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TESC Far East Marsh
We enter from Canary Reed road ditch, through Spiraea douglasii thicket to an interior grassy raised area of Malus fusca [Oregon crab apple] w/ good fruit set. Counted 15+ mature trees, 2 to 4 year old trees about 6 feet apart in the grassy area - heavily browsed. Fruit consumed closer to forest (evergreen) edge, less consumed out by the road. Did species floristic gradient.
During floristic search flushed a pileated woodpecker: loud deep wek-wek-wek, large black bird with long wing beats, distinct white/grey underwing coverts. As I set up scope in cover, 2 black tailed deer - female aware of me, male lips back smelling. Female quickly left when she spotted my movements; male left later.
*One point about this 4+ acre area - road has changed the drainage patterns - will have to investigate with topo maps.*
A few minutes later observe 15 grey birds w/ white & grey breasts, peaked grey crowns, black orbital feathers going up behind the head, a scree call in flocks as they land on tallest Fraxinus latifolia and proceed to eat Malus fusca for 15+ minutes. Cedar waxwings
Chased?* off by American robins who land on Fraxinus latifolia perch.
Try to differentiate between "tek-tek" of marsh wren and "chat-chat" of winter wren. I think there are 3 to 5 winter wrens every 50-100 yards in wetland. Cannot get a good view of the eyebrow; they all keep to the brush.
Marshy area species list
Malus fusca; Fraxinus latifolia; Spiraea douglasii; Lonicera involucrata; Alnus rubra; Rosa piscocarpa; Rosa sp. - large thorns, canes 10 ft tall; Canary reed grass; Carex obnupta; grasses; Solidago canadensis (Solidago iscosee); Rubus spectabilis; Aster subspicatus; Fexing Bog umbel coming out of dormancy; Cytisus scoparius (weak under Alnus rubra).
Continued off to the Fraxinus latifolia section that is the lowest area, but is bordered by the Thuja plicata/Pseudotsuga menziesii forest. Up and down the lichen encrusted bark - a brown & white with brown flecked breasted bird, small longish dark beak - brown creeper - flicks away the lichen and pecks at something underneath.
Walked through a dwarfed (shade? too wet?) thicket of Spiraea douglasii w/ another marsh wren up to the Rubus spectabilis on the border of the Thuja plicata/Pseudotsuga menziesii forest - the whole wall of foliage seems to be a veil where behind high little whistles of "tzee-tzee-tzee" in a surreal cacophony @10-30 ft. behind the trees - I get fleeting glimpses of yellow crowned birds with black lateral stripes on the head perching up, down, and anyways pecking at the interior of branches - golden crown kinglets
"chickadee, dee, dee" call across 50 yds near alder thicket - go examine - black head; white under eyes, cheek; black chin & throat; grey coverts; white flanks - black-capped chickadee.
