Towheeblog

This (May 23) was the first day of our Field Station birding trip.  We began at the Field Station–our one surprise was an Ash-throated Flycatcher.  After breakfast we went to the refuge headquarters–found on adult and all three juvie Great Horned Owls. Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Willow Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher.
Then west on Sodhouse Road, north on Hwy 205 past the arid Narrows, toa stop at the Milepost 16 Ferrugy nest.  Both adults on nest together briefly, at least 3 nestlings.  East onRuh-red.  Before the staked out Burrowing Owl spot we found lark, shrike, Vesper Sparrow.  Then to the wealth of marshlands at the delta of the Silvies River.  Many Wilson’s Phalarope, variety of ducks.

North to Lawen, then east on Hwy 78 to Crystal Crane–avocet and stilt in their manmade marsh.  From there to Crane we began a serious raptor run: four Golden Eagles and  a handful of Ferruginous and Swainson’s and over a half dozen Bald Eagles.  One irrigated field alone had fifty ravens. Western Kingbirds on the fencelines.  At the Princeton Bluff a Prairie Falcon sped overhead and disappeared into some crevice.  We did then find a busy Red-tailed Hawk Nest.
From there west on Sodhouse Road, two mpore Prairie Falcons.  Down the gravel road from refuge HQ to Knox Pond: our first Ruddy Ducks and Canvasbacks to add to our ducks list which already included Green-winged Teal and Redheads and all the usual suspects.

South tomorrow to Buena Vista, Krumbo and beyond.  Over 70 species so far.