Thanks Peter. Yes, it was exit 263, but the nests I saw today were on the south
side of Brooklake Road, not the north side. If railroad noise and commotion
were a factor, I wouldn’t think that the freeway noise would be too much of an
improvement! Next time I’m going to Portland I’ll get off at that exit and look
around from the carpool parking area. Sounds like a nice bunch of birds.
Mary
On Mar 24, 2019, at 9:39 PM, Peter Greenberg <nrgwise.lighting@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Greetings,
If you are talking about the trees before the Brooks exit (exit 263) by
i-5 going on the north side, yes indeed there are a lot of GBH nests, about
25-30. They have been there at least 2 years. I have done some work at
Norpac in the past at the exit there and there must be a lot of shrews or
mice in their fields. The herons and often egrets also like the settling
ponds in the back that has nutrient rich water and probably frogs and stuff
for them. There are also a bunch of RTH hanging out with them both on the
ground, fences and watering system.
I have pulled way over on the shoulder on 1-5 but it is risky.
I'm not in any position to say Norpac would mind or not someone going on
their road and pulling over in hours not when people are not coming and going
to work to look at their multitudes of herons, but possibly they wouldn't
mind a few people here or there when their gate is open.
I think in the past they nested by the trees by the RR tracks behind their
ponds to the east of the factory, maybe they got tired of the noise of the
train and like car noises? You can't see the nests when the leaves are on the
trees but you can certainly in the winter.
There are usually a few coyotes hanging around the fields.
People park next to the exit for carpooling and you can get off the exit,
park with the other cars and see lots of RTH, GBH and usually white egrets.
Sincerely,
Peter Greenberg
nrgwise.lighting@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:nrgwise.lighting@xxxxxxxxx>
Energy Wise
c.(541) 905-2271
f. (541) 610-1756
On Sun, Mar 24, 2019 at 8:55 PM Mary Garrard <springazure1@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:springazure1@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi all, I was traveling north near the Pilot Travel Center on I-5 Saturday
when I noticed a maybe 15-20 nests in a stand of trees on the east side of
I-5 just south of the truck stop exit (I think exit 235). I didn’t see any
GBH’s but was not exactly in a position to look closely. Today traveling back
south I took the truck stop exit but was unable to get close enough to get a
good look at the nests. There was no access from the east side of the exit,
nor from the truck stop itself.
If I was a long-haul truck driver I could have pulled into the area reserved
for trucks and had a good look at the nests across the freeway, but I was
afraid I would get yelled at or run over if I tried it in my sedan. So I
don’t know if that colony is active or not. I don’t remember seeing those
nests before.
Anybody know anything about the colony?
Happy spring!
Mary
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