The day was supposed to be a wet one so we were all delighted when we met at 9am under a blue sky sprinkled with high clouds. We were there to ride most of the perimeter of Sauvie Island, just outside downtown Portland, while birding. The island contains a large refuge so birding any time of year is usually worthwhile. For those birders who also like to bike, the island is flat and pastoral so a lovely ride on a quintessential autumn day.
We rode and birded for 4 hours before ending at Kruger’s Farm for sandwiches and shopping. After a few free hours to spend as we each liked, we met up again at the Chapman School in NW Portland to view the nightly performance of the thousands of Vaux’s Swifts that roost in the tower there during their migration south. It was not disappointing! It took about 40 minutes for all the birds to settle inside after gathering, circling and flying lower and lower until at last they dropped into the tower. They cannot perch due to their body structure so are on the wing all day. Besides the thousands of Vaux Swifts, we saw on the island, a stunning flock of about 150 White Pelicans, in migration, over 100 Sandhill Cranes, and 5 Great Egrets. There were also two Osprey nests along the road, which the birds were still using as staging areas, and there were lots of more commonly seen birds as well.
We saw amazing birds while experiencing a wondeful island ride with a wonderful group of people. Join us next September, and check out other upcoming birding trips on the BHAS web page.