[obol] weekend notes, mostly Benton County
- From: Lars Per Norgren <larspernorgren@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:19:29 -0700
About 2:30 pm Sat (10/18) 8 Turkey Vultures passed quickly over downtown
Manning (mp 47, Hwy 26). Surely the latest date for me. This is the eastern
front of the Coast Range, as is the Fairchilds' residence outside Philomath
where they saw a TV the next day. Pintail Marsh at Ankeny NWR was negative for
White-faced Ibis from 5-6pm Saturday evening. Good light and no heat
distortion. The entire impoundment was full of a wonderful mix of birds. Best
was perhaps a female REDHEAD. There were Gadwall and Ring-necked Ducks in full
breeding plumage. A seemingly all black Redtail on the powerline to the west
turned out to be a rather normally colored Redtail from the ventral
perspective. Lots of Greater White-fronted Geese on the water. This is only two
miles off I-5. Take Exit 242 (Talbot) just north of the Santiam Rest Area.
Heavy fog and a balmy 57 degrees in Corvallis on Sunday morning. October
fog I recall vividly from grade school onwards, but it was typically near
freezing. The obvious choice was Mary's Peak, well above the fog. I have never
encountered so many vehicles headed downhill at 8am on a Sunday morning. Six I
believe, and deer season in progress I imagine. My son accused me of some kind
of scurious profiling when I surmised that the two gravity favored vehicles of
a Subaru make were occupied by birders. In any event, zero grouse, quail, and
Varied Thrushes on the pavement or shoulders. Apparently a sea breeze, a
classic part of summer in Corvallis, was going strong October 19, 2014. The
area east of the Coast Range was a white sea of high fog, while bits of the
Alsea basin were under clear skies. Sunny and 52 at that first pullout on the
summit, but a wind approaching gale force. No birds of any kind detected.
Shortly after leaving the parking lot on foot the whole summit became
capped in ground fog. It had been clearly visible as we drove up. My son
snapped a picture of two birds on the wing while I was gazing at the gravel.
The chances of something really good on Mary's Peak are well above average in
October. I'll try to look at them enlarged on his computer screen and take a
guess. We spent a long time on the summit, wrapped in table cloths because our
parkas were safe in Corvallis. A dicky bird flushed from the grass, and on its
second sally vocalized, so I know it was an American Pipit. I saw one in
equally heavy grass there Sept. 30 this year on a warm, windless afternoon. An
adult Red-tailed Hawk was at the first meadow pullout at the west end of the
summit (as mentioned above.)
At the now abandoned railroad crossing of Finley Road around 2:30pm small
birds flew off the gravel onto the newly ploughed and planted field on the
north side. I stopped and the first two to flush were HORNED LARKS, one in
heated pursuit of the other. I've not seen the species here before, perhaps
largely due to lack of effort. The remaining birds were all pipits, presumably
American. A while later, eastbound, I stopped and examined the field east of
the abandoned RR right-of-way. There were hundreds of pipits, "easily" observed
by scope because the rye-grass or wheat is only an inch high. Given the size of
the flock and the time of the year, I knew I should give the spot some effort.
But the heat distortion was substantial, 76 degrees, w/o a breeze it would have
been hopeless. The flock was concentrated in the north and east part of the
field, very far from the road. I saw pipits with pale backgrounds and bold
stripes, pipits with yellow-green bellies and diffuse stripes, no
russet-throated ones because that picture in the field guide is a true red
herring--it's the spring plumage isn't it? I was more expecting longspurs given
the many reports the past week.
Gail and I heard Bluebirds when parked at the ne corner of the cultivated
field west of the Prairie Overlook. I assume they were overhead as we never saw
any, yet heard them for well over a minute, always at the same volume. IN the
field east of McFadden Marsh a sizeable flock was hawking, about an hour later.
Each bird hovered about 3m off the ground, then dropped to earth to grab
something. Upon arising they always drifted east, away from me, with the slight
breeze. I assume Western Bluebirds do this, but I didn't get unequivocal proof
they weren't Mountain Bluebirds. It was 77 degrees in the field west of the
Bruce Road overlook, south of Pigeon Butte. A rotund fellow with an enormous
backpack was traversing the field and none of the raptors seen on my last visit
were in evidence. The field south of Bruce Road had two Northern Harriers on
the ground. A first year bird was eating something near the road while a coyote
walking east along the hedge at the south end (very distant) caught what I
assume was a mouse while it ambled along.
The heat waves were very bad at the Prairie Overlook, making even the birds
perched 15m off the ground disappointing. A Red-shouldered Hawk called
frequently to the north, near where Finley Road dog-legs south. A Red-tail
showed up that looked just like the one at Ankeny the night before, but much
closer: very dark brown from head to tail on top. A cool (bluish) dark
chocolate on the whole head. It was evenly hooded w/o any markings. Underneath
it had a nearly normal redtail and pale breast. Two kites were over the south
end of the prairie at 3 and again visible about 5. Through the scope at five I
could see that one was a juvenile. They were in close association on the wing.
I wonder if it was still trying to get fed? Lars
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