[birding] Coffin Butte orioles, fledglings, flowers

[Joel Geier]

Hi folks,

On an early morning walk up Coffin Butte today, I came across both a
female and a male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in the vicinity of the overlook along
the trail. We also had a female oriole fly over our yard 1/2 mile to the
south, several times yesterday afternoon, each time heading for a tall
cottonwood. Does anyone else get the impression that orioles are more
common than usual in the mid-valley this year?

Birds tending fledglings on Coffin Butte included LAZULI BUNTING and
both RED-BREASTED and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES. I also saw a
not-quite-fledged BREWER'S BLACKBIRD out of the nest by the remedial
wetlands at Toketie Marsh, accompanied by nervous parents. Along Hwy 99W
I was scolded by AMERICAN CROWS as I walked home along the edge of the
landfill's conifer plantings, then saw a fledgling crow fly out of the
low branches in front of me.

Notable wildflowers included HARVEST BRODIAEA (really abundant on the
butte this year), INDIAN-PIPE (a saprophyte), and REIN-ORCHID (Habenaria
sp.).

Yesterday while sitting out on the back steps with my brother who's been
visiting from Alaska, we saw an adult BALD EAGLE fly over, headed toward
the landfill. A soaring large ACCIPITER was too far off to identify as I
didn't have my binoculars handy, but just might have been a goshawk
(looked a bit bulky for a Cooper's Hawk). 

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair north of Corvallis