[obol] Fern Ridge Res. Lane Co., July 4, 2007

[Anne & Dan Heyerly]

Anne and I birded Fern Ridge this morning between 6am and 11am. Cool, calm,
clear, and critterless except for the 70 species of birds and many species
of dragonflies.  All of the shorebird species except for the stilts were in
southern end of the empoundment east of the dike running southeast from the
viewing platform, which can be reached by walking west from the gate at the
end of Royal Ave. The stilts were mostly west of that dike, with one seen
early in the area where all the peeps were seen later. We did not venture
north of Royal Ave. We also spent a little time near the dam where we
observed several juvenile Aechmophorus grebes begging. There were both
Clark’s and Western adults in the area.

 

Highlights follow with ones of special interest in “bold”:

 

Black-crowned Night-heron (1 adult and 1 sub-adult flying west approximately
100 yards south of the viewing platform and dropping down into a low area of
the marsh approximately ¼ mile west of the dike) This occurred approximately
620am.

Great Egret (2 or 3)

American Bittern (many calling, 1 seen)

American Wigeon (1)

Northern Pintail (3)

Redhead (many – didn’t count)

Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)

Virginia Rail (2 seen and many heard. Anne got some great photos of a
calling adult about 6-feet away)

Black-necked Stilt (several)

Semipalmated Plover (1)

Greater Yellowlegs (3)

Spotted Sandpiper (2)

Western Sandpiper (10 approx. – all appeared to be adults)

Least Sandpiper (10 approx. – also all adults)

Bonaparte’s Gull (1)

Caspian Tern (5 approx.)

Black Tern (50 approx.)

Willow Flycatcher (several calling near the gate and in the meadow to the
south of the gate)

Black Phoebe (3) one in the NW corner of the Redhead Pond, one on the west
side of the dike approximately 100 yards south of the NW corner of the
Redhead pond, and one near the boat ramp on the west side of the spillway
along Clear Lake Rd.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds (6 approx)

 

All of the teal appear to be in eclipse. The ones we could see up close and
study all turned out to be Cinnamon Teal. Couldn’t make any of them into
Blue-winged. No Purple Martins were seen.  A couple of swallows went by that
first struck me as Bank Swallows, but I was never afforded a conclusive
look.

 

Dan Heyerly

Eugene


No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.14/885 - Release Date: 7/3/2007
10:02 AM
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/private/obol/attachments/20070704/fde935b4/attachment.htm