Tweets: Before doing bird surveys today, stopped it at the historic Sod
House site. This site has a few large cottonwood (the local name being
black, but I lean more toward Fremont) that date to 19th. Cent. This site is
normally closed to the public when the trees are full of colonial nesters,
meaning cormorants and great blue herons. This year, however, the site was
opened even though many birds are still feeding young because nesting was
delayed by wet summer weather. This year egrets are nesting there. All have
apparently become used to humans walking around.

Went in before opening time, right after sunrise. Like walking into an
aviary, with all the racket. There was an immature female peregrine in one
of the trees. Peregrines are pretty unusual at Malheur, the Prairie falcons
run the neighborhood covenants, and the room for peregrines is "controlled".
This lady was probably getting desparate, as young raptors will be. She
tried to take on anything. She tried several egrets, a couple of turkey
vultures, and a great blue heron, before giving up. She had no luck, and the
egrets continued feeding fish breakfasts to pretty good sized clutches (3-4
chicks).

Yesterday drove raptor alley. Really spectacular, as the fields are being
mowed. Saw something like 11 ferrugenous hawks, and several golden eagles.
Also had several GOEA today during surveys.

This is turning out to be a very birdy fall at Malheur, if anyone was
planning to come.

Jerry Broadus