[birding] Robison/Airlie/Berry Creek/Tampico Rd loop, Purple Martin update

[Joel Geier]

Hi all,

Getting just a little tired of riparian surveys, this morning I made a
bicycle loop north along Hwy 99W to Robison Rd., then up to Airlie Rd.
via De Armond, west to Berry Creek Rd, south with a detour up the Dunn
Forest 110 Road, then back home via Tampico, Wiles, and Coffin Butte Rd.

Along Robison I was hoping to hear the American Bittern that Paul Adamus
picked up on his Breeding Bird Survey route a couple of weeks ago. In 15
minutes of standing around (right at dawn) I heard a couple of faintly
bittern-like sounds way off in the distance at the Cold Creek Hunting
Club property. However I could barely pick up these sounds over the
racket that the riparian birds were putting up, in the trees on the
south side of the road. There were plenty of Common Yellowthroats,
Red-winged Blackbirds, and Savannah Sparrows out in the grass.

The National Guard's Camp Adair rifle range farther west along Robison
Rd was interesting mainly to see that they've been clearing some of the
scrub English hawthorn growth just inside the north boundary fence. It's
really opened up the landscape. I'm guessing that the National Guard is
doing this mainly to promote native prairie plants (since there are
supposed to be some good prairie remnants in that area). However this
should also benefit the Rough-legged Hawks that use this area. Vesper &
Grasshopper Sparrows might benefit as well, though not this year.

The pond along De Armond Rd. just had one duck out on the water, a
female Mallard. Farther north there were dozens of Savannah Sparrows and
about three HORNED LARKS. I also heard one Horned Lark singing along the
north part of Berry Creek Rd., in a newly planted Xmas-tree field just
past the first house on the right.

A LAZULI BUNTING (one of many along this route) was singing on a wire
right over the entrance to the parking area for Dunn Forest Road 100.
The first stretch of this road had about 8-10 CHIPPING SPARROWS, several
of which were singing. A couple of the meadows along this road looked
like possibilities for Vesper Sparrow, but I didn't see or hear any. A
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER was singing in the oaks, and just a bit farther
up I heard an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER calling, as well as a WILLOW
FLYCATCHER.

While making my way to the Purple Martin nesting snag that Pam & Randy
Comeleo discovered last year, and also reported on this year, I found
out where the female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS have gone -- apparently all up
this road! They were chasing each other all over the place, especially
around the honeysuckle vines that have grown up in the stump pastures.
One male PURPLE MARTIN was perched atop a very spindly oak, but I didn't
see the rest of the family. I saw quite a few California Quail but no
Mountain Quail -- though the habitat looks good for the latter. It was
fun to see all of the HOUSE WREN activity.

Back on Tampico Rd. and continuing SE, I saw at least 5 female PURPLE
MARTINS (maybe one or two immatures in with them) and 3 males flying
around the topped-off Doug-fir snags where Rich Armstrong had reported
some (Rich gave the mileage from Soap Creek Rd. earlier, I can't
remember if it was 2.7 or 2.9 miles west of Soap Creek Rd.). Several of
the martins were trying to chase off a European Starling, while other
martins appeared to be feeding young in the nest holes. Hard to say but
I'd guess that there are at least a half a dozen pairs between these two
sites. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was calling from the clearcut, and a
WILLOW FLYCATCHER flew up to perch about 30 ft from me while I was
watching the martin activity.

Continuing east along Tampico, I heard a MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER singing
just west of the Dunn Forest 400 Road -- from back in the forest,
probably within 100 yards of where I saw some back in May, along the 410
Rd.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis