[birding] Confronting the aural borders of Luckimute Landing

[howard bruner]

A late post that is not too sensitive to temporal promptness.  On a bike out to the Willamette from Buena Vista road on Friday 6/19 I was able to reaffirm that there is some very interesting diversions in the aural repertoire of distinct species and populations in the area.  Last year I remarked on the yellowthroats that sang as do their neighbor song sparrows but not quite well enough to evade discovery.  This is right where the open fields and gallery forest come slam against the other with a long barrier of transition blackberries used by both species. Under the shady canopy I refound song sparrows that sputter like bushtits (in the same location as last year) and out in the riverside meadow the nesting white-crowned sparrows are the only batch I have ever heard that sound identical to the hard winter chips of fox sparrows. Also in the meadow the yellow warblers were mimicking lazuli buntings and the bunting were .... well they were being as creative as usual with a distinct preference for partial snatches of Wilson's warbler song. These seem to be adult birds that do not exhibit the uncertain and less regimented performances of newly hatched youngsters. And in fact I witnessed many birds carrying food and only confirmed fledged b-c chickadees.  One species with an interesting slant on vocalizations would be noteworthy but there seems to be something in the water or air that has multiple species talking in new and divergent voices.  Last year I thought it an aberration of interest - finding that it is a multi-year pattern has me wondering if something more exciting is occuring in that strange and wonderful zone.

H

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