Water Water, WA

The plan was simple: we would head up to Portland for the day and kick around Multnomah County for a while. Even though we're up there practically every other weekend (and I work up there), our county list is pitiful and we were finally going to do something about it.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

We decided on Smith and Bybee Wetlands, where we were sure to pick up waterfowl, and where the trails around the lakes make for a pleasant stroll. Though the water level was higher than during our previous visit, and there wasn't quite as much activity as we'd hoped, we were greeted by a pair of Varied Thrushes just as soon as we got started. Later, we chanced upon four immature Bald Eagles -- one of whom had nabbed a fish out of the lake, only to be pursued over the treeline by three less enterprising siblings. But for us the highlight of the morning wasn't a bird at all.

Bald Eagles

Bewick's Wren

Maureen and I had had salamanders on the mind, as the previous weekend we'd attended a field trip to McDonald Forest with high hopes of finding assorted salamanders and newts. We'd braved the rain and cold thinking we might glimpse some new amphibians and were sorry when none had turned up. Today, though, luck was on our side. Maureen turned over a couple of logs, and under the second was the most cooperative Long-toed Salamander one could ask for. We gawked and admired for several minutes, and wrangled passers-by to share in our find. The salamander took it all in stride, finally disappearing into the loose soil only after everyone had had a chance to appreciate him.

Long-toed Salamander

In deciding where to go next, Maureen noticed a big green patch on Google Maps: "Oh, but it's in Washington." In our 9 months of living here, through all of our exploring, we've somehow never ventured across the border to our northern neighbor, literally on the other side of the river from Portland. Today we decided that Ridgefield NWR was worth the trip (bonus: every bird's a new state bird!). The refuge consists of a 4.2 mile driving trail through some pretty awesome wetlands. Unlike other driving trails we've been on, people are positively forbidden to leave their cars, except at a single photo blind mid-way through.

Red-winged Blackbird

Great Blue Heron

Northern Harrier

Ducks and swans were everywhere. There were also more nutria per acre than anyplace I've seen. Much of the action took place right beside the road, which was fortunate, since there was nowhere else to go. Fortunate for us, that is, though not for one frog, who was set to make a meal fit for an egret. This fairly robust and wily frog didn't make it easy for the Great Egret to put it down: the egret tossed it a little, maneuvered it, dunked it back in the water, and started the whole process over again. The dunking seemed like the cruelest part of all, like he just wanted to give the frog a false hope of escape. It took a couple of minutes before the frog was positioned just right, and that was the last anyone will see of it.

Tundra Swans

Nutria

Great Egret hanging a most unfortunate frog out to dry

In a happier context, you might think the frog was just hitching a ride from his buddy

At the photo blind pit stop, a young Red-tailed Hawk perched over the parking lot was the star attraction for the half-a-dozen or so other photographers stretching their legs. The hawk was great, but to be honest I was more excited for us to find a much smaller subject, since I was itching to use the macro attachment for my iPhone. We didn't know what we were looking at at the time, but the insects we found were a diurnal type of firefly. Unlike it's beloved cousins, members of this particular group aren't bioluminescent at all, using chemical signaling to communicate instead.

Red-tailed Hawk

Firefly, probably Ellychnia hatchi

We've been paying more attention to lichens lately (Xanthoria sp.?)

And let's not forget the fungi...

The benefit of having everyone stay in their cars in a wetland is, of course, that the waterfowl don't flush nearly as easily as they would from pedestrians. This gave us an opportunity for some great looks at birds we're accustomed to seeing from farther away. This was especially true of a few individuals who preferred the channels alongside the road, rather than out in the open water: a sharp-looking Hooded Merganser, a pair of Gadwall, and a couple of Northern Shovelers dancing their feeding tango. I always love watching Shovelers feed, swimming around and around each other, stirring up prey in the vortex.

Hooded Merganser

Gadwall -- the most worried-looking of the ducks

Female Gadwall

Northern Shoveler

As we drove along one of the channels checking for waterfowl, Maureen spotted an American Bittern. Sort of. It wasn't the bird that caught her eye at first, but its reflection. The bittern was so perfectly camouflaged that it took her a few moments to find it among the reeds. Even though must have been staring right at it, I don't think I saw it until it started to move. It was a nice surprise encounter to end an impromptu trip to a new state. Certainly Washington state must have a lot more surprises in store for us, provided we remember to cross the border from time to time.

What did you see first: the bird or the reflection?

American Bittern

Googly eyes

Viera Wetlands

We've finally arrived at the report of our third and final day of birding Brevard County, Florida - a trip that, earlier, included both Merritt Island NWR (Part 1, Part 2) and Canaveral National Seashore (here). While we would have loved to spend all of our remaining time at Viera, from sunrise to sunset, we had been keeping our eyes on the weather forecast, and expected the thunderstorms to cut our day short. While, on past occasions, we'd parked the car at the entrance and hiked our way through the trails, with the impending showers, we thought it better, this time around, to keep the car close.

Limpkin

Limpkin

The cloud cover was less than complete, and we felt reasonably sure that we'd be able to get some quality birding in. It didn't hurt when, right off the bat, we saw an adult Crested Caracara land in a distant pine alongside a juvenile.

Viera Wetlands at dawn

Driving slowly up the dirt road, and carefully scanning every which way, I excitedly called out "Eastern Screech Owl!" We both whipped our binoculars out and stretched through the car windows for a better look at the object resting on a wood post up ahead. But, embarrassingly, what I had seen had actually been the post itself, the top of which had big chunks missing out of it, and making it look vaguely like a screech owl. Sadly, this wasn't the first time my enthusiasm has created birding-induced paradolia, and I'm sure it won't be the last. 

Fortunately, there was no mistaking the two Sandhill Cranes that flew beside us. Looking over into the fields beyond the fences lining the perimeter of the wetlands, we found about a dozen more standing around. 

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes

Although the waterfowl were much more abundant at Viera than at any other location during our trip, we didn't find any great diversity of species. The Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and Northern Shovelers were some of the highlights. These are all very beautiful birds, of course, but I think I was most thankful that they broke up the monotony of the many thousands of American Coots out in front of us. 

Ring-necked Ducks

Northern Shovelers and American Coots

In the reeds along the banks, we found a secretive little thing flitting about, down where it was difficult to make make out any features. The call, however, was that of a Marsh Wren. Our only previous look at a Marsh Wren was disappointingly brief, and so we decided that we would stick it out until he gave us the looks we wanted. Little did we realize how obliging he'd be! Jumping up to the very tops of the reeds, he grabbed hold of a reed in each foot and spread his legs far apart. Over the course of several minutes, he repeated this display a couple of different times. We also discovered a handful more Marsh Wrens as we continued around the trails. 

Marsh Wren

Marsh Wren

Seeing as how difficult to find one American Bittern, we were shocked to be able to see two in one morning. The first one flushed as soon as we spotted it, but the other, farther down along the road, laid low for as long as we remained watching. 

American Bittern

American Bittern

American Bittern

While we were out to look at this second bittern, an alligator made an unsuccessful attempt at taking a coot, out in the water. The immediate response of every bird in the immediate and not-so-immediate vicinities was to get the hell out of the there as quickly as possible. Below, you can see a number of coots lined up along the banks, alongside several Blue-winged Teal. It my not be evident in the picture, but those birds weren't prepared to return to the water any time soon. 

Trying not to get eaten

Of course, seeing a Bald Eagle is always a highlight of any outing, and is an experience, that, I hope, never gets old. A single adult perched atop the tall stump of a Cabbage Palm and posed for several minutes before finding another, closer perch, and finally flying nearly right over us. 

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

By this point, the storm was just about upon us, and the rain began to fall. By the end of our three days, we wound up with 106 species, meeting and exceeding our fanciful hope of hitting triple digits. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Central Florida, you MUST visit these places: Viera Wetlands, Merritt Island NWR, and Canaveral National Seashore. If you need an excuse, there's always next year's Space Coast Birding Festival!

Great Blue Herons before the storm

This was more interesting than whatever was off to the right