Towheeblog

Five birders from Ashland made a trip through the Scott Valley today in Siskiyou County, California. Species count was pretty good: both eagles, three buteos, three falcons, Northern Harrier and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.  Bird of the day was a Prairie Falcon who has his favored power pole near the Scott River along Quartz Valley Road.

I set a personal record today for Golden Eagles seen in a single day.  Here’s one right by the road on a fence post, and then taking off.

In several locations there were more than one Golden Eagle in view at a time…below is an irrigation pivot on the far side of a field.  The two largest splotches are Golden Eagles, the other dark forms on the pipes are attendant Ravens.  One eagle is on the first fullarc on the left, the other is on arc #3 counting from the left.  This was on Moffett Creek Road, which parallels Hwy 3 north of Fort Jones. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SCOTT VALLEY PICS.

HIGHWAY 3–SISKIYOU COUNTY, Siskiyou, US-CA Nov 29, 2011 10:30 AM. 14 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  45 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  2. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  15. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)  3. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  40 Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  2 Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  1. Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  8. Common Raven (Corvus corax)  25. Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)  15 American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  4 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  50. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  12.

MOFFETT CREEK ROAD, Siskiyou, US-CA Nov 29, 2011 11:00 AM Protocol: Incidental 15 species

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1 Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  18. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 6. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  3. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  10.  Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)  4. Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1 Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  5. Common Raven (Corvus corax)  75. Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)  12. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  55. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  80. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  8. Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)  4 Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)  30.

Scott River Valley, Siskiyou, US-CA Nov 29, 2011 2:30. Incidental 22 species

Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  1 California Quail (Callipepla californica)  30. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  4 Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)  1. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  25. Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)  8. Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)  1. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)  2 American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  4 Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  35 Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  20 Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  12 Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1. Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)  1 Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  6. Common Raven (Corvus corax)  30 Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)  15. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  5000. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  300. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  50. Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)  120. House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)  4.

QUARTZ VALLEY ROAD, Siskiyou, US-CA Nov 29, 2011 12:45. Incidental 32 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  40 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  8 Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  1 California Quail (Callipepla californica)  10 Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1 Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)  1. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1.8 Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)  6. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  2 Merlin (Falco columbarius)  1. Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)  1. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  25 Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  10 Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  6 Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1 Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)  2 Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  5. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  2 Common Raven (Corvus corax)  15. Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  25. Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)  30 White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  5 Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)  25. American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  80. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  2.0 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  3. Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)  3. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4 Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  45 Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)  2 House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)  4.

FORT JONES, Siskiyou, US-CA Nov 29, 2011 10:50. 4 species

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1 Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  15 Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)  1, the only Steller’s in the whole trip. Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  1  …also at Collier Rest Stop we had GC Sparrow and Hermit Thrush along the Klamath River.  And DC Cormorant along the river north of the rest stop about a mile.