Dozens of birders cycled through, that is to say circulated, only
Randy cycled, the open fields of sw Linn County this Sunday. Efforts focused on
Country Rd between Church Drive and Seward Rd. Early arrivers encountered
freezing fog. Mid day was almost balmy, very sunny and wind-free. One or more
lark flocks was constantly in view but often half a mile away. A few people got
looks at Lapland Longspurs, however briefly. Whenever a flock landed reasonably
close it very soon took flight. Stefan Schlick and Trent Bray had a Lapland and
Chestnut -collared in the scope simultaneously about a quarter mile distant. I
was looking at the exact same spot but the flock picked up and flew east again.
This is a white clover field that sheep were recently taken off. Heavily grazed
pasture makes the birds a lot easier to see.
I was interested to see Kestrels feeding on the ground, that is
running after prey, the way Buteos did in the clover field sw of McMinnville
when a Ferruginous Hawk was found. Someone saw a Prairie Falcon in this field
east of Country Rd a day or two ago (I saw one in the same field on the
Corvallis CBC last year). A Peregrine caught a killdeer near Davis Road, less
than two miles se of the Country Rd site, and someone saw a Merlin yesterday.
The Say's Phoebe continues at the south end of Davis road. Someone saw a Snow
Bunting there today. When I saw Snow Buntings last Sunday on Davis Road they
were only loosely associated with the larks, frequently returning alone. There
weren't major flocks of passerines along Davis today.
There were many Rough-legged Hawks, light and dark, on the ground and
overhead, but nobody was commenting on them. They out-numbered Red-tails and
were equal in number to harriers, of which there is an unusual concentration.
Lars
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