Birding

Our interest in birding has grown from an amusing pastime to an all-consuming obsession! It is amazing how a nondescript bird can suddenly become a fascinating creature when looked at through a good set of binoculars. But beware: bird watching can be highly addictive!

We are proud members of the Rainier Audubon Society with a mission to conserve and protect natural ecosystems, birds, and other wildlife. Click here to find out more.

BirdCast Migration (This site is pretty cool. Check it out!)
BirdCast began as a collaboration among the EPA, the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Clemson University Radar Ornithology Laboratory, the the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and GeoMarine, Inc.op to provide real-time predictions of bird migrations: when they migrate, where they migrate, and how far they will be flying.

The Birds of Boise Creek

Here is a list of the bird species we’ve seen and identified around the Boise Creek area. They are in alphabetical order, grouped by species. We have counted 138 species so far! Click on a letter below to jump to that section; a green arrow returns you to the top.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Photography by Bob Ames. Please use by permission only. Thanks!

B

Blackbird: Brewers
Blackbird: Red-winged
Bluebird: Mountain
Bunting: Lazuli
Bushtit

C

Chickadee: Black-capped
Chickadee: Chestnut-backed
Cormorant: Double-crested
Cowbird: Brown-headed
Crow: American
Crow: Northwestern (Audubon image)

D

Dipper: American
Dove: Eurasian Collared
Dove: Morning
Dowitcher: Short-billed
Duck: Barrow’s Goldeneye
Duck: Blue-winged Teal (Audubon)
Duck: Bufflehead
Duck: Cinnamon Teal
Duck: Common Merganser
Duck: Gadwall
Duck: Green-winged Teal
Duck: Hooded Merganser
Duck: Mallard
Duck: Northern Shoveler
Duck: Pintail
Duck: Scaup, Lesser
Duck: Wigeon
Duck: Wigeon (Eurasian)
Duck: Wood

E

Eagle: Bald
Eagle: Golden
Egret: Great (Extremely rare in our area.)

F

Falcon: American Kestrel
Falcon: Gyrfalcon (A very rare sighting in our area!)
Falcon: Merlin (And an unfortunate Eurasian Collared Dove!)
Falcon: Peregrine
Finch: American Goldfinch
Finch: House
Finch: Purple
Finch: Red Crossbill
Flycatcher: Pacific Slope
Flycatcher: Say’s Phoebe
Flycatcher: Western Kingbird
Flycatcher: Western Wood-Pewee
Flycatcher: Willow

G

Goose: Cackling
Goose: Canada
Goose: Snow
Goose: White-fronted
Grebe: Pied-billed
Grosbeak: Black-headed
Grosbeak: Evening
Gull: California
Gull: Herring
Gull: Mew
Gull: Western

H

Hawk: Cooper’s
Hawk: Northern Harrier
Hawk: Red-tailed
Hawk: Rough-legged
Hawk: Sharp-shinned
Heron: Great Blue
Heron: Green
Hummingbird: Anna’s
Hummingbird: Rufous

J

Jay: California Scrub
Jay: Steller’s
Junco: Oregon

K

Kingfisher: Belted
Kinglet: Golden-crowned
Kinglet: Ruby-crowned

M

Meadowlark: Western

N

Nightjar: Common Nighthawk
Nuthatch: red-breasted

O

Oriole: Bullock’s
Osprey
Owl: Barn
Owl: Barred

P

Pheasant: Common
Pheasant: Taiwan Blue (escaped domestic in our yard; not counted)
Pigeon: Band-tailed
Pigeon: Feral Rock
Pipit: American
Plover: Killdeer

R

Raven: Common

S

Sandpiper: Least
Sandpiper: Solitary
Sandpiper: Spotted
Sandpiper: Western
Shrike: Northern
Siskin: Pine
Snipe: Wilson’s
Sparrow: Fox
Sparrow: Golden-crowned
Sparrow: Harris
Sparrow: House
Sparrow: Lincoln
Sparrow: Savannah
Sparrow: Song
Sparrow: White-crowned
Starling: European
Swallow: Bank
Swallow: Barn
Swallow: Rough-winged
Swallow: Tree
Swallow: Violet-green
Swan: Trumpeter
Swan: Tundra

T

Tanager: Western
Thrush: American Robin
Thrush: Hermit
Thrush: Swainson’s
Thrush: Varied
Towhee: Spotted

V

Vireo: Cassin’s
Vireo: Hutton’s
Vireo: Warbling
Vulture: Turkey

W

Warbler: Black-throated Gray
Warbler: Common Yellowthroat
Warbler: MacGillivray’s
Warbler: Orange-crowned
Warbler: Townsend’s
Warbler: Wilson’s
Warbler: Yellow
Warbler: Yellow-rumped, Audubon (yellow throat)
Warbler: Yellow-rumped, Myrtle (white throat)
Waxwing: Cedar
Woodpecker: Downy
Woodpecker: Hairy
Woodpecker: Northern Flicker
Woodpecker: Pileated
Woodpecker: Red-breasted Sapsucker
Wren: Bewick
Wren: House
Wren: Marsh
Wren: Pacific

Y

Yellowlegs: Greater

Visit Bob’s Flickr page to view images
like this colorful Toucan Barbet he photographed in Ecuador.