[birding] E.E. Wilson in the snow

[Joel Geier]

Hi folks,

This morning I spent about an hour and a half tromping around the south
end of E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area in northern Benton County, where last
night's couple of inches of powdery snow had formed drifts up to a foot
deep in places.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (both Audubon's and Myrtle forms) were very
conspicuously searching for food in the cold, as were the usual mix of
sparrows (mainly Sooty Fox, Song, and Golden-crowned Sparrows plus
towhees and juncos, plus one each of Lincoln's and White-throated
Sparrows) and a few LESSER GOLDFINCHES. Yesterday my daughter Martha and
I saw a male SLATE-COLORED JUNCO while on a shorter walk in the snow,
but I didn't see it today.

VARIED THRUSH numbers have increased recently, with many dozens now
hanging around apple trees with fruit, along with similar numbers of
AMERICAN ROBINS.

I did not see or hear a single wren. The Bewick's Wrens must be hunkered
down, and good luck to that Sedge Wren if it's still around -- it may be
regretting its decision to winter in Oregon! A few RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS
were feeding on the ground under a grove of conifers where I also found
one HUTTON'S VIREO, but otherwise kinglets were also hard to find.

Other birds around included about 800 CACKLING GEESE, 20 CANADA GEESE,
and one GREAT BLUE HERON and a few KILLDEER that were wandering around
in search of open ground/water, plus a smattering of woodpeckers. I
didn't get to any of the significant ponds. Some largish puddles were
still slushy rather than frozen solid, so I'd guess that the main ponds
still have open water. That may change if this weather keeps up for a
few days.

Happy winter birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis