[birding] Luckiamute State Natural Area

[joel]

Hi folks,

I bicycled over to Luckiamute State Natural Area this morning to check
if Red-eyed Vireos or Vesper Sparrows have shown up this year. I didn't
find either species, but enjoyed some other nice birds including:

- BAND-TAILED PIGEONS (5+) in the gallery forest, where both osoberries
and red elderberries are now ripening;
- WILLOW FLYCATCHERS (the one right at the parking area for Luckiamute
Landing makes for easy study -- see Site Guide pages on
www.birdnotes.net for directions to this place);
- AMERICAN KESTREL family with three fledged young at the Luckiamute
Cooperative Management Area (ODFW property adjacent to Luckimaute SNA);
- HAIRY WOODPECKER pair who were acting like they had fledged young
nearby, though I didn't see them;

plus lots of SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, YELLOW WARBLERS, BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAKS etc. FORK-TOOTHED OOKOW (Brodiaea congesta or Dichelostemma
congesta, an upland prairie flower that grows in the meadows which seem
to be on relict gravel bars here) was blooming in a several places. 

A couple of COMMON MERGANSERS and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS on gravel banks at
the Santiam confluence, plus CLIFF SWALLOWS with one NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW over the bridge on the Luckiamute River, were also
nice to see, especially since I hadn't managed to find those species in
"motorless" mode earlier this year.

On the negative side, the entrance area to the Luckiamute Landing
portion of LSNA stinks like an old gym locker, due to some tall,
white-flowered plants which I believe are POISON-HEMLOCK(?), a Eurasian
weed made famous by Socrates. Some are also growing along the trail
through the gallery forest. I'm not sure if they're particularly
invasive but they sure do stink.
 
More on the "just interesting" side, there's a small clump of ASPARAGUS
growing in the meadow near the boat-in campground. I wonder how that got
there.

Tracks included COYOTE, BOBCAT, COUGAR, RIVER OTTER, and the collapsed
burrow of a TOWNSEND'S MOLE.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis