Story and Photos by Beth Marlin Lichter A much-anticipated visitor is stopping by regularly to drink from my recently installed hummingbird feeder. She is a beautiful Anna’s. Within 24 hours of it being filled, she was imbibing. Now I’m wondering if I should have bought a bigger feeder. I hung it from the branch of a flowering maple tree in my back yard, in a spot I imagined a bird might feel safe andContinue reading “My New Best Friend “
Tag Archives: photography
Ode to the Short-eared Owl
(Asio flammeus) By Beth Marlin Lichter I cannot say what I love mostPerched upon a wooden postOr flying sunlit overheadNo place I’d rather be instead A marshy field with ducks and preyWhere little voles get snatched awayBy owls and hawksA mid-air fight!Whilst day is turning into night Photos: Shillapoo Wildlife Area/Winter 2025-2026 by Beth MarlinContinue reading “Ode to the Short-eared Owl”
Young Birders & Cameraderie inspiring youth birdwatching & photography
By Isaac Lang (newest VAS board member) Ever since I started birding, I’ve always yearned to find peers who enjoy bird-watching just as much as I do. Upon joining the Wild Bird Society of Tainan, I quickly realized that the majority of birders were retired and their teenage years were long past them. After attendingContinue reading “Young Birders & Cameraderie inspiring youth birdwatching & photography”
VAS Community Outreach: Birding with Seniors on the Auto Route
By Beth Marlin Lichter On 12/11/25 Ken Pitts and I took senior residents from University Village in Vancouver, to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, River “S” Unit. This is the famous auto route, a 4-mile loop through diverse habitats, always a beautiful ride. Your vehicle is your blind this time of year, however between May 1st and September 30th one is permitted to exit the car along the route and walk the Kiwa Trail as well (unless aContinue reading “VAS Community Outreach: Birding with Seniors on the Auto Route”
Short-eared Owls
Photos and Text by Isaac Lang After arriving in America, one of the birds that I desperately wanted to see again was the Short-eared Owl. The only time that I was able to lock eyes on one was when my dad and I saw a pair of them fly between two patches of forest inContinue reading “Short-eared Owls”
I’m Just So Glad You Are Here (Song of the White-crowned Sparrow)
Photos and Text by Beth Marlin Lichter Still in the honeymoon stage of birding, I would call myself an advanced novice. Every bird is an uncommon bird. I get excited about a good photo of an American Robin with a berry in its beak. Every species is unique with skills and behaviors worthy of observation. BirdingContinue reading “I’m Just So Glad You Are Here (Song of the White-crowned Sparrow) “
RECAP: First of the Month Bird Walk at Salmon Creek Greenway
By Sam Cable A gentle and intermittent drizzle paired with a cold, gray morning did not stop 13 observers from recording 51 species over 3 hours on our First of the Month Bird Walk led by Cindy McCormack. Leaving from the parking lot we wound our way around the softball facility whose manicured grass lawnsContinue reading “RECAP: First of the Month Bird Walk at Salmon Creek Greenway”
Magnificent Escapees: The Red-whiskered Bulbul
Photos and Text by Beth Marlin Lichter The Red-whiskered Bulbul is native to eastern India and Burma and has been a principal species in the Asian caged bird trade. In 1960, escapees from an aviary in Miami adapted well to living locally in the wild. Bulbuls thrive on insects, fruit-bearing shrubs, and the berries of warm weather exotic trees. Florida checks all the boxes with plentiful food sources and a lush ideal habitat for these birds. In 1967 a Red-whiskered Bulbul flock (more escapees) took up residency at HuntingtonContinue reading “Magnificent Escapees: The Red-whiskered Bulbul “
Backyard Wilson’s Warblers
by Lynne Heidsiek Tattered, exhausted and hungry. It’s hard to imagine what this tiny warbler endures on its long migration. You can see the feather damage in this female, as she makes use of a water feature. Wilson’s Warblers breed in areas specific to their winter locations. Most breed in the far North. Those that breedContinue reading “Backyard Wilson’s Warblers”
Bird Photography in Southeastern Oregon
By Ken Pitts I took a bird photography trip to the other side of the Cascades and southeast to Summer Lake, Cabin Lake Bird Blinds, and Malheur. The trip lasted four days and started on April 23, 2025. Jon Pugmire (see his 17 favorite trip shots) was the most experienced at doing wildlife photography atContinue reading “Bird Photography in Southeastern Oregon”