Hi folks,
Oscar and I spent this weekend doing the Audubon Society of Corvallis
Birdathon. Yesterday, we were joined by Tristen Hynes for much of the day
and spent some time birding Fern Ridge Reservoir, where we met up with Alan
Contreras and Thomas Meinzen. Today, we birded various locations around
Benton County. We had a great weekend and ended up with a respectable 141
species, despite a few misses.
Here are some of our highlights:
Saturday, April 25:
At Fern Ridge, we had 8 BLACK-NECKED STILTS (4 at the west end of Royal and
4 at the observation platform at the south entrance off Hwy 126, 2 AMERICAN
AVOCETS, several AM. WHITE PELICANS, a pair of REDHEADS, a few WESTERN
GREBES and one CLARK'S GREBE and a few PURPLE MARTINS.
Back in Corvallis, we found 2 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS and a NASHVILLE WARBLER
at Sunset Park, and the Philomath Sewage Ponds added EARED and HORNED
GREBE, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and GREAT HORNED OWL to our list.
Sunday, April 26:
Birds found on a very productive morning walk in Willamette Park included
COMMON MERGANSER, GREEN HERON, OSPREY, COOPER'S HAWK, SPOTTED SANDPIPER,one
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, a BLACK PHOEBE, several WARBLING VIREOS (foy), a
HERMIT THRUSH, several YELLOW WARBLERS (foy), a late-ish WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW and a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK.
At Finley NWR, our highlights included a lone SNOW GOOSE (definitely not a
Ross's, which has been reported several times of late) with about 7000
CACKLERS at McFadden Marsh, 2 WILD TURKEYS along Bruce Rd., a RING-NECKED
PHEASANT and a lone SANDHILL CRANE at the Prairie Overlook,one SEMIPALMATED
PLOVER and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Cabell Marsh, a PACIFIC-SLOPE
FLYCHATCHER, a CASSIN'S VIREO and a HERMIT WARBLER at the west entrance
road near Bellfountain Rd., 2 WESTERN KINGBIRDS at the Prairie Overlook, a
PURPLE MARTIN at Cabell Marsh, a WESTERN TANAGER (foy) at Muddy Creek, and
my foy BULLOCK'S ORIOLE chattering in the oaks at the refuge headquarters.
The day ended with a brief evening visit to Fitton Green, and despite the
persistent drizzle that had set in, we rounded out our day with a booming
SOOTY GROUSE, a distant BARRED OWL and an enthusiastic NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL
right in the parking lot.
It was a fun weekend! Happy migration to y'all.
Hendrik and Oscar
--
__________________________
Hendrik G. Herlyn
Corvallis, OR
*"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home." -- Gary Snyder*
