26-May-2018
Tree Swallow, Spread Your Wings!
It is hard enough getting a tree swallow to stay still, let alone display its wings. It was fun getting this shot while at Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, a happy reward for my efforts.
27-MAY-2017
Song Sparrow
They may be common in many places but I still think the Song Sparrow is a pretty little thing, and it sings beautifully.
28-MAY-2018
A Demonstration of Paddle Boarding for Us!
Carol and I met the nicest young couple at Fern Ridge Lake today. Rickie and Kaitlyn (sp?) had just come in from paddle boarding on the lake when we approached. The paddle boards were really neat, 9.5 feet long and about 3 feet across. They met in Hawaii and now live in the area. We were interested in what paddle boarding is like, so we got a demonstration which was much appreciated. We had a great time visiting with them, and I got permission to post a photo. If I were younger, I would be out there joining them. Of course, they are both very good at standing while boarding on the lake, but I would be sitting like this. :)
29-AUG-2018
Against a Buttermilk Sky
There was just something about this scene that grabbed me! The buttermilk sky was beautiful, and the tree was shapely. That combination just clicked for me. So I clicked too, the shutter on my camera. :)
30-MAY-2018
Carol Getting Acquainted With a Neighbor!
Next door to us is a pretty woods, and beyond that a pasture where cows and horses feed. Sometimes they come into the woods and wander by our place. This beautiful horse, and some cows, came by today. Carol went out to get acquainted and offer an apple. Our little dog, Miko, stand by to protect Carol. :) (I should have used the term, 'neigh..bor'. That was what came to mind. LOL)
01-JUN-2018
Cormorant Convention
It looks a bit crowded on this log in Kirk Pond. Seems the cormorants are social creatures.
02-JUN-2018
Hideaway in the Trees
This Great Blue Heron was a little difficult to spot in the dark background of the trees in Kirk Park. But the bird and background looked great to me. Of course lots of people know how much I like herons, so they wouldn't be surprised that I would shoot yet another photo of one. :)
03-JUN-2018
The Beautiful Designed Wood Duck!
I never tire of seeing the charming wood duck. It looks like it was hand painted with vivid and gorgeous colors, so perfectly placed. I stand in awe every time I see one.
All About Birds couldn't have said it better (www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id):
"The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye."
04-JUN-2018
Beautiful Fern Ridge Lake
Being so close to Fern Ridge Lake and Wildlife Area is a blessing. The wildlife area is on the south side of the lake, closest to where I live, and the dam and Orchard Point Park are on the north side of the lake. This scene is taken from the north side of the lake, at Orchard Point.
05-JUN-2018
Check Out These Tail Feathers!
The Red-wing Blackbird is really a beautiful bird, even though it is mostly black, the male that is! The female does have a bit of red on its wings but only some stripes of black. It is mostly brown and white, not at all like the male. The black color on the male is a deep black, so it can be difficult to capture detail in it. Rarely have I seen the tail feathers fanned out in all their glory. I was fortunate to capture its beauty this morning at Fern Ridge Wildlife Area.
06-JUN-2018
Purple Martin Pair
When I saw this pair and several other small swift birds flying around bird nests built for them in Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, I assumed they were Tree Swallows. But the color of the male was more purple than blue and their beaks were different. When I checked my bird book and All About Birds online, I learned that they were actually Purple Martins, the first I have seen! It was a thrill! Also, it looks like the male has been banded!
09-JUN-2018
Immature Bald Eagle Landing in Foggy Fern Ridge Wildlife Area
Bald Eagles are fascinating birds. I don't see enough of them, but then it wasn't long ago that we never saw them. Fortunately, they have recovered from a serious population decline. We are seeing them again here in the Willamette Valley, and it appears numbers have increased throughout the US. We are fortunate to have a nesting tree on the north side of Skinner Butte. I saw this immature bald eagle in Fern Ridge Wildlife Area.
This report in CNN back in 2007 reviews their recovery after being put under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1972:
"Bald eagle populations severely declined in the lower 48 states between 1870 and 1970 due to hunting, habitat loss and the use of DDT. DDT, a powerful insecticide, made bald eagle eggshells so weak they couldn't produce viable offspring. In 1963, there were only 417 breeding pairs in the lower 48."
"In a national effort to save the iconic bird, the federal government banned the use of DDT in 1972 and placed the bald eagle under protection of the Endangered Species Act, which allowed the government to protect bald eagle habitat. These two key factors helped it recover, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, there are 9,789 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states."