Towheeblog

Northward migration is intense right now. Nearly all our “winter” burds are gone from our little garden. A single Golden-crowned Sparrow appeared in our garden today. I did see a foraging flock of yellow-rumps in Clark Creek Park. Yesterday there will still large flocks of cacklers grazing at Basket Slough, flighty but still not gone…but soon.

Rich Shcramm reports another Dunlin passed the Ankeny Motus Tower yesterday. “:This one hung around for ~19-20 minutes and the tag was detected 125 times. Mostly on CTT antenna L2 (bearing 209 degrees) and a few hits on L3 (bearing 285 degrees).”

This dunlin was at Ankeny around 1PM yesterday. Originally tagged by Ausdubon Canyon Ranch project in December along Tomales Bay, CA. So even some birds that winter along the coast will choose to m igrate northward along a path that is partially inland.

Here’s the route map for Dun,lin #4 as of yesterday, stopover at Oysterville, WA:

The score at Ankeny now (tower put up last fall): Dunlin 4, robin 1, California Condor (and hundreds of others) 0. Maybe we should re-name Ankeny Dunlin Tower?

Click here for website for Ankney Motus…site built by Rich Schramm–most motus towers have no such public face…yet. Rich is making his software available.

Salem Audubon president, Tiom Johnson noted the busy skies last night: “According to BirdCast.com, an estimated 1,149,400 birds crossed Marion County last night. That’s the highest number I have ever seen. Lots of birds moving through the area these days, mostly songbirds.”