INDEPENDENCE AREA, MARION CO., OREGON January 19, 1950 11:30am to 3:30pm With Francis Ives, game commission district agent Trip to backwater slough of Willamette River about 2 miles south of Independence and the Willamette River at that point. Then visited Willamette River about 8 miles up river from In- dependence. Weather - Snow thawing and ice breaking up. Cloudy. XXXX Snow just at start of thaw so about 1 ft. on ground. Canada Goose - Flock of 30 at first mentioned point. Ducks in general - About 1800 concentrated at point about 2 miles south of Independence. These ducks were feeding in a corn field which was between the river and the slough. When not feeding the ducks would gather in the slough and on the river. Some corn ears were XXX overlooked in harvesting and it was these that the ducks were utilizing. Local residents reported ducks in corn fields in other locations around Independence. A second concentration of ducks was noted upstream from Independence about 8 miles where the road follows the river for a short dis- tance. This concentration consisted of about 750 ducks. How many ducks were between these two points on the river is not known. Mallard - This species made up the greater part of the concentrations. 1,000 were estimated to be present at the first point and 600 at the latter point. Baldpate - 300 at the first point and 50 at the later point. Fintail - 500 at the first point and 100 at the 2nd point. Green-winged Teal - seven at the first point. Ring-necked Duck - 5 on the river at the first point. Canvasback - 1 on the river at the first point. American Merganser - 1 male on the river at the first point and 2 sex ? at the 2nd point.XXX Bobwhite - Saw two XXKK coveys around Independence. Valley Quail - Saw several doveys during the day. All seemed a little slow in flushing, but appeared to be still in good shapea despite the weather. Ring-necked Pheasant - Saw one cock without a tail. Many of the birds had only a few feathers on their tails, and in almost all cases pheasant tails appeared frayed. Wilson's Snipe - one at the first point. Mourning Dove - Some flying about the Corvallis Game Farm. Red-shafter Flicker Calif. Jay - Independence, one. Crows Brewer'sBlackbirds Meadowlark - one dead in corn field below Independence. Saw others. Another dead one was in same field, but only feathers left. Predation. House Finch - small flock at Independence. Oregon Towhee - Independence Juncos Song Sparrows