Towheeblog

This is not political…these returns are birds back in their breeding range or still en route.  Two  news species for the year:  Vaux’s Swift high over my house in northwest McMinnville this morning.  Two hours later at least two Chipping Sparrows at Wennerburg Park in Carlton.  There was a lone White-crowned Sparrow in our garden yesterday, likely heading north as they do not breed near our home.  Last one I saw here was back in October, heading south then.

There had been one report on eBird of a swift in this county last week. This is the time the swifts came back last year as well: mid-April. There are no previous Yamhill reports of Chippers on eBird this spring.

Whitey:CHIPPER

There are other, distant returnings.  Birds leaving here and arriving there–no juncos in our garden now after they spent most of October through March as the most abundant species, always cleaning up seeds on the ground.  I knew they were getting restless when the males began chasing each other around…unlike hummers the juncos don’t  bother to chase much when it is cold.  All the Audubon’s Warblers are gone, while one or two myrtles come by, not having left yet for Alaska.

BATHTITS

All that nest-building leaves one hot and dusty, time for a good wash-up:

BIRDLY BUSINESS and LEAVING A MARK

The deer print was along Cozine Creek.  Two finch species in my garden, inc. one of the siskins I saw eating our cherry blossoms.  The flicker pair were at Wennerberg.

In the city-owned, undeveloped park along Cozine Creek:

820 NW 19th Street, McMinnville, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Apr 15, 2020
14 species

Eurasian Collared-Dove  X
California Scrub-Jay  X
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Bushtit  5
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
European Starling  X
American Robin  X
House Sparrow  X
House Finch  X
Pine Siskin  10
Dark-eyed Junco  0     MISSED in our garden for first time since last fall
White-crowned Sparrow  1
Golden-crowned Sparrow  2
Spotted Towhee  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2

820 NW 19th Street, McMinnville, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Apr 16, 2020
12 species
Eurasian Collared-Dove  X
Vaux’s Swift  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
California Scrub-Jay  1
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  1
Bushtit  X
European Starling  6
Pine Siskin  10
Lesser Goldfinch  X
Golden-crowned Sparrow  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1

Wennerberg Park, Carlton, OR, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Apr 15, 2020
11 species
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  4
Barn Swallow  1
European Starling  X
American Robin  8
Lesser Goldfinch  3
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4

Wennerberg Park, Carlton, OR, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Apr 16, 2020
10 species
Killdeer  1     fly over
Turkey Vulture  1
Acorn Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
European Starling  X
American Robin  12
Lesser Goldfinch  3
American Goldfinch  1
Chipping Sparrow  2     first of year
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4

Cozine Creek forest, Yamhill, Oregon, US
Apr 15, 2020
8 species
Anna’s Hummingbird  1
Northern Flicker  2
Steller’s Jay  2
California Scrub-Jay  3
Brown Creeper  1
Bewick’s Wren  1
American Robin  11
Orange-crowned Warbler  2