Share this:

The flycatchers are usually the last spring migrants to return. And today my out-of-town birders and I found five species. Not a one was the resident Black Phoebe.

Also at Ashland Pond was an Olive-sided Flycatcher, larger and higher up than the Pewee. At North Mountain were a Willow and a calling Ash-throated Flycatcher. Kingbirds were seen in several places.

FEEDING TIME AT NUTHATCHERY

BRIGHT BIRDS

Black-heaxded Grosbeak.

Bullock’s Oriole male.

Lazuli Bunting male.

Little Creek Ranch, Siskiyou Blvd., Jackson, US-OR
May 23, 2013 7:25 AM. 21 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
California Quail (Callipepla californica) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) 1
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 2
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 12
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1 nesting
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 60
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 6
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 2
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 2
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 4
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 8

North Mountain Park, Jackson, US-OR
May 23, 2013 9:00 AM. 28 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 8
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) 1
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) 1
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 10
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2 nesting
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 6
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 20
Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) 2
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 1
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 2, Lazuli Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 6
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 4
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 2
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 2
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 12

Ashland Pond, Jackson, US-OR
May 23, 2013 11:15am. 20 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 8
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 10
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1. Vaux’s Swift 10
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) 2
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) 1
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 12
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 4
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 4
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 1
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 4

Share this:

My friend Peter Thiemann went up into the Cascades today and photographed the Great Gray Owl my clients and I found yesterday. Same owl in the same meadow. Peter stayed for hours and was rewarded for his patience. The owl in flight shows the bird’s incredible flexibility when hunting.

If you click on any individual image you can get a full screen view of Peter’s crytalline images of this great bird of the mountain forest.
Here is link to yesterday’s original post on finding this owl’s hunting ground.

Share this:

…Can deter the garden feeders from feeding in our garden.

Share this:

Hairy vetch or winter vetch is properly Vicia villosa. It was introduced to Oregon as a forage crop for cattle and other livestock. It does well on poor soils without irrigation so it has colonized large swaths of unforested, south-facing Cascade foothills where it mixes with other weeds and native survivors.

This vetch is not considered by the state of Oregon to be one of the worst invasives, perhaps because it is edible. Interestingly, Himalayan blackberry, so often hated by native plant folks, is also NOT listed among the 100 worst invasive in the state. Many birds find the blackberry a fine source of fall and winter berries. Starthistle and phragmites both DO make the worst 100 invasive list for Oregon.
As you would assume from the vetch’s tendrils, flowers and leaves, they are members of the legume family. Their roots attract micro-organisms that fix nitrgoen into the soil, so lousy soul is not necessarily a deterrent if there are not too many heavy metals present. There are about 12-dozen species of vetches in the world, including some native to America. They are cousins to the lentil and peas.

Share this:

The birders with me today were more than four hundred miles from their home in the hills above Gilroy. So the different habitat and variety of birds gave them some first-time viewings. Calliope Hummingbird. Mountain Bluebird. Listening (only) to Mountain Quail. Nashville Warbler. And these birds were singing from the treetops.

Young male Bullock’s Oriole along Dead Indian Mem Rd.

House Wren singing from dead tree along Howard Prairie dam Road.

Townsend’s Solitaire alogn the same road where we failed to find White-headed Woodpecker. But then a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch flew into the top of a Doug-fir so who cares that we missed the woodpecker?

One of several Vesper Sparrows seen on Howard Prairie, along with Mountain Bluebirds and a lone Sandhill Crane. And countless Canada Geese.

CLICK HERE FOR PICS–AT A GREAT DISTANCE–OF GREAT GRAY OWL WE SAW.
Altogether we saw over fifty species during the morning.
Our checklists: Emigrant Lake, Jackson, US-OR
May 22, 2013 7:30 AM. 27 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) X
California Quail (Callipepla californica) 6
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) 1
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 4
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 4
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 3
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) 2 Under Hwy 66 bridge over Emigrant Creek
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) 4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 10
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 1
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 1
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 6
Tolman Creek Rd., Jackson, US-OR
May 22, 2013 8:25 AM. 14 species

Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) 2
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 1
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) 1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) 3
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 1
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 2
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 1
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 4
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 2
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 2
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) 5

Howard Prairie Circuit, Jackson, US-OR
May 22, 2013 9:50 AM. 22 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 10 including 8 ducklings in Ice House Lake
Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) 2 heard only
California Quail (Callipepla californica) 4
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) 2 nesting next to Ice House Lake
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 2
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 8
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 10
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 4
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 1
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 1
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 6
Bullock’s Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 12
Lesser Goldfinch

Howard Prairie Lake, Jackson, US-OR
May 22, 2013 10:45 AM. 21 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 20
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) 1
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) 1
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 4
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 6
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 15
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 2
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) 2
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) 2
Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 1
Hermit Warbler (Setophaga occidentalis) 1
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 15
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 30
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 2
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) 1
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 2

Share this:

There is a supreme gray eminence in fiction–Gandalf. There was once a gray eminence among philosophers of the late 20th Century–Bertrand Russell. Among mammals the gray eminence can only be the gray wolf–ancestor of our domestic canines and the stuff of legend from earliest human story-telling. In the avian world it is the Great Gray Owl. Here are my distant shots of the one I got to share this morning (around noon) with a pair of birding clients from Santa Clara County, California. This top pic has the owl facing us along the road which was at least 100 yards from the owl’s perch.

This lower pic shows the white bars on the owl’s chin, one of several prominent field marks beyond size, color, the two concentric circles on the bird’s face.
The owl’s location was on private land in a meadow about halfway between the entrance to the Howard Prairie Resort on the north and the Howard Prairie Dam Road to the south. The meadow is narrow (maybe fifty yards wide at most) and is east of the road. We could clearly see the bird was on a fence that transects the field, running parallel to the highway and the field has ribbons on the wire between posts. The owl is bigger around than the fence posts.
The owl was, of course, a lifer for both visitng birders. One of several they collected today. And gray was our color of choice: leaden skies, gray clouds, Townsend’s Solitaire, Warbling Vireo, Sandhill Crane with brown stain, gray hoods on Nashville Warblers. Most surprising: a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, brought down from above by the unseasonal overnight snowfall perhaps. This bird was in a treetop along the Dam Road.
The GGO is a long-bodied owl, but most of its apparent bulk is feathers. Longer than other owls it is lighter than some, BNSA says it’s 15% lighter in wieght than Great Horned Owls. It often winters in mountains despite the snow-covered ground. Upon hearing prey move beneath the snow it will crash through the crust and capture the small mammal beneath.
It is not a migratory species but some northerly populations will disperse south in harsh weather or when rodent populations crash. The southern tip of its range in the western U.S. is in the California Sierra. GG0 often nests in broken off tree trunks. It hunts from the edges of meadows where rodents are found.
It is 27 inches tall. The Great Gray Owl’s wingspan exceeds 4 feet. By comparison the Osprey and Turkey Vulture both have wingspans over five feet, but both frequent wide open spaces. The TV is also about 27 inches long, the Osprey just under two feet. Of course, only the GGO can navigate and hunt with its hearing…in the dark…over deep snow…in severely cold weather. The GGO may hunt in the daytime and I suspect this owl may be feeding young so it needs to catch more rodents than at other times of the year.
Here is the range map for GGO as presented on BNA online (Birds of North America): This map is not detailed enough to show the small area in the Applegate Valley where the species is known to nest and where my friend, Peter Thiemann, has taken great action shots of GGO. Click here for some of his pictures from last summer.

Share this:

Steve Brown is the man who shared this photo, full length, of this intriguing bird. This is the Long-eared Owl we found along the Magee Marsh Boardwalk in Ohio earlier this month.

And here’s parenthood, Pied-billed Grebe style:
his photo was taken in San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Park by my daughter, Julie.

These two picgtures were taken at his home by Peter Thiemann. The Willow Flycatcher from beneath, and the male Lazuli Bunting, a breath-catcher for sure.

Share this:

The most impressive birds actually nesting at Emigrant Lake each year are the Osprey. Bald Eagles that fish there nest several miles away. The Golden Eagles hardly associate themselves with the lake, preferring the open grasslands above the reservoir.
The Emigrant Lake Osprey have nestlings now. Here’s a pic of mother on nest with a young one’s tail showing next to her. The father had flown off just before I arrived, perhaps having left a fish behind.
Our “purple mountains majesty” owe their seasonal color to the blooming vetch. It is plentiful, pervasive, invasive and pulchratudinous. In szpring it carpets the lower reaches of the Cascades where the soil is poor, the moisture limited, the sunlight unlimited.

Chuipoiung Sparrow in ponderosa laong Little Hyuatt Lake Road, 4500′.

My first view of blooming Iris chrysophylla.

Nothern Rough-winged Swallow near Emigrant Lake.

Share this:

This time of year nearly every day brings a new bird for the year. The migrants are pouring back into our mountains now from their southerly winter vacations. I went up to Greensprings Inn in the Cascades where they held a book-signing for my FREEWAY BIRDING this afternoon. Beforehand I birded around the lovely Greensprings Inn woodlands (about 46oo’ elevation). This MacGillivray’s Warbler was singing…and elusive as usual, hiding behind ponderosa needles.
A short drive up Little Hyatt Lake Road found me among Chipping Sparrows:
Both birds were new for my Oregon list for 2013. Now the list tops 190. It will go past 200 during my trip to Malheur at the end of May, if not before.

Share this:

Today was the field trip for the Ashland Park and Rec “Spring Birding” class. Despite cold and rainy weather we had a good day in the field. We began at North Mountain Park where birds kepot us busy most of the morning. Our other stop was Tolman Creek Road just before the National Forest boundary.
Black-capped Chickadee checks out nest box.


Tree Swallows also use nest boxes.


There were numerous flocks of Waxwings at the park.

This White-breasted Nuthatch was carrying food to nestlings inside an oak’s lower trunk.







Western Kingbird.

North Mountain Park, Jackson, US-OR
May 18, 2013 7:30 AM. 35 species.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) X
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) X
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) X
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 8
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) 10
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 1
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 2
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 2
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 3
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) X
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 8
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1 feeding young in nest hole
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) X
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X; Cedarwaxwing 120;
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) X
Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) X
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) X
California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 2
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) X
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) X
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) X
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) X
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) X
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) X
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) X
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) X

Tolman Creek Rd., Jackson, US-OR
May 18, 2013 11:30 AM. 5 species

Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) X
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 1
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) 2
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 2
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) 2