Osprey galore! Easily half a dozen flying overhead. Watched one casually eat a sushi lunch just 15-20 ft above in the tree just in front of me and learned it's call. Lovely, staccato pulses, finished with the hawking caw that lingers in my ear.
Sw my first grebe today! I glanced up and there it was in its exotic glory before ducking beneath the water's cover.
One small, golden yellow glimpse high in a tree - disappeared before I caught a better look. gold finch most likely.
And also new today, a white bird. black tipped wings - just like a chocolate covered strawberry - rather large - perhaps bigger than a seagull - longer wing span, black cap and golden pronounced beak - but seemingly much smaller beak and body than the white pelicans i'd seen before. ((still, weeks later, I am unsure what this bird was. Research came up with the Caspian Tern - a beautiful bird...but not usually seen migrating through this particular area. Yet, the pictures look so much like what I saw! Since then, however, I have seen more white pelicans lingering at Ankeny, and I now doubt my memory of this mystery bird - it's beak especially. i could have sworn it was thin and not overtly long and also quite orange.. and not anywhere near as obtuse and easily distinguishable as with pelicans. I suppose I'll never know for sure.))
Caspian Tern
American White Pelican:
http://www.mcssb.com/photos/Birds/American%20White%20Pelican%2012-10-05.jpg
Moving on. I also saw squaking, exquisite great blue herons and my beloved coquets - the barn swallows.
As the grebe appeared again I was reminded of the gangly teenager - not yet the beauty she will become - yet still she is becoming. Such an awkward elegance.
Two white pelicans
One cinnamon teal!
Met a nice gentleman and we talked a bit about my mystery bird, he suggested it could be a gull of some sort.
From there I drove to William Finley Wildlife Refuge - 10 miles south of Corvallis. I was very excited to finally go exploring there. I'm so pleased to have gone and can't wait to go again this month!
I spotted a pair of Caspian Tern fishing at Ankeny last week!! Faith in my sanity slightly returned (never hurts to have a reminder now and then...). The pair was very active and flying around very low and quickly...and only feet away from the lingering flock of White Pelicans - I might add.
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