Towheeblog

Also at the Mill Creek Wetlands this morning: over two dozen snipe that we unsettled from their marshy margins, sending them zig-zagging into the distance, a fly-over Tree Swallow as I was leaving, singing Marsh Wrens and meadowlarks, red-wings caught up in territorial enactments, several yellowlegs, one Black Phoebe working the marsh. Did not re-find the Rough-legged Hawk seen yesterday.

Today I was accompaied by bird photographers Albert Ryckman and Tim Johnson. Just before we left the shrike seemed to tire of being chased around by Albert and me. He finally posed nearby, with sun at our backs. “Take my picture, leave me alone.” I don’t think he realized it was noon, starting to rain and we were leaving anyway. This superb image shows sharp detail, including the fine horizontal markings on the bird’s chest:

Roy Gerig first saw this bird weeks ago. Here’s his comment indicating it is a first year bird, molting:

“I looked for the Shrike around 1pm today and did not see it.  1 year old Shrikes are changing rapidly into more adult plumage in late winter.  The bird in your pics was certainly the same one and it now looks less brown than when I saw it.” 

I added the wetlands to eBird as a hot spot.

Mill Creek Wetlands, Marion, Oregon, US
Feb 21, 2022
23 species

Cackling Goose  X
Canada Goose  X
Green-winged Teal  20
American Coot  X
Killdeer  1
Wilson’s Snipe  26
Greater Yellowlegs  8
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
American Kestrel  1
Black Phoebe  1
Northern Shrike  1
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  1
Marsh Wren  X
American Robin  2
Savannah Sparrow  X
Western Meadowlark  25
Red-winged Blackbird  40

If yOu haven’t heard about Hank the Tank, the bear, CLICK HERE.