[birding] Bicycle Birding report: Chestnut-backed Chickadees at Avery Park

[Don Boucher]

Greetings,
7/25/10
Lisa and I led the Audubon Society of Corvallis' Bicycle Birding trip 
this Sunday morning. 9 of us rode from Avery Park to Starker & Sunset 
Parks and back.

As Lisa and I were getting ready to leave from our apartment on 
Technology Loop, we heard a few EVENING GROSBEAKS fly by.

At Avery Park (and elsewhere) there were many juvenile crows begging and 
making quite a ruckus. A COOPER'S HAWK called from the vicinity of the 
Marys River.

Along the bike path at Brooklane we visited briefly with two of the 
Scrub-Jays Lisa feeds peanuts to on her daily bicycle commute to work. 
We tossed a few peanuts and we got a close look. Near 35th, we watched a 
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE fly by. On the bike path behind the ODOT station 
we watched various finches and sparrows. An adult ACCIPITER (probably a 
Cooper's Hawk but we didn't get a good look) flew into the trees 
panicking all of the little birds. Behind the Ashbrook School we stopped 
to listen to a Swainson's Thrush sing. Along the way we saw several 
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS.

At the Dunawi Creek Community Garden near Starker Park we encountered 
both ANNA'S & RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS. All kinds of finches are active at 
the garden; HOUSE FINCH, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH & LESSER GOLDFINCH. American 
Goldfinches were collecting nest material and many females were making 
the juvenile-like begging call that they do while courting. 
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS sang from various perches. Our garden buddy 
Scrub-Jay (whom Lisa and I call Peanut Queen) came to collected peanuts 
at very close range. The nesting pair of TREE SWALLOWS harassed Peanut 
Queen regularly. The swallows are particularly sensitive because their 
babies will fledge soon. As we were leaving the Garden we spotted the 
family of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS who recently nested there. There were also 
young VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS begging in the nearby trees.

At Sunset Park, before we took the boardwalk tour, we heard a few PINE 
SISKINS fly by. We surveyed the beaver dams and ponds and enjoyed a few 
dragonflies. Many American Goldfinches and CEDAR WAXWINGS drank and 
bathed in the beaver pond. At the large upper beaver pond, we startled a 
GREEN HERON and listened to it call as it flew away.

Joe Raia, editor of CorvallisTidbits.com, came along and filed this 
report and took a few photos.
http://www.christonium.com/corvallistidbits/audubon-society-bird-watching-sunday-july-25th
I haven't heard of this on-line publication before. I'm glad to hear of 
this local resource for the community.

After the field trip, Lisa and I took a break at Avery Park by the 
horseshoe courts. We heard a few CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES calling. 
Unusual at this elevation at this time of year. We were not confusing 
these calls with juvenile Black-capped Chickadee calls. A WESTERN 
TANAGER sang from the nearby trees. A STELLER'S JAY and a Chickaree 
squirrel collected hazelnuts from a nearby California Beaked Hazelnut tree.

There are two more Bicycle Birding trips this season. Aug 29 & Sept 26
Meet at the Avery Park Rose Garden (1210 SW Avery Park Dr) at 9am

Don Boucher
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
www.audubon.corvallis.or.us