[birding] Camp Adair: Canada Goose nesting, and motorless House Sparrows!

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

Today I went for a walk around Coffin Butte via Wiles and Robison Rds.,
hoping to run across the Say's Phoebe that Bill (sorry, I forgot the
last name already) mentioned seeing yesterday. But I guess he meant the
yellow metal shed a mile or so farther west on Robison Rd., not the one
I was thinking of at Military Rd. (which turns out to be more
beige-colored). Well, I was sort of guessing as much, but thought I
might as well try.

I did see a few WESTERN BLUEBIRDS, plus a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER working
the isolated line of saplings along Wiles Rd., the second time I've seen
one out there.

At Hwy 99W and Robison Rd. just east of E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, a
male HOUSE SPARROW was "singing" (I know, that's a stretch of the term)
like they do in nesting season. This is the first House Sparrow that
I've seen in "motorless" mode so far this year. Last year I had to work
harder for them, before finding the mother lode in Adair Village.

Then inside the wildlife area, I saw one of the resident WESTERN CANADA
GEESE brooding on one of the nesting platforms. With bright sunshine and
56 F temperatures, it really did seem like spring today. A HUTTON'S
VIREO at our our house seems to think so too, and has been singing off &
on all day.

ROUGH-SKINNED NEWTS are out & about now, and OSOBERRY is just starting
to bloom.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis