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 large
field 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
