[birding] E.E. Wilson sapsucker not relocated today

[Joel Geier]

Hi folks,

My daughter Martha and I went for a walk at E.E. Wilson just now, partly
to see if we could relocate the possible Red-naped Sapsucker that Rich &
Nanette and Tristen saw yesterday. We didn't find any sapsuckers in that
area. 

There is a lot of good sapsucker habitat around there, some of it pretty
thick, so I'll keep checking and I hope that some of you will too. We
might need a photo to rule out other sapsucker species and/or hybrids
for the purpose of listing this one as the first Red-naped for the
Airlie-Albany CBC. Apparently hatch-year sapsuckers are problematic and
identification can depend on stage of moult.

Martha did spot an adult NORTHERN SHRIKE perched in the distance, in the
same general area that Rich described (open area south of the residence)
-- presumably the same one that Rich's team found yesterday.

After checking out the gamebird display pens (where some of the exotic
pheasants are starting to come into their adult plumage), took another
path through the same area and encountered an immature RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK, in the area just west of the residence (maybe in the north part of
E.E. Wilson yesterday?). So there are some nice birds out there to enjoy
even if you don't find the sapsucker.

Heading back to our place we kicked up a couple of SAVANNAH SPARROWS in
"Ray's Prairie" (my name for the BPA-funded prairie restoration), but
nothing that looked much like a longspur.

Several Pacific chorus-frogs were vocalizing in today's warm weather --
amazing that they could re-emerge so soon after that area was in a deep
freeze a week ago. We peeked under a few sheets of corrugated metal
hoping for snakes, but didn't see any.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis