A Portland birder and I wandered through parts of FInley NWR today which began cold and foggy. My friend got plenty of good images into his camera: Tundra Swans, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Golden-crowned Sparrows feasting on winterized apples. The Rough-legged Hawk was along Bruce Road at the southwest corner of the refuge. McFadden and Cabell Marshes were both crowded with waterfowl, the diving ducks mainly at Cabell. We saw three Black Phoebe–each at its chosen body of water.
ORDINARY=EXTRAORDINARY
A common introduced tree (apple) with its winter wounded fruit, an abundant wintering sparrow (golden-crowned), some ordinary wibnter light=an extraordinary delight as we watched a fruit festival at the one tree by Prairie Overlook. Click on any image for screen.
In typical sparrow fashion many of the same golden-crowns also foraged in the grass:
At any given moment there was usually a flock of geese aloft, usually sent up by a threatening eagle. At McFadden Marsh the larger swans paddled around while the Snow Geese huddled up asleep.
McFADDEN MARSH
The Dunlin(e) at Cabell Marsh:
William L. Finley NWR, Benton, Oregon, US
Jan 21, 2022
38 species
Snow Goose 80 at Mc Fadden Marsh
Cackling Goose 5000
Canada Goose X
Tundra Swan 500
Northern Shoveler X
Mallard X
Northern Pintail X
Green-winged Teal X
Ring-necked Duck X
Common Merganser–seen in photo of swans I took at McFadden Marsh
Bufflehead X
Ruddy Duck X
American Coot X
Dunlin 150–on logs at Cabell Marsh, sleeping at 2pm
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 8
Northern Harrier 4–including two adult males
Bald Eagle 3
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Rough-legged Hawk 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 6
Black Phoebe 3
Steller’s Jay 3
California Scrub-Jay 1
American Crow X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
European Starling X
American Robin 1
Dark-eyed Junco 15
Golden-crowned Sparrow 60-at the Prairie Overlook apple tree festival
Song Sparrow 8
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1
Spotted Towhee 10
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
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