<![CDATA[Tillamook Birder - TillamookBirderBlog]]>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:35:11 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Spring Birding]]>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.tillamookbirder.com/tillamookbirderblog/spring-birdingYou know it is spring, when the first warblers arrive. We heard Orange-crowned warblers two weeks ago along Netarts Bay. Soon these harbingers will be joined by Wilson’s, Yellow, Black-throated Gray, and Hermit warblers. Kilchis Point Reserve, north of Tillamook, is a good place to listen for warblers. Some warblers, such Hermit and Black-throated Gray, prefer tree tops and are hard to see.

The Osprey are also back! We watched an osprey valiantly trying to get lift while carrying a large lamprey eel, in the Sand Lake estuary.  The osprey dropped the lamprey, and it was immediately scooped up by a Bald Eagle.

Sand Lake is a pristine coastal estuary located between Sitka Sedge State Natural Area and Clay Meyers State Natural Area at Whalen Island.  There are trails in both areas that wind through dune, beach, and shore pine forest habitat. The trails overlook the mudflats, where you can search for shorebirds migrating north. Check the forest sections for warblers and bushtits.

A friend saw an osprey with nesting material near Cape Meares village. There has been an osprey nest in the general area for the last few years.  One year it was along the road to Cape Meares village, but best seen from Bayocean dike road.
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Access to Bay Ocean spit road beyond the parking lot will be limited until fall 2025, as the Army Corps of Engineers is repairing the Tillamook Bay south jetty. However, you can still access the beach and dunes from the parking lot. The willows along the entrance road can be good for warblers, and you can view water birds in Cape Meares Lake.

Happy spring birding!]]><![CDATA[Thrushes Galore]]>Wed, 28 Sep 2022 17:50:14 GMThttp://www.tillamookbirder.com/tillamookbirderblog/thrushes-galore​   Tillamook County is the home to four different members of the thrush family. The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is the most common, and as such this beautiful bird often doesn't get the respect that it deserves. Juveniles are spotted and can be confusing. The Varied Thrush (Ixoreus navius) at first glance looks similar to a Robin. However, in these beauties note the rust colored bold supercilium (eye stripe) and wing bars in both sexes and the dark black "necklace" in the males. They are present in the fall and winter in our area. Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) are a summer visitor, arriving when the salmon berries ripen. They are more often heard than seen, with their distinctive pwip call and their ethereal fluting, smooth, rising song. A similar appearing bird, only present in late fall and winter, is the handsome Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus). These birds have a complete white eye ring and a reddish tail. Like the Swainson's, these birds can be secretive, but will show themselves well at times. Can you identify the images below? Photos by Michael Krall
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American Robin, juvenile
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Hermit Thrush
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American Robin
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Hermit Thrush
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Varied Thrush
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Swainson's Thrush
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