---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Barbara Dolan <barbarabird.dolan@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: [midvalleybirds] GBH rookery Brooklake I-5 exit 263
To: Mary Garrard <springazure1@xxxxxxxxx>
Greetings Mary, this is a spot and Road that's on the North Marion County
Raptor Run with e c a s and Jeff Fleischer as coordinator. We have been
watching the spot for years but this is a very active one this year. On a
Raptor run last Tuesday we had 32 RTHA one was Harlan's; in the past
because I stopped there about twice a week and eBird, we've been seeing
the nest activity for the heron grow since January February. I commune and
observe species on a restoration area nearby and that farmer has been
watching with interest as well. One early morn a month back I had fly over
on I-5 with 30 flyovers of Heron and now they're sitting a little more
loyal to the nests. Spring progress.Often feeding in great numbers both in
the south side and the factory side. Also 46 great egrets was a high number
at one count both sides. Last Tuesday on the Raptor run we had 7 Harriers-1
male. I always count both sides. yesterday there was a sub-adult Bald
Eagle on the pivot arc on the most South field. The last week and a half
there has been an adult Bald Eagle perched near the area either side of the
freeway. These nests and the future young could be targets. I'm always
wishing that in the fall we'd have a Swainson's Hawk to report. It's a fun
spot-you do have to be careful of the traffic. We always keep our flashers
on in the pull outs because of the signage.
Barbara Dolan
Salem Audubon
On Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 8:03 AM Mary Garrard <springazure1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi all, following Peter's tip from last week, I took the 263 exit from I-5
on my way north from Corvallis to Portland yesterday. Sadly, I had
forgotten that I was going to do this, so I didn't have my good binoculars
or my spotting scope, just my emergency car binoculars.
From the wide shoulder east off the exit, I was able to scan the largefield to the south of Brooklake. Wow! There were at least 25 GBH in the
bright green field and many others on nests in the rookery. Although, the
trees are now more leafed out whereas last Saturday they were bare.
There were also at least three Red-tailed Hawks, and a number more that I
couldn't definitively identify because of my feeble optics. Probably
red-tailed from shape.
Perhaps the highlight was watching three well-fed looking coyotes hunting
in the field, in seeming peaceful coexistence with the GBH's and red tails.
Altogether, a very birdy location, right off the freeway! I didn't take
time to bird the substantial amount of blackberry tangles at the edges of
the field, but I did hear a few Song Sparrows singing.
Happy spring!
Mary
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