A county park just a ways off the main road was a pleasant surprise to 16 birders that joined our outing. The morning was warm and the shade of the Bigleaf Maple and Oregon white oak trees hosted a variety of species that we don't usually see on the Oregon Coast. It was a clear, sunny morning as we gathered in the parking lot of Buell County Park, a location that was not familiar to many who came. As a Great Blue Heron squawked in retreat, binoculars were focused on Willow Flycatchers, Chipping Sparrows, and the brightly-colored Western Tanager. At Mill Creek Park, on the other side of Hwy 22, we had another sighting of the Western Tanager as well as Cedar Waxwings. Moving about half a mile from the park we stopped along the creek for any new sightings. And there it was! An American Dipper wading in the water and stopping on a rock long enough for a photo op!! We couldn't have asked for a better morning for a bird walk!

Sightings of the Day
Willow Flycatcher
American Goldfinch
Barn Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
American Robin
Chipping Sparrow
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Warbling Vireo
Song Sparrow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Cedar Waxwing
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Western Tanager
Dark-eyed Junco
Swainson's Thrush
Spotted Towhee
California Scrub Jay
Red-tailed Hawk
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
European Starling
American Kestrel
Common Raven
Stellar's Jay
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
American Dipper
California Quail