[birding] Avery Park field trip, Sunset Park

[Lisa Millbank]

The first field trip of the Birding in the Willamette Valley class was at Avery Park this morning.  Everywhere we went was full of singing male birds, and presumably females too secretive to spot.  We all got to watch an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER singing from the rhododendron garden, a few WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, and many WESTERN TANAGERS.  We listened to singing BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, a LAZULI BUNTING, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, among many others.  Hordes of hungry EUROPEAN STARLING youngsters are out on the lawns at Avery Park now, begging as they waddle through the grass, with their harried parents trying to keep them fed.  The parents are especially vigilant now, with their fledglings to care for.  Every passing crow provokes alarm calls from the starling parents, but the starling neighborhood watch also got upset over a COOPER'S HAWK.

The Tall Larkspur (Delphinium trolliifolium) is at its peak in Avery Park, along the river near the Maple Grove Shelter.  Under a Western Redcedar the Phantom Orchids are just beginning to poke out (watch your step!).  It will be a few weeks, but we have beautiful Columbia Lilies to look forward to on that same riverside path.  Trailing Dewberry is blooming as well.

At Sunset Park the wetland restoration is covered with lupine.  It looks like they planted Lupinus rivularis and a hybrid variety of L. polyphyllus.  It's a purple landscape now!  It's really worth seeing while it's at its best.  The beavers have been cutting ashes along the creek and have built a really nice dam.  Our first Common Whitetail dragonfly of the year was flying over the beaver pond.
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