The Eugene Wednesday bird group went to Spencer Butte this morning to
escape from the dense fog that covered both Eugene and Springfield. The
fog was below the parking lot and we walked to the top in the sunshine.
About 100 yards up from the parking area we heard a Northern Pygmy Owl. It
flew into the trees above us after we played a bit of its call notes, but
it never was seen. The second Northern Pygmy Owl was heard near the summit
before the stone stairway to the top. We had only dozen species, but the
sunshine and two Hairy Woodpeckers (and the Pygmy Owls) made it all worth
the hike. Our complete list is below.
Northern Pygmy-Owl -- two heard
Hairy Woodpecker – two seen near the top
Steller's Jay
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – heard in the canopy
Red-breasted Nuthatch – heard frequently
Pacific Wren – more than a dozen seen and heard
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet – high in the canopy
Varied Thrush – one near the parking lot
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Tom Cable, Nancy Clogston, Sylvia Maulding, Kit Larsen, Ellen Cantor and
Dennis Arendt
