Sauvie, Shadows, and Swifts

Sunday was one of those gorgeous, sunny fall days that you just want to last forever. I hadn't been out to Oak Island (a section of Sauvie Island) for years so we went out there for a walk and a possible paddle on Sturgeon Lake. Birding was pretty slow so the scenery was the star of the day. How much more blue could this sky get?


One of the many oaks on Oak Island. Sandhill Cranes flew over us several times here.

A cow pasture to lounge in for awhile. Aww, who cares that the birding is slow? Let's just take a nap.


Or get goofy with shadows in the mud and reeds.




The canoe trip was foiled by the fact that Sturgeon Lake is a late summer mudflat. Not surprising and actually a wonderful opportunity to watch Great Egrets, White Pelicans, Ring-billed Gulls and lots of ducks taking advantage of the bounty of food.



The day wound up with a trip to Chapman School in NW Portland to watch the annual spectacle that is Swift Watch. Thousands of Vaux's Swifts gather here for several weeks each fall to roost in this large chimney. They fly in a huge flock, swirling around the sky, until moments before sunset they funnel down into the chimney. Been to the bridge in Austin when the bats emerge? It's just like that.....only backwards.