Our intrepid band of birders was met with freezing fog at 8AM as we gathered at the Ashland Dog Park.  We soldiered on.  Good views of Red-shouldered Hawk near the Sue Smith bridge over Bear Creek.  A pair of curious Wrentits checked us out when we walked through the willow grove near the bridge.  Wrentits were calling in the frozen air while most birds were silent, even the Scrub-Jays.

Western Bluebirds were into the mistletoe at the oak grove downstream from the bridge.

At Ashland Pond we could not find the Eurasian Wigeon that had been present for over a week.  But two female Lesser Scaup had joined the duck crowd.  The female Hooded Merganser today was on Bear Creek, not Ashland Pond.  A Sharpie was lurking near the pond and thus we saw few small birds of any kind.  The one Lincoln’s Sparrow was just along the waterline on the north side of the pond near the out-flow culvert.   The only Waxwings were a group fly-over.

Mourning Dove, behind the fence at the Ashland sewer plant.  They love that spot in the winter.

Black Phoebe atop sewer plant building.

White-breasted Nuthatch honked at us from the top of a Ponderosa next to Ashland Pond.  By this time (after 10AM) the fog had burned off and our fingers were less numb.

Location:     Bear Creek Greenway–Ashland
Observation date:     11/15/09
Notes:     Saw one pair of Wrentits.
Number of species:     26

Canada Goose     11
Wood Duck     8
Hooded Merganser     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Red-tailed Hawk     4
Mourning Dove     9
Acorn Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1,   Kingfisher   1
Black Phoebe     1
Western Scrub-Jay     2
Black-capped Chickadee     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     5
Western Bluebird     6
American Robin     10
Wrentit     4
European Starling     15
Spotted Towhee     4
Song Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     8
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     6
Red-winged Blackbird     15
Brewer’s Blackbird     20
House Finch     2
American Goldfinch     3,  Lesser Goldfinch 15

Location:     Ashland Pond
Observation date:     11/15/09
Notes:     First Scaup I’ve seen on Ashland Pond this autumn. Eurasian Wigeon not seen today.
Number of species:     17

Canada Goose     31
Wood Duck     2
American Wigeon     60
Mallard     15
Lesser Scaup     2
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Acorn Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1
Western Scrub-Jay     4
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
American Robin     2
Cedar Waxwing     14
Spotted Towhee     2
Lincoln’s Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     8
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     4

It was a Rogue Valley Audubon field trip to Emigrant Lake, southeast of Ashland.  After days of rain, high elevation snow, fog, clouds and general grayness, today was bright though cold.  And the birding gods provided some golden moments.  First we found Western Bluebirds all about us as we birded in the Emigrant Lake Recreation Area.  We managed to rouse the curiosity of a single Oak Titmouse.  Numerous Robins, Acorn Woodpeckers, Juncos, the usual wintering birds.

Out on the lake itself a few Western Grebes, Mallards, Buffleheads all of the female persuasion.  Then Bill Hering spotted a large, sharp-winged bird moving along the far shore.  It was a Peregrine.  Of course, he quickly flew out of sight.

We moved on to the cement spillway.  From there we had good views of Rattlesnake Butte, the rock faced hill overlooking that end of Emigrant Lake.  A pair of very large, dark birds were circling.  Too late in the year for Turkey Vultures which would have been expected there three months ago.  Wings far too long for Raven.  Big head, big tail.  Big bird: two Golden Eagles.  One landed on the butte, then launched itself again.  As we watched a third Golden Eagle crested the hill to our right so for a brief time all three were visible at once.  We got some looks at one eagle through the scope.  Within a few minutes they had all moved over the ridge and out of view. 

We braved the boot caking mud at the south end of the lake to see seven Green-winged Teal females and then a couple of California Towhees, curious about the noise we were making.  And thin clouds of Bluebirds passed overhead a couple times during the morning.  Just as we were nearing our cars to leave Suzanne Hering found our White-tailed Kite on a dead tree above the stubby willows.  The Herings were 2 for 2 on the day.

Location:     Emigrant Lake
Observation date:     11/14/09
Number of species:     28

Canada Goose     300
Mallard     4
Green-winged Teal     7
Bufflehead     5
Hooded Merganser     4
Western Grebe     10
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     3
White-tailed Kite     1
Red-tailed Hawk     3
Golden Eagle     3
American Kestrel     1,           Peregrine 1
Rock Pigeon     40
Acorn Woodpecker     25
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     10
Western Scrub-Jay     35
Common Raven     12
Oak Titmouse     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     2
Western Bluebird     65
American Robin     50
European Starling     40
Spotted Towhee     6,           California Towhee  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow     10
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     15,   Red-winged Blackbird     30
House Finch     1
Lesser Goldfinch     15

It was raining pretty hard this afternoon as I drove out East Main past the middle school soccer fields.  Our of the corner of my eye I noticed a gray-fronted bird flutter down and land just inside the fence.  We addicted birders have these habitat checklists indelibly, unconsciously in mind.  Habitat: short, mown playing field.

Not one of the blackbirds, nor a Starling. Not white like the front of a Killdeer.  No yellow, so no meadowlark.  No orange or blue–not a Robin or Bluebird.  Wrong shape for a Mourning Dove, no visible white either.  All this was considered without my even having to deliberately review the short list of soccer field species.   I had already slammed on the brakes.  This being a secondary road in Oregon, there was no shoulder.  I pulled as close to the ditch as I could.  Turned on the blinker lights and  alighted.  Grabbed my camera and trudged back through the rain.

He was the only snipe I could find.  Otherwise there were a score of Killdeer running about the soggy field.  In the firmly held faith of the Wilson’s Snipe, he knew he was invisible.  Every good snipe knows that bipedal predators can’t see a snipe holding still in the grass.  Besides, the rain was so heavy it was nearly an opaque curtain, right?  So I got within a few feet of this guy behind the fence.  Here’s a picture that may explain why the snipe thought he was invisible:

If you can’t look him in the eye…

EMBARRASSMENT OF EMBERIZINES

Earlier this week at North Mountain Park annex there was a variety of Emberizines, that Sibley denotes as “sparrows and their allies.”  Spotted Towhee, Golden and White-crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Song Sparrow and Juncos.  A good season and good place to be a seed-eater.

APART FROM THE CROWD

Over at Ashland Pond, the same crowd is crowded onto the water.  Dozens of Mallards, at least a hundred wigeon including the one green-headed Eurasian male.  And that single female Hooded Merganser.  The only diving duck among the dabblers. A carnivore amongst vegans.  Although all ducks eat small prey, the Hooded Merganser really thrives on the fish and small animals she catches underwater.  No muck sucking for her, no pond scum saladry, no bottoms-up slurping of the finer vegetation that floats just below the surface.  A nice shimmering minnow is called for, or perhaps a small frog.

Once this week I had an unusual Great Egret there, but he was flying over and didn’t even look down.  One young Blue Heron hunts here regularly.

EMIGRANT LAKE

A few miles past the snipe today I came to Emigrant Lake.  It had exactly the same rain that was falling in downtown Ashland.  Canada Geese, check.  Western Grebe, check.  Scrub-Jay, check.  Crows, yup.  Common Merganser, check.  Mallard, of course.  Pied-billed grebe, check.  And there was one lone female Bufflehead.  A small bird objectively, but afloat on the rain riveted lake surface she looked even tinier than usual.

GARDEN BIRDS

I may have seen the last of the Band-tailed Pigeons for this year.  Haven’t seen any in a week.  The two Wild Turkeys still come by regularly.  The juncos numbers are now over a dozen daily.  Lesser Goldfinches are down to a pair and they’re not around much.  No Siskins yet this year.  The one Mountain Chickadee still gets bullied by the smaller hoodies from the Black-capped gang.  Mourning Doves, first to arrive, last to retire at dusk.  Jays, of course.  And one or two Flickers every day.  This is a male, sometimes a female uses one of the feeders as well.  Theynever appear together in this seaons tough family groups are common in summer.

The Bushtits just crowd around and sample the suet feeder when they’re about.  They never linger.

White-breasted Nuthatch plays his horn, both before and after feeding.  The Spotted Towhees lurk in the shadows and a Song Sparrow has been around almost daily.  And there’s one male Anna’s Hummingbird.

This handsome buck was in front of our neighbors’  home this afternoon.  I can be ignored but that shaggy black dog must be watched every second.  These two does at North Mountain Park were on full canine alert.

Two trees felled by local flat-tails, that would be beavers.  You can see their handiwork, but never the workers themselves.  They’re constantly on the night shift.  Who said logging is dead in Oregon?  These trees are along Bear Creek across the street from North Mountain Park’s nature center.

Rainbow over Bear Creek above.  To the left snow on Mount Ashland.

Adult White-crowned Sparrow at North Mountain Park.

White-throated Sparrow at North Mountain Park.

Lincoln’s Sparrow skulking in the pondside brush, North Mountain Park.

Female Hooded Merganser showing her consummate hairdo.  Ashland Pond.

Lousy picture of male Eurasian Wigeon, alsoon Ashland Pond.  The Wigeons have been hunted and will not stay close to shore when a human is sighted.  This bird may have taken a wrong turn in the Bering Sea and ended up on this side of the Pacific.

Great Blue Heron, in Ashland Pond.  Then looking down from aloft.

At Ashland Pond there was a brief flurry of raptor rage.  A Northern Harrier had caught something, the furry prey and some extraneous grass stalks were hanging from its talons.  A Red-tailed Hawk was in pursuit, hoping to steal the Harrier’s meal.  To escape the Harrier flew swiftly and low to the ground through the trees along Ahsland Pond, forcing the Red-tail to pull up into the air.  At that moment an aggressive White-tailed Kite sturck from above, diving onto the back of the Red-tail.  The Harrier used the distraction to escape, flying north acorss Bear Creek and away from the RT.  The much more agile and swifter kite drove the Red-tail into cover along Bear Creek, leaving the Kite rule of the Billings Ranch range.

Acorn Woodpecker at work in the acorn pantry.  B Steet & Oak, Ashland.

Western Screech-Owl at children’s playground, Butler Playground, in Lithia Park.

Dipper in swirl of Ashland Creek, next to the playground.

I’ve been back to the third pond a cross from North Mountain Park, armed with camera.  Twice I have failed to see the Sora again. No surprise.

“Rails are curious creatures.  Unbirdlike, they are fleet on foot and clumsy in the air; they keep to the thick of marshes, where they live their lives unseen.  Chicken-like…they are awkward, undeveloped-looking creatures that nonetheless are the very wiliest of birds.  Rails are prowlers in places of mud and shadow, slinkers in the reeds and grass, jittery non-descripts that shrink from viewe and slip silenty away.”      –SHADOWBIRDS,  by William Burt.

The Sora, porzana carolina, is less than nine inches long (almost tailless) and weighs less than three ounces.  The one I saw in the pond next ot Bear Creek was swimming.  They paddle about, but are not divers like a Bufflehead or grebe. Unlike the Virginia Rail, or Clapper, the Sora has modest, cootish beak.  In adults the beak is yellowish and this was a mature bird I saw briefly.  Blackish face, yellow beak.

The rails are widespread in America, esp. the Sora and Virginia, but are not often seen.  Like Mountain Quail, they are most often seen fleetingly and accidentally, not because an observer deliberately set out to find the rail.  I do know there are super high tides when the saltmarsh-lover, the large Clapper Rail, can be looked for and found on purpose.  Ditto the coastal wintering Black Rails.  The Sora likes densely overgrown freshwater marshes or coastal brackish marshes. 

Here’s some of the BNA’s description of the Sora: “Soras feed primarily on seeds of wetland plants and on invertebrates. Wild rice is a favorite food in late summer and fall. Although appearing to be weak and reluctant fliers, Soras migrate hundreds of kilometers each spring and fall between breeding and wintering wetlands.”

Sora are legally hunted in 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces but nobody keeps a count.  The range maps I;ve consulted maintain that the bird I saw will NOT winter in the Bear Creek Vallye but head further south.  Flying AWKWARDLY but with a goodly wingspan of 14 inches.

Again, from the BNA: “It is more often heard than seen and gives one of the most distinctive calls of any marsh bird, a loud descending whinny call: whee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee .” 

The Sora does have a laugh that would make an Acorn Woodpecker jealous.  And when you hear it come from the tules, you stop and stare and find no source.

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

On this particular day there was no work at the construction site next to Granite Street owl’s daytime roost.  So he seemed in an equitable mood, and deigned to noitce me down there on the ground.  Ear tufts semi-erect show he’ not really happy seeingvisitors at this hour.  2 PM.

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

I got a chance to do some birding  with the owner of Greensprings Inn today.  He is Diarmuid McGuire.   Turns out we knew each other in an earlier life. 

We met at Emigrant Lake.  There was a line of a few dozen White-fronted Geese and three Cackling Geese on the shoreline of the south end of the lake.  And Western Bluebirds were all over the oaks at the northwest side of the lake, inside the recreation area.
Also onb the shrivelled lake: a few Bufflehead and Western Grebes. 

At the entranbce to the recreationarea we watched a Kestrel swoop down on a Red-tailed Hawk hunting in a hay field.  No harm, no foul.

White-breasted Nuthatch in white oak at Emigrant Lake.  You could have a three nuthatch day while staying at Greensprings.  The red-breasted would be right outside your door.  White-breasted at abundant at Emigrant Lake and Pygmy can be seen on the road from Hwy 140 to Eale Ridge on the west side of Klamath Lake.

GREENSPRINGS INN

The Greensprings In sits on over 100 acres of woodland at the intersection of Hwy 66 and the Hyatt Lake Road.  It’s 17 miles from I-5 and Hwy 66 in Ashland.  The resort has a restaurant where I had a great breakfast burrito.  There are motel-style rooms and five new cabins, each with great mountain views and woodsy privacy.  On the grounds we found Purple Finches, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Ravens and Steller’s Jays.  The latter were making lots of angry noises high in a Ponderosa but we could not see what they were loudly despising.  Likely an owl or accipiter.

In the spring there will be Hermit Warblers, Cassin’s Vireo, Juncos, Chipping Sparrows, Dusky Flycatchers, Barn Swallows and Rufous Hummingbirds.

McGuire and I will put together information on some birding excursions from the Inn that may be of interest to visitors there.  It is on the north edge of the extensive Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.  There are numerous great hiking trails, fine widlfowers and butterflies in spring and summer.  The birding areas are all around.  It’s 45 minutes eastward to the Klamath Basin.  Within a few minutes are Hyatt Lake and then further north Howard Prairie: Osprey, Bald Eagle, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Cassin’s Finch, Sandhill Cranes, White Pelican, Northern Goshawk, Vesper Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, Wilson’s Snipe.  Just west of the Inn at Greensprings Summit (El. 4551′) you can turn north on a road that goes past Little Hyatt reservoir: Dipper at the dam, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Lazuli Bunting, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Cassin’s Vireo, Chipping Sparrow.  About 1.5 miles west of the Inn is Keene Creek reservoir.  Today there were Hooded and Common Merganser, and Bufflehead on the lake.  In late summer I’ve seen both Common and the elusive Barrow’s Goldeneye here.

Hwy 66 between the Inn (4500′) and Emigrant lake down at 2500′ is good territory for Lewis’s Woodpecker in winter.  I saw one from the car.  Also: Acorn Woodpecker, possible Sooty and Ruffed Grouse, Western Meadowlark, Lesser Goldfinch, Lazuli Buting, Green-tailed Towhee, Northern Goshawk.