[obol] Falcated Duck & Night-Herons in Eugene

[Dennis Arendt]

Eugene's Wednesday birding group sat for a long time in the Beanery drinking coffee, talking about George's recent trip to Texas and Florida, reviewing the new fifth edition of the NG Bird Guide, doing just about anything except going out into the rain.  It was 8:25 when we left the cozy confines of the coffee shop to search for some birds.  It was still raining.

 

We first went to the Black-crowned Night-Heron roost (corner of Dakota & Burnett, north of Barger) where we found four of the birds sitting motionless high in the row of trees.  A neighbor came over to tell us about the herons.  He and friends have watched them since he moved there in 1990.  In the evenings, when it's not raining, they set up lawn chairs and counted them as they flew out.  His highest count was 32 herons.  It was still raining hard, and we left to check out the Falcated Duck pond (east of I-5 in the trailer park at the Coburg exit).

 

We found the Falcated Duck swimming with many Ring-necked, Gadwalls, Buffleheads, Wigeon and a coot.  We checked in at the office and got approval to look at the duck, then we checked in again as we left.  Being courteous is important for all the future birders who may want to see this bird.  It was still raining.

 

We looked into a few more places, such as, the roads east into the Coburg hills, Armitage Park and the ponds north of the Marathon Coach factory, but there was little to see.  It was still raining.

 

All sort of dry and cozy in one car were Roger Robb, Kit Larsen, George Grier, Don Schrouder and me, Dennis Arendt.
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