[birding] Raptors in Corvallis

[Trent Seager]

Hi Everyone,

I take my dog for walks 2 x a day, and this is my chance to bird, collect
pollen in my eyes, nose, and mouth, and notice the changes in the season
(budding out of trees and arrival of new migrants!).  Lately, I been
noticing a lot of raptor activity (not counting the common presence of
TURKEY VULTURES on each walk and drive).

Last night around 7:30pm a GREAT-HORNED OWL was hooting at the Crystal Lakes
Sports Fields in south town Corvallis along the river.  The adult GHOW was
easily found in a leaf-less tree above the jogging trail.  It kept hooting
even as my dog and I walked under the tree.  From the depth of the hoot, I
suspected it was a male - but then again it has been awhile since I hooted
in a GHOW enough to know its sex! I had suspected that GHOW were nesting
here from the weekly piles of rabbit fur my dog (a GSP) and I would find out
in the open sports fields.  I doubted that a RTHA or other raptor would take
a rabbit in the open field with 10's if not 100+ dogs and people walking
around throughout the day.

I have been wondering about the COOPER'S HAWKS and if they would nest again
in the park - and hoping to find out where they are before leaf-out occurs.
Today on my morning walk, I heard some raptor cries and looked to see a COHA
bombing a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK at the SE end of the field.  Ah-ha!  So the
Coops are back in the same set of trees I would see the adults coming from
almost daily last summer.  The RSHA flew across the many soccer fields to
the conifers along the cemetery.  A RED-TAILED HAWK was crying out from
across the river to the east.  Raptor city!

TREE SWALLOWS were flitting along the fields, including checking out the
boxes that are in major disrepair along the baseball and soccer fields.  The
LESSER GOLDFINCHES are still here, singing, and are much brighter!  The
HOUSE FINCHES and SONG SPARROWS seem very active and are venturing out
further from the bushes and trees into the open field.  I am unsure what
they are gathering out there, or it may just be a shift to an insect diet in
preparation for egg-laying.

This evening the RSHA was back, crying as it flew across the field.  After
covering most of the park, it flew up really high and then stooped across
the field to land in the very large conifers at the NW end of the field by
the cemetery.  The sun was already set and dusk was turning to dark.  It
must roost there.

Does anyone know if RSHA are nesting in and or around Corvallis?

thanks!

Trent
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.midvalleybirding.org/pipermail/birding/attachments/20090323/891a7321/attachment.html