Saturday morning (May 2) birding at Willamette Park

[Don Boucher]

On Saturday morning, May 2, I led two birding field trips at Willamette Park. We started from the boat ramp/Crystal Lake Sports Fields parking area.

At 5:30 AM. A group of intrepid birders listened from predawn darkness until just past sunrise. We were thrown off by an unexpected but very brief thunderstorm with hardly any rain. It was not predicted by the weather forecast. That didn't stop the birds from singing.

Here's what we heard:

Bewick's Wren 

Spotted Towhee

American Robin 

American Crow

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee 

Canada Goose

Purple Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Bushtit 

Brown Creeper

Lesser Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Song Sparrow

Black-headed Grosbeak

Western Warbling Vireo

Steller's Jay

European Starling

Wilson's Warbler 

Orange-crowned Warbler

Northern Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Western Tanager

Cedar Waxwing

House Finch

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Starting at 7:30 AM, we went for a short walk to look at the river and visit spots in the forest along the river.

Here's what we encountered.

Killdeer

Spotted Sandpiper

Sandpiper sp. (Prob Least)

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Black-capped Chickadee

Bushtit

American Robin

Wilson's Warbler

Canada Goose

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Osprey

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Bewick's Wren

Lesser Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak

Song Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Black-headed Grosbeak

Vaux's Swift

Pileated Woodpecker

Western Warbling Vireo

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

European Starling

Purple Finch

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orange-crowned Warbler

Northern Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Western Tanager

Cassin's Vireo

Cedar Waxwing

House Finch

Flycatcher sp.

These events were part of Natural Areas Celebrations Week. There are multiple local nature events by different organizations. 

If you are impressed by my Willamette Park bird list, you might be interested in this event led by the Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance. I'm not leading it but they are excellent bird guides.

Willamette Park Birding Walk
Saturday, May 9, 8 am – 12 noon
Birding & nature walk; beginning birders welcome; led by Caryn Stoess & Duncan Evered
Meet at the Willamette Park Shelter at the east end of SE Goodnight Ave.
Registration required.
Contact: SecondS...@mwbirdalliance.org

Sponsor:  Mid-Willamette Bird Alliance

Don Boucher

neighborhood-naturalist.com