E.E.Wilson chats & oriole, LSNA Red-eyed Vireo, 6/6

[Lisa Millbank]

While this is not very timely (due to an internet service interruption),
I thought I'd post it anyway since there were a few interesting things
of note.

On Thursday (6/6), I wanted to go up to E.E. Wilson to look for
Ring-necked Snakes. I also thought I'd try for a "motorless" Red-eyed
Vireo at Luckiamute State Natural Area, since I was going to be out that
way.

As I slowly rode along all of the north-south roads in the NW part of
E.E. Wilson, I heard 4 different YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS singing.
Considering we heard 2 males in the SE part about a week before, it
seems that there's a decent number of chats in the area this year. I
also heard a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE over on the NE side, which took me by
surprise-- at first, I thought it was just another chat making some
crazy sounds. I enjoyed some close looks at PIED-BILLED GREBES from a
blind along one of the wetlands.

There were plenty of dragonflies and damselflies, including many EIGHT-
and TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMERS, an unidentified SPREADWING (Lestes sp.),
and a few DOT-TAILED WHITEFACES. I noticed an iridescent CUCKOO WASP
and many spider-hunting POMPILID WASPS. LORQUIN'S ADMIRALS, WESTERN
TIGER SWALLOWTAILS and COMMON RINGLETS were active as the day heated up.

At E.E. Wilson, I didn't find any Ring-necked Snakes, but I did have one
interesting snake encounter. Near one of the cattail marshes at EE
Wilson, I heard a vole squeaking in the grass. It seemed to be in
distress, and it continued to squeak pitifully at regular intervals as I
tried to spot it. Finally, I saw a coil of a GOPHER SNAKE tightly wound
into a clump of grass. I couldn't see it very well, and didn't want to
poke around in the grass and disturb the snake's attempt at getting a
meal...but it was clear what was happening anyway. The vole's cries
weakened as the snake grasped it with its teeth and killed it by
constriction.

I headed over to Luckiamute State Natural Area and took the trail toward
the river confluence/campground area, enjoying the chorus of dozens of
SWAINSON'S THRUSHES and BAND-TAILED PIGEONS. I did hear the RED-EYED
VIREO, although from quite a distance. After heading back down the
trail, I did a little weeding at the prairie restoration area. Joel
Geier pointed out some popcorn-flower growing in the area, and though we
weren't sure which species it was at the time, I am pretty sure it's
SCOULER'S POPCORN-FLOWER.

After turning onto Springhill from Buena Vista, I saw someone applying a
small amount of a chemical treatment to a field of low-growing plants.
At the same time, I heard at least 2 HORNED LARKS singing in the field.
Hopefully, this won't affect the larks too much, and I have to wonder if
the harvesting will be done when there are still eggs or nestlings on
the ground. Sure would be nice if some of the farmed fields at LSNA
could be restored to low vegetation with patches of bare ground (maybe
bare patches created by dried vernal pools) where the larks would be
able to nest in relative safety. I thought about the new Wetland
Reserve Program properties along Riverside Drive in Linn Co., and
wondered if they could someday provide lark habitat as the shallow
vernal wetlands there recede.

I thought I'd count buntings along the way, for some reason. Despite
lots of traffic noise that may have caused me to miss some singers, and
a hot afternoon that probably quieted them, I heard 18 LAZULI BUNTINGS
over approximately 50 miles of riding.

Lisa Millbank
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com