Towheeblog

*David Bailey sent this email about the first grosbeak seen below: “Rose-breasted Grosbeak or hybrid was photographed by Susan Harrison in the link here…”

Here is some commentary on this exquisite gallery:
Roadside, fence-post Prairie Falcon in snow, north of Frenchglen, Hwy 205.
Burrowing Owl at attention.
The first-year male Blue Grosbeak, in molt; Malher Field Station.
MacGillivray’s in molt, Page Springs. Also there, a Wilson’s Warbler admiring his own reflection in the water which held the only possible morsels for the starving migrant on a feeziong day.

Black Tern just a few feet away, they soared and swooped and scooped (on pond surface) as we stood in freezign wind on the berm at the Burns Sewer Ponds. Ignore the setting and it is brillian birding. Ducks, gulls, cormorants, Snow Geese.

Say’s Phoebe, shrike, Lazuli, Eared Grebes, ruddy, Lark Sparrow, Ferrug on nest at MP17 of Hwy 205, waswings, starving female BH Grosbeak [*maybe not, see top of blog] at P Ranch where there was also the Bald Eagle nest–one adult and one juvie, kestrel kouple kuddling at headquarters, Sagebrush Sparrow singing atop namesake plant, Great Horned Owl nest at Hwy 205 MP 42 in the cliff and both parents present, cranes, Chipping Sparrows, Yellow Warbler, American Bittern pretending to be upright grasses at Buena Vista, Wilson’s Phalarope and the female gets the bold plumage and he gets to incubate the eggs, Western Tanager with his cherry face.

Next month photos like these could be in your camera.
My next Field Station sponsored birding trip: June 2-7. There are some seats in the van still open. This is the best trip for Bobolink and Eastern Kingbird (not here in early May) and Common Nighthawk. Call 541-493-2629 for details.
September trip is 7-12, includes trip to summit of Steens Mountain and a visit to the snow-tortured aspens with horizontal trunks.