[obol] Sept. bird wanderings
- From: "Karan Fairchild" <alderspr@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "Oregon Birds Online" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:58:51 -0700
Along with the flush of migration, it's the season for resident bird
wanderings as well, and more interesting interactions.
Like others recently report, a few days back we had an Acorn Woodpecker
perch and call for a moment in the top of a tall douglas-fir, miles from any
oak groves, and maybe only hoping one the nearby clearcuts would come back
someday as oak forest. Our second detection in decades.
With Gray and Steller's Jays year-round residents, Western Scrub-Jays are
vagrant here except in September when individual birds are more regular,
coinciding with availability of hazel and chinquapin nuts.
Sharp-shinned Hawks, usually but not always hatch-year birds, now hunt our
feeders. These days they are regularly harassed by Steller's Jays using a
unique call, and who boldly feed in front of the hawks, and perch within a
few feet of them until the hawks give chase--unsuccessfully. No idea what
that is about, perhaps training young jays about accipiters? We see loose
flocks of several dozen jays these days.
But the Steller's Jays seem entirely casual about a pair of Northern
Pygmy-Owls, who were even pair-hooting mid-morning today. No jay calls warn
the other smaller passerines of this predator.
Even the Ruffed Grouse seem unwary and can be found outside their normal
cover.
Happy Birding,
Jim Fairchild
6 mi SW Philomath, Benton Co.
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