*MINTO-BROWN ISLAND CITY PARK SCOUT*
*THIS REPORT IS FROM Jun 28, 2018 7:12 AM - 11:00 AM*
*COMMENTS: *
Fred Stephens, Kay Fagan and myself walked 4.23 miles on this beautiful day
in preparation of the Salem Audubon Field trip on Thursday, July 5 which
will begin at 7:00 AM. This fast summer bird walk scout started with a goal
of 60 species and with much humor; though we did not achieve, we had a lot
of fun and look forward to you joining us to repeat the walk as much as we
can *within reason* on distance for all.
We had glorious weather with bright sky and broken clouds. We had much fun
in pushing to our goal: 1) We started in *parking lot #3*, then 2) the
*Willamette
River trail*, east, to view the island (recognizing we missed the iconic
boathouse that had burned), proceeding to 3) * the Conservation Area,*
returning 4) after our species finds from the *River Park Bridge*.
All habitat is lush and green. Grasses are getting taller. Because of some
California poppies, and other blooms we suspected seed had been spread at
the North Trail to the bridge. We met inquiring passerby's, and we met a
team removing grasses away from rows of young Red Flowering Currant
plantings that seem to be doing well without water, just our intermittent
rain.
*HIGHLIGHTS:*
We did not have one HOUSE FINCH.
No BALD EAGLE.
BROWN CREEPER seemed quiet and low in numbers. Nesting?
SPOTTED SANDPIPER were active, and vocal.
Woodpeckers included RED-SHAFTED FLICKER, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER,
DOWNY, and PILEATED-No Hairy Woodpecker.
MALLARD DUCKLINGS at the river, the Riverfront Park waters, and adults
showing, already, eclipse plumage.
Though we had NORTHERN HARRIER, male and female, RED-TAILED HAWK, and
OSPREY, we missed AMERICAN KESTREL and there was no activity in the
suspected nesting snags at the OXBOW. We also missed viewing the Osprey
platform which we will include on July 5th.
Barbara Dolan
*We saw/heard 53 species (+2 other taxa)including the following:*
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 11
California Quail (Callipepla californica) 4
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 6
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 3
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 4
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 3 An observer/walker shared seeing
regularly and thought they were often based and flying from a small
tree/shrub across the basin. Possiby a family and nesting?
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 7 Found along the River Trail
as well and at the North Conservation bridge along the rocky sides of these
bridge waters.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 5
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 8
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) 2 One of the 2 was a young
bird with a bit of red wash, the white stripes well seen and a "messy"
gray/red around the face with a recognizable gape working the sap wells on
this tree. 2 other birds in thick leaf shadow flushed which we counted as
passerines and suspected to be parents.
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) 3
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 2
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 10
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 2
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 2
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 6
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) 5
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 9
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 4
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 7
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 3
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 2
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 5
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 11
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 24
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 7
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 4
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 8
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) 2 this is the first
time we have had this species at the North Conservation area.
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]) 1
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 9
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 16
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 6
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 5
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 11 Most of these birds were seen in
stunning light in the North basin past the turn into the North Conservation
area.
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 4
Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 2
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 7
passerine sp. (Passeriformes sp.) 4 2 in the same tree as the young
red-breasted sapsucker
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46855131
*UPCOMING EVENTS:*
- Salem Audubon Minto-Brown Bird Walk on Thurs., July 5, 7:00 AM.
- SAS SHORT bird walk at Minto-Brown City Park,on Wed., July 25, at
6:30 PM. Target bird is to see/hear COMMON NIGHTHAWK at River Trail.
- Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge on Sat., July 21, Meet, Eagle
Marsh parking and kiosk due to construction at the Ankeny Hill Overlook.
- "Flight and Feathers" Workshop, Mike Unger, Sat., July 28th -
10:00 AM at ODFW Classroom.
Join us if you can.
Barbara Dolan
