[birding] Brownsville area grasslands, Linn Co.

[Joel Geier]

Hi all,

Bob Altman and I birded a bit in the Brownsville area grasslands this
morning on our way down to an Important Bird Area meeting in Eugene. 

Things were sort of wet and chilly, which might have impacted bird
activity a bit. 

In two stops on the east side of Ward Butte, we didn't find any Vesper
or Grasshopper Sparrows. The pasture looked pretty heavily grazed which
probably limits prospects for grassland birds this year. There were a
few Savannah Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows. One presumed
White-crowned Sparrow singing far up the hill had an unusually buzzy
song, but we couldn't spot it.

At Belts Rd. x Gap Rd. we saw several WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. The pine
plantings on the south side of Belts Rd. are growing up pretty thick
which might impact the grassland character (there were about as many
Spotted Towhees as meadowlarks today), but the habitat on the east side
of Gap Rd. looks better. The CAMAS bloom in the pasture on the north
side of the road deserved a photo.

Farther east along Belts Rd., we saw a couple of VESPER SPARROWS chasing
each other. When we stopped to look, another Vesper Sparrow flew to
perch on the lower strand of the barbed-wire fence about 50 ft ahead of
us, and started giving calls similar to juvenile begging calls --
apparently a female advertising that she was ready for copulation.
Curiously the male Vesper Sparrows in the area didn't respond. Maybe too
intent on chasing each other around in circles? Bob also heard a HORNED
LARK in the same location, in the grass field on the south side of the
road.

We continued along Tub Run Rd. but didn't see or hear any Grasshopper
Sparrows. It's still a bit early for them so perhaps they'll show up
over the next week or two.

Back at home, I heard my first BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK of the season this
morning -- singing manically as they always do.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis