KenM
Well-known member
It's been three years, since we last visited Portland, Oregon where my daughter lives, thus a trip was almost overdue with BA to Seattle (9hrs.10 mins.), then connecting with Alaska Airlines for the final 35 minute transfer South to Portland. Upon arriving we found it un-seasonally cool and cloudy circa 59F, however within three days, the temperature started it's upward spiral eventually hitting 35C for two consecutive days during our last week. It's fair to say, that birding was a ''struggle'' at this time during the heat of the day...with any ''action'' generally coming either early am (before 10am), or very early evening 6pm onwards, as the hottest part of the day was between 4-6pm. The first few days (locally) were not very productive with just 14 species! American Crow, House Finch and a particularly superb imm. Anna's Hummingbird (on the 1st day) with Barn Swallow, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Steller's Jay and Lesser Goldfinch on day two. On day three still struggling...I managed Cooper's Hawk, Scrub Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, House Sparrow (not fantastically abundant), Vaux Swift and Northern Flicker.
For the following 3 days we headed out West onto highway 26 to Canon Beach, in an appropriately named Ford ''Escape'' hire car with a Texas no.plate, which kinda made us temporary ''Texas rangers'', with a whole new landscape and avifauna to see. After an hours driving we stopped off at the ''rest stop ''in the Clatsop mountains (elev.c1500 ft) c24 miles from our destination, where we stretched our legs, and I headed across the wooden foot bridge that straddled a truly magnificent stream, where I drank copious amounts of water (whoever said that water was tasteless...clearly hadn't drunk from this source!). Refreshed I headed up the trail until I couldn't hear the ''rubber on tarmac'', the silence was magically deafening....until I heard a ''crashing'' noise from just ahead of me. It was a case of not seeing the wood from the trees, my estimates could be out but it didn't sound like a single Chipmunk...perhaps ''800'' roped together!!! :eek!: At this point discretion seemed to be the better part of valour, thus I deftly retraced my steps until I heard the ''road noise'' again, as I rounded the bend on the narrow trail I suddenly espied, what appeared to be a large owl species c20m away perched up on a low branch, and looking straight at me! Without looking down, I continued to ''eyeball'' it whilst hitting the zoom button and raising my ''bridge'' until I'd framed it in the viewfinder, (and yes it was still bloody there!!) The ''only'' bird that I'd encountered during my brief foray into the dense ''skyscraper'' trees of Clatsop forest...and what a superb Barred Owl at that!
Arriving early afternoon Aug 10th., and hitting the beach at the low tide mark, I scanned the famous c70m high Haystack Rock (Possibly the most Southerly reliable breeding site for Tufted Puffin in the US...and the only known breeding site South of Alaska), I was told by a regular ''Haystack'' volunteer warden?
I was present for about an hour, constantly scanning the rock face c30m away, apart from many Common Murre in the sky and on the ledges, it was the only Auk species apart from Pigeon Guillemot (a few) that I was to see on the day...was I too late I wondered?...the thought certainly ensured that I would redouble my efforts over the next couple of days.....to be continued.
For the following 3 days we headed out West onto highway 26 to Canon Beach, in an appropriately named Ford ''Escape'' hire car with a Texas no.plate, which kinda made us temporary ''Texas rangers'', with a whole new landscape and avifauna to see. After an hours driving we stopped off at the ''rest stop ''in the Clatsop mountains (elev.c1500 ft) c24 miles from our destination, where we stretched our legs, and I headed across the wooden foot bridge that straddled a truly magnificent stream, where I drank copious amounts of water (whoever said that water was tasteless...clearly hadn't drunk from this source!). Refreshed I headed up the trail until I couldn't hear the ''rubber on tarmac'', the silence was magically deafening....until I heard a ''crashing'' noise from just ahead of me. It was a case of not seeing the wood from the trees, my estimates could be out but it didn't sound like a single Chipmunk...perhaps ''800'' roped together!!! :eek!: At this point discretion seemed to be the better part of valour, thus I deftly retraced my steps until I heard the ''road noise'' again, as I rounded the bend on the narrow trail I suddenly espied, what appeared to be a large owl species c20m away perched up on a low branch, and looking straight at me! Without looking down, I continued to ''eyeball'' it whilst hitting the zoom button and raising my ''bridge'' until I'd framed it in the viewfinder, (and yes it was still bloody there!!) The ''only'' bird that I'd encountered during my brief foray into the dense ''skyscraper'' trees of Clatsop forest...and what a superb Barred Owl at that!
Arriving early afternoon Aug 10th., and hitting the beach at the low tide mark, I scanned the famous c70m high Haystack Rock (Possibly the most Southerly reliable breeding site for Tufted Puffin in the US...and the only known breeding site South of Alaska), I was told by a regular ''Haystack'' volunteer warden?
I was present for about an hour, constantly scanning the rock face c30m away, apart from many Common Murre in the sky and on the ledges, it was the only Auk species apart from Pigeon Guillemot (a few) that I was to see on the day...was I too late I wondered?...the thought certainly ensured that I would redouble my efforts over the next couple of days.....to be continued.
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Stopping at the Rest Point, ''me and the boys'' (3 Grandson's), opted to ''slake our thirsts'' once again at the river, with moi going ahead (as they can be noisey!). Just as I stepped foot on to the bridge, a sudden movement caught my peripheral...which very nicely resulted in an American Dipper ...another ''trip tick''. Ensuring that we were keeping to schedule we pressed on to Forest Grove for a much hoped for AW rendezvous!, with coffee for me and the missus, and Ice Cream for ''the boys''. Almost an hour later we found ourselves sitting outside (30c+) in the shade of a Coffee Shop canopy, it was whilst we were 
