[obol] American Pipit migration in full swing on Mary's Peak, Benton Co.

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

Needing to retrieve two pairs of shoes that our kids accidentally left 
along a road while huckleberry picking in Siuslaw National Forest near 
Mary's Peak a couple of weeks ago, I took advantage of today's fine 
weather for a short hike atop Mary's Peak.

Small flocks of AMERICAN PIPITS were all over the summit area. I 
estimated at least sixty in the areas I covered, but there could well be 
several hundred up there.

At one point eight were perched in one of the small noble firs, preening 
in the sunshine, so I was tempted to call them "tree pipits" in the 
heading above. Many were very actively feeding on the ground and were 
very approachable compared with the usual behavior of wintering flocks 
-- more like their behavior on their alpine breeding grounds. All were 
very buffy.

Just to anticipate the annual Red-throated Pipit discussion, I noted 
that these pipits gave a variety of one-note as well as two-note calls, 
but all of these I checked out well (at least 40 of the 60) were 
certainly American/Buff-bellied Pipits. I couldn't even make a ssp. 
japonicus out of any.

Also around the summit I found an AUDUBON'S WARBLER and two RUBY-CROWNED 
KINGLETS which must be recent arrivals. I also saw a HERMIT THRUSH 
(giving "chup" calls), which might be either a recent migrant or one of 
the small suspected breeding population. A flock of eight WESTERN 
BLUEBIRDS by the parking lot were mostly juveniles, still showing a few 
spots.

A few HERMIT WARBLERS were still in breeding habitat in mature firs 
lower down.

Along the road as I drove back down, an injured young SOOTY GROUSE with 
one bad leg was hobbling slowly across the road as I went back down. I 
was considering whether to haul it into the local rehabbers, but as I 
crept alongside it flew up into the high branches of a roadside Douglas 
fir. Its flight was strong even though the one bad leg was dangling, and 
it seemed to perch fine, so maybe it will survive on its own.

An adult GREEN HERON and two BLACK PHOEBES were still on the river at 
the south end of Willamette Park in Corvallis, later in the day.

Good birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
jgeier at attglobal.net