[obol] backyard birds

[Bobbett Pierce]

South Columbia County: Several new birds for the season showed up this week 
in the backyard (capped): a first was a male CALIF. QUAIL.   They are common 
in the Scappoose lowlands a few miles away but not in my yard.  Also showing 
up this week: a half-dozen BAND-TAILED PIGEONS.  More should arrive.  An 
AUDUBON'S WARBLER sampled suet yesterday, and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER took 
a bath today.  A pair of TREE SWALLOWS  sat briefly in our dying locust 
tree, and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was visible perched outside the living 
roon window.  A sharpshin was bothering everyone repeatedly but he isn't 
new.  A pair of bald eagles circled overhead two days ago quite low.  Rufous 
hummers have been back for weeks.  The wintering g-c sparrows, siskins and 
juncos (one a slate-colored type) are slow to leave, and a fox sparrow hangs 
around still.  I am getting fewer daily evening grosbeaks.  Haven't heard 
the mix of geese/crane/swan calling for several nights now coming from 
Scappoose Bay.  Biggest surprise -- just today -- was a herd of ELK within a 
stone's throw of Highway 30 in Warren (3 miles north of Scappoose).  Rare to 
see them in an open field, late in the morning and close to a busy road.  
Lona Pierce, Warren

_________________________________________________________________
Watch free concerts with Pink, Rod Stewart, Oasis and more. Visit MSN 
Presents today. 
http://music.msn.com/presents?icid=ncmsnpresentstagline&ocid=T002MSN03A07001