Nov. 17, 2013 - West Coast Trip-Part 2

During our stay in Bandon, Oregon, we went to the South Jetty of the Coquille River several times. Brewer’s Blackbirds are very common year-round residents along the Oregon coast. We do see them back home in Minnesota, but only during the summer. This is a female.

BlackbirdBrewer'sfemaleSouthJettyBandon20131011

Here’s a male Brewer’s Blackbird. Like all of our blackbird species, the male and female are quite different in appearance. I took this shot just as he was stretching his wing.

BlackbirdBrewer'smaleSouthJettyBandon20131012

I only saw a few Red-winged Blackbirds on the trip and most of them were females. This one seems to have more vivid, rusty-colored feathers than the birds I see at our home during the summer. Perhaps she has just molted into fresh plumage and the colors are at their brightest.

BlackbirdRedwingedfemaleSouthJettyBandon20131012

This Gadwall pair (male on the left) was among the ducks on a small freshwater pond near the jetty. Gadwall nest in the north central United States and southern Canada. Like most ducks, they head south or to the coasts for the winter.

GadwallpairSouthJettyBandon20131012

Here’s a Western Grebe swimming on the ocean. Western Grebes nest on freshwater lakes in the northwestern states and into Canada. Some even make it to Minnesota. Most of them come to the Pacific coast to spend the winter.

GrebeWesternSouthJettyBandon20131012

European Starlings are not likely to be included on your list of favorite birds. I guess there are good reasons for that. But, if you objectively look at this one in its fresh, iridescent plumage, you might have to admit that it’s a rather pretty bird.

StarlingEuropeanSouthJettyBandon20131012