For working people to get up and out of bed at 6:30 on a weekend morning is absolutely ludicrous. But we had an agenda. This is the morning of the ASLC bird walk at Yaquina Head. Stopping for gas on the way, we arrived at the Visitor Center seeing that others were already out of their cars and were peering through their binoculars and spotting scopes at a young Peregrine Falcon sitting on a stony ledge scanning its territory for anything that moves.
When all 11 birders arrived by 9am, Mark Elliott, or field guide, gathered everyone in a circle having each of us introduce ourselves to all others. After watching the motionless falcon a bit longer, we turned and headed toward the lighthouse. An American Goldfinch sat atop an evergreen brightly singing on this gray, foggy morning.
"Eagle" someone yelled as we saw it fly out of a nearby tree. It drew everyone's attention as it circled very nearby a few times with a squawking Western Gull harassing it in flight. It was a perfect photo op for the photographers in the group, as it kept flying close by before landing in that same nearby tree. Unfortunately, numerous branches and limbs obscured the full profile of the raptor thereafter.
Common Murres still dominated the presence of birds on the bird island just off the coast of the lighthouse. Gulls and Turkey Vultures were also seen in the mix. Gulls carefully scrutinized the periphery of the Murres searching for eggs and/or young birds. Three vultures were doing the same. Below all that activity, Gull nestlings were seen through the spotting scope. The feathers of these young ones were so spotted they nearly blended in with the rocks.
On the way back to the Visitor Center parking lot, Black Oystercatchers were spotted, as well as Caspian Terns, Brown Pelicans, Western Grebes, Surf Scoters, and more. In the parking lot some of the birders saw a falcon fly behind the maintenance building.
That falcon came from behind the building with a bird in its talons and landed in a bush in front of us all. All of a sudden two other falcons came out of nowhere and tried taking the prey from the one falcon. Three falcons were swirling and flying right in front of us . . . I mean to say, right in front of us, maybe 60 feet away!! Those of us who had cameras couldn't take enough shots to record the event. Have you ever heard the sound of a machine gun? That was the sound to the right of us and to the left, as the photographers shot continuous photos of the predators. We just couldn't get enough to satisfy ourselves; after all, how often does one witness such an intimate display of falcons fighting for the same food?!! What an exciting and eventful ending to our bird walk!
Sightings of the Day
Peregrine Falcon
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Turkey Vulture
House Sparrow
American Crow
White-crowned Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Pigeon Guillemot
Western Grebe
Surf Scoter
Common Murre
Spotted Towhee
Brown-headed Cowbird
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brandt’s Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Black Oystercatcher
Bald Eagle
Brown Pelican
Rhinoceros Auklet
Song Sparrow
Caspian Tern
Western Gull
