A Sora was in the third and largest pond (as you walk downstream) in the undeveloped part of North Mountain Park this morning.  The three small ponds are alongside Bear Creek and can be reached on a trail that parallels the creek and begins next to the homes lining North Mountain Avenue.  As you approach the Mountain Avenue birdge over Bear Creek from Siskiyou Blvd. you will see the trail on your left between the last house and the bridge.  Thus it is across the street from the developed part of the park.

The Sora is an uncommon bird here in Jackson County, and it’s not certain that it breeds here.  This is the first Sora I’ve seen here.  The checklist for birds of North Mountain Park lists it as only a “spring” species.  This may be a first autumn sighting.   The Sora is a state lifer for me, #264.  It was bobbing its head forward and backward as it swam a few feet from shore, then ducked–should I say railed?–back into the reeds.

In the sparrow flock next to the first and smallest pond there: a White-throated Sparrow.  Left to right: White-throated, Golden-crowned, Song Sparrow.

White-throated Sparrow facing camera, a Golden-crown in the foreground.  These two sparrows are in the genus, Zonotrichia.  Also in that genus: White-crowned.

 

 

Location:     North Mountain Park
Observation date:     11/7/09
Notes:     First Oregon Sora sighting.  Third WT Sparrow in the county for me in last ten days.
Number of species:     18

Mallard     15
Sora     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Acorn Woodpecker     8
Downy Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     2
Black Phoebe     1
Western Scrub-Jay     8
American Crow     15
Black-capped Chickadee     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     6
European Starling     10
Spotted Towhee     1
Song Sparrow     3
White-throated Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     15
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     8
Brewer’s Blackbird     10