A couple dozen Rogue Valley Audubon birders showed up for the first Wednesday bird walk.  It’s led by Dennis Neibuhr, Jim Harleman and drew many of the veteran birders in the county.  Despite fog we managed some pretty good birds.  I did not get a good pic of the Merlin that first was “kestrel” then possibly an “accipiter” until it was clearly seen as a Merlin, especially after examing one young birder’s very clear photo of the bird as it sat and ate.

Other good birds for the day: a singing Marsh Wren just west of Touvelle Park.  Three California Towhees.  An adult White-throated Sparrow spotted by Bill Hering along Butte Creek.  Two Great Horned Owls.  Duck total for the day: zero.  None on the creek, none on the Rogue, none in a large pond.  One river otter, four deer, acres of wintry fog.

Waxwings hanging out.     California Towhee.              Great Egret, Whetstone Pond.

After the walk some of us checked Whetstone Pond.  One female Shoveler, Coots, PB Grebe and numerous Mallards, including this female looking great in ther tardy sunshine.  Also two Great Blue Herons and a couple Harriers.

Location:     Denman/Little Butte Creek Wednesday Walk
Observation date:     11/4/09
Notes:     Little Butte Creek/Denman Wednesday Walk #1  Foggy to clear, 40
degrees to 60  Record # of participants = 27
Number of species:     41

Canada Goose     1
California Quail     1
Northern Harrier     1
Red-tailed Hawk     2
Merlin     1
Great Horned Owl     2
Belted Kingfisher     3
Lewis’s Woodpecker     2
Acorn Woodpecker     20
Downy Woodpecker     3
Northern Flicker     12
Black Phoebe     1
Western Scrub-Jay     22
American Crow     2
Black-capped Chickadee     29
Oak Titmouse     3
Bushtit     37
White-breasted Nuthatch     6
Brown Creeper     1
Bewick’s Wren     1
Marsh Wren     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     23
Western Bluebird     5
Hermit Thrush     1
American Robin     28
Wrentit     1
European Starling     10
Cedar Waxwing     58
Yellow-rumped Warbler     24
Spotted Towhee     23
California Towhee     5
Savannah Sparrow     3
Fox Sparrow     2
Song Sparrow     2
White-throated Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     89
Dark-eyed Junco     38
Red-winged Blackbird     18
Western Meadowlark     6
Lesser Goldfinch     16
American Goldfinch     1