A fine day in the damper parts of the west Eugene flatlands. I followed up on
the Aragons’ and others finds yesterday. After the flock of 15+/- ibis left
Royal/Fisher Pond 5 mid-morning they apparently went directly to the Cantrell
gate area, where the water is very low. We’ll see what the drippy forecast
this week does there (same situation at the Euphoria scrape, which is about two
days from dry).
Four BW Teal (three male) were at the Cantrell gate just west of Neilsen at
7:30; they flew back into the grass-screened wet area not much later.
At least two Wilson’s Phal were at the gate site on Cantrell, found by Sylvia
Maulding and Tye Jeske, and three at Meadowlark Corner (1 F, 2 M) on Royal at
Greenhill.
Tye Jeske spotted a Horned Lark at the gate on Cantrell; an hour later Nathan
and Ramiro Aragon found two there in the road.
Grasshopper Sparrow continues due north of the restroom at Royal parking. Walk
to the fence corner, maybe 300 yards. I saw it near the big lump of blackberry
in the private pasture.
Young geese and Mallards are present at many sites, as are adult Gadwall pairs,
though I have seen no Gadlings. I saw two geese at Meadowlark corner that
looked like Cacklers to me; I posted pics with my eBird list. I had not seen
cackularies for maybe ten days around Eugene and I thought they were all gone.
I don’t think they are small Canadas.
Odd experience of the day was having nine adult Spotted Sandpipers in sight at
once from the pullout on Hwy 126 just e of Perkins Park. Fern Ridge is still
about two feet below the usual summer pool and there are a lot of exposed rocky
and muddy edges there. The same area had extremely close Western and Clark’s
Grebe.
Alan Contreras
acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
Eugene, Oregon
www.alanlcontreras.com
