[obol] CA Towhee still in Brookings 3/6/2015

From: Tim Rodenkirk <timrodenkirk@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2015 17:10:45 -0700
On Friday Teak and I headed south to enjoy the great early March sunshine.
We stopped in the harbor area at Brookings again.  We walked the dead end
dike trail between the harbor and river.  On the way back I saw some
movement near the very beggining of the trail.  I waited a bit and saw a WC
Sparrow and a few other birds zip over to another clump of brush.  I had my
iPod and decide to play a CA Towhee chip note.  This suceeded in getting
several WC Sparrows to pop out.  I watched for a few minutes and then
played the chip note again.  All of the sudden, just a few feet from me, a
super loud chink note came out of the brush.  I waited and another WC
Sparrow flew out. I thought, this dang chinking can't be a WC Sparrow, when
suddenly out zipped the towhee over to the next bush where it instantly
disappeared- yeah, I finally saw it!  I sat down there for about 15 minutes
hoping to see the bird again.  After a while the WC Spaarows flew out to
the west along the dike and at the same instant the towhee flew north
across the trail ino the brush along the river side.  I never did see or
relocate it again although I left shortly after it flew across the trail.
If anyone can photograph this bird they should win a prize!  Also in the
area were about 4 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES working the harbor area.

We then drove up to Red Mt. Prairie where we camped two nights. This is
about 3,200' elevation near the trailheads to Vulcan Lake in the Kalmiopsis
Wilderness.  This area often sits in a thermal belt and it was that way
once again.  On Saturday morning before sunup the low temp was 50F.  Last
night it only got down to 55F.  There was no wind and temps were around 70F
for a high on Saturday- summer hiling weather for sure.  No snow anywhere
up there and very dry like summer too. At Red Mtn. Prairie both the MT.
QUAIL and SOOTY GROUSE were calling. In the wilderness there was not much
action bird-wise.  Most activity was near Vulcan Lake.  The most common
species was MTN. CHICKADEE.  Also saw several pairs of W. BLUEBIRDS but
only one singing TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE.  The most unusual species was a N.
HARRIER working a brushy ridgeline at 4,000' elevation.  The only finches I
saw were two flocks of Pine Siskins. The highlight of the trip was a
mountainside of flowering Kalmiopsis, the flower the wilderness was named
after.  It is very local and I was at a patch along the trail to Dry Butte
to the north of Vulcan Lake.  I have never seen it flower this early, but
of course I may not have ever been there this early.  It was almost in peak
bloom- amazing!

Back in Brookings on Sunday morning I walked the harbor trail again in cool
46F fog.  Nothing moving.  However, the flock of 20 gulls on the riverside
turned out to be entirely BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES!

Later, In Gold Beach I saw a SNOWY EGRET working the mudflat across from
the boat ramp.

Further north In SW Coos up Bethel Mtn. I had great looks at an adult
GOLDEN EAGLE.

Incredible weather!
Merry migration,
Tim R
Coos Bay
[obol] CA Towhee still in Brookings 3/6/2015

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