[birding] Peoria Area Birds

[M & R Campbell]

We have had two BLACK PHOEBES in our backyard the last couple days--the first time I've seen more than one at a time.  Usually their insistent chip-notes make them easy to spot, but these two have been consistently singing short phrases.  (Sibley describes it as "sisee, sitsew," and that's pretty close.)  In the past two weeks I've seen two Black Phoebes near Snag Boat Bend, one behind Keiger Island, one at the Tangent ponds, and one at the Halsey ponds.  That's seven Black Phoebes within ten miles of Peoria on the Linn County side of the river.  And, of course, there must be quite a few that I've missed.  They aren't rare anymore--but they are still handsome birds.

Possibly of interest only to me:  I saw eleven white birds with black-tipped wings high over Peoria, flying deliberately and directly southward in V-formation.  With the naked eye I thought they could only be Snow Geese, but binocs brought out gull-shaped birds with white on the tips of their primaries.  I'm guessing CALIFORNIA GULLS, given the amount of black.  I'm not much of a gull watcher, but I've never seen gulls flying in formation like that.

More notable than the birds I've seen, maybe, are the birds that have been absent.  On Saturday I made my way through a pretty stiff wind to the Tangent ponds, but found only the usual suspects. On Sunday, as soon as the windstorm eased and the rain stopped, I headed to the Halsey Ponds but found nothing notable there, either--not even a lousy Red Phalarope.  Also absent, so far, are Burrowing Owls.  I checked every past roost that I know of between American Drive and Bell Plain Road, but with no success.  Last year, as far as I know, only one owl was reliable here in the Peoria area, until it turned into a pile of feathers beside its favored culvert.


Randy Campbell

Peoria

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