[birding] Frugivores & fledglings at E.E. Wilson

[Joel Geier]

Hi folks,

The cherry & Douglas' hawthorn trees around the north end of E.E. Wilson
had a lot of activity this morning, including many WESTERN TANAGERS,
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, AMERICAN ROBINS, SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, and at
least five BULLOCK'S ORIOLES (adults and youngsters foraging
independently but chattering back & forth). 

I also encountered two adult WILSON'S WARBLERS in separate locations,
perhaps representing dispersal from the Coast Range though they might
possibly breed on the wildlife area.

Fledglings included a single GREAT HORNED OWLET (with mom & pop perched
nearby), a begging LAZULI BUNTING juvenile, a still-stripy PIED-BILLED
GREBELET, and four young HOODED MERGANSERS (mergoslings?) lined up on a
log in the angling pond.

I heard one WILLOW FLYCATCHER and a bunch of YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS. One
of the chats gave a pretty good imitation of a Greater Yellowlegs, but
that was as close as I got to seeing a shorebird today. It turns out
that the water-control structure on the canal pond is jammed, so water
levels will probably stay too high for shorebirds until the manager can
get a backhoe in there to fix it.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis