[birding] Coffin Butte Mountain Quail, spring sing

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

Just back from a quick walk up Coffin Butte, where I enjoyed beautiful
views of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. 

A small covey of 5 MOUNTAIN QUAIL were in the brush on the south side of
the upper quarry, where the trail makes its first switchback and a
little stream runs out of the quarry area through some young trees. They
flushed as I approached and flew over the edge to the south, so it
wasn't much of a look ... but good to see that they're still around.

Higher up a male HUTTON'S VIREO was singing nonstop from a high perch
about 150 yards past the guzzler, while a prospective Mrs. Hutton was
checking him out and moving through a clump of low brush. BEWICK'S WRENS
and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES were also singing. 

A male HAIRY WOODPECKER called enough times for me to locate him back in
the woods where Snow Queen is putting up leaves (also Menzie's Larkspur
and Geum in the more open areas). Some vocal RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES
were similarly obliging. Hard as it may be to believe, I made it this
far into the year without finding either of these as "motorless" birds
this year, and I still haven't found a Chestnut-backed Chickadee --
guess I need to spend a little more time in the conifers!

A TURKEY VULTURE floated over the main unit of the wildlife area, where
a few NORTHERN PINTAILS are starting to gather with the GREEN-WINGED
TEAL on the western marshes, and MARSH WRENS are singing like mad.

The lower remediation pond at Coffin Butte Regional Landfill (Toketie
Marsh) had four LESSER SCAUP (no sign of the female Greater Scaup) along
with RING-NECKED DUCKS and other regulars.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis