[obol] Birding today -- Belts Rd. sparrows, Diamond Hill Wetland Y-H Blackbirds, plus Ankeny NWR
- From: David Irons <llsdirons@xxxxxxx>
- To: OBOL Oregon Birders Online <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 May 2014 06:27:44 +0000
Greetings All,
This morning a gave a talk entitled "Birding Beyond Your Checklist" for the
"BOGS" group (Birding Oregon and General Science) at the Celeste Campbell
Center in Eugene. I spent the early afternoon visiting with Herb Wisner at his
home in south Eugene. Herb owns the most extensive personal library of bird
books and other natural history volumes that I've ever seen. I had not seen
Herb, who is now 92, since I moved away from Eugene four years ago. He has been
a fixture in the Eugene birding community for nearly a half century and was the
long-time compiler of the Eugene CBC. I think he is still involved in the
organization of that count's army of feeder-watchers.
On the way home, I birded at Diamond Hill Wetlands, Belts Rd, and the Gap Rd.
wetlands in Linn County and I also spent about an hour birding the loop at
Ankeny NWR west of I-5 just south of Salem. I saw at least seven Yellow-headed
Blackbirds at Diamond Hill. I don't know how long they have been using this
newer wetland complex, but it wasn't so long ago that this species would have
been a red-letter find in Linn County.
Belts Road produced the usual assortment of grassland birds it is known for. I
heard and saw at least five "Oregon" Vesper Sparrows and also saw two
Grasshopper Sparrows. There were also a number of singing Lazuli Buntings,
Savannah Sparrows, and Western Meadowlarks. I checked the ponds along Gap Rd.
(just south Brownsville). The habitat looks pretty good, but not much activity.
The Brownsville Sewage Ponds were equally uninspiring.
My last birding was at Ankeny, where I spent about an hour. There was male
Redhead keeping close company with a pair of Ring-necked Ducks at the Pintail
Marsh overlook and I also saw an American Bittern on the far side of the pond.
At the Eagle Marsh overlook there four Cackling Geese (getting later for them),
a breeding plumaged Eared Grebe, and I heard a pumping Am. Bittern, a calling
Sora, and multiple calling Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the marsh across the
street from the parking lot.
Dave Irons
Portland, OR
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