*SAS JANUARY 15, 2017 ANKENY WLR TRIP REPORT*
*Hello Birders,*
This is a summary of our Sunday morning at the refuge from 8:00 -
11:30 AM.
*HIGHLIGHTS AND COMMENTS:*
* Six of us including Tim, Carolyn, Tara, Larry, a new visitor from
Dallas, and Chuck and Judy also new for a field trip here, and myself
embraced the stellar blue sky, cool weather, frozen ponds at the marshes,
and snow/frost slopes. We started at the Ankeny Hill Overlook, proceeded to
take the 10 mile loop around and completed birding at the corner of Liberty
and Buena Vista (BV), a frozen field on the north side of BV, into Eagle
Marsh Parking for a picturesque view of glistening frozen water and TUNDRA
SWAN, stopping at the Willow Tree (beware of yonder geese decoy), and
finally landing at Pintail Parking for great numbers and variety of
waterfowl and more. Most of us arrived at the field trip with a 19° temp or
less. When it warmed over 24° it felt cooler with the wind chill factor.
* Single species included the 1 Least Sandpiper refound by Tim in the
big field at the Willow. It was seen on the scout of 1/9. A single MARSH
WREN responded to us without its customary elaborate calls and giving only
fleeting glimpses below our feet at Pintail.
The single Lincoln's Sparrow at the Ankeny Hill Overlook with chip
heard by Tim, tucked its way into the Western Ponderosa to come out only to
the edge for one view.
** *It was great to have the array of duck species, and being life
birds for some. The light was especially good at Pintail for duck plumage
even sorting out with species that were tucked.
* It was a 4 raptor morning with a good look at the patagial wing
area on RED-TAIL HAWK - new for some.
* We looked with much effort through the 100 KILLDEER for the 2
AMERICAN PIPITS and the 1 LEAST SANDPIPER. A field pond of corn stubble
opposite Pintail, in bad light, gave us our only WILSON'S SNIPE and
DUNLIN.
* Unfortunately some birders had left before the next two surprises;
on our return to the Overlook, Carolyn and myself had a GREAT EGRET just
past the picnic tables in hunting posture. We waited in the car, and it
snagged a very fat furry vole from the ground, swallowed it head first, and
it being seemingly huge, the egret stretched itself further upward, in a
further amazing posture to assist swallow.
* Finally, Tim and myself sought a better view of a perched buteo on
a favorite distant tree for Rough-legged Hawk seen in our winter months.
The light was too rough to discern even going down to Silver Creek. On the
way we heard WESTERN BLUEBIRD flight song which wrapped up the morning.
* The total species of the morning follows: *
Number of Checklists: 8
Number of Taxa: 42 + other taxa
Checklists included in this summary:
(1): Ankeny NWR--Ankeny Hill Overlook @ 7:55 AM
(2): stakeout Yellow-throated Warbler, Ankeny Hill Rd./ Liberty Rd.
junction @ 8:30 AM
(3): US-Oregon-Jefferson-3293 Buena Vista Rd S - 44.798x-123.08 @ 8:45 AM
(4): Ankeny NWR--Eagle Marsh Parking and Kiosk @ 9:01 AM
(5): US-OR-Jefferson-2252-2580 Buena Vista Rd S - 44.7933x-123.0900 @ 9:31
AM
(6): US-OR-Jefferson-3023-3205 Wintel Rd S - 44.7779x-123.0959 @10:01 AM
(7): Ankeny NWR--Pintail Marsh @ 10:36 AM
3 Greater White-fronted Goose -- (7)
2000 Cackling Goose (minima) -- (3),(7)
25 Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) -- (1)
40 Canada Goose (occidentalis/fulva) -- (6),(7)
77 Tundra Swan -- (4)
4 Gadwall -- (7)
2 American Wigeon -- (4)
440 Mallard -- (4),(7),(8)
29 Northern Shoveler -- (4),(7)
506 Northern Pintail -- (4),(7)
8 Green-winged Teal -- (4),(7)
3 Ring-necked Duck -- (7)
2 Lesser Scaup -- (4),(7)
10 Bufflehead -- (4),(7)
34 Ruddy Duck -- (4),(7)
2 Great Blue Heron -- (2),(7)
1 Great Egret -- (1) final Overlook stop
4 Northern Harrier -- (4),(5),(6),(7)
2 Bald Eagle -- (7)
7 Red-tailed Hawk -- (3),(5),(7)
1 Buteo sp. -- (4)
88 American Coot -- (4),(8)
100 Killdeer -- (6)
6 Dunlin -- (7)
1 Least Sandpiper -- (6)
3 Wilson's Snipe -- (7)
3 Acorn Woodpecker -- (2)
2 Northern Flicker -- (6),(7)
3 American Kestrel -- (1),(5)
7 California Scrub-Jay -- (1),(2)
1 American Crow -- (1)
9 Black-capped Chickadee -- (1),(2),(4),(5)
8 Bushtit -- (7)
1 Marsh Wren -- (7)
7 American Robin -- (1),(5),(6)
2 Western Bluebirds -- (1) final Overlook stop
2 American Pipit -- (6)
3 Fox Sparrow (Sooty) -- (2),(5),(7)
4 Golden-crowned Sparrow -- (3)
8 Song Sparrow -- (1),(3),(5),(6),(7)
1 Lincoln's Sparrow -- (1)
6 Spotted Towhee -- (2),(3),(4),(5)
22 Red-winged Blackbird -- (1),(2),(3),(4),(5)
1 passerine sp. -- (1) we heard strong vreeh calls from across the road in
sounding like Hermit Thrush.
* The next SAS Field Trips, Bird Walks, or SHORT Walks include the
following:*
Cascades Gateway Park SHORT Bird Walk is on Tues 1/24 at 9:00 AM with
Fred Stephens.
Coastal (Lincoln County) Field Trip is on Thurs, 1/26. Meet at 7:30
AM, K-Mart/Jack-in-the Box Parking on Mission and 25th.
Minto-Brown City Park SHORT Bird Walk on Thur, 2/23
Minto-Brown City Park Field Trip is on Thurs, 2/2 at 8:00 AM.
Raptor ID Workshop at ODFW, on Sat, 2/25 10:00 AM to Noon with Mike
Unger.
The Ankeny WLR Field Trip is on Sun, 2/26 at 8"00 AM.
Neskowin (Tillamook County) Field Trip with Ken Chamberlain, Tues,
2/28, 7:15 AM. Meet at K-Mart/Jack-in-the-Box as above.
*Join us if you can*.
Barbara Dolan
