[obol] Scio BBS & Marion County Jackrabbit

[Jeff Harding]

Bill Thackaberry and I found 64 species on the Scio Breeding Bird Survey
this morning. The route runs from near Scio, Linn County, through Lyons,
into Marion County at Mehama, then taking back roads through grass fields
and Christmas trees to Union Hill, south of Silverton. Notable species
included:

 

A pair of Bald Eagles was on Thomas Creek, east of Scio, the first for this
route.

Wilson's Snipe were winnowing at the first stop, east of Scio.

An Olive-sided Flycatcher was singing in the hills south of Lyons, nice to
hear.

A Yellow-breasted Chat was singing near the end of the route, in Marion
County.

A Vesper Sparrow was singing in a Christmas tree Farm near the end, on
Triumph Road, Marion County.

 

There was a Black-tailed Jackrabbit at Union Hill, still out and about at
9:00 AM. Three years ago we found one dead on the road on the way home from
this survey. There must be a small population of these rabbits still hanging
on in the area. Chris Maser, in Mammals of the Pacific Northwest (1998),
says they "formerly reached the vicinity of Salem", but have mostly
disappeared from the Willamette Valley.

 

Cheers,

Jeff Harding

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/private/obol/attachments/20070603/3c41b157/attachment.htm