[birding] Dunn Forest / Soap Creek Beef Ranch Vesper Sparrows etc.

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

After a week-long case of the midsummer crud, I finally felt up to a
bicycle ride this morning so I rode over to Dunn State Forest and took
Forest Road 400 up to the top end of OSU's Soap Creek Beef Ranch (north
of Corvallis in Benton County).

Most notable were the very good numbers of VESPER SPARROWS (14,
including at least 5 fledglings) and CHIPPING SPARROWS (18+, including
at least 6 fledglings). Most of these were concentrated within a radius
of few hundred yards that has the best habitat structure (bunchgrasses
-- mostly non-native but bunchgrasses anyway -- dotted with older oaks,
a few clumps of Douglas' hawthorn & serviceberry, and widely spaced
small bushes & oak saplings). This is far & away the most Vesper
Sparrows I've ever found in one place in western Oregon, where the
nesting subspecies (Oregon Vesper Sparrow) is a species of concern.

Other oak savanna/woodland species present included numerous LAZULI
BUNTINGS (with fledglings), LESSER GOLDFINCHES (two very cute youngsters
perched right in front of me), WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLER, and WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE. From the look of the place, I
really expected a Lark Sparrow or Grasshopper Sparrow to pop up if I
stood there long enough, but I didn't see either of those, nor Western
Kingbirds which the place also looks good for.

The more forested parts of Dunn State Forest had dozens of PACIFIC-SLOPE
FLYCATCHERS singing & calling, along with the usual forest warblers
(HERMIT, MACGILLIVRAY'S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, and one WILSON'S near the
gate). There must have been 10 WESTERN TANAGERS and 20 AMERICAN
GOLDFINCHES in one regenerating clearcut, along with CEDAR WAXWINGS,
HOUSE WRENS, OREGON JUNCOS, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS (many with
fledglings). I was listening closely for a Hammond's Flycatcher all
alogn this road but didn't hear any, just lots of Pac-slopes -- in one
place where I stopped, three were countersinging within a hundred feet
of me. It's amazing how many Pac-slopes are out there.

I saw a few more CHIPPING SPARROWS along Soap Creek Rd. where
YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS are still singing in the
clearcut slopes, plus two CHIPPING SPARROWS (possibly with a juvenile)
right along the south edge of the Coffin Butte Regional Landfill. 

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis