I drove a 75 mile circle around Salem today
Starting at Baskett Slough to look for Lars' Golden Eagle, it wasn't there
when I was. I looked at several BALD EAGLEs and a PEREGRINE, and numbers
of DUNLIN are increasing
On to Ankeny NWR I didn't see much of note other than the usual Ducks and
Geese. DUNLIN numbers are increasing there
Along Duckflat Road, things began to get good. I saw the HARLAN'S HAWK
that was there 2-3 winters ago. It started to get nervous as soon as I put
glasses on it, so I put the glasses down and did not study wing to tail
length or some of those marks not wanting to cause it to fly, but I am sure
that's what it was and not a dark Rough-Legged Hawk. Just up the gravel
road was a beautiful SAYS PHOEBE, I watched it up close, flycatching in the
60 degree heat for a while until I had enough of its bright peachy
undersides and extreme cuteness. Just up the road was a Wildlife (Goose)
Surveyor who was looking at 70 GREAT EGRETS that I had previously counted
by twos, a big number for around here. She had seen a Northern Shrike
earlier but I did not see it and that is why it is not in all caps here.
While I stopped to chat, we watched a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and a few
BALD EAGLES nearby. I'll ebird the complete list in awhile
Turner Lake in Turner had one COMMON LOON and a few other birds on it
There was a pretty WESTERN GULL at Geer Community Park in Salem among two
hundred Cacklers. Pretty is not a word I'd use for almost any other
pink-legged gulls than WEGU
A beautiful November day. You can't say that very often
Roy Gerig, Salem OR
