Steve Brown is the man who shared this photo, full length, of this intriguing bird. This is the Long-eared Owl we found along the Magee Marsh Boardwalk in Ohio earlier this month.
And here’s parenthood, Pied-billed Grebe style: 
his photo was taken in San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Park by my daughter, Julie.
These two picgtures were taken at his home by Peter Thiemann. The Willow Flycatcher from beneath, and the male Lazuli Bunting, a breath-catcher for sure.
The most impressive birds actually nesting at Emigrant Lake each year are the Osprey. Bald Eagles that fish there nest several miles away. The Golden Eagles hardly associate themselves with the lake, preferring the open grasslands above the reservoir.
The Emigrant Lake Osprey have nestlings now. Here’s a pic of mother on nest with a young one’s tail showing next to her. The father had flown off just before I arrived, perhaps having left a fish behind.
Our “purple mountains majesty” owe their seasonal color to the blooming vetch. It is plentiful, pervasive, invasive and pulchratudinous. In szpring it carpets the lower reaches of the Cascades where the soil is poor, the moisture limited, the sunlight unlimited.
Chuipoiung Sparrow in ponderosa laong Little Hyuatt Lake Road, 4500′.
My first view of blooming Iris chrysophylla.
Nothern Rough-winged Swallow near Emigrant Lake.
Posted in birding, birds, Cascades, Emigrant Lake, fish, flora, migratory birds, natural history, nesting, oregon, raptor, sparrows, swallow | Tags: Chipping Sparrow, iris, Little Hyatt Lake, NOrthern Rough-winged Swallow, Osprey, Ponderosa, vetch
This time of year nearly every day brings a new bird for the year. The migrants are pouring back into our mountains now from their southerly winter vacations. I went up to Greensprings Inn in the Cascades where they held a book-signing for my FREEWAY BIRDING this afternoon. Beforehand I birded around the lovely Greensprings Inn woodlands (about 46oo’ elevation). This MacGillivray’s Warbler was singing…and elusive as usual, hiding behind ponderosa needles.
A short drive up Little Hyatt Lake Road found me among Chipping Sparrows:
Both birds were new for my Oregon list for 2013. Now the list tops 190. It will go past 200 during my trip to Malheur at the end of May, if not before.
Posted in birding, birds, Cascades, migratory birds, natural history, oregon, sparrows, warblers | Tags: Chipping Sparrow, MacGillivray's Warbler
Black-capped Chickadee checks out nest box.
Tree Swallows also use nest boxes.
There were numerous flocks of Waxwings at the park.
This White-breasted Nuthatch was carrying food to nestlings inside an oak’s lower trunk.
Western Kingbird.
North Mountain Park, Jackson, US-OR
May 18, 2013 7:30 AM. 35 species.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) X
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) X
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) X
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 8
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) 10
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 1
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 2
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 2
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 3
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) X
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 8
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1 feeding young in nest hole
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) X
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X; Cedarwaxwing 120;
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) X
Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) X
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) X
California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 2
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) X
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) X
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) X
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) X
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) X
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) X
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) X
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) X
Tolman Creek Rd., Jackson, US-OR
May 18, 2013 11:30 AM. 5 species
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) X
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 1
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) 2
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 2
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 2
The migrant birds have returned in large part, even the flycactchers are re-populating their territories. Meanwhile the wintering ducks are gone as are the Golden-crowned Sparrows. The Black-headed Grosbeaks and Bullock’s Orioles have cranked up the birdsong volume along streams. They are vying for territory and nesting partners. This morning I heard my first Wood-Pewee calls of the year at Ashland Pond. I didnlt see the Yellow-breassted Chat but his unmistakable voice carried from deep within the willow thicket.
Some resident birds have already fledged young, from Bushtits to Red-tailed Hawks. Here’s Momma Mallard with her new sextuplets at Ashland Pond.
There is also a mother Wood Duck at the pond with several of her ducklings.
This female Black-headed Grosbeak (I assume it is a single bird) is at our feeders every morning. Two males are still competing for control of the garden.
Hairy Woodpecker, here year round at our feeders, usually suet not grain.
Lesser Goldfinch
NOrthern Rough-winged Swallow at Ashland Pond.
Ashland Pond, Jackson, US-OR. May 16, 2013 10:30 AM. 20 species
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 3
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) 1
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 1
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 1
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 20
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 5
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 1
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 4
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 1
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 8
Posted in birding, birds, oregon, ashland, migratory birds, woodpeckers, ducks & geese, finches, nesting, birdsong, natural history, garden feeder | Tags: Ashland Pond, Lesser Goldfinch, Mallard, Black-headed Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat, Hairy Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, NOrthern Rough-winged Swallow
Tomorrow (Thursday) night I will be giving a talk on Ashland area spring birds. Then there is a field trip Saturday morning. The fee is $15 and the class is spnsored by Ashland Park and Rec. It is at North Mountain Nature Center, 630pm. You can pre-register, or show up and pay at the door. 
This is a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, one of the spring arrivals we will be looking for on our field trip.
In addition to migrants returning, we will look for nesting activity. Some birds like Mallards and Bushtits that do not migrste have already fledged a brood of young.
Posted in ashland, birding, birds, birdsong, finches, hummingbird, migratory birds, natural history, nesting, oregon, sparrows, warblers | Tags: Bushtit, Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Posted in birding, birds, natural history, nesting | Tags: American Woodcock, Bald Eagle, Magee Marsh, Ohio, Robin
It was cold and nasty this morning at Magee Marsh. 37 degrees under cloudy skies with gusty winds coming off Lake Erie from the north. If you were a warbler it was a tokugh dfay to try to get enough energy to get through the next cold night. If you were a birder it meant your csmeras was of more use than binocs. Hungry warblers foraged at eye level, as close as three feet. Witness:
Male American Redstart.
Blackburnian male.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, gnot a warbler.
Black-throated Green, male.
Cape May Warbler, male.
Nashville Warbler.
Northern Parula, his green back patch not visible.
Yellow Warbler, perhaps as plentiful here as Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Inernational Migratory Bird Day is intensely busy at Magee Marsh here in Ohio. Hundreds of birders were millinhg about viewing hundreds of birds. A big sitter saw nearly 100 species.
This flock of eight White Pelicans passed over my 11 AM bird walk. This is a rare bird in these parts. The nearest breeding colony is in western Wisconsin.
The Baltimore Orioles here are accustomed to feeding on orange slices hung from trees by bird photographers. Will pose for fruit snacks.
Osprey do not seem to be common here despite the marshy expoanse and hundreds of miles of open lake water. Here is one of the few we’ve seen. Bald Eagles are the most common raptors it seems.
Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Eastern cousin of the west’s Black-headed Grosbeak.
Solitary Sandpiper reflects in shallow pool.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Magee Marsh was crowded with good birds to0day after an overnight storm and rain.
American Redstarts were abundant today, and busy, and some stopped long enough for a photo shoot.
Male Baltimore Oriole. They were singing, some pairs already were weaving nests.
Black-billed Cuckoo was a star today. This one leaned over, grabbed a small caterpillar, swallowed, then looked around for another morsel. This was the first day this week the migraqnt cuckoos were evident in several places along the boardwalk.
BlackBlue-headed Vireo.
Black and White Warbler, gleaning along tree trunk as usual.
