[birding] fieldtrip

[rich armstrong]

1. 5 corvallis audubon birders enjoyed a no rain nice morning trip to bruce road and wilamette park.
2. among probably 2000 cackling and canada geese was a RED-BREASTED GOOSE (presumably the same bird that has been seen in the valey last 3 years and still striking) and at least 6 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. also becky schweibert was sure she saw an ALEUTIAN CACKLING GOOSE - not only very pronounced neck ring but a tiny bill. unfortunately all the geese flew before the rest of us got to see it.
3. mcfaddin marsh had 6 GADWALL and a decent number of wintering ducks roughly 20 ring-necked, 20 pintail, 5 shovelers, 50 american wigeon, 50 green-winged teal.
4. to me the most interesting sight were PIED-BILLED GREBES doing a sort of western grebe running dance. i have never seen pied-bills do that and had no idea they danced.
5. also a few pairs of CINAMON TEAL, uncooperative wood ducks, and 1 female hooded merganser.
6. only shorebirds were 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.
7. there were MARSH WRENS & COMMON YELLOWTHROATS everywhere, but not easily seen.
8. nice to see TREE SWALLOWS perched in trees and later saw VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS perched on houses for nice comparison.
9. an OSPREY posed for us in glorious sunlight and an adult BALD EAGLE glided over us.
10. GREAT EGRETS & GREAT-BLUE HERONS were sporting their plumes.
11. the butterfield wetlands near wilamette park had both goldfinches, pine siskin, bluebirds in a nest box but with many house sparrows looking to steal it.
12. our last bird of the day was an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER at north end of wilamette park.
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.midvalleybirding.org/pipermail/birding/attachments/20090411/5b308af7/attachment.html