SAS Ankeny NWR Field Trip Report

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SAS ANKENY NWR FIELD TRIP SUMMARY

February 27, 2026

Today Salem Audubon held its monthly birding field trip to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge. Tim and I were joined by 25 other enthusiastic birders for a brisk but rewarding morning in the field. The day began cold and foggy, with temperatures around 36 degrees, but the fog soon lifted to reveal broken clouds and patches of blue sky. As the air warmed to a high of 46 degrees and a light breeze picked up—calm to about 8 mph—we visited three key spots around the refuge: the Rail Trail, Pintail Marsh, and Eagle Marsh. By the end of the trip, we had identified 44 species, either seen or heard.

Most notable sightings:

• We began our walk at the Rail Trail since the other marshes were still shrouded in fog. Despite the slow start—when Song Sparrows were our only companions for the first quarter of the trail but ended up recording an impressive 29 species. Bird activity soon picked up along the boardwalk, where Black-capped Chickadees and Ruby-crowned Kinglets made their lively presence known. A pair of Wood Ducks flew overhead just before a noisy burst of wings erupted as 35 Mallards flushed from the grass south of the boardwalk. Near the far end, on the water to the right, we spotted a pair of Hooded Mergansers, several Ring-necked Ducks, a couple of Mallards, and a Pied-billed Grebe. As we neared the parking area, three Brown Creepers caught our attention, busily working their way up the tree trunks in search of insects.

• Pintail Marsh was moderately active with 20 species during our visit. Across the water, we spotted five Greater White-fronted Geese, along with a lengthy line of geese sporting red neck bands—Dusky Canada Geese, of course, one of the species the refuge was created to support during the winter months. In all, we recorded seven species of ducks, including two Ruddy Ducks. Several Bald Eagles were present as well, with a pair seen near their nest on the northeast side of the marsh. Other highlights included a striking Great Egret, a Black Phoebe, and a couple of vocal Marsh Wrens calling from the reeds.

• At Eagle Marsh, most of the waterfowl were gathered in the distant parts of the wetland, though we still managed to record sixteen species. Six duck species were among them. Just west of the marsh, there was a Turkey Vulture, and a Belted Kingfisher flew past, rattling its familiar call. Four Red-tailed Hawks were also inthe area, including a pair engaging in what looked like an early season courtship display.

Links to all the eBird checklists and Trip Report are listed below.

Our next SAS bird walk will be Birding along Highway 22 on Wednesday, March 4th at 9:00 a.m. Meet in Parking Lot of North Santiam Park on Santiam Park Rd. See the Kestrel for more details.

Baskett Slough NWR Field trip on Saturday, March 7th at 9:00 AM. Meet at the Rich Guadagno Trailhead Parking Lot on Coville Road.

Please join us if you can.

Mike Unger

Keizer, OR

Ankeny NWR Checklist Summary for February 27, 2026

Number of Species: 44

Checklists included in this summary: 3

Checklists included in this summary:

(1): Ankeny NWR—Rail Trail @ 9:23 AM

(2): Ankeny NWR—Pintail Marsh @ 11:16 AM

(3): Ankeny NWR-Eagle Marsh @ 11:55 AM

Here are the eBird checklists:

Rail Trail - https://ebird.org/checklist/S304336702

Pintail Marsh - https://ebird.org/checklist/S304345609

Eagle Marsh - https://ebird.org/checklist/S304353262

Trip Report link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/482012