Hello folks,
Taking advantage of the rare sunshine, I hit a few birding spots south of
Corvallis this morning. While I failed to turn up any white geese (one of
my main targets), I found a few other goodies along the way:
A pair of COMMON GOLDENEYES was at the Philomath Sewage Ponds (NE pond),
along with the usual suspects.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33666203
While not particularly unusual this time of year, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK very
obligingly posed for my camera along Llewellin Rd. - a few of the shots can
be seen here:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33666292
At least 8 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were with a flock of starlings along
Lakeside Dr. (east of Hwy 99W), and three GREATER YELLOWLEGS were foraging
in a large puddle along Eureka Road (east of Bruce Rd.), Other shorebirds
included a bunch of KILLDEER in various locations and a few DUNLIN and a
WILSON'S SNIPE along McFarland Rd.
At McFadden Marsh (Finley NWR), I found a second-year GOLDEN EAGLE circling
with 3 immature BALD EAGLES. A pair of GADWALL was among the hundreds of
No. Pintails and other common ducks on the marsh. An adult HERRING GULL was
floating among the Cacklers, and a CALIFORNIA GULL flew over while I
watched.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33666838
On my way home, I made a brief "pish-and-hoot" stop along Bellfountain Rd.
(at the Finley NWR entrance). Not only did I mange to coax a pair of
WRENTITS out of the brush, I also got an unexpected response from a
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL, which I eventually managed to see in the top of a tall
Doug fir.
Later in the afternoon, while running errands in town, I spotted a TURKEY
VULTURE soaring low just east of the 29th Street Coop (Grant Ave.), and an
adult WESTERN GULL was perched on a sign in the Trader Joe's parking lot at
9th Street and Hayes Ave.
Happy winter birding!
Hendrik
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Hendrik G. Herlyn
Corvallis, OR
*"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home." -- Gary Snyder*
