[birding] Feb 20 First Turkey Vulture / Prairie Overlook birds Finley NWR

[Steve Seibel]

(now a few days old, just found my way to the new email address...)

While at the Prairie Overlook at Finley NWR this afternoon (Feb 20), I saw a
speck through my binocs well over a mile to the SE that was moving with a
Turkey Vulture's characteristic wide-spanned wobble.  I got a compass
bearing, drove over to 99W and drove south till my GPS told me I was on the
right line of position, and spotted the Turkey Vulture further to the S and
E, now about 2.8 miles from the Prairie Overlook.  By the time I got close
to it it was thermalling with a juv Bald Eagle and 2 Red-tailed hawks.
First TV of the season for me--spring is here!  2 other birders at Finley
also mentioned to me that they had also seen a Turkey Vulture which--
considering the distance-- may or may not have been the same bird.

2 White-tailed kites were also visible at the Prairie Overlook.  The north
breeze also gave some good close looks of a female Northern Harrier hanging
almost motionless, low over the ground, looking right at the observation
platform.  I visited the same spot yesterday (2-19) and saw four Kites, some
Harriers, plus that interesting mostly-dark-morph female or juv Rough-legged
hawk with the creamy-coffee-colored top side, that is often visible near the
Overlook.  Yesterday I also saw a Pileated woodpecker while hiking on Mill
Hill loop.


Steve Seibel, Corvallis
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