*SAS Minto-Brown Island Park Field Trip Report*
Barbara, Fred and I were joined by 14 other birdwatchers for our Salem
Audubon field trip today. We covered about 3.5 miles on the east side of
the park. We checked out what we call the Enchanted Forest and the north
portion of the park. Upon our arrival at the park it was quite foggy but
it lifted fairly quickly. The temperature at the start was 32 degrees and
40 degrees at the end of the field trip but it did not feel as cold as it
did on New Year’s Day because of less wind. We identified (saw or heard)
33 species during the field trip.
The highlights were as follows:
· We saw a *Merlin* on the way back from the north end of the park;
· The Enchanted Forest started off with little activity but once we
got further into the forest the activity really picked up. We saw most of
the *Ruby-crowned* and *Golden-Crowned Kinglets* as well as chickadees in
this area;
· We heard two *Pacific Wrens* and observed eight (8) *Bewick’s
Wrens*;
· We saw five *Red-tailed Hawks* in a variety of plumages which was
quite interesting;
· Saw five *Fox Sparrows* and one *Lincoln’s Sparrow*;
· Saw 10 *Tundra Swans* flying over us near parking lot #3;
· Saw three *Varied Thrush*; and
· We saw a porcupine just as we were approaching the parking lot as
the field trip was finishing up.
We have some pictures of the porcupine and birds that I will post to our
Facebook page (Here is the link).
http://www.facebook.com/SalemAudubonSociety.
Mike Unger
Keizer, OR
*Minto-Brown Island Park Checklist Summary for January 6, 2016*
*Identified Species: 33*
7 Canada Goose
10 Tundra Swan
8 Mallard
14 duck sp.
1 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Blue Heron
5 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Buteo sp.
3 Glaucous-winged Gull
2 Mourning Dove
4 Downy Woodpecker
5 Northern Flicker
1 American Kestrel
1 Merlin
5 Steller's Jay
11 Western Scrub-Jay
5 American Crow
15 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
5 Brown Creeper
2 Pacific Wren
8 Bewick's Wren
9 Golden-crowned Kinglet
19 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
9 American Robin
3 Varied Thrush
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
5 Fox Sparrow (Sooty)
10 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
12 Golden-crowned Sparrow
17 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
4 Spotted Towhee
2 House Finch
