[Kascadia]

The Black Headed Grosbeaks have shown up for the summer - such beautiful birds with their orange/black/white markings and oh the improv! Amazing vocalists.

[Now I Fly]

[Hesman]

Couple of days ago I was looking for birds at a spot I sometimes visit a couple of miles from my house to see what I could see for birds. Eight California Scrub-jays were spotted moving from tree to tree.

[grannyhiker]

Does anyone here track migration on BirdCast? We had an extraordinary 4.5 million birds fly across Multnomah and Washington Counties, Oregon (northern end of the Willamette Valley) in one night, last Friday/Saturday. That must have been the peak, because as of last night, migrating birds are down to 141,000.

[Hesman]

I periodically look at BirdCast. Speaking of it, I looked at it about an hour ago and Texas has the most birds migrating at the moment.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

They've probably been around, but I've never identified them previously. Last 2 days I've had Bewick's wrens hopping around the back yard. First time I've been aware of seeing them. Cute little things.

[Hesman]

I sometimes get them mixed up with Pacific Wrens, but always keep a lookout for the prominent white eyebrow on the Bewick's.

[Malachai Constant]

We saw a pair of Great Gray Owls off I-84 by LaGrand OR my understanding is they are seldom seen this far south. Very large dark Owls.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Haven't been out much this year. Finally heard my first Swainson's thrushes, at Boeing Creek Park yesterday. There were several. I actually saw one of them, that's a rarity for me. Also watched a group of crows splish splashing in the creek. In the many dozens of times I've been there, never seen the crows bathing before. This was where the lake used to be, now restored to creek bed.

[Anne Elk]

^^^ I love the Swainson's, but I've only ever heard them at higher elevations in June. I also have difficulty telling their call from that of the Hermit Thrush. Great comparison article here: Learn the sounds of three brown thrushes

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Thanks Anne! I actually heard the wink sound as well as the full song from the thrush. I hadn't noticed the wink before. I thought it was a bit like dripping water. We definitely get some Swainson's in the Puget Sound lowlands in the spring. I'm not aware of hermits being down this low. When I'm hiking I often get confused about which one is which, but if I hear both for comparison it helps me figure it out. I'm always happy when I hear the trifecta of thrushes--Swainson's, hermit and varied. Maybe I've even experienced a quad before with a robin. Those seem to show up at just about any elevation.