I don't usually venture far to look for just one bird, but for some reason yesterday I decided to head to E.E. Wilson near Corvallis to look for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The first thing you notice in the parking area is all the game birds in pens... I don't really get it, but they were cool to look at.
I took some bad photos through the rain and chicken wire... The Lady Amherst Pheasant was definitely the most impressive:
The Salmon Golden Pheasant was pretty too...
Anyway. After peeking at all the random birds, I took Jake for a long walk on the interpretive trail. I only encountered one hunter and one jogger the whole time. Oh, and one smiling fruit:
I am easily amused.
At the lake area were lots of kinglets, chickadees, Bushtits and sparrows, but only one bird in the water- a female Bufflehead. There was also a sign about the hunting seasons...
Ok so I don't know much about hunting. I don't do it, I'm not too fond of the hunters I've met, but I can appreciate those that hunt for food and not for sport. Anyway, my point is that I had NO idea that people hunted snipe and crows?! That just seems so weird to me!
After the long walk I decided to follow the directions I got from OBOL to look for the sapsucker. I walked down the road toward the headquarters and started scanning the trees. The third tree was the lucky one...
I got eight quick shots before he took off across the road and disappeared into a huge flock of goldfinches and Pine Siskins. I never found him again. Oh well- I was pretty amazed that I was able to find him at all!
Hmm, apparently I should have headed over to the Coffin Butte Landfill afterwards to look for the strange dark-backed gull!
I took some bad photos through the rain and chicken wire... The Lady Amherst Pheasant was definitely the most impressive:
The Salmon Golden Pheasant was pretty too...
Anyway. After peeking at all the random birds, I took Jake for a long walk on the interpretive trail. I only encountered one hunter and one jogger the whole time. Oh, and one smiling fruit:
I am easily amused.
At the lake area were lots of kinglets, chickadees, Bushtits and sparrows, but only one bird in the water- a female Bufflehead. There was also a sign about the hunting seasons...
Ok so I don't know much about hunting. I don't do it, I'm not too fond of the hunters I've met, but I can appreciate those that hunt for food and not for sport. Anyway, my point is that I had NO idea that people hunted snipe and crows?! That just seems so weird to me!
After the long walk I decided to follow the directions I got from OBOL to look for the sapsucker. I walked down the road toward the headquarters and started scanning the trees. The third tree was the lucky one...
I got eight quick shots before he took off across the road and disappeared into a huge flock of goldfinches and Pine Siskins. I never found him again. Oh well- I was pretty amazed that I was able to find him at all!
Hmm, apparently I should have headed over to the Coffin Butte Landfill afterwards to look for the strange dark-backed gull!
Very cool to see that sapsucker. I didn't realize that about crows and snipe either. boo- hiss
ReplyDeleteNeither Boomer or I understand or like hunters, but don't get me going.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we have a lot of "seasons" for hunting here, divided by weapon as well as by animal. It's ridiculous. I know we owe a lot of our preserved natural habitat to hunting dollars, but gosh, they even want to hunt cranes now.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm....dark-mantled gull...I would guess its a light-eyed (not rare in the species) Western Gull (southern subspecies), and not a Slaty-backed (which I'm guessing is what people want it to be?) for a number of reasons. I reckon you saved yourself a trip to a landfill.
ReplyDeleteI <3 sapsuckers.
WOW you got some super shots of the sap sucker!!
ReplyDeleteon Hunting--Amazing isn't it? Well in my book any hunter who owns a 4x4, a camo painted rifle with a super dooper scope, decked out in LL Bean boots and Bass Pro Shops clothing its a pretty good bet they are not HUNTING for food--its a common excuse in my area too...Ive faced many a redneck toting a rifle and a cooler of Bud Lite and found most to be lacking in most areas including civil graces, but none looked hungry to me! (sorry about the rant)