[birding] Motorless Birdathon: 109 species

[Don Boucher]

April 25 & 26. Audubon Society of Corvallis Birdathon

 The human-powered Roadrunners team, consisting of Don & Lisa, pedaled, 
hiked, bushwhacked and slopped through many miles of field, forest, wet 
prairie, and wetlands. Cooler weather held up the migration of some birds we 
have usually found on past Birdathons, and shorebird diversity was low. But 
a good variety of ducks, owls, woodpeckers, and many other birds boosted our 
numbers to 109 species for the weekend.  We enjoyed the huge flocks of 
Greater White-fronted Geese migrating day and night, throngs of warblers 
everywhere, beautiful flowers, and the birds' magical dawn chorus.

HIGHLIGHTS:
53rd Ave: Warbling Vireo, House Wren, Wilson's Warbler, Brown-headed Cowbird
Philomath Sewage Ponds: Northern Shoveler (hundreds) and a Norther 
Rough-winged Swallow. In the field to the south there was a Horned Lark 
singing and a few American Pipits flew by.
Hwy 99W & Greenberry Rd.: Eurasian Collared-Dove

Finley NWR
North Prairie: a pair of Western Kingbirds in the SW corner in a delightful 
camas meadow.
McFadden Marsh: Least Sandpipers (hundreds), Sora and an American Bittern
Pigeon Butte: Saw-whet Owl
Mill Hill: Band-tailed Pigeon, Cassin's Vireo, Hermit Warbler
Brown Creek (forested): Hermit Thrush, Barred Owl: You can see a video of 
the Barred Owl calling at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwZy8YOvpQc

Worst misses: Cedar Waxwing & Vaux's Swift

Floral Highlights: Tall Delphinium, Calypso Orchid, Striped Coralroot, 
Woodland Star

Panther Amanita, a beautiful springtime mushroom

On Monday, after the Birdathon, we took the day off and got a Western 
Tanager and a Hammond's Flycatcher in our motorless travels locally.

Don Boucher & Lisa Millbank
Corvallis, OR
www.Neighborhood-Naturalist.com