Towheeblog

The Granite Street Screech-Owl was perched outside his cavity again this afternoon.  I saw him about 3 p.m. and he was wide awake, watching the dog and me on our walk.  Then twenty minutes later he was not to be seen.  But around 530pm, my wife again saw him at the entrance to his den.  No jays about this time.  If you’re looking for him: 189 Granite Street, large tree next to the “for sale” sign.

TOUVELLE

In the early afternoon I made a short stop for some birding at Touvelle County Park along the Rogue River.  There in a tree was a lone Northern Rough-winged Swallow, the first I’ve seen this spring.  Here’s my best shot:

 Dozens of Tree Swallows were feeding and flitting on and off bare oak branches.  Out over the river Violet-greens were hitting the surface, catching either a quick drink or a slow insect. Tree Swallow perched. 

Several were checking out nest holes.

A few Snipe were hanging around a vernal pool on the west edge of the Denman Wildlife Refuge.  Acron Woodpeckers were loud and numerous.  Across the river the rough outlines of Blue Herons could be seen on some of the treetop nests.

Closer at hand I tried chasing a Brown Creeper on his bark-covered merry-go-round.

Busy, busy, busy.  So much bark, so little time.  Here’s one of  him in rapid motion:

One thing has stood still for a long time: Upper Table Rock.  So I satisfied myself with a nice static shot of it looming behind the trees on the north bank of the Rogue:

Location:     Touvelle County Park
te:     3/31/09
Notes:     Several Blue Herons on their nests across the Rogue River.
Number of species:     20

American Wigeon     2
Common Merganser     5 all in the river
Great Blue Heron     12
Turkey Vulture     1
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Killdeer     4
Wilson’s Snipe     6
Acorn Woodpecker     10
American Crow     1
Tree Swallow     75
Violet-green Swallow     30
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
Brown Creeper     1
American Robin     10
Spotted Towhee     3
Song Sparrow     1
Golden-crowned Sparrow     15–they’ll be migrating out soon
Red-winged Blackbird     5
Western Meadowlark     1–singing on the flatland above the river valley