• Bird of the Month: February 2012

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• 02.13.12

NESTING: Both male and female build a cup nest in a shrub or small conifer. A platform of twigs and some moss supports a grass cup lined with fibers, rootlets, and hair.  The female incubates 3-6 pale green eggs with dark red markings. Both male and female feed young. One brood per year. FEEDING: In [...]

• “Furry Friend” of the Month: January 2012

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• 01.03.12

NESTING: They mate over an extended period ranging from December through June.  Females only have one litter per year in dreys, which are round conspicuous twig and leaf nests built in the upper 1/3 of the canopy of trees. Dreys are waterproof and made of an outer layer of interwoven twigs with a softer inner [...]

• Bird of the Month: December 2011

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• 12.01.11

NESTING: Unlike other woodpeckers, nest in small colonies. Excavates cavity in deciduous tree, live or dead, usually an oak, 6-25ft. above ground. Breeds cooperatively with groups composed of up to 4 breeding males, 1-2 breeding females, and up to 10 offspring of preceding years. All group members help with excavating nest and with feeding and [...]

• Bird of the Month: November 2011

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• 10.31.11

NESTING: Nesting begins in May in the western half of Oregon. Female builds a cup nest placed on the ground or in a small tree or shrub. It is a bulky nest of grasses, twigs, plant stems, lined with finer grasses, hair, and feathers. Female incubates 3-5 russet marked pale blue or green eggs. Males [...]

• Bird of the Month: October 2011

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• 10.03.11

Nesting: Excavates nest hole in rotted wood or uses birdhouse or natural cavity. Both male and female build or excavate, making nest with green moss and lines it with animal fur.  One brood per year, 5-7 eggs white with fine red- brown speckles. RECOMMENDED NEST BOX: Garden Artworks Chickadee House, Woodlink’s Designer Chickadee House Feeding: [...]

• Bird of the Month: September 2011

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• 09.02.11

DESCRIPTION: Dark-eyed Junco, “Oregon Junco” (Junco hyemalis) SIZE:  5 ½” – 6″ MALE: black hood and reddish-brown back, whitish belly, pale bill, dark eyes, tail dark with conspicuous white outer feathers. FEMALE: same as male with a gray or tan hood rather than black   Nesting: Cuplike nest of grasses, moss, pine needles, placed in [...]

• Bird of the Month: August 2011

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• 08.09.11

DESCRIPTION: Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica) SIZE: 11″ sleek profile, grayish-fawn colored with pinkish tinges on neck and upper breast, especially on male. Long pointed tail with white edges, black dots on wings and pinkish-red feet. MALE and FEMALE: Identical with head, wings, and tail sky blue. Grey-brown patch on back. Chin, breast, and belly [...]

• Bird of the Month: July 2011

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• 06.30.11

DESCRIPTION: Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) SIZE: 12″ sleek profile, grayish-fawn colored with pinkish tinges on neck and upper breast, especially on male. Long pointed tail with white edges, black dots on wings and pinkish-red feet. MALE: Light gray crown and iridescent sides of neck. FEMALE: Evenly brown on head and neck. Nesting: Flimsy, loose flat [...]

• Bird of the Month: June 2011

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• 06.09.11

The Evening Grosbeak is the bird of the month for June 2011. It is one of the largest finches with a characteristic undulating finch-like flight. Has an unusually large bill for cracking seeds, its main food source. Sheds the outer layer of its bill in spring, exposing the blue-green bill. It is an irruptive species, occurring in large numbers in some years.

• Birdwatching Gear Checklist

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• 05.20.11

*Note: Best times of day to see the most bird activity are early morning and early evening. From Your Backyard A good pair of Binoculars, Grange Recommendation: Swift Ultra-Lite 8 x 42 Bird Identification Guide to Western Birds, Grange Recommendation: Stokes Field Guide Western or National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds of North [...]