[obol] Tygh Valley Birds, Grrrrr Falcon, NO!

[Donald Sutherland]

So, What’s your nemesis bird?  

At the moment, mine is what I am calling the Grrrrr Falcon.  It started in Detroit, MI, February 2005.  One was on the Ford Motor Company headquarters campus for over a month.  Folks were seeing it in various locations every day so I decided to head up from Columbus, OH and get a look.  I arrived at 0730 and spent all day till dark in the company of about 25 other birders off and on throughout the day.  Nobody saw it.  Next day, it was back in the tree by the parking lot!

I have now gone to Corvallis four times and Tygh Valley twice from Bend, with a total of over 1,000 miles logged and about 25 hours.  Not a glimpse.   I arrived at Tygh Valley today at 0930 and cruised and watched until 1400.  I spent a lot of time on 216 East where the previous sightings have been but I also cruised
Fred Ashley Rd
Fish Hatchery Rd
Sandy River Rd
Conroy Road
Tygh Valley Rd
Juniper Flat Rd

I saw some cool birds but no Gyrfalcon.

This is a list of the birds I encountered so it was a good bird trip none the less:

Canada Goose11
Mallard 5
Ring-necked Pheasant 3
California Quail 46
Northern Harrier - 2 females 1 male
Red-tailed Hawk - 6+
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
Golden Eagle - 1
American Kestrel - 3
Prairie Falcon - 3
Rock Pigeon XX
Western Scrub-Jay 2
Black-billed Magpie 8
Common Raven 14
Mountain Bluebird - 15
White-crowned Sparrow XX
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco XX
Western Meadowlark 15
Brewer's Blackbird XX
House Finch XX
House Sparrow XX

"My spirit soars with the eagle's cry
And the timberline when nightwinds sigh
And so it will be until I die."  Earl Shaffer

Bend, Oregon til February
541-383-1603
770-317-2544