Field Trip Report

Burleigh Murray State Park
May 4, 2012
Jennifer Rycenga, leader

First-year Steller's Jay, sporting a new crest. Note the brownish tinge to the hood, rather than jet black, as an adult would have. (Jennifer Rycenga, photograph)

Ten participants enjoyed gorgeous weather on the hike to the old barn at Burleigh Murray State Park. Thirty-nine species were seen and/or heard, including many stunning breeding birds, such as Black-headed Grosbeak, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler (some of us even saw the orange crown!), Swainson's Thrush, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Western Wood-Pewee. We were surrounded by Cedar Waxwing flocks much of the morning. We startled a Great Horned Owl into flight while we searched for a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, though all we saw of the owl was its massive body flying away from us. Below is the eBird generated list from our trip.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  2
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  3
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)  28
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)  1     
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)  2
Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)  10
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  4
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)  2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)  4
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)  3
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)  4
Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)  1
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)  6
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  4
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  2
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)  1
swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.)  6
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)  15
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)  4
Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)  6
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)  5
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  1
Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus)  2
Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata)  6
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  10
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  4
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  80     
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata)  12
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)  14
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)  6
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  20
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)  1
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  8
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)  6
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)  2

Kathryn at the scope, Steve, and Martha – at Burleigh Murray State Park, 4 May 2012 (Jennifer Rycenga, photographer)