Hi Folks,
I was in the Green area yesterday and stopped by the Happy Valley Boat
Ramp. I hadn't been there in a while. When I arrived I could see the brown
S. Umpqua River only about 6 feet below the parking area (and the parking
area with sand, etc., indicating the river had gone over the parking area
sometime recently). I thought with the high water there might not be much
bird activity in the area, but I was wrong. There was a nice bunch of birds
in the woods behind the parking area, including a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE and 2
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS! At the edge of the brown river, on the opposite
side, were several COMMON MERGANSERS, HOODED MERGANSERS, AND RING-NECKED
DUCKS frequently diving. Amazing they can feed in water like that.
Following is a link to the information on this spot in eBird so far. This
includes recent sightings at the location, a map, and a link to a bar chart
showing weekly/monthly records of birds observed at the location (and
grayed areas in weeks when no sightings have been made).
http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L2695750
It is a nice little spot almost any time of year.
Matt Hunter
Melrose
