Heard in the tree,
But hard to see,
How many grosbeaks
Can there possibly be?
The Black-headed Grosbeaks were in voice this morning. Didn’t manage to see a single one. As both males and females sing I can only guess at how many nesting pairs there are along the South Yamhill River in Joe Dancer Park.
As the morning warmed up, Turkey Vultures were circling over the ridge…then a Red-tail joined them in a small kettle and a crow came out of the woods and started diving onto the hawk, ignoring the vultures.
There were men on mowers going over the park’s extgensive playing fields. A quartet of Barn Swallows were coursing low over the grass, following the mowers. In my experience it is the Barn Swallow that is most likely to hawk insects just above ground level. All our swallows will do that sometimes, but the Barnies are most often speeding past your ankles when the insects are available. And they appear to adore mowing machines. Meanwhile, the Vaux’s Swifts and a Tree Swallow were seen above the treetops along the river.
Barn Swallows, just a blur…
Pewee in terrible light along the river.
A bee is a wonderful thing to behold these days. Working the thimbleberries.
Joe Dancer Park, Yamhill, Oregon, US
May 15, 2017 9:45 AM – 10:35 AM. 18 species
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 4
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) 3 fly over
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 2
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 3 singing
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 4
Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 21
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 1 singing
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 8–at least that many singing voices heard in different locations
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) X
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) X
Towheeblog 
Leave a Reply