Connect with Nature!
Dark-eyed Juncos are common sparrows found throughout North America. They show a great deal of geographic variation, with many subspecies divided into five recognizable groups. The group found locally is known, appropriately enough, as Oregon Junco. Read more...
With the arrival of autumn weather in late September and early October come Golden-crowned Sparrows. This species nests in Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and British Columbia, then spends the winter along the west coast from southern British Columbia to Baja California. They remain in the Willamette Valley until mid-May. Read more...
Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are found in Oregon all year, but their nomadic behavior makes it hard to predict where you will find them at any given time. They may arrive in your yard one day (usually in a flock), spend a day or two, and then disappear for months. Read more...
If you’re looking to bring some new visitors to your yard, throw out a handful of millet and see if the fascinating Mourning Dove will find it. Mourning Doves, with their distinctive coo and exciting courtship and aggressive displays, are one of the most interesting backyard birds to watch. Read more...
Few Portland area wild bird lovers are unfamiliar with the dramatic silhouette and raucous honking of the Great Blue Heron. Its four-foot height and six-foot wingspan make it one of the largest birds around. Read more...
The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) was the first time that European-Americans went bird watching in the American west. The expedition discovered several species new to science, and the explorers’ journals provide us with a glimpse of Oregon’s bird life in the early 19th Century. (Lewis and Clark were the first to describe California Condors along the Columbia River.) Read more...
You may hear this bird before you see it! If you hear scratching and rustling noises coming from leaf litter or a birdfeeding area, you may be hearing a Spotted Towhee. Try to get a peek, because it's a beautiful backyard bird! Read more...
Whether you are looking out over a river, a wetland, a residential lawn, or a parking lot, it is not hard to see swallows on any summer day. These graceful fliers spend much of their time on the wing, speeding through the air as they catch flying insects. They even drink and bathe while flying. Read more...
Nuthatches are the only birds in our area who are equally adept at going either direction on a tree trunk, upward or downward. Ornithologists believe that nuthatches find insect food by going down a tree trunk that would be missed by birds going up the tree trunk, so the nutty behavior is really an evolutionary advantage. Read more...
Many people who feed birds do not like the jays because of their large size, loud voices, and aggressive nature. But if you take a little time to get to know these birds, you will learn to appreciate their beauty, their intelligence, and the important rolls they play in nature. Read more...
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