What a rush! After a couple of months of getting back into the swing of teaching, and dealing with life hiccups, my year is winding down. We couldn't get a pelagic trip on account of the weather, and that, combined with some missed birds early in the year, kept me short of reaching the county record. Right now, I am 5 birds over my year goal, with a few easy birds left that I feel confident I can find by the end of the year.
The most recent bird that I added to my list was a Say's Phoebe on Fort McKay Road outside of Sutherlin, found by Matt Hunter. I spent weeks in the spring driving through pastures in southern Douglas County, listening for its call, and scanning fence lines without luck. This was a nice bird to finally add to my year list, and my county life list.
Say's Phoebe
Later that morning I found an interesting presumed hybrid American x Eurasian Wigeon at Ford's Pond.
With the Reddish Head
My understanding is that a full Eurasian Wigeon would have a gray back and flanks. This bird's flanks are clearly brownish-red in this photo, and its back has an interesting offset line of brownish-red and gray in the following photo.
Gray and reddish-brown, on left.
Eurasian Wigeon is a year bird I still hope to find, along with Long-Tailed Duck, Ancient Murrelet, and Barn Owl. After those, any other birds wold be a bonus.
This has been one of those surreal birding weekends for me. I've been trying to break my streak of bad luck on paddles out to the mudflats. So far I have:
Broken a paddle on the river and had to wave down for help
Burst a tube
Punctured the shell
Almost lost my phone
Dumped out all my drinking water
Had to paddle back against the tide in choppy water
Forgot to let air out of tubes so have added a mile hike to my usual trek
Tripped and dropped scope
On outings this year I have also:
Forgotten tent 1 hour drive from house
Forgotten wallet 1 hour drive from house
"But Jimmy," you ask," What about the awesome title of your blog post this week? It sounds like a radical 80's movie, but you haven't let on what it is about!"
"Calm yourself, my students," I would answer. "I will let you know all in due time..."
This week I was sure I would break the streak. No problems! I've got it all figured out now!
It started off well and nice. I made it out to the flats paddling with a nice, swift tide, and was scanning away looking for that elusive Golden-Plover sp. I was looking at a large flock of Black-Bellied Plovers when another bird began to stand out in the crowd.
Can you see me?
How about now?
Now?
Look closely at the very center of the picture. Sandwiched between two Black-Bellied Plovers is a slightly smaller bird with a smaller head and bill. When I picked it out in my scope, I hoped against hope that it wouldn't fly off before I got pictures. Luckily for me, when the whole flock left, it elected to stay behind.
Smaller Bill and Golden Coloring
Better lighting. Notice the overall golden wash and the dark ear-spot.
Finally! After weeks of weekends paddling out to the flats I tracked down a Pacific Golden-Plover for my year, bringing me up to a total of 244 on the year, one bird shy of my goal. On my way back to my boat, I noticed on of the cows of Triangle Island was tossing it's head near where I pull out. I hurried to the area, with visions of a trampled and gored kayak laying scattered over the island running through my head. It would be a fitting repayment, in a cows mind, to get me back for all the times I tramped across their pasture. Thankfully, the cow was just scratching itself on driftwood, and not bothering my boat.
The next day I was determined to track down another bird on the flats. I was also exhausted. One of the unknown joys that I have had in paddling is of the fisherman that fish from the shore where I launch my kayak. I know several of them by sight, and they are very friendly and supportive. They always sincerely remind me to be safe, and the small talk is always a nice send-off. I was a little distracted when I launched today, and after a tough paddle without a lot of tide helping me along I finally landed at the flats. After being greeted and chased by a horde of mosquitoes, I managed to track down another Red Knot, but not much else out of the ordinary.
Red Knot: notice the pretty silver scaling on the back.
I've noticed that they scurry quite quickly compared to the
plovers that I usually find them with
I wasn't too let down to not find another year bird, but the paddle back was daunting. Every once in a while the backbone in my kayak goes in crooked and it pulls badly to the right. This was one of those times, and it was stroke right three times, once left, just to keep me straight. When I pulled out and carried my kayak to my car, I was horrified when I realized that I had left my windows open! I looked inside, expecting to see everything gone. TABLET, SLEEPING BAG, AIR MATTRESS, PORTABLE SPEAKER, CLOTHES, IPOD, CABLES, BOOKS. EVERYTHING! Was still there! Holy Cow! Am I an idiot or what? All of the fisherman walked by my car and nothing was gone. What a great group of people! Some live just across the road, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't keep an eye on it the whole time and will tell me all about it next week. I owe them a cup of coffee or something.
I was at level: Surreality. (I know it's not a word.) But I was about to hit level: Falcon: Retribution.
On my way home I made the mandatory stop at Ford's Pond. I was totally exhausted, and didn't want to stop, but I just had to. It's the same Ford's Pond affect that allowed local guru birder Matt Hunter to help find me a Black-Necked Stilt the week before after leading a field trip on the coast.
Black-Necked Stilt
I was so tired that I decided I would only grab my scope and scan for 20 minutes. I remembered thinking to myself: Whenever you don't bring your camera you will need it. to that, I answered: Well, this means that another good bird will show up, so I'll do it on purpose.
I scanned and immediately noticed an American White Pelican, not a year bird, but a good bird for the county nonetheless. There were also a half-dozen Cackling Geese, and 2 Black-Necked Stilts. Suddenly, the ducks and shorebirds panicked. Peregrine, I immediately thought. Except, when I looked up from my scope, a falcon shape was lazily gliding down to the flats, where it landed. I got my scope on it, and saw an obvious falcon sitting on the flats. So obvious, in fact, that it looked quite strange.
"Why are the shorebirds not paying any attention to it?" I wondered. In fact, I watched as two Yellowlegs, and one of the Stilts walked right past it. Then, I began to pay attention to the falcon itself. It was very brown, in fact, it was obviously a light-brown color. And its breast was all weird. I noticed it had thin barring running vertically up and down the breast, and the "moustache marks" on the face looked all wrong, they reminded me more of a Kestrel than a Peregrine.
"Is that a Prairie Falcon?" I spoke aloud. "No way..."
I hustled back to my car to grab my camera and my field guide. Still convinced that it was a juvie Peregrine, I took my time and checked the field guide in my car. Other than a tundra-type bird, all juvie peregrines were darker, like their parents. And a juvenile Prairie Falcon did indeed have vertical barring on its breast. But the kicker was dark underwing coverts or "armpits" on the bird in flight.
When I got back to my scope the bird was flying low over the pond, and was beginning to fly away. I got on it, and indeed, it was a very sand-brown bird, with blunt-ish wingtips, and undoubtedly dark armpits.
"Retributioncolonfalcon," I whispered to myself. (Not actually.) Earlier in the year I missed a Prairie Falcon when my 250K mile Corolla Wagon was in-and-out of the shop. I have since bought a Subaru Forester, but the mileage I have put on both of the cars is a subject for another post. It felt good to get a "make-up" bird, but it felt even better to reach my goal, #245!
So is my year over? Hardly. Next weekend, I am leaving on a Douglas County Pelagic trip out of Coos Bay, Oregon. That opens up potential for a really big total for my big year. But right now, I'm happy to have met my goal.
And as for the title? The theme of this blog has started to turn 1980's movie-montage styled, so here is some video for thought:
Legend: Bold: If I work at it I should be able to find one Italics: Maybe I can find one Strikethrough: One might show up but I can't count on it +: Added to list, bonus bird Blue: Found Since List First Posted Swans, Ducks, Geese: Eurasian Wigeon Greater Scaup Long-Tailed Duck
A couple of weekends on the coast have left me beat up and tired. I came home this weekend with two blisters on the pads of my feet, and a hole in the bottom of my kayak. To top it off, I haven't made a single trip into the estuary without something going wrong.
On Friday, I fell twice crossing Triangle Island. The first time the bank gave away and I fell into a sandpit. The second time as I jumped across a small creek onto what I thought was terra firma ended up being a grimpen mire. As I fell my tripod knocked me in the ear and I landed on my camera. Neither was hurt, thankfully. Then, when I got out to the flats, I realized my phone had fallen out. I decided to make a quick circuit of the flats anyway, and to my horror, there were only three Western Sandpipers and four Semipalmated Plovers.
I backtracked looking for my phone and found it where it had fallen out in the sandpit. I then went back to the flats and managed to track down five Marbled Godwits.
Marbled Godwit- Year Bird #240
The next day I paddled against the tide both to and from the flats. Shorebirding at high tide was a nice change-up, and I managed to get a picture of a Red Knot.
Red Knot
I had seen a couple the week before, but I was frustrated that I hadn't gotten a picture. This was a target big-year bird, and the two previous ones I had seen were very distant. I also have almost no experience with this bird, and I was worried about the identification being a result of "wishful thinking."
I also observed some fun gull behavior. Take a look at what actually inspired the 1983 movie "Flashdance."
Later that day I walked the six mile trek from the Sparrow Park Road beach to Tahkenitch Estuary. I had a nice smattering of common shorebirds, and some looks at a strung-out raft of Surf Scoter and White-Winged Scoter, but no new year birds. Also, I came back with the aforementioned blisters.
I decided to pack it in. Between a limp and a damaged boat, I had to catch up on some schoolwork at home. On the way back, I made a double-take when I saw this white bird in a flock of Canada Geese at Dean Creek.
Albinistic? Canada Goose
I was really excited, I thought I had found an Emperor Goose or something. But when I stopped the car and got a decent look it was obvious it was just a strangely pigmented Canada. I call it albinistic because it had pink legs. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can take a stab at it's true nomenclature.
A final stop at Ford's Pond netted me a Pectoral Sandpiper and a Red-Necked Phalarope. Only one year bird this weekend, but fantastic weather.
My Big Year is starting to wrap up. I have missed some birds I thought I should find, and found some that I didn't think of finding. My goal for the year was 245, which is easily within reach, and the county record is 265, which looks like it is just out of reach. That being said, here is my remaining count-up. I think it's foolish to do, but it helps me stay organized.
The Dreaded Count-Up:
Legend: Bold: If I work at it I should be able to find one Italics: Maybe I can find one Strikethrough: One might show up but I can't count on it
I finally made it out to the Douglas County Coast again, my second of a planned 5-6 trips looking for shorebirds.
The red X is where I put in. The blue is Matt's Flats around A'eron Island. The black is "The Point" of Triangle Island. The green is where you can put in in Gardiner OR.
On Friday I walked from Sparrow Park road, which is located where the small creek runs out to the Pacific Ocean on the very north part of the map, three miles up the beach to Tahkenitch Estuary, and back, for a nice 6 mile slog. I was expecting a nice variety of shorebirds, but I only found two species: 1 Semipalmated Plover and about 1,550 Sanderlings.
I was happy to find some Elegant Terns later that evening, a bird I was pretty sure I had seen earlier in the year but hadn't gotten photos of.
Elegant Terns. The top bird is a juvenile.
The next day I psyched myself up for a paddle out to the Umpqua Estuary. I put in at Winchester Bay, which is marked with a Red "X" on the map. The paddle up from Winchester bay early in the morning was nice but against a slow moving tide (around 2 feet). I paddled up and around A'eron Island with Matt's Flats beneath me (about two miles), but there were only peeps on the exposed banks, and I was looking for larger shorebirds.
The view of the dunes from the west side of A'eron Island. The Pacific Ocean is just over that there hill!
When I made it around I looked across the river and decided Triangle Island wasn't too far away (black "X" on map). About halfway across the river I realized it was indeed quite far. Using Google Earth at home I estimate it was about 1.25 miles. I finally made it, and pulled my kayak ashore. I had spooked some Black-Bellied Plovers on my approach, and grabbed my camera and binoculars to try and get a picture. As I walked north I had to intimidate a bull to leave me alone, and then realized that there were actually a lot of shorebirds on "The Point." My scope was about a half mile back through muddy flats, and I was fighting time, between making sure my boat didn't get taken out with the tide, and making it back before the powerful afternoon winds picked up.
I decided not to go back for my scope, and took some "spray n' pray" pics with my camera.
Dowitchers. Notice the straight bills and lighter "eyebrow."
This worked against me as the lighting in the first few shots I took made some look like they had upturned bills. I thought these were Marbled Godwits, but now realize they are presumably Short-Billed Dowitchers. I also took some poor shots of distant Black-Bellied Plovers.
White undertail coverts = Black-Bellied Plovers in this case.
I tried getting closer, but the birds kept spooking, and the clock was ticking. I trudged back through the mud to my kayak, and started paddling. Fortunately the wind hadn't picked up too much, but there was enough wind and current to create some nice little waves to paddle through. This was a fun instance to test my kayak's sea-worthiness. I handled the natural waves perfectly fine, but the wakes kicked up by some of the fishing boats I was sharing the water with made me have to turn bow or stern first into them to avoid the possibility of getting swamped.
I don't think many of the boaters are familiar with sharing the water with kayaks, just as I am unfamiliar with how to share with them. Most every one gave me a wide berth, but a few would start to pass on one side, then change their mind and pass on the other, causing me to have to turn about again and again. At one point I was passed concurrently on both sides, which caused some interesting wakes to come at me from both directions. It took me about an hour and a half to paddle back, and my shoulder was starting to hurt quite when I got back. But I was happy to have seen some target birds. I partially re-inflated my boat to dry it out and took a short nap in the afternoon after a morning of hard paddling. I birded the bay later that day but didn't find anything interesting.
The next morning I was up bright and early to check Triangle Island again, but this time I was going to put in from Gardiner (Green "X" on map). However, when I started to pump up my kayak, I was horrified to hear a faint hissing noise, I had developed a small tear along one of the seams! I tried to patch it with only rubber cement, but had no luck. I had to call it a day and came home, where I bought some clamps and put on a vinyl patch. I am going to test it on Tuesday at the respectively shallow Plat I Reservoir, but if it doesn't work I need to pick up some "Tear-Aid Type B," which is evidently a super-patch for my problem. I will also contact the company who made the kayak, I believe it is still under warranty, and I should be able to get a new tube without having to replace the whole kayak. Not a great way to end the weekend, but it is an inflateable boat, and tears will happen.
I have been on the search for a Solitary Sandpiper, which would be a life bird, not to mention a county year bird for me. With or without this bird, my numbers have been steadily climbing. It seems like Solitary Sandpipers are being reported everywhere in Oregon except for here. I still have a couple of weeks before their migration "window" starts to close, but they are casual in Douglas County during migration, and every day I can't find one I grow a little more nervous.
This morning I received a pleasant early surprise when 5 American White Pelicans showed up at a very shallow Ford's Pond. They usually show up in the beginning of October. I don't know if the water at any point is deep enough for them to stick their heads in, so their feeding was comical as they held their heads sideways to get their bills in the water. However, my best moment came as a photo and a bit of luck. Bald Eagles sometimes like to perch in some oaks on a hill near the pond, and I failed to get a really great shot the last time they were there. Today I walked up and balanced my camera on my spotting scope, and just as I was about to take a picture, the bird flew. "Oh well," I thought. But when I got home and downloaded the pictures I realized I had taken a fair takeoff shot:
My what big wings you have!
On the way around the pond I ran into an almost-Solitary Sandpiper. This Lesser Yellowlegs had me looking for about 5 minutes before I eliminated the possibility of Solitary.
Almost?
The bill on this bird is a little too long and thin for a Solitary Sandpiper. Also, the legs are a little long (easier to see in the field) and there wasn't a strong eye-ring. The dark back and dark breast made me double-take.
My quest for a Solitary continued with a 2 hour paddle around Plat I reservoir. While I didn't find my target bird their either, I did find a very lonely Baird's Sandpiper, which bumped me up to #235. I figured I would find this bird here or at the coast this weekend, but after probably missing Calliope Hummingbird for my year list (which is sad because multiple people had them at their feeders this spring and I figured I could find one in the mountains) I'll take it when I can get it.
Notice the long wingtips.
Baird's Sandpipers have long wingtips that extend beyond their tail. They also are a bit larger and slimmer looking than Western Sandpipers. I studied a lot of upright and preening Western Sandpipers looking for a Baird's. But this Baird's stood out when I finally found it.
Also notice the narrow, dark bill.
Earlier this month I found a Snowy Egret at the coast, which is a good bird for the county. I also lucked out and saw a Wandering Tattler bobbing up and down far out on the jetty. It helped that I had been looking at a Black Turnstone for a while, and I was able to compare sizes. I'm keeping my finger's crossed for Solitary Sandpipers, but I'll take what I can get.
A couple of weeks ago I got some poor pics of Virginia Rails on Plat I Reservoir outside of Sutherlin, OR. Today I was delighted to see that at least one bird was foraging on a small section of mudflats that I have started calling "Rail Cove."
Do YOU see ME?
According to allaboutbirds.org, Virginia Rails are able to swim underwater using their wings for propulsion. They and other Rail species also have,"... the highest ratio of leg muscles to flight muscles of any birds" (allaboutbirds.org). Drumstick anyone?
When I realized that it didn't seem to be bothered too much by my presence, I decided to capture a video.
Strong Legs = Fast Running!
I have some more videos of the bird that I may upload later, but this is the best one. What a treat! I hadn't ever SEEN a Virginia Rail until earlier this year, and now I have gotten extended looks!
Every year when I start looking at shorebirds again they all seem to blend together. Western, Least, and Semipalmated Sandpipers are all a shade off of each other. The differences between species, especially peeps, can seem minuscule. I headed out to Plat I Reservoir today to try my luck at finding a Semipalmated Sandpiper, a rare bird for Douglas County, and an uncommon bird for the West Coast.
Peep identification can be a real head-scratcher
Even if I could find one, I was worried about being able to identify it, as I believe I have only seen one before in my life, and it was at the very beginning of my journey as a beginner birder. Luckily for me, conditions, while hot (88F at the start of my paddle, 94F at the end) were excellent, and the birds were very cooperative.
The first thing that stood out to me was the large number of Western Sandpipers that were on the mudflats.
Western Sandpipers
I knew these were Western Sandpipers for a few reasons. First, they have black legs. This can be hard to see when the birds are muddy, but these are nice and clean (relatively). Secondly, they have long, black bills that are slightly drooping. They are also noticeably larger than Least Sandpipers, and slightly larger than Semipalmated Sandpipers. Finally, in breeding plumage they show a lot of red on the back, but beware, juvenile Least Sandpipers can also show red on the back. The Western Sandpipers that I say today all stood out immediately because of the amount of red on the back.
In review: WESTERN SANDPIPER
LEGS: BLACK BILL: LONG, HEAVY, SLIGHTLY DROOPING SIZE: NOTICEABLY LARGER THAN LEAST SANDPIPER, SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
Blurry juvenile Least Sandpiper at rear, Western Sandpiper in front
The next birds I noticed out on the flats were Least Sandpipers. Least Sandpipers have yellow legs, and a small, pointed bill that may slightly droop. Compare these two birds. The Western Sandpiper in front has a long, heavy drooping bill and black legs. The Least Sandpiper has a short, pointed bill with yellow legs. In this picture the size difference isn't apparent, but the least is smaller.
In review: LEAST SANDPIPER
LEGS: YELLOW BILL: SHORT, DAINTY, POINTED, SLIGHTLY DROOPING SIZE: SMALLER THAN BOTH SEMIPALMATED AND WESTERN SANDPIPERS
Is it my target bird?
As the day wore on I kept on paddling and picking through the peeps. Pretty promptly, the pertinent particulars of a pretty little peep began to pop out in my persnickety process. (Okay, no more alliteration, I swear).
As you can see, the bird in the above picture has dark legs, and a stout, stubby bill that is quite straight. These features, along with it's size in comparison to a nearby Western Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper gave me a hint that I had found what I was searching for: a Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Slightly smaller than Western? Check. Shorter bill than Western? Black Legs? Check and Check.
Stubbier and stouter bill than (blurry) Least Sandpiper in foreground? Check.
We have a winner! The Semipalmated Sandpiper in these three photos fit all of the criteria. First, it's slightly smaller than the Western Sandpiper and larger than the Least Sandpiper. Second, it has black legs, unlike the Least Sandpiper. Finally, it has a short, stout, stubby bill, different than both the Western and Least Sandpipers.
In review: SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
LEGS: BLACK BILL: SHORT, STOUT, BLUNT TIP SIZE: A LITTLE SMALLER THAN WESTERN, YET LARGER THAN LEAST.
I was quite happy to have found my year-Semipalmated Sandpiper. But my day wasn't over. Next I continued to take pictures of peeps to study at home. I got an excellent shot of a Western Sandpiper pulling a worm out of the ground, but when I got home...
BLURRY! Darn it!
I continued paddling and snapping, and did get a few shots that I was happy with.
Long-Billed Dowitchers
Photo Deux
Greater Yellowlegs
On the next section of mudflat I saw what I thought was another Killdeer (I think there were around 20 total), but I looked closer and it was a Semipalmated Plover!
Semipalmated Plover with Greater Yellowlegs
And, I managed to get a semi-clean shot...
Get that worm!
I was pretty happy at this point, but when I rounded the corner on the reservoir, in the distance I could see what appeared to be some dark shorebirds. What were they? Wilson's Snipe? Nope! A trio of Virginia Rails was running around on the mudflat with the shorebirds. Wild! I have rarely seen them out in the open and here were three feeding in plain sight.
Virginia Rails
Feeding Rail
I didn't realize how fair-sized they are for such a sneaky bird!
It was getting pretty hot by now and I was ready to head somewhere else. However, when I rounded the final corner a huge, golden shorebird flew in and landed on the flat. It was a Long-Billed Curlew! A very good bird for Douglas County!
Long Billed Curlew! I originally called it a Whimbrel.
Notice how pale it's breast is, compared to a Whimbrel, which is more heavily streaked.
I originally called the Long-Billed Curlew a Whimbrel. Why? First I thought it's bill wasn't long enough to be a Long-Billed Curlew, however, I just learned there is actually a "range" in lengths for Long-Billed Curlew bills! Wow! Secondly, I thought a Whimbrel would be far more likely, however, it is actually quite rare for a Whimbrel to be inland, even though they are somewhat regular on the coast.
Finally, notice how plain and pale the face is. I attributed this to lighting, but it's actuallya good marker for Long-Billed Curlew. In a post teaching about shorebirds I get corrected! It goes to show how much I have to learn, which isn't a bad thing. We all make mistakes!
I was very happy with my results today. I hit three of my birding joys: identifying difficult species, taking good pictures, and finding good birds. I also noticed some strange crabs. While the pictures are poor I thought I would post them.
Big Red-Clawed Crab
Big Greenish Crab?
Finally, I thought I would end with some Quiz photos if anyone has been using the blog to do some learning.
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
What do you think? Post your responses below. Until then:
Shorebirds have been slowly trickling into Douglas County. We don't seem to be getting near the numbers yet (at least inland) that other counties are. I took my kayak out onto Plat I Reservoir today and saw 4 Greater Yellowlegs and 3 Least Sandpipers. There were also a dozen or so Killdeer. Do those count as shorebirds? They do? Well, we got plenty.
Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Notice the barring on the flanks of the bottom bird and not on the top bird. The lighting on the top bird was a bit difficult, and in a couple of angles the bill looked quite small. I had to remind myself of some of the pertinent particulars of Greater and Lesser Yellowleg Identification.
Also, I believe that the top bird is a juvenile. You can tell it's brownish appearance, and how "groomed" it looks with feathers in the right places.
The bottom bird's barring is left over from it's breeding plumage. It's back looks grayer and raggedy, indicating feather wear and older age.
Greater Yellowlegs:
- Longer (when compared to size of head) upturned bill
- Larger when compared side-to-side
- More prominent eye-ring
- Sometimes shows an "adam's apple" (which can be seen on the lower bird)
Lesser Yellowlegs:
- Less bulky build than Greater
- Smaller head and bill
- Can show a dark "cap"
There was also a Long-Billed Dowitcher near two of the Yellowlegs.
Long-Billed Dowitcher
How do I know it's a Long-Billed Dowitcher and not a Short-Billed Dowitcher? The bird flushed and I heard it calling; its call is sharper than a short-billed. If I manage to get some pictures later in the year I will attempt to recreate what Dave Irons, Greg Gilson, and Shawneen Finnegan so expertly explained in these articles and photo galleries:
Whew, it can be exhausting! But, it's part of the process, even when painful. Here's an easier identification from Platte I
Let's Cleanse the palate with a little Osprey before we move on, shall we?
On a lighter note, I went up to Drew, Oregon last weekend, and tried finding some Flammulated Owls. I think I heard one, but I want to get a recording for a confirmation, so I will be going up possibly a couple of times this coming week for a listen. While I was up there, I also saw a covey of Mountain Quail and some Sooty Grouse:
Not a Great Picture, but there it is.
Sooty Grouse (Juvenile?)
It may be slow now,but I am sure the numbers will pick up soon.
