[birding] Another Calliope & MacGillivray's Warbler, E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area

[Joel Geier]

Hi all,

Following a tip from Pam & Randy Comeleo, for my lunch break I walked up
to the marsh in the NW corner of E.E. Wilson where a pair of GADWALL
were still present along with a good variety of other dabbling ducks,
including at least one EURASIAN WIGEON.

These were all viewable from the first open viewpoint of this marsh that
you come to, if you walk (or bike) north from HQ about 1.5 miles all the
way to where it T's into the northernmost paved road, then go west a
couple of hundred feet on that road. Some SHOWY MILKWEED is putting up
shoots at that location, and I could hear SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL along
with MARSH WRENS. As Pam & Randy described it, it's sort of a
"mini-Finley."

Hoping for some shorebirds or phalaropes since Finley NWR seems to be
getting a bunch now, I checked the next open viewpoint to the west.
There is some exposed mud in the NW corner of this marsh (a scarce
commodity on the wildlife area), but alas no shorebirds. However, a male
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD was perched on a low willow branch right by the
edge of the marsh, and warding off a flock of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

Just then a hail storm came in and I lost track of the hummingbird, but
since he was acting a bit territorial, I wouldn't be surprised if he
stays for a day or two. It was fun to see one of these little guys "in
the wild" instead of at a feeder.

Along the way, I also heard, then saw a male MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER
sneaking around in some dense growth at the base of some conifers near
the Canal Pond. So far as I know, the only previous spring detections of
this species on E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area have been on Coffin Butte, so
this was a little unusual.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis