[birding] Sounds of summer & a stray Yellow-headed Blackbird near Arboretum Rd.

[joel]

Hello folks,

Just some bird sounds that signal summer in the Willamette Valley for
me:

On Monday morning (1 Jun), I heard a WILLOW FLYCATCHER fitz-bewing on
the brushy ridge behind our house. Then that same evening, after the
passing showers, I finally heard a couple of SWAINSON'S THRUSHES singing
their full song. By last evening they had a full chorus going,
beautiful! VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS are still doing their pre-dawn song, as
Don Boucher has remarked on.

Today I had to drive into town to fetch a teenager from the swimming
pool. On our way home we were detained by being front-row witnesses to
what looked like a bad yellow-light accident (gi-normous SUV vs. economy
car). Luckily no one was hurt but it took a while to sort things out. 

When we finally continued on our way home, about 1/8 mile past the south
end of Arboretum Rd. I saw a largeish blackbird with white patches at
the bend in the wings and a yellow-tinged head, flying east across Hwy
99W, looking like it was going to land in the pasture there (north of
Mistletoe). 

It took a second to dawn on me that it was a female YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD. There is some wet meadow here but it seems like marginal
habitat for this species. Unfortunately I can't count it as a motorless
bird (more like a collision-assisted bird) so hopefully it will stay
around for a day or two until I can get down there on bicycle.

Happy/safe birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis