SAS Minto-Brown Island Park Bird Walk Report

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SAS Minto-Brown Island Park Bird Walk Report

February 10, 2026 

This morning, Tim and I led the Salem Audubon bird walk at Minto-Brown Island Park, joined by 23 enthusiastic birders. The weather started out chilly, with a wind chill of 32°F and temperatures ranging from 39° to 47°F, but it warmed up once the sun broke through the overcast skies. Winds were steady at 5–13 mph. We covered 2.01 miles, following mostly the Blue Heron Trail at the west end of the park and looping around the slough in the northwest corner. By the end of the walk, we had observed or heard 36 bird species.                                                              

The highlights were as follows:

·         The highlight of the morning was a striking Pileated Woodpecker perched on a snag across the far side of the back portion of Oxbow Slough. Shortly afterward, we heard — and a few lucky birders caught sight of — another Pileated Woodpecker to the west.

·         At the first entrance to Oxbow Slough near parking lot 3, we encountered plenty of activity. Several Double-crested Cormorants were gathered there, along with Bufflehead, Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, and a lively Song Sparrow adding its voice to the scene.

·         Throughout the walk, we came across several large, lively flocks. Black-capped Chickadees, Bushtits, kinglets, and sparrows flitted energetically through the trees and shrubs. Among the highlights were two Ruby-crowned Kinglets and three Golden-crowned Kinglets that gave us especially nice, close looks.

·         We observed four of the five woodpecker species typically found in the area — Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, and Northern Flicker. Everyone in the group had a good look at the Red-breasted Sapsucker, which we spotted along the trail near the back portion of the slough.

·         The only raptor we saw was a subadult Bald Eagle soaring overhead — an impressive sight on its own, though we were surprised not to encounter a Red-tailed Hawk or an American Kestrel.

·         We didn’t encounter many sparrow species on this walk, with just three observed. In addition to the Song Sparrow, we noted Golden-crowned Sparrows and Spotted Towhees.

·         The most numerous birds, aside from the geese, were Mallards (25), American Robins (20), Green-winged Teal (20), and Double-crested Cormorants (19). 

The eBird checklist link is at the end of this report. 

The upcoming events include: 

Friday, February 20th 9:00 AM – 12 noon – Willamette Mission State Park bird walk.  Meet in the Filbert Grove day-use area. A state park pass is required for this location. (Single-day permits can also be purchased for $10 from the fee station near the park entrance.)

Friday, February 27th 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM - SAS Ankeny NWR field trip.  Meet at the Ankeny Hill Nature Center off Ankeny Hill Road.

Please join us if you can. 

Mike Unger

Keizer, OR 

Minto-Brown Island Park Checklist Summary for February 10, 2026

Identified Species: 36

50 Cackling Goose
16 Canada Goose
2 Wood Duck
25 Mallard
20 Green-winged Teal
6 Ring-necked Duck
18 Bufflehead
2 Hooded Merganser
1 Anna's Hummingbird
1 gull sp.
5 Pied-billed Grebe
19 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Bald Eagle
2 Red-breasted Sapsucker
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Pileated Woodpecker
5 Northern Flicker
1 Black Phoebe
2 Steller's Jay
2 California Scrub-Jay
2 American Crow
11 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
5 Bushtit
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 Brown Creeper
4 Bewick's Wren
7 European Starling
20 American Robin
1 Golden-crowned Sparrow
7 Song Sparrow
4 Spotted Towhee
10 Red-winged Blackbird 

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S299402329