After a successful test of my Achillies and hip on Saturday morning I decided to take advantage of the Monday holiday and give them another easy workout. I’d been seeing quite a few pictures of American bitterns coming from Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove, so I decided to make the 50-minute drive north to see if I could spot one myself.
When I arrived at the parking lot at 7:15am there was only one car, and a bit of fog.

Given the foggy conditions I decided that I would start the morning by hiking the 1.4-mile Dabblers Marsh Loop which loops around some fields to allow the fog some time to burn off. From the lot I headed left on the dirt path along Fernhill Marsh.

The first thing I spotted was a hawk (I believe a Cooper’s hawk).


Next up was a rabbit.

After passing the rabbit I detoured on a short path that led to a view of a part the marsh.

I did not notice the bittern in the foreground near the water at first. Instead, I spotted one to the right across the water.

The first bittern I noticed.
While I was watching the one I’d seen a second bittern flew in and landed to the right of the first.


The second bitter I saw which was actually bittern #3.

I finally noticed the third (first) bittern as I was sending a video to my family.
After watching the bitterns for a while I continued on, stopping at another small opening where I saw several birds in the water.

It was too foggy to get any good shots of the ducks, but then I spotted yet another bittern just to my left next to a log.

Continuing on I passed between Fernhill Lake and the Water Gardens where ducks, geese, and great blue herons were out in numbers.

Fernhill lake on the right.

Looking toward the Water Gardens.

Pied-billed grebe

American coot

Great blue heron in the Water Garden.

Cackling goose

Another great blue heron

Barn swallows
The fog was pretty heavy over Fernhill Lake so I turned left onto the Dabblers Marsh Trail when I reached that junction.


I didn’t expect to see much on this loop, but I did see a rabbit, a couple of squirrels and several birds.


Looping around the field.

Red-tailed hawk

This section at the far end of the loop is always good for at least a couple birds.

Northern flicker

Scrub jay

A crew was doing some work on part of the road/loop around the field, so I used the Return Prairie Path for the first time.
My plan had somewhat worked as there was less fog over the lake when I got back. I could now see several egrets, ducks, geese and a great blue heron on the far bank.


Egret coming in for a landing with two others and a great blue heron on the right.
I made my way around the lake to the gazebo overlooking the Barney Wetlands where there was quite a bit of activity.

Song sparrow

Barney Wetlands

Fernhill Lake from the gazebo.

Long-billed dowitcher

Starling and a bald eagle

A couple of ducks in the weltands.

American goldfinch
I continued on from the gazebo by passing between Cattail Marsh and Fernhill Lake then visiting Eagle Marsh and looping back around Cattail Marsh before heading back to the parking area. It seemed like birds were everywhere I looked. Here are some of the different types I spotted.

A couple of egrets and geese.

Mallards and a heron.

Red-winged blackbird

Another egret

A few ducks.

Gold-crowned sparrow

Cormorant

Gadwal

Northern shoveler doing duck yoga.

Killdeer

Green-winged teals

Cedar waxwing

Finch

Northern pintails

Duck variety pack.

Gadwals

American coots

Northern shoveler

American wigeon

Another bittern

Geese


Northern pintail

Bald eagle

The invasive nutria

Wilson’s snipe patrolling the shore.

The cinnamon teal drake in between the other two was not cooperative when it came to getting a decent picutre.

Black phoebe

Spotted towhee

Bittern heading into the grasses.

Great blue heron
When I got back to the parking area, I decided to take a loop around the Water Gardens before leaving so I followed the paved path over to them and wandered around before looping back.


Junco

Heron on top of the piling.


Robin

Mallards

A talkative pied-billed grebe.

Barn swallow


Chestnut-backed chickadee
I wound up covering 5.6-miles on my wanderings and had no issues with the foot or hip.

All in all, a very successful outing. I had hoped to see a bittern and I saw at least four different birds for sure and up to 6 depending on if either of the latter two were ones I’d seen earlier in the morning. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Fernhill Wetlands

































































You can actually see some of the route I explored on the left side between Parvipes Marsh and the butte and at the bottom of the picture wrapping around the butte.
Manroot
Camas
Plectritis
Checkerbloom
Tolmie’s mariposa lilies



Morgan Lake with a bit of Moffitti Marsh to the left.
Columbine
Iris
Robin
Sparrows
Gold crowned sparrow
The grass was low enough that the lake was fairly visible. Later in Spring you’re lucky to see any water from the trail.
Not a great picture due to the distance and light, but there are a couple of ruddy ducks to the left hanging out with some ring-necked ducks.
Mallards
American coot
Gadwalls
Buffleheads
Common yellowthroat
Looking for a bittern.
American bittern. I could only see the bittern from a very short section of trail and as soon as I lost a little elevation it disappeared from sight. It never flew off, but I couldn’t see it even knowing where it was.
Following the trail next to Smithfield Road.
Lots of red-winged blackbirds near the trailhead.
Finch
Heading back toward Baskett Butte and Moffitti Marsh.
Northern flicker
Moffitti Marsh
American wigeons
Female common yellowthroat
Spotted towhee
I watched a crow chase off a hawk that had apparently gotten too close.
The official trail heads up the hill to the left. I veered right just beyond the trail sign pointing toward Moffitti Marsh.
Lilac
Parvipes Marsh ahead to the right.
The tractor turned right and drove over a dike at the end of Parvipes Marsh to a field on the other side.
Deer farther up the hillside.

This appears to be balsamroot. There were just a couple of patches on the SW side of the butte.
Cottonwood Pond
Buttercups and miniature lupine
Meadow checker-mallow
Lomatium and plectritis
South Slough Pond
I was a bit surprised to find a bench along this route given it isn’t shown as an official trail.
Grass pea
More checkerbloom
Golden paintbrush
If I hadn’t been looking for the tread I don’t think I would have noticed it.
Lupine
Another Tolmie’s mariposa lily
Western meadowlark
The overlook ahead.
The obligatory photo from the overlook.
Lots of patches of plectritis on the butte.
Ground squirrel
Swallow
Baskett Butte from the Cottonwood Pond parking area.
Mallards
Northern pintails
Northern shovelers
Lesser scaup. They look a lot like ring-necked ducks only without the ring.
Ring-necked ducks
Nap Time.



We were a little confused by the sign on the left here stating the trail was closed. The website and signboard had said nothing about a closure and the gate at the far end of the bridge was open and others were already out on the levee. We assume they just hadn’t taken the sign down after the seasonal closure period.
Pointers on the levee.
Nutria (sigh). We had hopped it was a beaver but alas the whiskers give it away.
Geese, several species of ducks, and some shore birds.
A great blue heron along Wapato Creek.
Great blue heron
Wapato Lake
Beaver lodge
Northern shovelers and an American wigeon
Of course we forgot to bring binoculars making it even harder to make out which types of ducks were out there.
Ring-necked ducks with an American coot in the background.
Ring-necked duck and northern shovelers
Reflections in Wapato Lake
There is virtually no shade along the lake which wasn’t an issue today but could be in the heat of Summer. There are however three benches along the levee allowing for a place to sit and watch the birds.
Lesser scaups
Ducks flying over the lake.
Old bridge over Wapato Creek. The gravel surface ended at this bridge.

The coyote running off through the brush.
Tundra swans
Tundra swans
We decided to turn around at this bridge even though the levee continued. It appeared that the water was further away from the levee going forward and we hadn’t planned on going much more than 3-miles today.
Northern pintails and some green-winged teals.
American wigeons and a pair of green-winged teals.
There were a couple of times that blue sky seemed imminent.
Buffleheads
Iowa Hill (
More buffleheads
Immature bald eagle
Sparrow
Horned grebe
Canvasbacks, another first for us.
Great blue heron on the osprey nest.
Ther heron on the nest.
Mallards
Red-winged blackbird
Bald eagle
Nutria
Gaston from the refuge.
Green-winged teals
Northern pintails
Mostly American wigeons and green-winged teals
On the paved path back to the parking lot.



Buffleheads
Canada goose and mallards
American coot
Ring-necked ducks (I’m not sure all the females are the same.)
Geese flying over Eagle Marsh as the Sun rises.

Willow Marsh
A bufflehead and mallards
Mallards and ring-necked ducks
Teal Marsh to the left of the dike.
Mallards an northern shovelers
Buffleheads
Spotted towhee
Red-winged blackbird
Female red-winged blackbird
Sparrow
Yellow-rumped warbler
Geese coming in for a landing on Teal Marsh
Northern flicker
Green-winged teal
Ring-necked ducks and a bufflehead pair
Scrub jay
Pie billed grebe at Eagle Marsh




I didn’t see it when I took the picture but it appears there is an eagle on the ground in the distance here.
One of the egrets taking off.
Brewer’s blackbird on a tree along the railroad tracks.
Pintail Marsh ahead on the left.
The dike between Mohoff Pond and Pintail Marsh.
Ducks at Pintail Marsh
Pintail Marsh
Looking back at the gate and Wintel Road
Yellow legs

The boardwalk across Dunlin Pond from the dike.
Ring-necked ducks
Ring-necked ducks taking off.
Sparrow
Common yellowthroat
Hawk and a sparrow
Killdeer Marsh
Another yellow legs?
Mustard along Killdeer Marsh
A killdeer amid ducks at Killdeer Marsh
South Pond
Cinnamon Teal in South Pond
Damaged trees from the ice storm earlier this year.
Turkey vulture
Candyflower


American coots
I think this is a ring-necked duck and a lesser scaup.

The dike from the blind.



Killdeer on the dike.
A whole lot of geese in the air ahead.

Green-winged teals
Northern shovelers
Canada geese
Another green-winged teal
Various ducks
Northern pintails
Crow
A green-winged teal and a yellow legs