Jan 1st. The year began with blue skies, ice and wind. George and I wrapped up in jackets and gloves, then ventured out with Maile to Reed Canyon. We quickly found the beautiful barred owl in the usual small fir. First owl of 2018.
Later that day I convinced Tui and Charlie to accompany George and I to Sauvie and Scappose Bottoms for some winter owling. On Sauvie we relocated the pair of Great-horned owls that roost low in some ivy clad cotton woods. I also got to see a fairly dark (female) barn owl roosting in a barn.
At Scappose we watched the sun set and the moon rise besides a snowy Mount Rainier. I was surprised no Short-eared owls came out to hunt with the harriers over the wet pastures. (Last month I saw several at this site). A family of nutria crawled out of the cold slough and began feeding in the frozen field. Later a distant great-horned owl began to sing. On the drive back Tui and I spotted a pair of roadside Great-horned owls in silhouette.
Jan 2nd. Determined to build on yesterdays luck, I drove out to Broughton Beach in search of short-eared owls. Maile and I flushed a dark bird (female) near the river. I got really great views as it flew out over the Columbia River, then wheeled back in to some thick cover at the river's edge.
I tried Vanport next but failed to find the resident great-horned owls. Next stop was Kelly point park, where I again failed to find any great-horned owls by last year's nest. I decided to work the conifers in the park, looking for saw-whet owls. Instead I found a big barred owl low in a small conifer. Nice!
I tried working the Newton Road (Forest Park) for pygmy owl, but it was windy and I came up short. Also no sign of the Oak's Bottom Screech owl today.
At dusk Charlie and I walked under the bluff at Oaks Bottom and found the screech owl silhouetted in the twilight near it's roosting cavity. A moment later it flew. A few minutes later we refound it (or another screech owl) about 300 yards to the south.
Jan 6th. I took the boys and Maile to Reed Canyon, where we easily found the barred owl in the usual small fir tree.
Later George and I went to Tryon State Park. We checked in at the overlook at Oaks bottom, where I glimpsed the screech owl roosting in the broken ash tree. George and I did quite a long night hike at Tryon, in search of great-horned owls. We came up short, but not for lack of trying; George diligently scoured the tree-line for big owls. Despite the darkness George did a fantastic job of staying on the trail.
Jan 12-13th. In the morning the whole family went to Reed Canyon. We got nice views of the barred owl in the small fir tree.
That afternoon I drove with Maile down to Josephine county. My first stop was Merlin, where we walked around a rural subdivision in search of screech owls. No luck.
Next I drove to the Siskiyou Field Institute. I played a recording of a saw whet owl, and almost immediately a large owl flew in. I didn't get a flashlight on the owl, and my impression was a slender, long winged owl. I suspected long-eared, but doubted this, and wondered if I had just misjudged the size and shape of barred owl. Moments later, my question was answered, when the owl screamed from a nearby oak. This is the first time I have had a barn owl fly in to investigate a smaller owl's song.
I worked the fields and wood lots of the Illinois Valley for owls, but nothing was calling. I ended up at Lake Selmac, where I was quickly rewarded with three singing screech owls. By now it was after midnight. I walked along the lake-shore, and heard a single saw-whet note. A minute later it uttered a more diagnostic alarm call.
Tired I set up the tent, glad for Maile's warmth. I had set my alarm for 630am. I walked with Maile for a couple of miles, listening for Great-horned owls. After dawn I tried for northern Pygmy, but failed to see or hear any.
Jan 21st. I had found a ton of owl crap on several trees at Powell Butte yesterday. I returned this evening and soon heard a singing screech owl. Despite much persistence, it eluded me high in a fir tree.
Jan 27th. George and I went for a walk around Tryon Creek. I checked a small fir where last week I had found a lot of owl crap and pellets under it. Amazingly I found a diminutive saw-whet that I was able to show George.
Jan 28th. The family want to Sauvie's Island where I found two female barn owls. One in a cypress tree and the other in a barn.
Later I walked Maile to the Oaks and got to see the screech owl squeezed into it's usual cavity in the broken ash tree.
Feb 4th. Andy Frank had let me know about a new location for nesting great-horned owls at Vanport Wetlands. The old nest was damaged in a storm and was clearly abandoned. I arrived at first light and was able to make out both the profile of the head of the female bird on the nest, and her mate perched nearby.
I checked Kelly Point for barred owls, but found nothing.
Later that afternoon the whole family went to Tryon, where I relocated the saw whet in the same roost site, and was able to show it to Charlie and Tui.
That afternoon, Charlie and I walked to Oak's Overlook and I was able to see the screech owl crammed into it's cavity in the broken ash tree.
Feb 6th. I got up before 4am, and drove out to Wapato on Sauvie's Island. I walked around under a bright moon, hoping to catch sight of hunting owls. All I found was a sleeping heron, high in an Oak, that briefly fooled me.
I tried a couple of other spots, but came up short. Then at Oak Island Road, lucked into an aggressive saw-whet owl, which buzzed me. I ended up enjoying great views of this beautiful little owl.
I ended the morning checking the BPA road in the West Hills for pygmy owls, but found none.
Later I walked Maile around Oaks Bottom and got to enjoy the beautiful screech owl sunning itself int he usual broken ash tree.
Feb 10th. Despite staying out after midnight, I met Andy Frank out at the Sandy River Delta at 545am. We quickly located a calling saw-whet owl, but were unable to see it.
Later I walked with the whole family along Oaks Bottom and found the screech owl in the usual broken ash tree.
Feb 11th. I took the boys out to Sauvie's Island for a fire by the beach. We also stopped and checked for owls along the way. I was able to find two roosting female barn owls.
Late that afternoon Maile and I walked along Oaks Bottom, where I found the screech owl in the usual site.
Feb 12th. I tried the banks of the Columbia near the airport for short-eared owl, but found none. At Vanport I checked out on the nesting great-horned owls, and found one adult on the nest.
I tried for barred owl at Kelly Point, but missed it. Similarly the wind in forest park didn't help with my pygmy owl quest.
Feb 17th. I hiked around Tryon with Maile and found the saw-whet in the same small conifer. On the way home, I checked on the Oaks screech owl, which was roosting in the usual broken ash tree.
Feb 18th. I met up with Andy Frank, and we hiked at dusk from his home into Forest Park. We wanted to check-in on a local pair of barred owls. One of these birds had attacked Andy a year or two ago. We both wore safe glasses, just to be safe. We did get views of a male owl that flew in and duetted vigorously with an (unseen) mate. Wet snow fell heavily as we delighted in the loud owls.
Feb 19th. I hiked out late in the day to the overlook at Oaks and glimpsed just the head of the screech owl deep within it's hole.
Feb 24th. I took Maile out for a morning walk and checked on the screech owl at Oaks Bottom. From the overlook I could see it's head.
Late in the afternoon George and I drove out to Sauvie's Island.heard an I found two lovely barn owls, on in a cypress tree and the second in a barn.
I then checked on a great-horned owl nest that Steve Jaggers had alerted me to. On the nest a female owl called to a male that I eventually found almost half a mile away, singing low in a cottonwood tree. At the south end of the Island I heard another singing great-horned owl.
Feb 25th. I took Charlie to Tryon Creek late on a wet winter's afternoon. We quickly found the saw-whet at it's usual roosting spot. At last years barred owl nesting site we failed to find any barred owls, but did run into Rhett Wilkin's. We hiked around the park as it got darker, hearing both a pygmy owl and a pair of singing barred owls.
Feb 26th. I returned to Sauvie's island and checked on a couple of great-horned owl nest that Steve Jaggers had let me know about. I also found two more on my own. Each had a bird (presumed female) on the nest and no visible mate nearby. I tried for barn owls but found none.
Next I drove to Tryon to try and find some of the owls that I had heard last night with Charlie and Rhett. The saw whet was absent from it's usual roost. However I heard a pair of duetting pygmy owls, by the visitor's center, and saw the male bird high in a Doug Fir. By the old barred owl nest site I found a barred owl, and heard another pair of pygmy owls. Again i was able to locate just the male. Then nearby found a third singing male. What a great day!
March 3rd. George and I went hiking at Tryon State park. We looked for barred owls, but found none. We heard two different singing pygmy owls, but were unable to see either. On the drive back home, I stopped at the overlook at Oaks Bottom and saw the screech owl crammed into the usual cavity in the broken ash tree.
March 4-5th. I drove down to Coos and Curry counties to look for owls. My first stop was near Coquille. I was searching for barred and screech owls. I ended up hearing a great-horned owl, giving an interesting bark-like call. I tried a couple more spots for screech and barred owls, but found none. I did hear a second great-horned owl singing from across the Coquille river.
I stopped by the cranberry bogs near Cape Blanco and tried for barn and great-horned owls, but found neither. At Cape Blanco I heard singing great-horned and saw whet owls. The moon was now up, and it was a fantastic clear cold night. I drove 101 to Gold Beach, then inland along the Rouge River. I stopped a couple of spots of nice looking madrone patches. I eventually found a great little screech owl singing low in a tree. I tried a couple more places for barred owl. but by now it was 130am and I was exhausted. I camped with Maile by the side of the Rouge.
It was a really cold night, so I had no problem getting out of the tent around six. Maile and I walked along the south side of the Rouge looking for pygmy owls. After a couple of hours we gave up and I drove north to Mt Humbug. I had to climb up to the snow at around 1000' before I found a responsive pygmy owl that came in for a brief view.
March 10th. I took George on a long trip around Sauvies Island. We found five great-horned owls, all on nests. Additionally we found a barn owl roosting in a cyprus tree.
Later that evening I walked around Oaks Bottom with Tautai and Maile and we saw the screech owl roosting in the usual broken ash tree.
March 11th George, Maile and I took a lovely sunny hike through Tryon Creek. We found the saw-whet at it's usual roost, low in a small conifer. It was great to see it there, as I had missed it for a couple of weeks.
March 12th. Tui and I went to Vanport, where I showed her the nesting great-horned owl through the scope.
Later that day, Charlie and I rode the bike out to the overlook at Oaks Bottom, where I was able to make out the screech owl roosting deep in the cavity of a broken ash tree.
March 17th. I took my dad and the boys to Tryon State Park, where we heard and I saw a spontaneously singing.
March 18th. I went with Dad and the boys to Sauvie's Island, where we saw two roosting barn owls and three great-horned owls on nests.
March 19th. While checking out the Oak's Screech owl from the overlook, I got a text from a friend about a saw-whet owl. Sure enough we were able to see a lovely roosting saw whet at Blue Lake Park.
March 20th. I took dad and Mail around Oaks Bottom at dusk to check on the screech owls. I lucked into a screech owl in a new cavity at the south end of the reserve. At the usual broken ash tree we found two screech owls staring out of the cavity. (Interestingly the two sites were just about 200 yards apart.
March 25th. I took my Dad and the boys camping in a rented VW camper. At Cottonwood Canyon I found a screech owl roosting and heard a pair of great-horned owls duetting on and off through the night.
March 31st. I went with Dad and the boys to South Beach Sate Park for the weekend. At dusk, George and I drove inland of Seal Rock and found a pair of singing screech owls and singing saw whet. Both were on the far side of a deep creek, so I was unable to see the owls.
April 2nd. I took Dad and Maile around Powell Butte and found a barred owl low in a Doug fir. First time I have found this species at Powell Butte.
April 8th. George and I stopped by the overlook at Oaks and saw the screech owl roosting in the broken ash tree. We then took a walk around Tryon at dusk in search of Barred owls. We found none, but did hear two, or three pygmy owls.Scouters Mountain.
April 9th. It was a lovely warm evening, so I took George and Maile around Oaks. I found a screech owl in a cavity in a cottonwood. Back at the car, I heard a pair of screech owls singing, and was able to find one, low in a cherry tree.
April 14th The whole family headed to Oaks Bottom. We saw two different screech owls, one in the broken ash and the other in a hole in a cottonwood.
That night, George, Maile and I took a walk around Powell Butte. In the open grassland we found a great-horned owl, in silhouette, perched atop of a small tree.
May 12th. I took George to Tryon state park in the evening. We could hear barred owls calling, and eventually tracked them down to the same general area that they bred last year. We saw two or three adult birds flying around, but neither saw nor heard any juveniles.
May 19th. Tui and I took a hike to Scouters Mountain, a small Metro reserve in Happy Valley. Almost immediately I heard a group of Stellars' jays harassing something. I hiked quickly down the trail and found three great-horned owls. At least one was a juvenile.
May 20th. My alarm went off at 4am. With some difficulty I got up and drove to Oaks Bottom. I hike to an area where I had been seeing a ton of owl whitewash under a patch of conifers. Sure enough a screech owl was singing it's heart out when I arrived. I was able to find the owl, in silhouette perched on an ash tree. While lsitening for juvenile screech owls (which I never heard) a distant Great-horned owl hooted twice.
I found a second screech owl near the overlook park, where I had left the car.
My next stop was to check on the barred owls at Tryon. I hiked to the area where George and I had found them last week. I was surprised that I could not hear any begging juveniles. I did hear a pygmy owl, and with some difficulty was able to eventually get a view of it in flight. (I also hear a second pygmy nearby).
I eventually heard a couple of barred owls singing. It was now quite light and I was able to find a group of three actively flying and calling together.
That evening I returned with Tui, Maile and the boys. After waiting on the trail for a while two barred owls flew into a nearby tree. We got great views of them preening each other.
May 26th. The whole family went to Marshall Park, near Tryon State Park. We happened into a pair of barred owls, by following the scolding of robins and Stellar's jays.
That afternoon I drove to the Blue Mountains East of Dixie, Washington. Mike and MerryLynn Denny had kindly shared a great-gray owl site. We arrived around 7pm and got great views of a massive adult bird and two juveniles begging.
We found a place to camp nearby. We hiked a third of a mile from the car. The views were brilliant.
The view looking north towards the Snake River from the campsite
Eating dinner by the campfire
May 27th. After a fish breakfast we return to the site after breakfast and saw two juveniles and heard a third bird.
The boys near the owl site
June 1st. I walked George and Maile around Oaks Bottom. A scolding robin revealed a roosting screech owl in an ash tree.
June 3rd. My alarm woke me at 3am. First stop was Johnson Creek park, which I was hoping would hold a screech owl, but I found none. I drove to Reed Canyon, where I found a pair of singing screech owls. Along Reed Collage Place I found a hunting barred owl. At first light I heard a second barred owl from Tideman Johnson Park. I ended up scrambling up the steep embankment at the Tacoma Street bridge and finding it in a residential neighborhood.
June 4th. After dropping of Charlie at school, I took Maile out to MacLeay Park. I heard a robin scolding high above me on a very steep slope. With difficulty I was able to scramble up with Maile. I was expecting a barred owl, which is regular in May and June. Instead I found a screech owl perched very low in an elderberry thicket.
June 8-11th. The whole family took a trip to Southern Oregon to visit Ashland and the Oregon Caves. It rained on the 8th, so I didn't do any owling. We stayed in Talent, in Jackson County. At dusk I found a pair of very responsive screech owls.
On the 9th I checked out the hills behind Gold Hill in Jackson county and heard a distant Flammulated owl, and a screech owl. Driving down I saw a black bear crossing the dirt road. I then explored the area south of the City of Rouge River in Josephine county. I heard two very distant Flammulated owls and a great-horned owl. On the drive back I saw a barn owl flying over the freeway near Medford.
On the 10th I drove up to Howard Prairie and saw a roadside long-eared owl from the car. I was listening for saw-whets and spotted owls as I made a circuit around the lake. I heard three great-horned owls and (at a wet meadow) I heard a begging juvenile great-gray owl and a hooting adult bird. Back on the freeway I had a barn owl flying over the car.
June 16th-17th. I took the boys and Maile camping at Northup Horse Camp in Clatsop County. Charlie found a barred owl feather along the creek. Later we heard a pair of barred owls duetting up the valley.
June 17th. My friend Andy Frank to let me know about a barred owl along Balch Creek in Forrest Park. Charlie and I arrived a couple of hours later and found one or two hunting adults and three noisy juveniles begging. One of the adults raided a robin's nest, taking the juvenile robins to feed it's own young!
Barred owl taken by Andy Frank
June 18th. My alarm woke me at 430am. I drove out to Tryon State Park to look for barred owls. I found one or two adult barred owls and heard a singing pygmy owl.
June 23rd. Tui, the boys and I went to Audubon House in forest park. We explored the trails and found an adult barred owl by following a pair of scolding robins.
June 24th-25th. I drove down to Southern Oregon to look for owls in Klamath and Lake counties. I arrived at Fort Klamath at dusk.
Entering Fort Klamath
I woke and the weather was calm. I stuffed the tent in the car and set off again in search of flammulated and saw-whet owls. I didn't detect either, but heard a distant great gray owl. I also heard two adult and a juvenile barred owl all calling together from a stand of cottonwoods.
The view at first light from the shore of Agency Lake
My plan for the afternoon was to meet up with Karl Schnenk, Carol (local birder) and Tom Phillips (a spotted owl researcher). Karl showed me three juvenile barn owls in a nest box. We met the others in Ashland and drove up Dead Indian Road into the mountains. Tom showed us a beautiful spotted owl at the first stop. The owl was fed four mice to check and see if it was feeding juvenile birds. Unfortunately this hasn't been a good breeding year and the owl ate three mice, and cached the fourth.
Northern Spotted owl (iPhone photo)
Beautiful photo from Karl Schnenk
Another beautiful photo from Karl Schnenk
Another beautiful photo from Karl Schnenk
We check out some other sites, but only saw beautiful old growth trees. It was 930pm when I got back to the car. I downed four pints of Starbucks, and drove back to Portland in just four hours.
July 1st. I had heard about a pair of spotted owls in Eastern Linn county. Charlie, Maile and I drove out there. The location was high in the mountains. It was a long (three hours drive), given the site was probably 70 miles as the crow flies from home.
Along the gravel roads we found four grouse families with chicks. We were amazed to see the babies (no bigger than starlings flying). I drove around a corner, and was temporarily blinded by the late afternoon sun. I almost hit a watermelon-sized rock, swerving at the last moment. Swearing too.
We set up tent, then hiked around hoping that the owls might come in and check us out.
View as we hiked around looking for spotted owls
Charlie, after I told him that he would get an ice cream if he found an owl
Beautiful big trees. Home of spotted owls.
We walked around quite a lot at dusk, hoping to hear singing spotted owls. I kept Charlie close by as there was lots of bear shit along the trails. We did find pygmy owl which was a nice consolation. Once it was dark, we returned to camp and built up the fire. At 1030pm, we were about to get ready for bed when a male spotted owl sung from above us. We soon spot lighted it perched above us. Oh so brilliant. I was really thrilled to see this bird at night. All night I would wake to turn over and hear more distant spotted owls (two birds) singing.
July 9th. After Dinner George and I took a walk around Tryon state park, where a scolding robin gave away the presence of a lovely barred owl.
Aug 18-19th. I hadn't done any owling for the last six weeks. This weekend, I took Charlie to Mount Hood. We drove to Vista Ridge trailhead and we hiked up through the Dollar Lake burn under a relentless sun.
Charlie's mood improved greatly when we reached Eden Park trail, from which it was downhill all the way to Eden Park.
With a fire ban, and no beer to drink we spent the evening exploring Eden Park and playing by a cold glacial creek.
Dusk was all the more beautiful thanks to the smoke from many distant wild fires. We were telling stories in the tent when we heard a family of great-horned owls. The calls were really interesting-the typical hooting call was much higher pitched than normal. I wondered if the bird has some physical abnormality that caused this? Or perhaps that's how juvenile birds sound when they first hoot. We also heard the owls bark, and beg. There were at least three, possibly four or more owls calling. In the middle of the night I woke again and listened to them from the tent until I drifted back to sleep.
Aug 25-26. I went backpacking with Charlie, my friend Mark, and his Swedish friend Johan. We hiked to lower lake in Marion county and set up camp.
Lower Lake
After a swim, we hiked down to Fish lake.
View of Fish Lake from the rocky out crop
I was impressed by the old growth forest around Fish Lake, and after dark returned to the overlook to listen for spotted owl. I didn't hear any spotted owls, but did hear a paired of barred owls.
Sep 2nd-3rd. The whole family stayed in a house near Whalen Island on the Tillamook Coast. Tui and I where on the balcony after dark when we heard a barn owl screech from the saltmarsh. The next morning I was walking Maile up a forest road when I heard a pygmy owl calling.
Sep 8-9th. I drove out to Tilly Jane Campground on the east side of Mt Hood in search of boreal owls. I hiked around for 3 miles and got a distant response from a saw-whet owl at the treeline. I then drove over to Timberline lodge and explored the mosaic of meadows and old forest. I didn't find any boreal owls, but did hear a barred and great-horned owl.
Sep 14th. I took George to Oaks Bottom at dusk. We checked out the usual spots for screech owls, but found non. On the way back we heard a saw-whet owl respond to a screech owl call. This is the first time I have found saw-whets at Oaks Bottom.
Sep 21-3rd. The whole family went to Sunriver near Bend. I took the opportunity to visit Brokentop to search for boreal owls. There was a full moon this weekend and the weather was calm.
On the 21st, I drove almost the whole way to the trailhead in the civic. I hiked around for a mile or so with Maile. A dear coughed from across a meadow, surprising me when I caught sight of it's glowing eyes. I then drove slowly back down the road, stopping every quarter mile to check for Boreal owls. A long-eared flew in close to me, but no Boreals tonight.
At dusk on the 22nd, I took the boys down to the meadows near the nature center, we found 3 or 4 great-horned owls perched across the river on a row of small conifers. At least two of the birds were begging juveniles. After the boys went down for bed I drove up to Todd Lake. Along the way I found a road-side great-horned owl. From Todd lake I hiked up to Soda Creek trail. I was a little spooked about cougars. A couple of weeks ago Diana Bober was killed near Mount Hood by a cougar. Also a couple of years ago, when I was last at Todd Lake the forest service had warning signs about a cougar. Fortunately I had Maile and some bear spay for defense. I didn't see any cougars, or owls, but it was a beautiful night, and I was very happy to return to the family in one piece.
October 6th. George and I took a afternoon walk around Oaks Bottom. From the start of the walk we could hear a cacophony of raucous crows. A half an hour later we reached the noisy flock and almost immediately found a big great-horned owl in an ash tree.
October 13th. We all went up to Puyallop to visit with family. I drove out to Sunrise on Mt Rainier to look for boreal owls. At the parking lot I found a fox. I hiked around and found no boreals. It was intermittently windy, so that didn't help. There was a little snow on the ground, and it was a beautiful night. I heard a long eared owl calling briefly.
November 2nd. I took George and Maile to Sauvie's Island, where we found a beautiful great-horned owl on Oak Island Road.
November 4th. I took George and Maile to Broughton Beach on a mild sunny morning. Almost immediately we flushed a dark short-eared owl that was roosting in a patch of rough grass near the river.
After lunch the whole family walked along the east side of Oaks Bottom. A flock of scolding bushtits gave away a roosting screech owl in a waterside willow thicket.
After dusk I walked into the north end of Oaks Bottom in search of saw-whet owls. Portland is in the depths of a housing crisis, and many people where quietly setting up tents in the reserve. The air filled with campfire smoke. I heard a saw-whet call briefly, but was unable to see it.
November 12th. I hiked around Oaks Bottom with Maile and the boys and found a roosting screech owl in the usual broken ash tree.
November 16th. I had heard about a small great-horned owl at Fern Hill in NE Portland. Online there was speculation that it could have been a long eared owl. I could not resist driving out with Charlie after school to check it out. It took just a couple of minutes to find a lovely dark great-horned owl roosting in a fir tree.
November 17th. I took George out on a sunny afternoon. Our firsts top was Oak Island Road on Sauvie's Island, where I found a roosting great-horned owl in a large cottonwood tree and a male barn owl in a cyprus tree.
We then drove out to Scappose in search of short-eared owls. We waited until it was quite dark, but failed to find any short-eareds.
November 18th. I took Maile out at dusk to Tryon Creek State Park. We hiked all over the park, and heard a barred owl.
November 22nd. On thanksgiving morning I took George and Maile out for a walk around Oaks Bottom. I found the screech owl roosting in the usual cavity in the broken ash tree.
November 24th. I repeated my walk around Oaks Bottom with George and Maile on a lovely sunny morning. Again I found a roosting screech owl in the usual broken ash tree.
Late that afternoon George, Maile and I walked through the mist around Wapato (Sauvie Island). We failed to find any owls. Then we drove down Oak Island road, stopping periodically to listen for owls at dusk. I heard three great-horned owls, and luckily saw one singing in silhouette from a tall cottonwood.
December 1st. The whole family walked around the back of Oaks Bottom. On the way out there were no owls visible in the broken ash, but on our return the screech owl must have emerged from deep within the cavity and was visible from the trail.
December 2nd. I took the boys and Maile to Sauvie Island. I found a great-horned owl in the usual cottonwood tree. I tried for barn owl along Oak Island Road, but failed to find any.
We built a bonfire on the beach and stayed until dusk. On the way home we stopped at a great-horned territory and I could hear one singing from a stand of willows in the distance. We flushed a barred owl from the roadside. It flew up into a low tree, where we enjoyed great views.
December 8th. I drove to Baskett Slough in search of a burrowing owl found by Roy Gerig. I quickly found the owl by a culvert. I was struck by how pale this individual was and wondered if it was a sun-bleached male. (Female burrowing owls spend more time caring for eggs and young in the burrows and are darker due to less exposure to the sun).
I also found a beautiful male barn owl nearby.
December 9th. With rain looming in the forecast, George, Maile and I left the house early on a cold windy morning and hiked around Reed Canyon. A small flock of scolding juncos revealed barred owl roosting in a small Doug fir. We were able to get a really great view. "Beautiful colors" George declared. This is the first barred owl I have seen here since January despite a couple dozen hikes through the canyon.
December 15th. George, Maile and I walked around Oaks Bottom. I found a screech owl in a stand of small conifers, where for years I had seen whitewash, but this was the first owl I had found there. I found a second screech owl in the usual broken ash tree.
Later we drove out to Sauvies Island. I found a roosting barn owl along Oak Island road. We built a fire on the beach at Willow Bar and waited for sunset. Walking back to the car we found a pair of great-horned owls duetting in the bare cottonwood trees.
December 16th. Around sunset I took Maile and the boys down to Oaks Bottom. I found a lovely great horned owl in the willows. A few minutes later a murder of crows found the owl and scolded it soundly until it got dark and they departed for their roosting place. The great-horned was unusually pale for a local bird. Perhaps it was a visitor from East of the Cascades where the birds are much lighter?
December 21st. Charlie, Maile and I walked around Oaks Bottom. We found the screech owl roosting in the usual broken ash. We described the site to a couple of birders, who clearly found the owl, as they left a message "WE SAW IT" in broken sticks on the trail.
December 22nd. I met Andy Frank and Philip Kline at 5am at Sauvies Island. Our quest was a screech owl for Philip's Columbia County big year. We failed to find a screech, but heard a saw-whet and had a barred owl fly by.
Later that morning I took Maile and the boys to Reed Canyon where we found a roosting barred owl high in a fir tree.
December 29th. I took George and Maile for a walk around Reed Canyon, where we quickly found a roosting barred owl in the same fir that we saw it in last week.
Later that afternoon Charlie, Maile and I walked around Oaks Bottom. We found lots of white wash in confers, and could only speculate what owls we were missing. I did see the screech owl in it's usual roosting crevice in a broken ash tree.
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