SAS Minto-Brown Island Bird Walk Report

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SAS Minto-Brown Island Park Bird Walk Report

January 10, 2026 

This morning, Tim and I were joined by sixteen other birdwatchers for our Salem Audubon Society bird walk. We covered about 1.7 miles along the Red Osprey and Green Deer loop trails on the east side of the park. Afterward, several participants stopped by the Oxbow Slough for additional viewing. The walk lasted about two and a half hours. The weather was foggy early on but cleared later in the morning. Temperatures ranged from 36 to 41 degrees, and light winds increased near the end of the walk, reaching 6 to 9 mph. Trail conditions were excellent, with no standing water. We recorded 36 species this year, compared to 40 species on the same walk last year.

The highlights were as follows: 

·         The sighting of the day was a pair of Varied Thrushes spotted by several birders along the Red Osprey Loop near the shed.

·         The American Robins were especially active today. We counted at least 28 individuals, most of them perched in trees feeding on berries.

·         Another prevalent species was the Black-capped Chickadee. We observed a total of 20 individuals, with ten gathered in a single tree. Several birders also spotted two Chestnut-backed Chickadees.

·         We observed seven sparrow species today, including a Fox Sparrow, a Savannah Sparrow, and thirteen Golden-crowned Sparrows.

·         Four raptor species were observed during the walk, with all expected species present.  We actually saw all the raptors except the American Kestrel which was heard.

·         The only woodpecker species observed were the Downy Woodpecker as well as Northern Flicker.

·         Also, nice sightings included Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and both kinglets.

·         The main misses for the day were Anna’s Hummingbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Wilson’s Snipe, and the Pileated Woodpeckers that have been reported recently. 

The upcoming events include: 

Champoeg State Park, Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM.  Meet in the Oak Grove Day Use Parking Lot. A valid Oregon State Parks Pass is required; a $ 10 day pass can be purchased on-site. 

Ankeny NWR Field Trip, Sunday, January 18, 2025 at 9:00 AM. Meet at Ankeny Hill Nature Center (AHNC) Parking Lot at 9:00 AM. 

Raptor ID Workshop, Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM.  The workshop will be held at the Salem Scottish Rite Center, 4090 Commercial St. SE, Salem.  The cost is only $20 with all proceeds going to the Salem Audubon Society.  Pre-registration is required.  Registration link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W-p8Bxn1SV2YbTCIgc0qeg 

Check the events calendar on our website https://www.salemaudubon.org/ for other events and bird walks.

Mike Unger

Keizer, OR 

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

Identified Species: 36

4 Canada Goose
4 Mallard
4 Bufflehead
1 Common Merganser
8 California Quail
15 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
1 Mourning Dove
1 gull sp.
6 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Bald Eagle
3 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Downy Woodpecker
5 Northern Flicker
1 American Kestrel
5 California Scrub-Jay
9 American Crow
20 Black-capped Chickadee
2 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
3 Brown Creeper
4 Bewick's Wren
11 European Starling
2 Varied Thrush
28 American Robin
10 House Finch
1 Pine Siskin
10 American Goldfinch
1 Fox Sparrow (Sooty)
2 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
3 White-crowned Sparrow
13 Golden-crowned Sparrow
1 Savannah Sparrow
4 Song Sparrow
3 Spotted Towhee 

Checklist link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293520018