Towheeblog

It was Mother’s Day according to Hallmark and the calendar.  But for three Ashland women it was a delayed birthday celebration for one, Judy.  And her gift was a morning in the field, motherhood commemoration had to wait until noon.  And doing a circuit of some Ashland spots we saw about fifty species before the clock and rain interceded.  Besides North Mountain, Ashland Pond and upper Tolman Creek Road, we did drive-bys to see “Grant” on Granite Street (pic below) and check out MacGillivray’s Canyon.  The warbler was there along with a calling Pileated.

Below: This Cedar Waxwing appeared to be all alone at Ashland Pond.

The Hermit Warbler was among the other gleaners in the pines along Tolman Creek.  It was a First-of-season bird for me.  It’s reassuring to hear the whispering Yellow Warblers, surely there’ll be a summer after all.  Bullock’s Orioles were active, calling, chasing, swooping through the cottonwoods along Bear Creek and around Ashland Pond.  The little shy Lincoln’s Sparrow is biding his time until he can get up into the mountain meadows for breeding season.

It was the first time I’d seen a Western Kingbird at the pond.  The Green Heron was a flyover, carrying a stick.  All the wintering ducks at Ashland Pond are now gone.  I recall just a couple years back Evening Grosbeak were not even on the species checklist for North Mountain Park.  I’d only seen one there once before this spring.  Now they’re in serious danger of becoming a “junk bird.”  Today they were feeding on alder and cottonwood buds at both North Mountain and Ashland Pond.  Not related to the other commonly nbamed “grosbeaks,” Eve is our biggest finch.

Location:     North Mountain Park
Observation date:     5/9/10
Number of species:     34

Mallard     2
Common Merganser     2
California Quail     1
Great Blue Heron     2
Turkey Vulture     4
Band-tailed Pigeon     10
Mourning Dove     4
Acorn Woodpecker     8
Downy Woodpecker     1
Hairy Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher     2
Ash-throated Flycatcher     1
Western Kingbird     2
Warbling Vireo     3
Western Scrub-Jay     6
American Crow     1
Tree Swallow     30
American Robin     4
European Starling     10
Yellow Warbler     4
Yellow-rumped Warbler     15
Wilson’s Warbler     6
Yellow-breasted Chat     2
Spotted Towhee     2
Song Sparrow     1
Black-headed Grosbeak     8
Red-winged Blackbird     10
Brewer’s Blackbird     4
Bullock’s Oriole     12
House Finch     1
Lesser Goldfinch     2
American Goldfinch     8
Evening Grosbeak     25

Location:     Ashland Pond
Observation date:     5/9/10
Number of species:     35

Canada Goose     4
Mallard     8
Green Heron     1
Turkey Vulture     2
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Mourning Dove     4
Acorn Woodpecker     6
Downy Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)     1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher     1
Western Kingbird     1
Warbling Vireo     2
Western Scrub-Jay     4
American Crow     1
Tree Swallow     25
Barn Swallow     1
Black-capped Chickadee     4
Bushtit     1
House Wren     1
American Robin     4,    Cedar Waxwing  1
European Starling     6
Orange-crowned Warbler     2
Nashville Warbler     1
Yellow Warbler     4
Yellow-rumped Warbler     12
Townsend’s Warbler     1
Wilson’s Warbler     6
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Spotted Towhee     2
Song Sparrow     2
Lincoln’s Sparrow     1
White-crowned Sparrow     1
Red-winged Blackbird     10
Bullock’s Oriole     6
American Goldfinch     10

Location:     Tolman Creek Rd.
Observation date:     5/9/10
Number of species:     11

Calliope Hummingbird     2
Black-capped Chickadee     2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
Nashville Warbler     4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s)     3
Townsend’s Warbler     1
Hermit Warbler     1 [FOS]
Wilson’s Warbler     1
Spotted Towhee     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)     2
Black-headed Grosbeak     1