Townsend's Solitaire at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area (plus others)

[Joel Geier]

This afternoon while out for a walk around in the SW part of E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, around 3 pm, I came across a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE about 1/2 mile south of the skeet range. It was fluttering around a rose bush (probably R. multiflora) that was loaded with small, red rose hips, then perched in the bush to watch me warily. On my last walk through the wildlife area 4 days ago, I saw a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and a TOWNSEND CHIPMUNK. It would be fun to run across a Townsend Mole to round out the list.

A couple of ACORN WOODPECKERS were vocalizing in the big oak grove up on the knoll in the south-central part of the wildlife area. This is the first time I've ever seen or heard Acorn Woodpeckers there. The habitat was improved by a thinning project a few years ago, in which a lot of the feral cherry trees etc. were taken out to leave more space for the oaks. The south end of this grove is supposedly where the commanding officer for Camp Adair had his residence during World War II. A MERLIN few over the oaks while I was trying to locate the woodpeckers visually.

Other birds of note included a couple of RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS (one very vocal), BLACK PHOEBES (very vocal as usual), and the usual nice variety of sparrows.

--

Joel Geier

Tampico neighborhood north of Corvallis