Jed's Redpolls and other yard birds

1/17/18

Hi All,

Recently 2 Common Redpolls showed up at the home of a Corvallis resident named Jed, a species that is quite rare west of the Cascades, and I had never seen one except way over in the NE corner of the state.  To add to the incentive to see them, a Nashville Warbler was also coming to one of Jed’s suet feeders - neither of which I had on my Benton County list.  I made the 45 minute jaunt there 2 days ago and saw the warbler, and after over and hour and a half wait, saw the redpolls today.  It was worth the wait.  All these pics are from his yard except the eagle which was seen en route home.  Sheep farming is popular here in the Willamette Valley, and with so many sheep, a few will succumb to sickness and die, and the eagles have a feast on their carcasses such as is seen here.  We often have a warm and fuzzy idea of how nature seems to be, but in reality, it is much more harsh, and we see the survival of the fittest played out much more often.

White-throated Sparrow

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch - female

Dark-eyed Junco

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll in front, Lesser Goldfinch in back

Bald Eagle eating "Leg of Lamb."

Steller's Eider +

Oregon’s 4th record of Steller’s Eider showed up on the coast Saturday morning, 1/13/18, and I decided to get over there today hoping it would still be there.  It was - along with many other birders over the coarse of the day.  This was a lifer for me.  The pictures are not the greatest, but one can ID the bird by them if he had to.  There were some Black Turnstones nearby, hence one pic of one of them.  Also, of coarse, another Bald Eagle pic.  There are really quite a few on the North Oregon coast.  It was a nice day there, clear, warm, but a good stiff breeze. 

Steller's Eider, Seaside Cove, Or 1/14/18

Steller's Eider, Seaside Cove, Or 1/14/18

Steller's Eider, Seaside Cove, Or 1/14/18

Black Turnstone, Seaside Cove, Or 1/14/18

Longspur and Kittiwake

Photos on 1-12-17 at North Jetty Yaquina Bay.

Lapland Longspur - N Jetty Yaquina Bay 1-12-17

Lapland Longspur - N Jetty Yaquina Bay 1-12-17

Lapland Longspur - N Jetty Yaquina Bay 1-12-17

Lapland Longspur - N Jetty Yaquina Bay 1-12-17

Lapland Longspur - N Jetty Yaquina Bay 1-12-17

Immature Black-legged Kittiwake - N Jetty Yaquina Bay.  He looks fairly striking from the back.

Hmmm......he does not look so good from the front. 
Must be a member of the Bleeding Hearts Club

American Wigeon

1/7/18:
Last month Ken Chamberlain brought to our attention that there is a variety of American Wigeon called a "storm wigeon."  I was totally ignorant of such until then.  When I saw this bird yesterday I immediately recognized it as such.  He is currently in Willamina, Yamhill County,  at the Huddleston Fishing Pond there, along with Common and Hooded Mergansers, Cormorants, Buffleheads, Mallards and one Eurasian Wigeon.

American Wigeon

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Yesterday about 10:30 I saw the imm male Rose-breasted Grosbeak coming to the feeder in Corvallis.  Tom is a great host and, as it was staying hidden in the holly, he invited me and Sylvia Maulding inside where we were able to view it.  Here is my best shot.

imm male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Roadside Hawk

Road-side Hawk in Marion County, 11/21/17

Odd Blackbird

This bird simply had none of the  rufous overtones of the other female Red-winged Blackbirds.  Is it lacking pigment?  I have zilch experience with young and female type Trikes.  Too bad these pics are not more focused showing the bill.  Sibley mentions separating them by wing shape, but I am not sure what he is talking about.  Of the flock of about 100 red-wings, this was the only one without rufous for the females.