The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Bullock’s Orioles (Icterus bullock) breed in riparian and open woodlands and favor areas where the trees are large and spaced well apart or in isolated clumps. They often nest in s... — Updated 5/26/2020 Full story

The canyon wren [Catherpes mexicanus] is a small wren found in arid, rocky habitats from southern British Columbia throughout the western United States and Mexico. The canyon wren is... — Updated 4/21/2020 Full story

Orange-crowned warblers (Oreothlypis celata) are beginning to arrive and their trill can be heard in the underbrush along streams and lakes. One of the plainest of warblers, the orange... — Updated 4/15/2020 Full story

The sora (Porzana carolina) is the most common and widely distributed rail in North America. It is sometimes also referred to as the sora rail or sora crake. Although shot in large numbers... — Updated 3/11/2020 Full story

The mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus) is the largest quail in the United States. I found these colourful quail on the shoulders of Mt. Jefferson, and while waiting for a good opportunity to ca... — Updated 2/4/2020 Full story

A familiar resident of our ponderosa pine forests is the white-headed woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus). Feeding on insects, cone seeds, and larva from the thick bark of ponderosa pines,... — Updated 12/23/2019 Full story

The wild turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) is not a native species in Oregon. Introduced in 1961 by ODFW, they are now well established in the pine forests around the Metolius Basin. The... — Updated 11/26/2019 Full story

In many areas of western North America, the melodious song of the black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a familiar harbinger of spring. They appear here in May with both male... — Updated 8/6/2019 Full story

The prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) breeds from southern British Columbia south to north-central Mexico and western Texas. It spends its winters within its breeding range, including Central... — Updated 7/31/2019 Full story

The chipping sparrow [Spizella passerina] frequents roadsides, bird feeders, mountain meadows and grassy fields across the west. The male guards the female as she builds a rather flimsy nest... — Updated 7/9/2019 Full story

The echoing fluted melody within the forests now is the hermit thrush (Cartharus guttatus). A mostly rust-brown bird of the forest floor that builds its nest from pine needles, grass, and... — Updated 5/14/2019 Full story

The short-eared owl [Asio flammeus] is a medium-sized owl with relatively long wings and tiny, often-concealed ear-tufts. In Latin, the word flammeus means fiery, flaming, or the color of... — Updated 1/8/2019 Full story

The nasal call coming from high in the pines as the flock moves though the forest are pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). The pinyon jay is a permanent resident of the pinyon-juniper... — Updated 1/30/2018 Full story

As the season begins to take on its winter cloak, tiny twitters can be heard high in our forests. Most likely these songs are the communal sounds of the golden-crowned kinglet (Regulas... — Updated 10/24/2017 Full story

The animated and enthusiastic behaviors of the Western kingbird (tyrannas verticalis), are easily seen in open areas throughout the west. Their buzzes and snapping wings are heard as they... — Updated 8/22/2017 Full story

The cedar waxwing [bombycilla cedrorum] occurs in medium to large flocks that will be seen on almost any tree that has berries. Serviceberry, dogwood, honeysuckle and mistletoe are just a... — Updated 7/11/2017 Full story

In early spring the symphonious melodies of the male American robin (Turdus Migratorius) are heard over the entire U.S. They begin mating in April and can produce up three broods by the end... — Updated 9/20/2016 Full story

The northern pintail is a relatively common dabbler duck feeding on grains, seeds, crustaceans and aquatic insects. It gets its name from the long tail feathers ending in a distinctive... — Updated 3/22/2016 Full story

The spotted towhee [Piplio Maculatus] is a common bird of the thickets and blackberry brambles. Often seen under bird feeders eating seeds off the ground but never far from cover. They feed... — Updated 2/16/2016 Full story

The great horned owl [Bobo Virginianus] is our most common owl. A nocturnal hunter, they hunt silently, gliding over fields and woodlands in search of mostly small mammals. However, great... — Updated 12/29/2015 Full story

The wild turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) is not a native species in Oregon. Introduced in 1961 by ODFW they are now well established in the pine forests around the Metolius Basin. The subspecies... — Updated 11/24/2015 Full story

Red-breasted sapsucker [Sphyrapicus ruber] drills feeding holes in mostly deciduous trees. The holes ooze sap and attract insects, especially ants, which in summer are 80 percent of the... — Updated 6/16/2015 Full story