[birding] Willamette Park owls

[Lisa Millbank]

Don & I went out for another owl search tonight, this time at Willamette Park.  In the past couple of weeks, we have tried listening and calling at Bald Hill, Marys River Natural Park, Avery Park, Sunset & Starker Arts Parks, and Oak Lawn cemetery, with Great Horned Owls being the only ones calling at some of the spots we visited.  It's still early in owl breeding season.

We locked up the bikes at the boat ramp area and walked down the river path as it was getting dark.  It was bedtime for most of the little birds, but that didn't stop a female WRENTIT from singing her song for a bit.  It sounded like she had no mate, as we didn't hear the male's "bouncing ball" song.  I enjoyed the little soft sounds of FOX SPARROW, BEWICK'S WREN, SPOTTED TOWHEE, and other common birds getting ready to sleep.  About 3/4 of the way to the south end of the park/soccer field area, we heard a pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS singing together.  A WOOD DUCK and WILSON'S SNIPE called as it got darker.  We heard a brief "toot" from a tall Douglas-fir, and then another.  Not knowing what it was, Don called for Western Screech-Owl, and then tried Northern Pygmy-Owl, just in case.  The mystery "toot" began again, this time in a long, quick series.  A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL!  What a nice surprise!  The tiny little guy flew out from the riverside forest toward the Ponderosa Pine restoration area and continued to call.

We walked out to the soccer fields and sat on a bench by the river.  A BARN OWL flew by, screaming.  After that, we wandered toward the water treatment facility and then back up through the disc golf course/Kendall Natural Area, calling for Western Screech-Owl most of the time.  Some disc golfers were playing night golf with headlamps and lighted discs, but other than that, it was pretty quiet.  We had just about given up on screech-owls when I heard a little trill.  Pretty soon, we had a pair of WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS making their wonderful call.

On the way back down the riverside path, two BARN OWLS screamed pretty excitedly together as they flew over the park.  We stopped to try calling for other pairs of screech-owls when we heard a gnawing sound.  It was a beaver, tail-slapping and splashing around in the flooded forest.  A good night with 4 species of owls in town.

Lisa
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com   


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