[birding] E.E. Wilson Swamp Sparrow count

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

Today's almost sunny weather seemed like as good a chance as any to
figure out how many Swamp Sparrows might be in E.E. Wilson Wildlife
Area.

So for my lunchtime walk I first headed for a "nontraditional" spot
north of the Angling Pond that Howard Bruner had mentioned to me, and
worked from there back along the more traditional patches on the north
side of the canal, where I heard that Doug Robinson had found a couple
back in mid December.

Howard's patch had a very diverse bunch of sparrows, and eventually I
heard a SWAMP SPARROW giving its distinctive chip notes from a big clump
of brambles. There might have been two in the same clump chipping just
about simultaneously once, but if so they were too close to each other
for me to be sure. So, at least one and possibly two in that location.

Back on the NW side of the Canal Pond, I worked along the north side of
the canal which has a lot of good habitat, but only found SONG and
LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. 

I was starting to think that maybe Doug's sparrows had moved over to
Howard's patch, when finally I heard a couple of SWAMP SPARROWS chipping
in the teasel patch about 30 yards NE of the "Handicapped Hunters"
blind. They were about as cooperative as Swamp Sparrows ever get,
sitting up separately for brief views of two or three seconds each. The
second one was more colorful than the first, so I'm guessing an adult
and an immature bird.

So that makes 3 or 4 Swamp Sparrows on the wildlife area. I've haven't
so much as heard one in the Killdeer Corner ponds (which have had as
many as three in some years) in the couple of times I've searched that
in the past month. However there are still a few "traditional" spots
that I haven't checked yet in decent weather.

Throw in one in North Luckiamute Cooperative Management area during the
Airlie CBC on 20 Dec, and that makes 4 or 5 Swamp Sparrows within 3
miles ... and probably a few more left to be found!

Happy birding,
Joel

P.S. I also encountered one BILL PROEBSTING while passing by the
sapsucker location, just after I passed the Red-shouldered Hawk on one
of its usual perches. Or so I thought, though I guess I should have
actually looked at the bird! When I mentioned it to Bill, he took a look
and politely pointed out that it was a Red-tailed Hawk. Later on I saw a
Red-shouldered Hawk flying along the canal, so maybe that's where it was
hanging out today.

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis