Towheeblog

Wind and rain. No sun. Dust clouds roiling. Loggerhead Shriek, Burrowing Owl, Western Kingbird, singing Savannah Sparrow were all along Ruh-Red Road. Silvies River there is totally dry.

Red-tails nesting at top of the highest cottonwood towering over Refuge HQ. A Ferrugy nesting again in lone juniper west of Hwy 205 at MP 17. Golden Eagles back kat their nest n cliff along Harney Lake Road. Ravens on cliff where Prairie Falcons nested last srping.

Both species of locally breeding gulls covering irrigated fields south of Crane, even during rain storm.

Brief early visit to HQ: RB Nuthatch, RC Kinglets, Sharpie, siskin, Cassin’s Finch, three common warbler species–Yellow-rump, Yellow, Orange-crowned, many White-crowned Sparrows still. Singing Marsh Wren at Marshall Pond.

GH Owlets still around nest at both HQ and Field Station gym building. Magpies also nesting near the gym building.

Just after sunset two (or more) Short-eared Owls hunting in fields north of Sodhouse Road just west of Refuge HQ. Many snipe winnowing from flooded fields in that area as well.

Only Say’s Phoebe seen so far was at Crystal Crane where only coots were in the large wetland pond. Bald Eagles seen in field near Princeton Bluff. Another in field just north of Crane store.

Sage Thrashers have been spotted but not heard singing, YET.