Coquille River Valley
Seasons
Checklists
Location
Go to the Oregon Birding Trails Website. Choose the Oregon Coast Birding Trail. Click on the South Coast tab and go to section 114.
From Hwy 101 in Bandon, drive N over the Coquille River Bridge, turn E(R) onto North Bank Ln, and continue 15 miles to Hwy 42 intersection. Turn R towards Coquille and drive 5 miles following signs to Bandon. Take Hwy 42 S back toward Bandon. This driving loop has many pull outs for scanning and scoping.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
This driving route follows the Coquille River, traversing flooded pastures and small wetlands dense with alder and willow. Use pullouts along the road to scan the river and surrounding flooded pastures for thousands of wintering waterfowl including Tundra Swan, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American and Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, and Hooded Merganser, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Ruddy Duck. Raptors perch on the powerlines and snags: watch for Bald Eagle, White-tailed Kite, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Red-shouldered Hawk and Red Tail Hawk. Black Phoebe are abundant. Great Egret and Great Blue Heron hunt the pastures.
Discussion