Bald Hill/McDonald Forest migrant birds, etc.
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Lisa Millbank
May 3, 2013, 12:53:38 AM5/3/13
to Mid-valley Nature
This morning, I checked out Bald Hill Park (Corvallis) and the Oak Creek
area in McDonald Forest.
Along the bike path/sidewalk that runs parallel to 53rd St, there was a
singing BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, the first of about 6 I heard today. I
took the bike path that goes through Bald Hill Park from Reservoir Dr.
Those south-facing slopes had at least 4-5 singing LAZULI BUNTINGS.
Along the east side of Bald Hill, a few CASSIN'S VIREOS were singing,
along with plenty of PURPLE FINCHES (who can sometimes throw us off with
their rendition of a similar song). Elsewhere, I heard several WARBLING
VIREOS. Many DARNERS of some kind (probably California?) were out
hunting today, everywhere I went.
I headed up Oak Creek Rd and stopped at Hesthavn (the Audubon nature
center). A COOPER'S HAWK silenced the birds for a little while. But
there were plenty of HOUSE WRENS and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW was still
hanging around there. Also saw a RED ADMIRAL by the new footbridge.
In McDonald Forest, I took the Homestead Trail. There were loads of
WILSON'S WARBLERS, more than I think I've ever seen in one day, and
almost all males. There were a few PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS here and
there, especially in areas of RED ALDER. Butterflies included MUSTARD
WHITES, SILVERY BLUES, PROPERTIUS DUSKYWINGS and a SATYR COMMA. TALL
LARKSPUR and PACIFIC BLEEDING-HEART are the primary flowers blooming
along that trail right now, with some SPRING-GOLD in a meadow along the
road going east at the end of the trail. There was a little drama with a
CRAB SPIDER stalking a Silvery Blue on a camas flower, but by chance, it
flitted away at the last second before the spider was in a position to
grab it.
At the end of the Homestead Trail, I headed up toward Lewisburg Saddle.
At about 1200' a MOUNTAIN QUAIL and GRAY JAYS were calling, and there
were quite a few HERMIT WARBLERS there too. I was a little short on
time, so I decided to turn around.
I rode through Bald Hill Farm and stopped at the covered benches between
the cow pastures. Sure enough, there were two VESPER SPARROWS, a pair
of CHIPPING SPARROWS and a pair of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS all hanging out at
that spot. A BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was giving its rattling call from woods
along Mulkey Creek to the south. In this area I found some blooming
BARESTEM LOMATIUM, and some WYETHIA (or Mule's Ears) about to bloom.
There was an ANISE SWALLOWTAIL flying around the lomatium. In Bald Hill
Park, I removed a couple of large, basking GOPHER SNAKES from the paths
to prevent them from being run over by other bikes.
Later this evening I rode downtown to meet Don (and added ROCK PIGEON
and CLIFF SWALLOW to my list for the day), and on our way home, we
checked the Sunset Park sandpiper situation. At least 2 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS are still there, along with a flock of LEAST SANDPIPERS.
Throughout the day I noticed the absence of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and
Fox Sparrows. I was surprised that I never heard a Western Tanager
today. There were still a couple of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS today, but
they're down sharply from the last few weeks.
78 bird species:
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Mountain Quail
California Quail
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Solitary Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Cassin's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow
Lisa Millbank
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
area in McDonald Forest.
Along the bike path/sidewalk that runs parallel to 53rd St, there was a
singing BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, the first of about 6 I heard today. I
took the bike path that goes through Bald Hill Park from Reservoir Dr.
Those south-facing slopes had at least 4-5 singing LAZULI BUNTINGS.
Along the east side of Bald Hill, a few CASSIN'S VIREOS were singing,
along with plenty of PURPLE FINCHES (who can sometimes throw us off with
their rendition of a similar song). Elsewhere, I heard several WARBLING
VIREOS. Many DARNERS of some kind (probably California?) were out
hunting today, everywhere I went.
I headed up Oak Creek Rd and stopped at Hesthavn (the Audubon nature
center). A COOPER'S HAWK silenced the birds for a little while. But
there were plenty of HOUSE WRENS and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW was still
hanging around there. Also saw a RED ADMIRAL by the new footbridge.
In McDonald Forest, I took the Homestead Trail. There were loads of
WILSON'S WARBLERS, more than I think I've ever seen in one day, and
almost all males. There were a few PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS here and
there, especially in areas of RED ALDER. Butterflies included MUSTARD
WHITES, SILVERY BLUES, PROPERTIUS DUSKYWINGS and a SATYR COMMA. TALL
LARKSPUR and PACIFIC BLEEDING-HEART are the primary flowers blooming
along that trail right now, with some SPRING-GOLD in a meadow along the
road going east at the end of the trail. There was a little drama with a
CRAB SPIDER stalking a Silvery Blue on a camas flower, but by chance, it
flitted away at the last second before the spider was in a position to
grab it.
At the end of the Homestead Trail, I headed up toward Lewisburg Saddle.
At about 1200' a MOUNTAIN QUAIL and GRAY JAYS were calling, and there
were quite a few HERMIT WARBLERS there too. I was a little short on
time, so I decided to turn around.
I rode through Bald Hill Farm and stopped at the covered benches between
the cow pastures. Sure enough, there were two VESPER SPARROWS, a pair
of CHIPPING SPARROWS and a pair of WESTERN BLUEBIRDS all hanging out at
that spot. A BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was giving its rattling call from woods
along Mulkey Creek to the south. In this area I found some blooming
BARESTEM LOMATIUM, and some WYETHIA (or Mule's Ears) about to bloom.
There was an ANISE SWALLOWTAIL flying around the lomatium. In Bald Hill
Park, I removed a couple of large, basking GOPHER SNAKES from the paths
to prevent them from being run over by other bikes.
Later this evening I rode downtown to meet Don (and added ROCK PIGEON
and CLIFF SWALLOW to my list for the day), and on our way home, we
checked the Sunset Park sandpiper situation. At least 2 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS are still there, along with a flock of LEAST SANDPIPERS.
Throughout the day I noticed the absence of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and
Fox Sparrows. I was surprised that I never heard a Western Tanager
today. There were still a couple of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS today, but
they're down sharply from the last few weeks.
78 bird species:
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Mountain Quail
California Quail
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Solitary Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Cassin's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow
Lisa Millbank
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
Art Souther
May 3, 2013, 11:01:16 AM5/3/13
to Lisa Millbank, mid-vall...@googlegroups.com
Hi Lisa,
--
Art
Do you record blooming species also? If so, I'd love to share lists.
Was out at Peavy again yesterday. Hiked the Calloway and Lookout trails. Saw my first blooms of mariposa lily, star primrose, cow parsnip, and vanilla leaf of the season.
Art
Lisa Millbank
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
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Art
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