Fall bird walks at Rose Creek Nature Preserve (2021)

Fall bird walks at Rose Creek Nature Preserve

Every Saturday September 18 – October 9, 8-9:30 AM

Join a guided bird walk during the delightful season of autumn on the Palouse. The focus will be on birds, especially fall migrants, but botanical and other natural happenings will also be enjoyed.

Rose Creek provides excellent habitat for birds on their way to wintering grounds in the south. Winter residents will be arriving from their northern breeding territories. Likely species include Cedar Waxwing, White-crowned Sparrow, and Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. We will submit our bird observations to the citizen-science platform eBird.

We will walk all the trails on the preserve, covering about a mile. Some sections are steep but those sections can be skipped, if needed. Binoculars are highly recommended. Participation is limited to a five people per guide. Please register using the link below.

Sign up for a walk (expired 2021)

Some birds you might see

These images were captured by Casey Lowder.

Cedar Waxwings can be seen on the Palouse at any time throughout the year but are very commonly seen in the fall. They are generalists that feed on fruit or insects. They often feed on swarming insects near streams by perching on branches on the banks then sallying out to catch the bugs in flight.
White-crowned Sparrows are common in spring and fall. In fall, the adults like this one fit their name while the juveniles have the same pattern but have brown, not white, crowns.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are tiny but mighty little birds that are constantly on the move. They weigh in at 0.25 ounces, significantly less than a AAA battery. Their frenetic movements and flicking wings make them easy to find.
Lesser Goldfinches are common on the Palouse throughout the year. Their plumage is most vivid in the fall after a late summer molt into fresh feathers.

 Rose Creek Nature Preserve is owned and operated by the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI). Thanks to the Rose Creek Advisory Committee for supporting the production of the bird guide.

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Waxwing Imagery

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