[birding] E.E. Wilson birders, birds, & signs of spring

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

E.E. Wilson was sort of quiet in terms of birds today, but birders were
out in good numbers including Elaine Rees & Jerry Morsello from Eugene,
and Bill Proebsting from here in Corvallis. Frogs were singing in good
numbers, and I found a willow branch with one "pussy willow" bud
starting to open.

There was no sign of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker the two times I passed
through the headquarters area. On my way back, someone started blasting
away in the skeet range which stirred up the birds in the surrounding
woods. A RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER came out to the edge and was calling,
very agitated with its crown feathers raised. So there's at least one
Red-breasted Sapsucker using that area along with the Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker.

Bill and I tried to find the Swamp Sparrows along the Canal to the NW of
HQ, but couldn't get a peep out of them. 

We did have a flyover GULL which I was going to call a California Gull
based on how long and slender its wings looked, but it only had a bit of
black on the wings so I'm not sure what it was. Bill didn't see a ring
on the bill, so maybe it was a Mew Gull but it looked bigger to me. Oh
well, hopefully we'll get another gull or two around here before long --
haven't been many to practice on lately.

Coffin Butte was even more quiet. I heard a couple of BROWN CREEPERS but
that was about it for the top of the butte.

On my way back I checked the HQ pond to see if I could find Paula's
sparrow, but I didn't see much of anything moving there.


Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis