Mountain Plover at Newport, Oregon

This Mountain Plover has been hanging out on the ocean beach at South Beach State Park south of Newport, Oregon, for several weeks. Yesterday I went looking for it, and found it immediately after crossing the fore dune directly west of the day use parking area. In spite of beach walkers and their dogs, this bird was not about to be frightened away, and gave me all the time I could have wished for to study and photograph it.

There were also numerous Snowy Plovers in the same area, some of them wearing colored bands. Obviously, someone is monitoring these birds, trying to improve their chances of increasing the numbers of this threatened coastal population.

Merlin in Yamhill County, Oregon

This adult Merlin was watching a stretch of ditch and road shoulder near the McMinnville Airport today. I was not able to see the front of the bird, which means I'm not sure what subspecies this might be. Perhaps there is a way to determine that from this view. (?) With that pale throat could it be a F.c. Richardsoni, a Prairie Merlin.