10:30pm. This just in–the Motus robin was sensed again by the Motus sensor at Ankeny, around sunset on Saturday, Feb. 4 (100 GMT, Sunday). So the bird had not left the area but moved to someplace beyond the antenna’s scope. It had been eighteen days since this robin was last sensed…that day there was a lot of noise in the area which may have caused the robin to re-locate temporarily.
Many days this season we get a pair of Varied Thrush, almost daily at least the male. Robins less often. Today a very robust, deeply orange-chested one came by. Wintering down from Alaska, based on size and plumage hints. Click on image for full screen view.
I can’t imagine a Hermit Warbler in our neighborhood. Very little hermetic habitat, just the dozens of goldfinches and juncos alone would shatter the hermetic shield. We might get a migrating Swainson’s briefly, but we are four blocks from the nearest creek so that bird would smell the moisture and vamoose. Bluebirds and TOSO even less likely so these are thrushes and we’re proud to have ’em.
Any hypersensitive design consultant would mumble, “Molting is revolting.”
Fifty goldfinches? Sixty? Here’s a small sample:
Give us this day our daily siskin:
Last yesterday afternoon Vince Zauskey saw a half dozen Turkey Vultures flying north over Ashland–headin’ our way. They are always among the first returning migrants. Other early arrivals include Osprey and passing cranes, some of which have to go all the way back to Siberia.
Sea otter population doing well in North Pacific–click here.
How do they stay warm in frigid waters? Click here for explanation.
954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Feb 7, 2023
17 species
Mourning Dove 20
Northern Flicker 1
California Scrub-Jay X
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Bushtit 20
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
European Starling 3
Varied Thrush 2
American Robin 1
Pine Siskin 1
Lesser Goldfinch 4
American Goldfinch 50
Dark-eyed Junco 30
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 chasing one another
Towheeblog 
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