Christmas Bird Counts

Our "home" count, the Upper Nestucca, was on Tues., Dec. 17, which happened to be a rain/snow/fog free day. Hooray!  This year two friends birded with us and, since they hear and see better than we do, we came out with more birds logged than usual. Hope they join us every year! I only took a few photos, one of a Gray Jay posing atop a tree...

And some of the birding crew trying to hide behind their binoculars...

On the way to the count down, we were treated to a long lasting and beautiful sunset.

...And then at the count down to a fabulous buffet dinner... wish I had taken photos of the spread of food! I was too busy stuffing it down.

Our second (and last) CBC of the year, the Yamhill Valley CBC, was on Dec. 27. Only Mary could go with us this time. We missed "Ears" Havel, but Mary stepped up to be our ears. Since she lives in our segment of the count circle, she knew some of the hot spots. Thanks to her we got the only Dipper of the count. She spotted it under a bridge as we drove by. Fortunately, Johnny, instead of Mary, was driving Mary's car at the time or we never would have seen it. (Mary earned the name "Leadfoot Lagow" on this trip.)

She also knew where a Kingfisher hangs out... and it was there! That was also the only Kingfisher of that count!

Mary contacted some of her neighbors inside the count and got permission from one to walk through. That long driveway was a treasure of birds, including Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, our only Brown Creeper, lots of both Chestnut-backed and Black-capped Chickadees, and a friendly Bewick's Wren.

 Seen just below her house was this handsome Red-tailed Hawk.

Again we had no rain or snow, but we did have fog, especially in the morning and late afternoon. We were too tired to drive into McMinnville for the round-up, so I scanned our info to the coordinator when Johnny and I got home. It was a long but fun day.