[birding] Some Benton Co. NAMC notes

[Marcia F. Cutler]

Yesterday, Paula Vanderheul and I concentrated our birding more or less around the NE part of Benton County, visiting Jackson-Frazier Wetlands, Stewart Pond, Bald Hill, Fitton Green, Philomath Sewage Ponds and EE Wilson.  We had a total of 85 species for the day including 9 warbler species.  Flycatchers and vireo species were scarce at 1 apiece: Pacific-slope FC and Warblling Vireo.  Here are some highlights:

Jackson-Frazier Wetlands:

Green Heron - 1
Sora - at least 2 heard
Band-tailed Pigeon - 3
Calliope Hummingbird - 1

Bald Hill

Nashville Warbler - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 2, including one carrying nesting material
Pine Siskin - distinctive call heard

Fitton Green

Pileated Woodpecker - 2 heard
Hermit Warbler - 3 heard

Philomath Sewage Pond

Bonaparte's Gull - 1 with completely black head
Peeps - 50, never landed where we could see them
Spotted Sandpiper - we saw 8 birds of roughly this size.  At least 5 of them were Spotted Sandpipers.  2 seen on the far side of the ponds were too far away to positively ID even with scope and may have been Solitary Sandpipers.  I also picked out a slightly bigger and deeper brown-mantled bird once as they flew by.

EE Wilson

Sora - 4 heard in various areas in the NW portion
Virginia Rail - 1 heard
Wrentit - 2 seen and heard
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1 quiet bird seen

Marcia F. Cutler
Corvallis
Benton Co. Coordinator NAMC