Towheeblog

Now when I an in the right habitat, the Cedar Waxwings appear. Fluttering flocks moving through the trees and any shrubs that promise fruit or blooms.
On Sunday we saw more than one group at Luckiamute SNA:

This morning at the nearby park in south Salem, the dog and I came across: 1) an upset screaming Green Heron along Clark Creek; 2) a Cooper’s Hawk speeding into the cottonwoods and vanishing from sight; 3) a flock of over 3 dozen waxwings, apparently unconcerned about the hawk’s presence.

Yesterday we slowed down to let two Wild Turkeys amble across the street near our home. It was on Pioneer just south of Ratcliff Drive. This was at least my fifth turkey sighting here in densely-peopled south Salem. I can only marvel at where they must roost and breed? There is no large public open space or forest nearby. Both males and females grow the feathery chest ornament ill-named as “beard”.

The turkey is probably the fastest running bird in America, getting up to 25MPH. Beats me, but still much slower than the world champion, Ostrich.

OTHER RECENT SIGHTINGS:

Male Anna’s. Luckiamute Rover near where we saw a female Hooded Merganser, and just upstream from where it joins the Willamette. Half-grown young Killdeer and Mallard ducklings at Fairview Wetlands. White-crowned Sparrow bush-topping at Luckiamute. Tree Swallow.

FLOWERY