[birding] Polk County NAMC highlights & lowlights

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

With numbers in from three volunteers so far, here are some preliminary
highlights from Sunday's migration count in Polk County. 

Abbreviations are: BSNWR = Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge &
vicinity (covered by Bill Tice); LSNA = Luckiamute State Natural Area
(Polk Co. portions birded by Howard Bruner). Gerlinger County Park and
Gerlinger State Forest are a few miles above (west of) Falls City along
Black Rock Rd.

RECENT ARRIVALS:
Gadwall                  2 at BSNWR (or did they summer there?)
Northern Pintail         2 at BSNWR
Green-winged Teal       50 at BSNWR
Lesser Scaup             1 at BSNWR
Merlin                   1 at LSNA
American Pipit          20 at BSNWR
Lincoln's Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 4

LINGERING BIRDS:
Osprey                   1 still at LSNA 
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1 heard near Gerlinger State Forest
Western Wood-Pewee       1 at LSNA
House Wren               2 one apiece at BSNWR and LSNA 
Swainson's Thrush        5 scattered individuals
Orange-crowned Warbler   7 all at LSNA
Common Yellowthroat     20 mainly at LSNA & BSNWR
Wilson's Warbler         1 at LSNA
Western Tanager          1 near Gerlinger State Forest
Black-headed Grosbeak    1 heard a few miles west of Monmouth

HARD TO FIND:
Red-shouldered Hawk      2 one apiece at BSNWR and LSNA
Western Meadowlark       3 at BSNWR (maybe part of nesting population)

UNUSUAL LOCATION:
Northern Pygmy-Owl       1 at LSNA (first record there that I know of)

BIG NUMBERS:
Turkey Vulture          58 all over the place
Western Scrub-Jay       69 Polk Co. has them!
Common Raven            34 incl. 30 in a single field near Suver
Cliff Swallow          100 Platt dairy pond near Buena Vista
Violet-green Swallow  2282 incl. 1500 over Platt dairy pond
Barn Swallow          1210 half of them around Platt dairy pond
American Goldfinch     762 incl. 650 along Stapleton Rd.

SHOREBIRD ROUNDUP:
Killdeer              12 various locations
Greater Yellowlegs     5 at BSNWR
Western Sandpiper     30 at BSNWR
Least Sandpiper       16 at BSNWR
Long-billed Dowitcher 41 at BSNWR

EXOTICS:
Eurasian Collared-Dove   1 near BSNWR (maybe in Dallas?)
Rock Pigeon              2 Platt dairy near Buena Vista (no doubt there
                           were more there but I tried not to look too
                           hard).
European Starling      610 mostly at BSNWR and Platt dairy
Brown-headed Cowbird   200 at Platt dairy, low estimate
House Finch            250 mainly Platt dairy and Stapleton Rd.
House Sparrow          137 mainly at Platt dairy, plus a few in towns.

JUST GENERALLY FUN TO SEE:
American Dipper          1 swimming and diving in creek near Gerlinger
                           County Park
Pileated Woodpecker      3 including a pair at Gerlinger Co. Park.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis