[obol] Birds in Morrow & Gant Co.

[mike denny]

Hello All,
This week out in the woods of the Umatilla N.F. we located the following 
birds of note..........

Bald Eagle........1 adult at Red Rock Pond along the 2128 Rd. This 
unexpected species was located on 6 July feeding on dead rainbow trout. 
ODE&W planted hundreds of rainbow trout in Red Rock Pond and this pond is 
now eutrophic. All the trout died and are floating at the surface. The big 
question is where did this adult Bald Eagle come from? This is our first 
summer record from Morrow Co..

Turkey Vultures......2 adult birds attracted to the stink at Red Rock Pond 
on 6 July.

Common Nighthawk........1 adult at nest scrape with two one day old 
fuzz-balls of chicks. The adult bird flushed while performing a distraction 
display. This bird slowly flew past us with its tail dangling as if it were 
broken. It then dropped into the short stiff sage and bunch grass at which 
point we did a nest search and were lucky enough to spot the nest scrape 
under the drip line of a western juniper. There in the scrape were two pale 
tan fuzzy chicks with dark splotching at the tail and at the wing joints. 
Also in the scrape were several egg shell fragments. We never got any closer 
than twenty feet to the scrape. Outstanding sight to see. This was on 6 July 
out on the western edge of Sunflower Flat, Grant Co.. I took several photos 
of the scrape and chicks.

Later Mike

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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA  99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
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