Well, the Riverfront Park eagles are dependable, predictable, one on nest, the other elsewhere. No nestlings to feed so all is calm, consistent, today and yesterday and tomorrow (until hatching) merge into a 35-day waiting period. Last time I was at Riverfront the footbridge went over water only–no gravel bar. Water has receded and gravel reappears. As did birds who like that spot–kingfisher (always a male, nest somewhere near?), three Killdeer and three snipe! Those long beaks pump in and out of the riverbed–the intense sensory system on the beak tip sending lots of data to the snipe brain–feel, chemical analysis, vibrations. Just info leads to bits and bites. The bird was too busy to turn around and look at me. Today’s successful snipe hunt:
Salem Riverfront Park, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 16, 2023
14 species
Cackling Goose 20
Canada Goose 12
Mallard 10
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Killdeer 3
Wilson’s Snipe 3
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Bald Eagle 1 on nest
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
American Crow 9
European Starling 2
American Robin 25
House Finch 1
954 Ratcliff Drive SE, Marion, Oregon, US
Mar 16, 2023
17 species
Wild Turkey 15
Mourning Dove X
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Steller’s Jay 1
California Scrub-Jay 4
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1
Bushtit X
Varied Thrush 2
American Robin 1
American Goldfinch X
Fox Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 30
Spotted Towhee 2 mated pair feeding together
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Towheeblog 
Leave a Reply