LEADBETTER PROPERTY, MOUTH OF WILLAMETTE RIVER, MULT. CO., ORE. March 15, 1949 9:30am to 1:00pm Weather - cloudy with intermittent light rain Area Covered - Drove down road from main first gate to KKKK first house KKK about a mile down. Took left hand fork of road and drove to mouth of river. Walked from mouth of river to heron rookery and back. The area has been greatly changed since the flood KK last spring. At the mouth of the river there is an area of several acres or more piled up with sand 10 feet high or more. In one place it completely burried KK a big evergreen blackberry thicket. Over the entire area sloughs have been filled up with sand and silt. These KKK were impossible to cross as we would promptly get burried to our knees in mud. The slough next to the rook- ery was in this state. The road near the rookery was not be- ing used because of being buried in places by sand and mud. 11026 Parallon Cormorant - one on the KKKK Willamette. Blue Heron - Saw these at the rookery. KKMMXX A few new nests have been built on the otherside of the slough. KKKK About 150 herons were present. Only one to a nest, the only ex- ception being in one case were two birds were perched at one nest. Whenever a bird came near a neighbors nest or flew close by he was promptly chalanged by a head throw accompanied by gutteral notes. With only one bird to a nest it would seem that they were males establishing nesting sites. Now and then we saw one carrying nesting material. The new nests on the opposite side of the slough were not occpied while we were present. We stayed and watched the rookery for about 30 minutes around noon. The cottonwoods were not yet leafed out. Only buds present. Mallard - Flushed four near the rookery. Scaup - One at the mouth of Columbia slough. Red-tail - one hanging around the rookery. Barn Owl - One flew out of an old barn down river from the rookery towards the mouch of the Willamette. We were not able to find the bird again, and it was not present when we returned to the barn about an hour later. Could not find any signs of a nest in the barn and only occasional droppings, which I don't think were owl droppings. 11026 Violet-Green Swallow - several Tree Swallow - Heard some KKAB the mouth of the Willamette Western Crow - A few along the river O regon Chickadee - Ran on to about 4 flocks. Bushtit - one flock of about 15. Slemmer-billed Nuthatch - two with bushtits and chickadees. Seattle Wren Robin - one Golden-crowned Kinglet - KKK Flock of about 15 with chickadees. Audubon Warbler - One or two here and there. Oregon Towhee Junco - small flock at mouth of willamette. Fox Sparrow - One singing. Song Sparrows D.B. Marshall