I Had all day until 2 PM free to bird and I found a few good birds:
11 AM looking at Turner Lake from the parking lot I saw a RED-NECKED GREBE
pretty far out and elusive as it spent almost all of the time underwater.
A very distant bird looked like a LOON more Pacific than Common but it was
too far to ID. Turner Lake is a sterile looking large and deep old gravel
pit for building I-5. It is 3/4 surrounded by exclusive housing (i.e. they
don't want you in there) so the best place to bird it is from the parking
lot in the little park, unless you can walk (I cannot, very well) where
there is a trail around some of it. In fall/winter I have seen nearly
every grebe and 2 of 3 loons there in the past two seasons. Not very much
else but today were a few DC Corms. CO Mergs, and a COMMON GOLDENEYE. Keep
in mind the lake is big and most of the good stuff is distant and requires
a scope for ID
Along Duckflat Road not far away I met with a couple of birders who visit
there every month and we compared notes. They had seen 1-2 Say's Phoebes
which I missed today. After they left I watched a single silent SANDHILL
CRANE gliding low, but could not see where or if it landed, and a PEREGRINE
FALCON was nearby at the time. I missed the Harlan's Hawk I saw there
twice in the past week. There were upwards of 20 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS in a
flock near the railroad tracks along Duckflat 3/4 mile south from Hunsaker
Rd
Each day they keep saying it is going to get cold tomorrow, but today was
still a comfortable 55 degrees, after several 60-65 degree days
Roy Gerig Salem OR
