[obol] [Fwd: [birding] EEW shrike, buteos, Merlin, S-c Junco, Swamp Sparrow, Townsend's Warb, Acorn WPs, no phoebes]

From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 20:17:23 -0800

Forwarding this posting just to show that there are still a few birds on
the west side of the Willamette River.

In addition to the birds listed, I found a few yellow-throated warblers
of the lower-case variety (Audubon's Warblers).

The scold note of the shrike in response to the hawk was interesting. It
sounded sort of like a strangled duck, or a Bewick's Wren with a bad
cold. Funny how seldom we hear Northern Shrikes vocalizing while they're
down here.

-------- Forwarded Message --------
To: MidValley Birds <birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [birding] EEW shrike, buteos, Merlin, S-c Junco, Swamp Sparrow,
Townsend's Warb, Acorn WPs, no phoebes
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:10:47 -0800

Hi all,

Today's dog walk to the north end of E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area turned up
a nice assortment of predatory birds: A female MERLIN and an adult
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK around the headquarters area, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
hover-hunting near the north end as a NORTHERN HARRIER also worked the
area, and a grayish immature NORTHERN SHRIKE which screeched/squawked in
protest when the Rough-legged Hawk came near, then switched to singing a
quiet song.

I also heard a second RED-SHOULDERED HAWK calling in the NW part of the
wildlife area, plus the usual RED-TAILED HAWKS and one AMERICAN KESTREL
along the way.

Songbirds of note (aside from the singing shrike) included a TOWNSEND'S
WARBLER in conifers just south of headquarters (there have been
remarkably few records of this species on the wildlife area), a male
SLATE-COLORED JUNCO in a big mixed flock of juncos and sparrows near the
north end, and one SWAMP SPARROW (heard only), on the north side of the
canal, west of the Canal Pond but east of the "Handicapped Hunter"
blind.

I heard at least two ACORN WOODPECKERS calling from the oak grove which
is half a mile north of headquarters, then saw two more in the stand of
semi-invasive Locust trees just SW of the oak grove. So there are at
least four Acorn Woodpeckers in this recently established colony. The
commotion seemed to be mainly in reaction to several rascally WESTERN
SCRUB-JAYS which were shadowing the Acorn Woodpeckers, no doubt hoping
to steal acorns.

I didn't see or hear a single BLACK PHOEBE, despite passing through
several spots where phoebes had been very vocal and visible in recent
weeks.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis




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[obol] [Fwd: [birding] EEW shrike, buteos, Merlin, S-c Junco, Swamp Sparrow, Townsend's Warb, Acorn WPs, no phoebes]

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