[obol] Lane Raptor Route #1 - 11/26/2006

[Anne & Dan Heyerly]

Obol,

As promised on 12/1 here is the late report for Lane County Raptor Route #1 that Anne and I completed on Nov. 26, 2006.

Lane #1 roughly speaking is the area west and northwest of Eugene surrounding Fern Ridge Reservoir with the following boundaries: Cantrell Rd. and Hwy. 126 (W. 11th Ave.) to the south, Central Rd. and Territorial Rd. to the west, Hwy. 36 to the north, and Greenhill Rd./Eugene Airport/Fir Butte Rd./Fisher Rd./K.R. Neilsen Rd. to the east.

When comparing this year's count with that of November's (also the 26th) of 2005, overall numbers are mixed. Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, White-tailed Kite, and Turkey Vulture numbers are down. Red-shouldered Hawks and Peregrine Falcons are up, although these species' numbers were low in 2005. I think four is the most Red-shouldered Hawks we have ever counted on this route.

The day was overcast with SW winds at 15-20mph (approx.), 45 to 48-degrees, with intermittent strong wind and rain. We drove 63 miles over 4 hours 26 min. 

The numbers following each species are 2006/2005 numbers

Red-tailed Hawk 10/33
American Kestrel 17/16
Northern Harrier 14/53 (big change. Vole population crash?)
Bald Eagle 5/2 (4 adults + 1 sub-ad.)
Red-shouldered Hawk 4/2
White-tailed Kite 6/15
Peregrine Falcon 3/1
Turkey Vulture 2/11 (recent cold and wet weather maybe has driven the less hardy individuals south?)

This year's misses included Rough-legged Hawk (1 in 2005, but it is still early), Prairie Falcon (2 in 2005), and Accipiters of any kind (1 Cooper's & 2 Sharp-shinned in 2005).

Other species seen of note that are not raptors are Northern Shrike (2-both juv./one on K.R.Neilsen Rd. and one on Cantrell Rd.), Pileated Woodpecker (1 on Jeans Rd.), and 1 CATTLE EGRET (inside the corral of a barn south of Clear Lake Rd. right where Childers Rd. takes off to the north). 

That's it. 

Good birding.

Dan Heyerly
Eugene
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