[birding] Willow Flycatchers at EE Wilson

[Don Boucher]

Lisa and I, with help from Joel Geier, led the year's first Bicycle Birding at EE Wilson Wildlife Area on Sunday 5-24. There were about 20 bicycle-birders and everybody got to see a lot of birds. Near the HQ was a pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves and one was calling. Most of us got to see a Green Heron fly by. We had several good looks at male Rufous Hummingbirds with their twinkling, red throat sequins. A pair Northern Harriers was harassing a Great Blue Heron and then a Red-winged Blackbird joined the taunting. All the poor heron could do was croak and squawk about it. Near the HQ was a Red-breasted Sapsucker hammering (rat, ti-tat ti-tat) on a metal water tank. We encountered two Willow Flycatchers one near the marsh by the fishing pond and one at the marsh at the northeast end. It was a first-of-the-year, and motorless Willow Flycatcher for Lisa and me. Several Warbling Vireos were heard and a Hutton's Vireo was heard and briefly seen. This was the "Chat-O-Rama" trip and we did get some looks at Yellow-breasted Chats.Yellow Warblers were common but only seen once briefly.

Don Boucher
Corvallis, OR
www.Neighborhood-Naturalist.com

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