Towheeblog

The crocus are unfazed.  Yet in past days we have had hail, snow, rain, cold wind, graupel, clouds on the rooftops and plenty of other wintry effusions.  Spring officially a month away.  Migrating Turkey Vultures are being seen heading north through the Rogue River Valley.  Mt artemesia bush is bursting with blooms.  But there was snow on the ground, ice on the bird baths, when I awoke this morning.Ducks at Yamhill Sewer Ponds–Lesser Sacup and Bufflehead.Song Sparrow:Busytits at the suet again.One of two Myrtle Warblers at our feeders this week.  I learned at the Willamette Bird Symposium this winter that myrtles out-number Audubon’s in the winter months.  War-war is an Audubon’s Warbler that has been in our garden repeatedly.Highlight at Yamhill Sewer Ponds where it was very cold precipitant, somewhere on the icy end of the water scale, were the small cluster of  Wood Ducks in with the Shovelers and scaup.

820 NW 19th Street, McMinnville, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Feb 23, 2017. 14 species

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  2     mated pair, feeding together
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1     calling
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  X
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  X
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)  20
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  X
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata)  2
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  20
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)  1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  0     they see to vanished after being present daily for past two months
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  X

Carlton City Sewer Ponds (restricted access), Yamhill, Oregon, US
Feb 24, 2017 10:00 AM – 10:10 AM
Comments:     No ducks! It felt like an eagle may have just passed  by  or a worker in a loud truck?    3 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  2     in field, not near ponds
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  20
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X

Yamhill Sewage Ponds (restricted access), Yamhill, Oregon, US
Feb 24, 2017.  Comments:     wind and snow.    14 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  6     on the ponds
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  4
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)  30
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  25
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  20
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  1
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  20
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  X     one male singing in the snow