[obol] Ridgefield NWR: BARRED OWL, ORIOLES, & Dueling SAPSUCKERS

[Bill Clemons]

Today I birded the River "S" Unit at Ridgefield NWR (~4mi W of I-5 at Exit 14 in SW Washington; http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/ ).


I birded with Barry Woodruff and Scott Carpenter.  

Highlights:

BULLOCK'S ORIOLES are back.  I stopped at the R/R tracks around 8am and there were at least 3 singing.  I had great views of one male.  At least one other was heard later on the refuge toward the far S end.

BARRED OWL:  There was a skittish BARRED OWL in the entrance canyon.  The three of us saw it once around 8:45 and again between 1 & 2pm.  Both times we were standing outside the car, and only saw it as it flew S out of a tree and kept going South over the hill.  Each time it flew from the same vicinity and in the same direction.  The location was on the S side of the road and it was seen from about 50-70 feet below the guardrail just below the center of the entrance canyon road.

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS:  Before Scott and Barry arrived, and while I was ogling the ORIOLE, I heard drumming on the aluminum R/R crossing.  As it turned out, I needed to stand right in the road at the very center of the tracks before I could see the RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER drumming on the aluminum ladder on the red light structure.  Just as I was watching this Pretty fellow, I heard additional drumming on metal.  DUELING SAPSUCKERS! Better than dueling banjos.
There were TWO, and each was drumming on a separate aluminum ladder.  Then one flew to the other and both were on the same ladder for a few seconds before flying toward the river and into the Cottonwood trees there.

As soon as this stopped, I could hear additional drumming on metal from the R/R structure about 150 yards to the S.  

It was a Colorful and Joyous Noise morning!

Birding is the Best excuse to be outdoors,
and avoid doing chores.

Bill Clemons
SW of Portland in Mtn Park
Willclemons AT Yahoo dot com




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