Towheeblog

It was an ordinary May day to drive from Salem to Ashland. Lots of trucks, no trouble. Good lunch from SOCO in Myrtle Creek. Then when I got to Jackson County, the birds got in my face…my eyes…my lens…my ears. My, oh my.

The Pioneer cemetery at Emigrant Lake was alive. Western Bluebirds in their two-door nest box. WB Nuthatches constantly at work, ditto the yellow-rumps. A flock of Lesser Goldfinch eating weed seed.
Canada Geese along the lakeshore with at least 22 goslings of various ages. A dozen Clark’s Grebes and one Ring-billed Gull on the water. Just north of the cemetery is an ordinary-looking hillside facing the lake. Unmowed grass, topped by the blooms of purple vetch. Scattered, mature white oaks, some shrubs. Looks ordinary. This afternoon it was fly-catching and flycatchers–four species to be exact. Each was first-of-the-year for me. Wood-pewee and Ash-throated will nest nearby. Pacific-Slope and Willow were just there for the food. A gazillion tiny insects seemed to be there for the vetch blooms. To add to the aerial activities: at least five Wilson’s Warblers and uncoun table numbers of yellow-rumps also grabbing insects in flight. The Wilson’s stayed near gound and on lower branches. The yellow-rumps and wood-pewee opted for top perches before flying another sortie.

The two flycatchers that posed: ash-throated, wood-pewee.

Two Wilson’s Warblers returning to their bush after a fly-catching sortie:

Amidst all this predation, along came a Lark Sparrow, another first for me in 2024:

Up Hwy 66, at Milepost 10, the over-wintering Lewis’s Woodpeckers are still there (leaving soon):

Emigrant Lake, Jackson, Oregon, US
May 8, 2024
29 species

Canada Goose  40     at least 22 goslings
Mallard  X
Clark’s Grebe  12
Anna’s Hummingbird  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Turkey Vulture  10
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Great Horned Owl  1
Acorn Woodpecker  X
Northern Flicker  X
Western Wood-Pewee  1
Willow Flycatcher  1
Western Flycatcher  1
Ash-throated Flycatcher  1
California Scrub-Jay  4
American Crow  1
Common Raven  1
Tree Swallow  X
Barn Swallow  X
Cliff Swallow  X
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
European Starling  X
Western Bluebird  2     nesting in Pioneer Cemetery
Lesser Goldfinch  25
Lark Sparrow  1
Bullock’s Oriole  3
Brewer’s Blackbird  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler  10
Wilson’s Warbler  4