species to share on such a lovely spring day ... 3-9-08,
  the morning the clocks flew forward ... and so flew, and swam, the birds!
   
  Seen from one point at the Fanno Creek/Koll/Creekside Seven wetland area:
  PIED-BILLED GREBE
  GREAT BLUE HERONS
  CANADA GEESE ... ever more so, creating their own spaces. 
  CACKLING GEESE - a flock in the water ... then a "regular" Canada Goose swam by, and my oh my what a difference in size!  Not only are the Cackler's smaller, their black bills and necks are also smaller.
  Ducks: 
  "Bottom's Up" ducks: MALLARD, GADWALL, PIN-TAIL... and looking careful, their tail feathers really do have a dark long straight almost pin like feather, 
  GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON Teal- colored just a cross between cinnamon and fresh paprika , SHOVELER. with the widest "shovel" like bills.
  (AMERICAN WIDGEON - north on Nimbus, across Scholl's Ferry in grass by fountain) also eating grass ... only duck that does so ... right along with the geese.
  Divers: RING-NECKED DUCK, CANVASBACK,a special treat this winter here,
  SCAUP, BUFFLEHEADS, RUDDY DUCKS... some beginning to turn but not the bright blue bill yet. 
  Fish eating: COMMON MERGANSERS ... both male and female and so very different.
  Hawks: RED-TAILED - taking over once again one of the main Heron's nests beside Creekside Six, A COOPER'S  flying straight through the trees after birds and much smaller than the Red-tail.
  BALD EAGLE was just missed by us.  A nice walker mentioned it to me.  Marlene has photos from last week.
  AMERICAN COOT - (Grandpa Oscar used to call them "Mud Hens" ... all black, (well, small white feathers at the rear, but you seldom see them.  You Do see the solid white bill)
  Shorebirds:
  KILLDEERS calling and DOWITCHERS "sewing-machine like heads going up and down 
  in the shallow water.
  GULLs - sorry, I don't know  my gulls yet. 
  MOURNING DOVE, two so cute together, side by side.
  DOWNY WOODPECKER,  NORTHERN FLICKER (Red-shafted)
  VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS
  BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, COMMON BUSHTIT, JUNCO
   
  *GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, (*my first sighting here- searching in the trees more softly and quieter than the ruby's, with a very high and fainter call ...golden and white head stripe, very noticeable .... though wait until you hear the spring call of the Ruby, which I was just alerted to by my birding friend Fred.You will be amazed. Both birds are very small.  You almost think a leaf is rustling)
  RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS
  CEDAR WAXWINGS (Brent actually got to see Bohemian in Montana!)
  YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS "acting like flycatchers and I much preferred calling them Audubon's and Myrtle's)
  RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, CROWS, AMERICAN ROBINS, HOUSE FINCHES, STARLINGS, SONG SPARROWS, SCRUB JAY, COMMON CROW
   
  43 different species! Just today!
  (This time of year, and just this week, we could have added,  but I did not see today:
   
  Wood Duck
  Hooded Merganser
  Humming Bird
  Common Egret
  Towhee
  Bewicks or Marsh Wren
  Double Crested Commorandt
  non-birds: Otters YEP!  3 different times so far in 08.  Nutria - ugh,   
  but.... also signs of Beaver all over the place, have never actually seen one, 
  just the teeth marks left on the branches and trees.
   
  Can you tell .......... 
  Spring is a comin', 
  our church just had a lovely Art show
  and God's world is a hummin'

       
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