Birds Beyond the Birdhouse

Bird Watching Around Eugene and Springfield

Birds…our fine feathered friends.

You see them every day. You probably hear them every day as well. You might even have a bird house in your yard. But did you know there are three-foot-tall great blue herons hanging out in their spring homes in the wild within a short walk of downtown Eugene? Did you know bald eagles occasionally fly right over your neighborhood and are nesting on top of Skinner Butte? Did you know that this month a living tornado made up of thousands of swifts will soon descend each evening into an unused chimney on the UO campus to roost for the night?

Even if you can’t distinguish a chickadee from a chicken, you and your children can enjoy watching birds and looking for their homes. Birds nest in the spring, and that means they actually might sit still long enough for you to get a good gander at them. So where should you look? Right here in town, there are several places where you can be sure to see some pretty cool birds.

If you’re in the mood for BIG birds, check out the heron rookery (a group of several nests) in Alton Baker Park, across the pond to the left when you first drive into the park. Walk along the path by the pond and look across the water at a tall cottonwood on the opposite bank for several large nests made of sticks. (Note that as the nest tree greens up, the nests get harder to see, but you can still watch birds coming and going.) The babies will hatch soon, if they haven’t already, and wow, can they make a racket! Watch for moms and dads bringing food to their squawking broods.

For some really different nests, take a walk by the Canoe Canal on Pre’s Trail (the bark-chipped running path) east through the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park and visit the cliff swallow colony under the bridge just east of what we at Nearby Nature call Turtle Pond. (You can find a link to a map showing this pond at nearbynature.org/about-us/alton-baker-park). Cliff swallows build fascinating gourd-shaped nests out of pellets of mud. Swallows of various sorts can often be seen darting about near the Willamette River, catching insects on the wing.

If you have a free evening, check out the tornado of swifts that will soon be swirling into the unused chimney on the UO’s Agate Hall (at 18 th and Agate Street, right behind Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream). As these birds pass through our area on their migration to Canada (and points between), thousands will roost in this chimney every night starting this month and going through early May. Groups of swifts also pass through our area on their way back to Mexico and Central America in the fall. Swifts look a lot like swallows as they zoom around catching bugs, but are actually more closely related to hummingbirds. For more info on swifts, and possibly some viewing events, check out our local Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance’s website – ccbirdalliance.org. (Note also that Nearby Nature and CCBA are co-sponsoring a fun Family Bird Outing on April 11 th from 10am-noon – nearbynature.org/events.)

For a look at waterfowl and water-loving birds of all sorts and sizes, from familiar ducks to fishing-catching osprey, spend some time near the waterways and ponds of Alton Baker Park. You won’t see duck homes here since these birds tuck their nests deep in waterside foliage safe from predators, but you will see ducklings after their eggs hatch. Osprey nests, on the other hand, are something else entirely! Osprey like to build their homes way up high on dead treetops or light posts. You can see an actual osprey nest right outside the Eugene Science Center, on an elevated nesting platform post. Walk there to get a peek by crossing the little footbridge just past the Cuthbert Amphitheater.

So what was that about eagles overhead, you ask? As for the eagles, just keep an eye on the sky and watch for that tell-tale white head. When you see one, you’ll know it! And for an even better chance of seeing one, venture to the top of Skinner Butte in Eugene where eagles have been nesting for years. You can learn about what’s happening in real time with these birds, and get more clues about how to see them, at the Skinners Butte Eagles Facebook page. Check it out for lots of cool pictures.

Happy birding!

By Beth Stein

Photos by Quentin Furrow