Albert Ryckman and I spent three and a half hours birding Ankeny today. The weather was calm, no wind and no rain and no rarities, but lots of birdy activity. I got my FOY views of waxwings and Swainson’s Thrush which I had only heard previously. The waxwings were in a bare tree along Buena Vista Road north of Wintel Road and south of the railroad crossing. They were next to two large conifers abloom with climbing wisteria, east of Buena Vista.
The thrush were scattered through the brush beneath the tall trees and sneaky as always. Albert got some good shots of one who stopped moving in the shadows and presumed invisibility.
The Black-headed Grosbeaks were singing, chasing, and one pair was beginning a nest.
Framing and foundation in place:
The Yellow Warbler males were also competing for dominance and even the Warbling Vireos made themselves visible.
ATTEMPTED AVICIDE?
Albert Ryckman photographed this grebe match before I arrived. He is a retired medical so he;s seen some animal violence effects, but he was shocked by this as the female watched while the two males apparently tried to drown one another. At times both combatants were beneath the surface for more than a few seconds. Of course, this species is an excellent diving swimmer.
Here are Albert’s shots of one or more of the Yellow Warblers chasing one another across the willow tops at Pintail Marsh:
ANKENY GALLERY–more of Ryckman’s good shooting:
Ankeny NWR, Marion, Oregon, US
May 11, 2020
43 species
Canada Goose X
Wood Duck 3
Cinnamon Teal 1
Gadwall X
Mallard X
Ring-necked Duck 5
Bufflehead 1
Pied-billed Grebe X
Eurasian Collared-Dove X
Mourning Dove X
Anna’s Hummingbird 2
Sora 1
American Coot 1
Great Blue Heron 8
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Acorn Woodpecker X
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
American Kestrel 2
Warbling Vireo 2
California Scrub-Jay 5
American Crow 3
Tree Swallow 30
Violet-green Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 20
Cliff Swallow 2
European Starling X
Swainson’s Thrush 12
American Robin X
Cedar Waxwing 40
American Goldfinch 10
Song Sparrow 20
Spotted Towhee 6
Red-winged Blackbird X
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Brewer’s Blackbird X
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 5
Black-headed Grosbeak 15
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