How do you avoid the missing one? Listen. Listen some more. Wait. Patience is most important ingredient when you go railing. And now is a good time because they may be calling, and no eggs to incubate, yet. How do you know what you’re hearing? Study calls on yopur app, or click here for calls on Cornell’s All About Birds.
Altogether there were at least four Sora at Fairview Wetlands this afternoon. I saw two, heard two more.
When I first saw the bird in the images it was a quick glimpse. I went away so it would relax because it had seen me.
So when I came back, it once again knew I was there, but it was quite close to marsh edge and so it had to cross about eight feet of shallow, mostly open water. It emerged from the close-up emrgent vegetation, walked deliberately (I have never seen one actually run, like, say, a coot or shorebird). On the far side of the channel it dis-emerged back into the emergents. My parting words, “Sora, it’s been good to know you.” There was no reply, but later three other Soras were making some audible comments.
GEESE–LARGE AND SMALL
Canadas with goslings. Two lone Cacklers, far apart, and fasr from any flock.
FIRST SWIFT (PHOTO) OF THE YEAR
Vaux’s Swift–small, speedy, swirly in flight, unpredictable ion path or direction. One flew past less than twenty feet over my head. No way I could follow with my camera. But this one was making lazy sky loops, maybe going less than fiofty MPH. Got him! Of course, by the time you get on the bird, it’s almost always flying away. I just saw this one among the dozens of swallows.
Two red-tails, a soaring, but soundless, duet:
Fairview Wetlands, Marion, Oregon, US
May 5, 2023
27 species
Cackling Goose 2
Canada Goose 19
Gadwall 6
Mallard 20
Green-winged Teal 12
Vaux’s Swift 1
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
American Coot 2
Sora 4
Killdeer 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow X
Tree Swallow 30
Violet-green Swallow 20
Barn Swallow 40
Cliff Swallow X
European Starling 11
American Robin 3
House Finch 1
Song Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 22 myrtle and yellow-throated bith present
Wilson’s Warbler 1
Towheeblog 
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