WARNING:  Content may not be suitable for all audiences.  It includes reports of birds seen two or more days ago and mentions people, pets, and butterflies.  Forward to other birding groups at your own risk. 

July 4th I tried but failed to locate and photograph the "5 cute Harlequin ducklings" Allen Prigge and John Hosking observed on Lookout Creek in Lane county above Blue River on June 26th.  It is amazing to me that this small sea duck breeds inland on first and second order streams, which in this case was at a location approximately 120 air miles from the Oregon coast.  A real treat it would be to document the successful fledging of this species.

The good news is that the trip was not all for naught.  On my way back I located a female Barrow's Goldeneye with six kinda cute ducklings and two very cooperative Spotted Sandpiper at Carmen Reservoir.  Then came a nesting pair of Lincoln's Sparrow at Lost Lake, soon to be known as lost meadow as someone else recently suggested - and while the Osprey is having a difficult time finding/landing prey, Wilson's Snipe seem to be making good use of expanded breeding area there.

Once back at the Ranch, Jill joined Remy and me for a walk along the Metolius River to look for warblers.  This week of the year we normally find impressive numbers of a variety of warblers along the river - but this year we were able to count the warblers on one hand, but the number of butterflies, on the other hand, was unprecedented.  They were thick as flees for miles.