The Garden hosts a variety of bird life. We’ll be adding to this photo collection as the avians present themselves.
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- Northern saw-whet owl
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- Hummingbird babies – 4 wks
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- American Robin egg
BIRD CENSUS FOR RSBG
A year-long bird census was conducted at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Gardens from May 1999 though April 2000 at the suggestion of the Nature Mapping Program located at the University of Washington. The NMP, a part of the Washington Gap Analysis Project, is a hands-on environmental science and education program studying the environment.
The census was conducted once a month for about two hours by walking the paths in and around the gardens while watching and listening for signs of birdlife. The highest and most productive counts were during the warmer months in late Spring and early Summer. The year’s total was thirty-eight species.
Most species were seen and/or heard in Douglas Fir or other evergreen trees; eight species were possible ground nesters. Birds seen every month were Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Song Sparrows with Chestnut-backed Chickadees and American Robins a close second. An active nest of a Red-breasted Nuthatch was discovered high in a rotting snag a short distance from the Visitor Center complex.
Birds listed in ornithological order (* indicates one time only):
*Mallard, *Bald Eagle, *Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, *Band- tailed Pigeon, * Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, *Western Wood-Pewee, * Pacific-slope Flycatcher, *violet-green Swallow, Steller’s Jay, Amer. Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, * Brown Creeper, Bewick’s Wren, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, *Swainson’s Thrush, Amer. Robin, Varied Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, European Starling, Hutton’s Vireo, *Townsend’s Warbler, * Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Darkeyed Junco, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, *Amer Goldfinch.
Thais Bock, coordinator
Also seen : Red-breasted sapsucker, Great Horned Owl, Bushtits