Thanks to all who gave me suggestions for my visit to Portland. I found
the MONK PARAKEETS (qty 6). While watching the parakeets, an immature
RT HAWK landed in one of the trees with a communal nest--the parakeets
sounded the alarm and fled--the hawk did not go after them.
I was unable to find the A. DIPPER at either Multnomah Falls or at
Bridal Veil Falls (down-creek of BVF there were several rocks in the mid
creek that had bird dropping, like I would expect a dipper to leave on a
favorite perch). Ah well, another time.
I saw several nesting OSPREY; two pairs of WILSON WARBLERS; saw and
heard several SWAINSON THRUSHES (wonderful song); saw an A. ROBIN
feeding newborn in a well disguised nest; and saw one RUFUS HUMMER
catching bugs (at the pond at Bridal Veil Falls). One of my favorite
experiences was locating the source of buzzy cheeps to find a adult
WINTER WREN with 4-5 newly fledged young moving around in the ferns at
Multnomah Falls--the babies still had their bright baby beaks. There
were SCRUB JAYs (including an immature) in the hotel parking lot, and of
course STERNUS VULGARUS. Beside the roadway near the Monk parakeets,
there was a flock of PURPLE FINCHES and 4 bunnies eating seeds and
vegetation. Overhead there were two or more AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES
(sometimes I could hear them singing as they were flying, but couldn't
locate them).
At Rooster Rock State Park I saw 5 female COMMON MERGANSERs, another
pair of nesting OSPREY and two TURKEY VULTURES.
I also saw two CA ground squirrels on the beach there.
I saw seven thermalling TV's at Kelly's Point Park in Portland.
I had a mystery bird for a while, but I am 80% sure that it was a
WARBLING VIREO in some maples--only my second time of seeing one.
I visited the Pittock Bird Sanctuary in Portland (now called the
Portland Audubon Park). There I saw two "educational" raptors up close
and personal--a RT HAWK who had shattered her ulna against a car while
a fledgling; and a male Peregrine Falcon who was born this year in the
Columbia Gorge with a foot defect. I walked some of the trails at the
center--I heard RB NUTHATCHes, and a GH OWL, and N FLICKER. I saw a
STELLER'S JAY, SONG SPARROWs, HOUSE WRENs, AM. ROBINs and FOX SPARROWs,
and BC CHICKADEEs. There were birds up high in the canopy--I don't know
the songs well enough to identify them yet--the trees were really tall.
I tried to find the tree the owl (or any other owl) was in, but the
trails didn't go that direction--and I didn't see any whitewash or
pellets--although I'm not sure if whitewash for the GH owl would be low
down on the tree or not (if someone knows and has the time, I would love
to know where the whitewash is most commonly located).

So, I had an enjoyable birding weekend.

Christine Southwick
Seattle, WA