[birding] field trip

[rich armstrong]

1. there were 8 corvallis audubon folks that enjoyed the 1/2 day corvallis audubon foeld trip this morning with zero rain.
2. it did not start well as we arrived at the philomath sewage ponds withg so much fog we could not see the water.
3. at the new finley hq there was
    a. a nicely perched KESTRAL that fought a steller's jay and later a sc rub jay to keep her perch.
    b. many WESTERN BLUEBIRDS
    c. many ACORN WOODPECKERS that chased RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS as well as jays
    d. a posing LINCOLN'S SPARROW that sat next to song and golden-crown sparrows
4. the bird of the day was a LEWIS WOODPECKER. paula vanderhuel had this bird a couple weeks earlier and it is not only still there, but seems to have a tree where it stores nuts. from the old hq continue west on refuge road a little. past the overlook the road makes a hard left turn. on the right side of the road just at the end of the turn is where the tree is. there was actually a flock of 10+ flickers in the area
5. behind the old hq we had posing FOX SPARROW, a couple VARIED THRUSH, a close RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and from the gazebo we could really onlu identify mallards and geese in poor light and long distance.
6. at prairie overlook there were not very cooperative WHITE-TAILED KITES, an also far away ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, and a very cooperative NORTHERN SHRIKE. also a flock of 20 meadowlarks and northern harriers in the distance.
7. mcfaddin marsh was literally covered with geese and mallards. there were also lots of PINTAILS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and AMERICAN WIGEON, and some RING-NECKED DUCKS. we counted 15 presumably TUNDRA SWANS at far north end.
8. on the way back into town we stopped on goodnight road and easily saw 2 EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVES.
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978
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