[obol] Luckiamute SNA: Late Swamp Sparrow plus Nashville Warbler & Hammond's Flycatcher
- From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
- To: MidValley Birds <birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:31:52 -0700
Hi all,
Today I went searching for early Swainson's Thrushes in Luckiamute State
Natural Area's north unit (Luckiamute Landing), as this is usually the best
place in the neighborhood place to find them by the dozen, soon after the
first reports.
I didn't find any early Swainson's Thrushes but I was surprised by a very
late bird: a SWAMP SPARROW that was hanging out with a LINCOLN'S SPARROW
about 80 yards from the trailhead. I've sometimes found Lincoln's Sparrows
locally into the second week of May, but my previous late date for Swamp
Sparrow was March 31st, about 10 years ago.
Other notable birds included a very vocal HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER and a
NASHVILLE WARBLER that was associating with a flock that included at least
two "gray-headed" ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, apparently from one of the
Rocky Mountain or eastern/boreal subspecies, rather than the usual Pacific
Northwest variety.
The full list is copied below.
Happy birding,
Joel
This report was mailed for Joel Geier by http://birdnotes.net
Date: April 25, 2014
Location: Luckiamute Landing Greenway, Polk County, Oregon
Low temperature: 45 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 55 degrees fahrenheit
Wind direction: Variable
Prevailing wind speed: < 1 km/h gusting to: 6-11 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 80%
Precipitation: none
10:00 to 11:30 AM. Spent about 2/3 of the time on a quick hike to the
gallery forest area where I did a slow stroll through the first 1/4
mile of the trail through the forest, listening for Swainson's
Thrushes in particular (none detected), then back along the same
route. Spent the last half hour patrolling for weeds in the prairie
restoration area near the trailhead.
Weather was ideal for songbird activity, clearing after early morning
showers, still mostly overcast but warming with sun peeking out
occasionally.
Birds seen (in taxonomic order):
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 1
American Kestrel 1
Greater Yellowlegs 3 [1]
Band-tailed Pigeon 1 [2]
Rufous Hummingbird 2
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2 [3]
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
Hammond's Flycatcher 1 [4]
Steller's Jay 6
Western Scrub-Jay 1
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 15
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 3
Bewick's Wren 5
American Robin 12
Orange-crowned Warbler 7 [5]
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 4
Spotted Towhee 9
Savannah Sparrow 1 [6]
Song Sparrow 15
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 1 [7]
White-crowned Sparrow 12 [8]
Golden-crowned Sparrow 10
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Brewer's Blackbird 2 [9]
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
American Goldfinch 2
Footnotes:
[1] GRYE: Flew in one by one to wetland, calling as they arrived.
[2] BTPI: Very distant, calling from NW side of Luckiamute River.
[3] RBSA: Drumming sapsuckers presumed to be this species.
[4] HAFL: Calling persistently while feeding from perches in hazel
thicket in forest opening.
[5] OCWA: Total includes 2 gray-headed birds (ssp. orestera or
celata), in the same feeding flock as the Nashville Warbler.
[6] SAVS: Singing in grass field.
[7] SWSP: In shrub plantings along road about 80 yards north of
trailhead parking lot, associating with Lincoln's Sparrow.
[8] WCSP: Mostly territorial birds heard singing, but two
associating with migrant Golden-crowned flock.
[9] BRBL: Pair on wire.
Total number of species seen: 34
OBOL archives: www.freelists.org/archive/obol
Manage your account or unsubscribe: //www.freelists.org/list/obol
Contact moderators: obol-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Other related posts:
- » [obol] Luckiamute SNA: Late Swamp Sparrow plus Nashville Warbler & Hammond's Flycatcher - Joel Geier
