Three December Bird Surveys

On December 3rd, we did our North Santiam raptor route. It was a gray, short daylight day. But the Lyons City Park/John Neal Park (I can't tell where one ends and the other begins) is always lovely with resident Gadwalls and reflecting ponds.

 The return phase of our trip is westward headed, chasing the setting sun.

Two days later we did the Grand Ronde raptor run, another gray day. A Rough-legged Hawk was back for the winter in the field behind the weigh station on our route. Rough-legs seem to love to find the skinniest twig possible to perch on.
 

The three White-tailed Kites we found in November were in the same area in December. I managed a very distant shot of two of them.

Also at a distance was this Red-shouldered Hawk, who just let me photo his back.

 We stop to buy our lunch at Slow Train coffee shop in Willamina, taking our sandwiches to Huddleston Pond to eat... and watch birds. This Great Egret, we were told, comes back every day to sit on this same perch. It looks from the whitewash that it has been doing that for some time!

A herd of probably a couple hundred elk were on one of our sites.

On Dec. 9, I managed to squeeze in my monthly Beached Bird Survey for COASST. Still foggy and cold at home, it was lovely warm sunshine on the beach... that day only.

But the bird surveys are not done for the month. We have two Christmas Bird Counts coming up!