[birding] E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area: Redhead, Great Horned Owl on nest

[Joel Geier]

Hi folks,

Some of the more notable birds seen on a 6+ mile walking loop around
E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area today included:

- A REDHEAD hanging out with a big flock of Ring-necked Ducks (on the
"lake" north of the Processing & Recovery Center which Alan McGie told
me about some years back, but I hardly ever get around to checking);

- A GREAT HORNED OWL on a nest in the trees just east of the PRC;

- A flock of about 150 AMERICAN PIPITS that flushed off a grass field on
the east side of the wildlife area, after a big goose flock spooked when
I stuck my head up over the railroad tracks.

It was nice to see that the grass-seed farmers who farm that field (on
the south side of Camp Adair Rd) have put up a bunch of raptor roosting
poles, presumably to help control the vole population. I was actually
looking for a Rough-legged Hawk which sometimes hunts that field, but I
didn't see one there today.

Below is the full list from the walk. I didn't keep track of sparrows
since I was trying to do a fast walk, but things were generally quiet on
the dickey-bird front due to the weather.

This report was mailed for Joel Geier by http://birdnotes.net

Date: February 8, 2009
Location: E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area, Benton County, Oregon

Low temperature: 42 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 48 degrees fahrenheit
Wind direction: SW
Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h gusting to: 12-19 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 100%
Precipitation: none

Big counterclockwise loop around most of wildlife area, starting from
our house. Songbird flocks relatively quiet with a weather front
seemingly moving in.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Canada Goose                     2000 [1] 
Cackling Goose                   5000 [2] 
American Wigeon                     8 [3] 
Mallard                             4
Northern Shoveler                   2 [4] 
Northern Pintail                   20 [5] 
Green-Winged Teal                 120 [6] 
Redhead                             1 [7] 
Ring-necked Duck                   40 [8] 
Bufflehead                          2 [9] 
Hooded Merganser                   12 [10] 
Pied-billed Grebe                   1 [11] 
Great Blue Heron                    2
Great Egret                         2
Bald Eagle                          1 [12] 
Red-tailed Hawk                    15
Killdeer                            2
Mourning Dove                      20
Great Horned Owl                    1 [13] 
Northern Flicker                   20
Western Scrub-Jay                   5
Black-capped Chickadee             10
Bushtit                             5
Bewick's Wren                       3
Marsh Wren                          1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet                3
American Robin                    400 [14] 
Varied Thrush                       5
European Starling                  30
American Pipit                    150
Yellow-rumped Warbler              10
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow                    2
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow              1 [15] 
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch

Footnotes:

[1]  Huge mixed flocks with cacklers included 30-40 Dusky Canada
     Geese, feeding in grass fields on east and north sides of
     wildlife area. 
[2]  See above.
[3]  On "lake" north of PRC.
[4]  Pair on "lake" north of PRC.
[5]  Canal Pond.
[6]  Big flock continues on Laguna del Ray plus smaller flocks
     elsewhere.
[7]  On "lake" north of PRC, associating with Ring-necked Ducks.
[8]  On "lake" north of PRC.
[9]  Pair on "lake" north of PRC.
[10] Canal Pond, flock seems to be growing.
[11] On "lake" north of PRC.
[12] Adult flying over.
[13] On nest in grove just east of PRC.
[14] Several big flocks encountered.
[15] Tan-morph adult (judging from good look at bib), in new location
     near SE viewing blind.

Total number of species seen: 42

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis