SALEM WATERS ON A MONDAY

Posted by: atowhee | November 16, 2020

SALEM WATERS ON A MONDAY

The dog and I checked out a trio of southeast Salem waters at mid-day. Lots of ducks at Fairview Wetland, not much at Walling Lake and gulls galore at Cascades Gateway. Gateway had five species of gull. Fairview had over a dozen snipe and a full complement of dabblers. That complement compliments the deeper waters nicely. As did my first diving ducks of the season there–three female and one male Bufflehead paddling proudly atop open water. Much of the cockleburr stand is now submerged with only islands of dormant wisteria above the surface.

SNIPE ALOFT

Later I saw single bird in the air. They have that pell-mell, zig-zag flight. I have seen peregrine repeatedly miss snipe in flight, too unpredictable.

CASCADES GATEWAY

In first image the dark, first-year gull is California, to the right ins pale ring-billed; the petite Mew Gullis center in next three images. Second and third images have first years western, dark on the right,; lying on its belly is first year Glaucous-winged gull on left; I will not vouch for the parentage of the mongrel Mallard. Fourth image shows adult glaucous-winged to far right and three of the scaup in background at left.

Fairview Wetlands, Marion, Oregon, US
Nov 16, 2020
18 species

Cackling Goose 2 in wetlands; small flocks flew overhead
Canada Goose 34
Cinnamon Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 6
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 2
Mallard 60
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 30
Bufflehead 4 frst divers I’ve seen here this season; water much deeper than it was last week
American Coot 2
Wilson’s Snipe 16
Northern Flicker 1
White-crowned Sparrow X
Golden-crowned Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Spotted Towhee 1
Red-winged Blackbird 35

Posted in birding, birds, ducks & geese, Icterids, Marion County, migratory birds, natural history, oregon, shorebirds, sparrows, Willamette Valley | Tags: Bufflehead, California Gull, Cascades Gateway Park, Fairview Wetlands, Glaucous-winged Gull, gulls, Lesser Scaup, Mallard, Mew Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Walling Lake, Western Gull, Wilson's Snipe

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