Bird list for Heron Park
Weather: Mostly cloudy, fairly calm, 54-59degrees.
April 22, 2021;
Leader: Steve Barron
-compiled by Janet Naylor

Directions:
Heron Park is at the intersection of Aspen and W. D St in Springfield. There is a port-a-potty there, and the walk is mostly on a paved bike path. (Per the 06-08-21 e-mail to BOGS.) From Eugene, drive E on Centennial Bldg. (= Martin Luther King Blvd.), go E past Autzen Stadium and the I-5 overpass, then turn R = S onto Aspen St.

Where we walked today:
From Heron Park, we walked South to the river, then West along the river and under the overpass, then further W along the creek, past the little bridge with its path to the South end of Leo Harris Parkway, then still West along the South side of the creek to the large fishing pond. Then we walked back the same way.

Most common birds:
Canada geese: 28. (13 adults and 15 goslings.)
Red-winged blackbirds: 18. (14 males, and 4 females or juveniles.)
Great blue herons: 12. (5 adults, and 7 fledglings or almost-fledglings.)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Seeing a young osprey in a nest on a tall pole, near the river SSW of the Heron Park parking.
  Plus: Several folks seeing 2 ospreys chasing a bald eagle, not too far from that nest.
• Seeing 4 adult Canada geese standing plus 15 3/4 grown goslings sitting huddled together on the bank of the stream, with one Mallard male sitting among the crowd of young geese, shoulder to shoulder.
• Seeing so many red-winged blackbirds. They were everywhere! Out in plain sight, and many singing.
• Seeing a 6-inch tree trunk near the stream, cut at both ends by beavers; beaver-chewed chunks all around, showing tooth-marks. Top of the tree was missing; we guessed it had been felled across the path and the caretakers had removed that bit.
• Seeing 2 scrub jays (California Jays????) plus 1 Downy woodpecker at the same feeder at a house across the creek.
• Seeing a fake coyote on a deck or ramp at a house across the creek.
• Seeing a female Black phoebe flycatching at the stream near the bridge and path to Leo Harris Parkway.
• Seeing 2 Cliff swallows, as well as Violet-green and Tree swallows.
• Seeing a cowbird, and hearing its Seep! sound.
• Seeing a female Yellow warbler. Hearing a Warbling vireo.
• Seeing the Great blue heron rookery, fairly high up in cottonwoods next to the river a few hundred yards W of Heron Park: 5 nests, with 7 fledglings or almost fledglings standing up or sitting in the nests. No adults in sight at that time.

Anti-Highlights:
A few folks seeing a dead Bush tit on the path, and not knowing what had happened to it.

Of interest:
A lot of runners on the path today. USA Track and Field Olympic trials start on June 18 at Hayward Field in Eugene.