Wednesday night, May 27, my son Daniel and I drove a long trek up to far SW
Douglas County, at the Coos County border. We were investigating an
interesting patch of shrubs in the area. We did not find anything unusual
in the shrub patch, but did hear a SPOTTED OWL as well as a spotted owl
monitoring person in the area. We spend the night, hearing WESTERN
SCREECH-OWLS, and an occasional nighttime outburst from one of the DUSKY
FLYCATCHERS, and the next day explored our way down the West Fork of Cow
Creek. Some photos:
Sunset over Coos County from a high ridge:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/18291790671
American Dipper adult feeding young on W. Fk. Cow Creek:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/17667767154
Canyon Live oak, south-facing slope above W. Fk. Cow Creek (this was fairly
common in that drainage on s-facing slopes):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/18291794051
Last night, May 29, Jimmy Billstine and I attempted some investigation of
areas near Diamond Lake south marsh and this morning, May 30, at Thorn
Prairie and Toketee Lake riparian area. We did NOT find our target birds:
Yellow Rail, Great Gray Owl, Flammulated Owl, Canyon Wren, Common Poorwill,
Green-tailed Towhee, Calliope Hummingbird (yeah, okay, we put the bar
pretty high). However, last night we accidentally stumbled upon a family of
BARRED OWLS partway in to Toolbox Meadows (just west of the cutoff to
Lemolo Lake), and this morning enjoyed a boat load of migrants (and likely
breeders) in the riparian area at upper Toketee Lake. In addition, while we
were there an AMERICAN BITTERN flew overhead a couple hundred feet up!!!
That was a surprise. Then, while looking for Canyon Wren nearby, we instead
found a SPOTTED OWL, which may have had at least a mate, if not young. We
did not do any calling for the owl. The owl was quite calm and we could see
a band on its right leg when it scratched its head (see photos). Some
photos linked below:
Willow Flycatcher at Toketee Lake Riparian:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/18104194829
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/18104194829
(note lack of eyering largish bill with pale lower mandible compared to
other empidonax; paler underparts, paler lower mandible, paler overall, and
shorter primary projection compared to western wood-pewee)
Yellow Warbler at Toketee Lake Riparian:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/17667763644
Spotted Owl on Umpqua National Forest:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/17667761024
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/18286542392
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/18104201259
Our list of birds from the riparian area at the upper end of Toketee Lake:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23713209
Douglas County has wonderful places to bird....
Matt Hunter
Melrose, OR
