*Salem Audubon Ankeny NWR Scouting Trip Report – September 14, 2016*
*Comments:* We started at the Ankeny Hill Overlook with bright sky and no
clouds. Fred and I were then joined by Charlotte and later Roy. The Eagle
Marsh and the Pintail Marsh are very dry. The immense numbers of Bullfrogs
remain. Ripe apples, pears, and crab apple fruits are all around the
Refuge as food for birds and wildlife. At locations where there are oaks,
as on the hill of Liberty and Ankeny Hill Rd, the acorn crop is a bounty
and this will be food for the nearby Acorn Woodpeckers, California Scrub
Jay, and even Wood Duck if around areas of water.
*Highlights: *
Fall birds are on their way:
* Sparrows included Golden-crowned and Lincoln's joining the resident
Spotted Towhee, White-crowned, and Song Sparrows around. Nice to see them
here. They are especially attracted to the pile of cut tree debris at the
Ankeny Hill Overlook. Walking all around it, they responded nicely to
spishing.
* * *We had a great look at a Pileated Woodpecker at the corner of
Liberty and Ankeny Hill Rd. It was pounding and drumming on a power pole
and poking its bill into crevices on the top. It was calling recognizably.
One then two Acorn Woodpeckers eventually taunted it, and then one chased
it off, or put another way, it fled not wanting to be bothered further.
* We had a first of the season Yellow-rumped Warbler seen by Fred.
* Raptors included good looks of the following: One American
Kestrel on the favorite distant tree/shrub way out from the Ankeny Hill
Overlook; nice looks at a first year rufous plumaged Northern Harrier, and
an adult male and female Northern Harrier; a single Red-tail Hawk that was
feeding at length in a field across from Pintail Marsh-we figured a good
sized catch. As well, Turkey Vultures perched beautifully for us on the
notable tree where we look for Lewis Woodpeckers to arrive (no visit this
last year), and in their majestic soaring displayed molt in flight feather
plumage.
* One lone Bushtit was found by Charlotte - unusual, with most
Bushtits gathering in larger feeding fall flocks.
The full list from the scouting spots are below. We have the rest of
the month before the gates no longer allow walking into the interior areas.
Those more distant areas may still have water and we did not venture to
those areas today.
Barbara Dolan
Number of Checklists: 7
Number of Taxa: 34
*Checklists included in this summary:*
(1): Ankeny NWR--Eagle Marsh Overlook @ 7:00 AM
(2): stakeout Yellow-throated Warbler, near Ankeny Hill Rd. and Liberty Rd.
junction @ 8:02 AM
(3): Ankeny NWR @ 9:18 AM
(4): Ankeny NWR--Eagle Marsh @ 9:54 AM
(5): Ankeny NWR--Wintel Rd. @ 10:50 AM
(6): Ankeny NWR--Pintail Marsh @ 10:56 AM
(7): Ankeny NWR--Pintail and Egret Marsh--Boardwalk and Blind
2 Great Blue Heron -- (4),(6)
12 Turkey Vulture -- (2),(4),(5)
4 Northern Harrier -- (1),(4)
1 Red-tailed Hawk -- (6)
1 Killdeer -- (1)
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove -- (1)
7 Acorn Woodpecker -- (2)
2 Downy Woodpecker -- (2),(4)
7 Northern Flicker -- (1),(2),(3)
1 Pileated Woodpecker -- (2)
1 American Kestrel -- (1)
7 California Scrub-Jay -- (1),(2)
23 American Crow -- (2)
10 Violet-green Swallow -- (2),(3),(4)
114 Barn Swallow -- (2),(3),(4),(6)
5 Black-capped Chickadee -- (2),(3),(7)
1 Bushtit -- (3)
3 White-breasted Nuthatch -- (2)
4 Bewick's Wren -- (2),(3),(4),(5)
18 American Robin -- (3),(5),(7)
22 European Starling -- (1),(2)
7 Common Yellowthroat -- (3),(4),(6)
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler -- (3)
3 White-crowned Sparrow -- (1),(2),(6)
10 Golden-crowned Sparrow -- (1),(2),(4)
10 Savannah Sparrow -- (4),(5)
13 Song Sparrow -- (2),(3),(4),(5)
1 Lincoln's Sparrow -- (1)
3 Spotted Towhee -- (2),(3),(7)
2 Red-winged Blackbird -- (1)
2 Brewer's Blackbird -- (6)
3 House Finch -- (1),(3)
1 Lesser Goldfinch -- (1)
9 American Goldfinch -- (3),(4),(5),(6)
Join us if you can on *Saturday September 24, at 7:00 AM* for the Ankeny
NWR Field Trip. Also, don't miss the SAS SHORTS for Cascade-Gateway Park
with Fred Stephens on Monday , September 26 at 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM.
Make sure you see the *Kestrel *for upcoming trips and special events.
Membership makes it easy to receive the *eKestrel *so you do not miss an
event. Call Trip leaders as posted on notices, or contact the SAS Office
at 503-588-7340 for any questions or information.
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