[birding] E.E. Wilson walnut tree yes, sapsucker maybe; Prairie Falcon & G. Scaup in neighborhood

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

This morning I wandered over to E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area headquarters
to check on the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The bird wasn't there when I
arrived at around 9 AM, but its favorite tree was still there so I took
the opportunity to look at some twigs and buds. 

It's indeed a WALNUT. The reason for the unusual growth habit seems to
be (at least from appearances) that the tree was topped and maintained
as an orchard tree many years ago, but then was allowed to sprout
skyward again.

Then Bob Bender, Jack Anderson and one other birder from Eugene whose
name I promptly forgot (two names seems to be my limit nowadays, sorry
about that) showed up, and were joined in a short while by Tom Philips
from Portland. Hopefully they got to see the bird after I wandered off
to see what else might be around the neighborhood. 

By the time I looped back (around noon) no birders were there. I did
hear a SAPSUCKER sp. mewing repeatedly from the woods on the south side
of the skeet range (a few hundred yards west of HQ, on the south side of
Camp Adair Rd.), but it was way back in very dense habitat and I
couldn't locate the bird. It sounded a lot like the Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker did the other day, but I don't know if I could distinguish
from a Red-breasted Sapsucker based on calls.

There was one WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on the east side of those woods
which might be one of the birds that John Gatchet and Stefan Schlick
mentioned yesterday. Skirting around the south side of the woods (you
don't want to go in there if you value your hide, since shot pellets
from the skeet range fall in this area!) I encountered two more
White-throated Sparrows. The usual RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was around as
others have mentioned, but I didn't see the shrike today.

During my walk, from the railroad tracks on the east side of Adair
Village, I spotted a RUDDY DUCK and one female GREATER SCAUP swimming
with about 15 LESSER SCAUP on the sewage treatment pond north of Ryals
Rd. An adult PRAIRIE FALCON was perched atop one of the BPA power line
poles, about 3 or 4 poles north of Ryals Rd. That powerline corridor is
a traditional spot for Prairie Falcon in Benton County, though it's been
a few years since I saw one there. Ruddy Duck was another species that I
missed on my 2009 motorless list, so it was nice to find one on the
second day of 2010.

Other birds of interest included three more WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS
(single flock), a SLATE-COLORED JUNCO, and two HERMIT THRUSHES in the
south end of the wildlife area.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis