[obol] Marion Co (east edge of) White-Headed Woodpecker 7/31/2014
- From: Roy Gerig <roygerig@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 17:20:59 -0700
John Thomas and I camped at Olallie Meadows, less than a mile from the Cascades
crest at the very eastern edge of Marion County. There is mixed coniferous
forest there, including at least 2 pines, it is dry, and there is not much
elevation change as you go over the crest there, into the Warm Springs Res. I
wanted to find some woodpeckers, and we finally did this morning around 9.
Last evening we heard but could not see, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER. This morning
we heard it again, including the very distinctive rattle call. While looking
for the BBWO, we saw woodpeckers in a nice mature stand of mixed confers. There
were 2 RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS, when a WHITE HEADED WOODPECKER flew in and
landed with its back to me in plain view for a few seconds. While it was on
the tree trunk, I could see its very solid all black black and nape, but not
the face. Thinking Black-backed, because it was near where we had heard
Black-backed, I changed my mind when it flew and I could very clearly see the
white wing patches of a WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER. For the few seconds that it
was in view in flight, I could see the solid black back and wings (except for
the white wing patch toward the distal end) and something of the white face of
this species. Then it was gone. This is a species I had been hoping to find
here, being that I am a hopeless Marion county lister.
We saw a lot of birds this morning, but not many yesterday afternoon and
evening. There were more GC KINGLETS than I've ever seen, some COMMON
NIGHTHAWKS, a BUFFLEHEAD, female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (on Triangle Lake), young
RUDDY DUCK, young HERMIT WARBLERS, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and a VARIED
THRUSH, and more. In the no information department, we did hear a bird call
early that I could not identify, I have no idea what it was and I can't
describe it, just something odd and different that I have not heard before.
It was a fun morning.
Roy Gerig, Salem OR
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