Last winter's ice storm would have closed Wilderness Park in West Linn
without the efforts of a small group of unaffiliated volunteers to keep the
trails of this enchanting woodland park open.
And, if not for a chance encounter with a volunteer struggling to remove a
large branch from one of the trails, I would not have thought about
studying the birds of this park.
It is adjacent to the well-known birding hotspot Camassia Natural Area, and
as a result, receives relatively little attention from the birding
community, which previously included me.
Big misses on my efforts to date to develop a photographic list of birds in
the park include Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks and Pileated Woodpeckers,
plus several common species that I have not yet captured quality views of.
The story's central character is a pair of WESTERN SCREECH OWLS that
recently discreetly fledged a pair of young in the middle of the night
despite the efforts of a few of us not to let that event go unnoticed.
https://spark.adobe.com/page/o5kme0twpcyGk/
Jack Williamson
West Linn & Black Butte Ranch
