[birding] Three Zono sparrow species singing, TVs maybe nesting

[Joel Geier]

Hi all,

On a walk at E.E. Wilson just now, Martha (who was out of school today)
and I heard a lingering WHITE-THROATED SPARROW singing its ode to
Canada, alongside of a couple of singing GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS (also
due to migrate soon), and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW that might stay to
nest.

The old movie theater foundation in the south end was full of tiny
TADPOLES -- hopefully Red-legged Frogs or Pacific Chorus-Frogs rather
than bullfrogs. Other fun finds included a clean-picked SNAKE skeleton
(big garter snake or gopher snake about 2 feet long, missing the head)
and a STRIPED SKUNK skeleton that was also picked clean except for a few
bits of fur and a few innards -- looked like the work of a GREAT HORNED
OWL.

Near there we saw a TURKEY VULTURE swoop down to land alongside of
another in the lower branches of a tree amidst a blackberry tangle that
surrounded an old foundation/concrete slab -- looked like a likely
nesting spot to check back on later in the season. A male NORTHERN
HARRIER is still hunting over the south end where a pair usually nests.

No newly arrived migrant songbirds or shorebirds today, though
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS are getting numerous.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis