*Minto-Brown Island City Park - Salem Audubon Scout*
*September 25, 2018 7:15 AM - 11:30 AM*
*COMMENTS:*
Fred Stephens and myself scouted for our upcoming Minto-Brown Field Trip
scheduled on *Tuesday, October 2, 2018.* Our scout day weather was blue
sky, and among a warm trend of Fall days. From the parking lot we migrated
to the Osprey trail for the inside grassland and hedgerow. Here we had a
first SOOTY FOX SPARROW and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW arrivals were vocal. The
warm sunny edges of the hedgerows are displaying the blackberry raisin
summer crop. We moved onto the direction of the shed and migrated to one of
our favorite corners of yellow and red apple tree stands, also showing a
generous crop. The breakdown of the fruit by nibbling critters and evidence
of scat, is attracting flies and bugs; it is in this cluster of trees Fred
observed the late WESTERN-WOOD PEWEE. Moving on to the River trail opening,
we had a nice encounter with a celebrity photographer, notable for his
Capital Press work, and discussed with these walkers the migration of
Rufous Hummingbird and the interest they had in Osprey Willamette Valley
breeding pairs and their migration out of area.
We walked the River Trail to find no GULL species, no GREEN HERON, no
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. We had view of one BALD EAGLE adult flying away and
reflected that the one nest found by our Ranger Mike, near Eola Park,
ultimately failed to continue to be active after spring.
*HIGHLIGHTS:*
Exceptional weather trend with what might be cooler temperatures on the
upcoming Field Trip.
In the area of the apple trees we had a flock of FOX and SONG SPARROW,
BEWICK'S WREN, and 2 AUDUBON YELLOW-RUMP WARBLERS(differing in the plumage
amounts of yellow) that fed together and flew off together as well. At this
same tree stand a male ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD displayed for a perched female.
We concluded the walk by ending up and scanning the Oxbow from the deck,
not finding much activity nor the GREEN HERON on past walk. Unfortunately,
the Water Primrose Willow has now substantially covered the Oxbow.
We walked 3.0 miles and corrected the mileage entered for eBird on our
return from the Bridge.
*Barbara Dolan *
*OBSERVATIONS:*
*We found and heard 35 species (+2 other taxa):*
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 7
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 1 rocky edge of River Trail
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 3
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1 Flight through parking lot
3-showed generous head projection, wide wing, languid flapping and generous
white band on edge of tail.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1 River trail observation and
vocal
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) 1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) 4
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 1 Not an empid. Targeting
flying insects and returning to same. Perch 30'. Dark gray/brown in
sunshine. No wing bars, no eye ring; plain face plumage with soft peaked
head structure typical of WWPW.
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 1
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 5
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 3
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 5
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) - many- vocal in many woodland areas;
except over river seen on recent past walks.
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) (Passerella iliaca [unalaschcensis Group]) 15
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 3
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
*UPCOMING SALEM AUDUBON WALKS AND EVENTS:*
Tuesday, October 2, at 8:00 AM *(Note new Start Time for Fall)* -
Minto-Brown City Park - meet at Parking lot #3.
Saturday, Oct 6, 2018, *Owls of the Pacific Northwest* - 10:00 AM to 12:00
Noon; education program by Mike Unger - at Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife in Salem. Only $10.00 per person.
Sunday, October 14, at 8:00 AM - Ankeny Wildlife Refuge - Meet at Pintail
Marsh Parking Lot off Wintel Rd.
Thursday, October 25, SHORT for Brown's Ferry Park, Tualatin; start time at
Airport Rd, Park and Ride,to carpool in Salem at 8:30 AM. Contact Barbara
Dolan for inquiries at 971-772-4589.
*Join us if you can. Thank you for your participation.*
*Barbara Dolan*
