Wild Birds of Bend, Part Two

Since my original post on wild birds of Bend, Oregon, more of my bird photos have been accepted on Dreamstime. For starters, this photo of a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus, actually a member of the Weaver Finch family) is one of many I took in a shopping center parking lot on January 2nd, 2009, in front of (what else) a wild bird supply store.

Other recently accepted bird photos include these shots of Gray Jays (Perisoreus canadensis) begging for food at Swampy Lakes Sno-Park, up Century Drive towards Mount Bachelor, on January 31st, 2009.

Meanwhile down by the river, a family of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) on the Deschutes River at First Street Rapids Park. Photos shown here include a close-up shot of one of the adults, and another of two cygnet siblings sharing some reed roots. The Canada Goose pictured here was photographed on February 8th, 2009 from a boardwalk that extends out into the middle of a wide, shallow section of the Deschutes River at Farewell Bend Park.

Photos of birds from other Dreamstime contributors complement this article as these birds have also been spotted in and around Bend.

The House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a common year round sight around Bend, although I haven't had the good fortune to get such good shots as these, particularly of the male parent feeding its young.

Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is as common to the Pacific Northwest as the Common Grackle is to the eastern United States. In Bend, Oregon, they are most commonly spotted scavenging for food scraps in shopping center parking lots.

The most often seen raptors around Bend are Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles and Red-Tailed Hawks. In particular, at least one Bald Eagle has been seen scouting the Deschutes River in search of an easy catch of some unfortunate Mallard or Wigeon. As a result, terrorized flocks of ducks panic and flee to the protection of bridges and shorelines each time the Eagle passes by.

Speaking of Wigeons, the American Wigeon (Anas americana) is common to the waters of the Deschutes River, although much more shy than the Mallards with whom they share the river. Smaller than a Mallard, Wigeon males have patches of irridescent green on their white crested heads, while females (as is typical in the bird world) have more camouflage coloration. These Mallard photos provide a good comparison.

There are many more birds common to Central Oregon not pictured here, but this gives you an idea. Why am I so enraptured with birds? Because they are by far the most abundant wildlife in any given location. I'm guessing that any photographer who spends much time in nature will find a wide range of birds in their own neighborhood worth photographing.

Photo credits: Alexey Stiop, Anothergecko, Christopher Tompkins, Hakoar, John Anderson, Maridant, Misscanon, Shaye Briggs, Rinus Baak, Sergeoss, Terry Alexander, Dana Kenneth Johnson, Windyacres, John Wollwerth.