*SAS Ankeny Scouting Trip Report*
Hello all -
On Friday morning, Fred and I scouted Ankeny NWR in preparation for our
Salem Audubon birding field trip on *Sunday, May 28th at 7:00 a.m.* The
two of us covered seven locations around the refuge including a 1.2 mile
trek at Pintail Marsh. The weather was wonderful as it was mostly clear
and 50 degrees at the start and 65 degrees at the end of the scouting
trip. During the scouting trip we identified 50 species.
Most notable identifications:
- We made quite a few observations along the roads before we reached
our next stopping point. Along Buena Vista Road we saw a *Belted
Kingfisher* on a wire above the ditch on the south side of the road. We
also saw a female *Wood Duck* come out of a nesting box at a residence on
the north side of the road. Just before we turned onto Wintel Rd. there
was a male *Western Tanager* in a tree on the right;
- We saw eight (8) duck species but not huge numbers of ducks. There
was a lone female *Bufflehead* on Pintail Marsh. There were *Cinnamon Teal*
and *Gadwalls* as well as other ducks in the marshes and in the fields;
- It was nice to see nine (9) *Long-billed Dowitchers* in alternate
(breeding) plumage in the field at the second pullout on Buena Vista Rd.
just before Eagle Marsh. We also heard a *Yellow-breasted Chat* from this
pullout that was on the opposite side of the road;
- We saw our FOY *Cedar Waxwings* at Eagle and Pintail Marshes;
- Just as we pulled into the Pintail Marsh parking lot we saw a
*California
Quail *running into the brush;
- There were quite a few warblers around during the trip. Pintail
Marsh was full of activity. We saw two *Yellow Warblers* including one
that was making a nest. We also heard lots of *Common Yellowthroat*
and *Wilson’s
Warblers*.
- The birds of the day were the blackbirds. They were all over the
place and were making a lot of noise. Lots of *Red-winged
Blackbirds*, *Brewer’s
Blackbirds* and *European Starlings*.
A complete list of today's birds follows. The next SAS Shorts bird
walk is *Friday,
May 26th at 9:00 AM* at Cascades Gateway Park. Meet in the parking lot.
After that is our Ankeny NWR on *Sunday, May 28th at 7:00 a.m.* Meet at
the Overlook off of Ankeny Hill Road. Please join us if you can.
Mike Unger
Keizer, OR
*Checklist Summary for May 19, 2017*
Number of Checklists: 7
Number of Species: 50
Checklists included in this summary:
(1): Ankeny NWR--Eagle Marsh Overlook @ 6:55 AM
(2): Second pullout on north side of Buena Vista Rd. @ 7:12 AM
(3): Ankeny NWR--Eagle Marsh @ 7:23 AM
(4): Pullout on left just before railroad tracks on Buena Vista Rd. @ 7:50
AM
(5): Along roads between #4 above and #6 below @ 7:59 AM
(6): Willow Tree parking area @ 8:17 AM
(7): Ankeny NWR--Pintail Marsh @ 8:30 AM
89 Canada Goose -- (1),(3),(4),(5),(7)
45 Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) -- (1)
1 Wood Duck -- (5)
7 Gadwall -- (3),(6),(7)
18 Mallard -- (1),(2),(6),(7)
11 Cinnamon Teal -- (1),(2),(7)
12 Northern Shoveler -- (2)
1 Green-winged Teal -- (6)
1 Bufflehead -- (7)
2 California Quail -- (7)
3 Pied-billed Grebe -- (7)
3 Great Blue Heron -- (2),(7)
1 Great Egret -- (2)
2 Turkey Vulture -- (7)
2 Osprey -- (7)
2 Red-tailed Hawk -- (1)
4 Sora -- (2),(7)
11 Killdeer -- (1),(2),(6),(7)
9 Long-billed Dowitcher -- (2)
4 Eurasian Collared-Dove -- (1),(5),(7)
6 Mourning Dove -- (5),(7)
1 Vaux's Swift -- (3)
1 Belted Kingfisher -- (5)
2 Downy Woodpecker -- (7)
2 Northern Flicker -- (3),(7)
3 California Scrub-Jay -- (1),(5)
3 American Crow -- (5),(7)
7 Tree Swallow -- (5),(7)
2 Violet-green Swallow -- (7)
1 Barn Swallow -- (5)
3 Cliff Swallow -- (3),(7)
2 Black-capped Chickadee -- (7)
7 Marsh Wren -- (7)
2 American Robin -- (5),(7)
95 European Starling -- (1),(5),(6),(7)
12 Cedar Waxwing -- (3),(7)
8 Common Yellowthroat -- (3),(7)
8 Yellow Warbler -- (3),(7)
5 Wilson's Warbler -- (7)
1 Yellow-breasted Chat -- (2)
3 Savannah Sparrow -- (4),(7)
11 Song Sparrow -- (4),(5),(6),(7)
2 White-crowned Sparrows – (5)
4 Spotted Towhee -- (3),(4),(7)
1 Western Tanager -- (5)
2 Black-headed Grosbeak -- (7)
114 Red-winged Blackbird -- (1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(7)
6 Western Meadowlark -- (1),(5)
100 Brewer's Blackbird -- (4),(5),(6),(7)
2 Brown-headed Cowbird -- (6)
7 American Goldfinch -- (1),(2),(3),(7)
