A Mountain Chickadee is still coming to my feeder near Crabtree, Linn
County. A White-throated Sparrow has also been a regular for some time.
I visited Stone Quarry Lake in Salem yesterday at noon, looking the lake
over from the west side, on 22nd Street SE, off McGilcrist. You can park at
the offices of the State Corrections Department, and cross the road to enjoy
a view of the whole lake, almost. I have not seen any loons there recently,
or grebes other than Pied-billed. There are a lot of Common Mergansers,
Ruddy ducks, coots, and other birds, in addition to the Mute Swans. I
understand that the swans are pets, but nice to look at, anyway.
There was an interesting leucistic junco in the trees on the west side of
the road, where the stream crosses 22nd to the west. It had a white back,
brownish-black wings and tail, and a mottled white and black head. A hint of
buffyness on the flanks makes it our own Oregon Junco. I'll put photos on
the OBA facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/419528358213853/)
Good birding,
Jeff
By the way I've been invited to join the birding faculty of the Ghost Ranch
Family Nature Summit
Saturday, July 2 - Friday, July 8, 2016,
(http://www.familynaturesummits.org/next-summit)
