EARLY, LATE AND A PONDEGRINE FALCON

Early: a Pacific Wren along Ashland Creek in Lithia Park, elevation 2100′.
Late: Black-throated Gray Warbler and Turkey Vulture at Ashland Pond. Also there a Peregrine perched at the west end of the water (hence “pondegrine”).

I check eBird for Jackson County, previous last sighting dates for TV was Oct. 22nd for Black-throated Gray was Oct. 5. ‘BIRDS OF JACKSON COUNTY’ buy Rogue valley Audubon shows some .expectation that both species could be seen through October. So today local records will hep eBird catch-up with local knowledge about these migrants. Also, a Steller’s Jay is still at Ashland Pond, at least two miles from his usual habitat upslope in the conifer zone.

The Pacific Wren is usually not an early arrival down in the valley.but is a regular wintering bird. This little dark and dusky character was foraging among the bare roots and mossy boulders beneath the overhand of an Ashland Craeek cut-bank. That was about sixty yards upstream from Pioneer Street Bridge. Dipper white was seen on rocks there but no sign of the white-maker.

BRIGHT AND BOLD
Lesser Goldfinches eating weed seeds between rain storms.

Ashland Pond, Jackson, US-OR
Oct 26, 2014 1:10 PM – 2:10 PM
26 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 5
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1 blogged photo of this migrating bird
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 1
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) X
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) X
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) 1 very late, blogged pictures of this adult bird
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) X
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) X
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) X
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) X
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 10
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) X