Oregon`s First Blue-footed Booby!

Transcription

Oregon Birds
The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology
Volume 29, Number 1, Spring 2003
Members Gallery Special Color Edition
Part 1.......................................................1
A Message from Your President
Mary Anne Sohlstrom..............................3
Memories with LeRoy Fish: the Man Who Did
Not Fit in a Box
Matthew G. Hunter...................................4
Oregons First Blue-footed Booby
Eric Horvath.........................................6
2002 Oregon Listing Results
Jamie Simmons........................................8
Brown Creepers Nest in a Manuctured Creeper
House
Noah Strycker........................................17
Black Phoebe Nesting at Ankeny National Wildlife
Refuge
John Lundsten........................................18
Site Guide: Siltcoos Estuary Area, Lane County
Alan Contreras......................................19
Birds in the Hand: 2002 Banders Field Season
Photographs...........................................21
Supplement to Taxonomic Comments on Selected
Species of Birds from the Pacific Northwest
M. Ralph Browning................................24
Vagrancy of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
(Sphyrapicus varius) from Washington to Baja
California, with Notes on Identification of
Juveniles
Steven G. Mlodinow...............................27
Albinistic Male Lazuli Bunting (Passerina
amoena) Discovered Along the Walla Walla River,
Umatilla Co., Oregon
Mike Denny...........................................31
Site Guide: Rough and Ready Botanical Wayside,
Josephine County
Dennis Vroman......................................32
Short Notes
............................................................36
Field Notes: Western Oregon, Fall 2002
Alan Contreras.......................................39
Field Notes: Eastern Oregon, Fall 2002
Ray Korpi.............................................55
Birds of theUpper Trout Creek Basin, Harney
County
Stephen Dowlan.....................................62
Members Gallery Special Color Edition
Part 2.....................................................66
Oregons First
Blue-footed Booby!
MEMBERS GALLERY
S p e c i a l
c o l o r
e d i t i o n
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, 22 Oct, Fernhill Wetlands, Washington Co. Photo/Ruth
Sullivan.
Swamp Sparrow, 28 Nov, Baker Beach Swamp, Lane
Co./Photo/Noah Strycker
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, 30 October,
Mary's Peak, Benton Co. Photo/Sylvia
Maulding
Oregon Birds 29(1): 1, Spring 2003
Oregon Birds
The quarterly journal of Oregon Field Ornithology
P.O. Box 10373, Eugene, Oregon 97440
www.oregonbirds.org
Oregon Birds is a quarterly publication of Oregon Field
Ornithologists (OFO), an Oregon not-for-profit corporation.
Membership in OFO includes a subscription to Oregon Birds.
ISSN 0890-2313
Editor:
Associate Editor:
Stephen Dowlan
Don DeWitt
Board of Editors:
Alan Contreras, Matt Hunter, Dave Irons,
Terry Murray, Mike Patterson, Ray Korpi
Officers and Board of Directors
President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Directors:
Mary Anne Sohlstrom, Salem (2003)
hrndlark@juno.com
Tom Love, Durham (2003)
tlove@linfield.edu
Jeff Harding, Lebanon (2003)
jmh@proaxis.com
Joel Geier, Monmouth (2004)
jgeier@attiglobal.net
David Tracy, Bend (2004)
davect@bendnet.com
Stephen Dowlan, Mehama (2003)
owlhooter@aol.com
Dennis Vroman, Grants Pass (2003)
dvroman@cdnet.net
Committees
Publications:
Open - Contact the President if interested
Archivist:
Open - Contact the President if interested
Membership:
Anne Heyerly -tanager@nu-world.com
(541) 485-0880
OFO Bookcase:
Lucy Biggs, lucyb@cyber-dyne.com
OFO Birding
Weekends:
Ray Korpi , rkorpi@clark.edu
12611 N.E. 99th St.,Apt. DD-214,
Vancouver, WA 98682 360-604-0122
Oregon Bird Records
Committee:
Secretary, Harry B. Nehls,
hnehls@teleport.com, 2736 SE 20th Ave.,
Portland, OR 97202. 503-233-3976
Oregon Birds is looking for material in
these categories:
News Briefs on things of temporal
importance, such as meetings, birding trips,
announcements, news items, etc.
Articles deal with identification, distribution,
ecology, management , conservation,
taxonomy, behavior, biology, and historical
aspects of ornithology and birding in
Oregon. Articles cite references (if any) at
the end of the article. Names and addresses
of authors typically appear at the beginning
of the article.
Short Notes are shorter contributions that
deal with the same subjects as articles.
Short Notes typically cite no references, or
at most a few in parentheses in the text.
Names and address of authors appear at the
end of the Short Note.
Bird Finding Guides where to find a
________ in Oregon (for some of the rarer
birds) and where to find birds in the ____
area (for some of the better spots).
Reviews for published material on Oregon
birds or of interest to Oregon birders.
Photographs of birds, especially photos
taken recently in Oregon. Color slide
duplicates are preferred. Please label all
photos with photographers name and
address, bird identification, date and location
of photo. Photos will be returned if
requested.
Deadline for Next Issue of Oregon Birds,
OB 29(2), Summer 2003 is May 15, 2003.
Please send material directly to the Editor,
Steve Dowlan, P.O. Box 220, Mehama,
OR, 97384 503-859-3691
oregonbirds@aol.com
Cover photo: Blue-footed Booby , 7-9 Sep
2002, Yaquina Head,Lincoln Co. Photo/Eric
Horvath
Printed on
Recycled Paper
A Message from your President
Mary Anne Sohlstrom, President, 4792 Lancaster Drive NE #108, Salem, OR 97305, hrndlark@juno.com
So, who are these Oregon Field Ornithologists? This question arose in recent board meetings as the board began
thinking about and discussing whether OFO should work more pro-actively in the area of conservation, especially
as it relates to birds and their habitat. We realized that we, the board, were not exactly sure just who our members
are and how they view OFO as an organization.
To answer these questions we decided to take advantage of our connection to the Department of Sociology and
Anthropology at Linfield College to develop the first ever membership survey. Our thanks to Tom Love and
especially to Jeff Peterson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology, and his Social Research Methods class. And,
our thanks to the 230 OFO members who took the time to respond to the survey!
What are we learning? The board has not received the final report which we hope to publish in a future issue of
Oregon Birds. There is strong agreement that OFO is doing a pretty good job with our core activities and strong
agreement that we should include conservation issues in our future plans. The board is looking forward to the
complete report that will help to shape our policy discussions and decisions over the next several years.
OFO is also pleased to represent the Oregon Birding
Community in recognizing and thanking our
neighbors who have the great good luck to have
a rare bird visit their yard and who then welcome
birders to visit their homes and neighborhoods to
enjoy these rare visitors.
Pamela Johnston <pamelaj@spiritone.com> has
volunteered to coordinate nominations of people
who deserve recognition for graciously welcoming
birders to their homes and yards. If you know
someone who deserves recognition, please send
Pam a note, providing information -- name and
address or phone number and any special remarks
you would like to see highlighted in the thank you
certificate. Also, let Pam know if you have a good
photo of the bird that you would like to share to
be used on the certificate.
Our thanks to Pam for volunteering. OFO is
nothing except for the volunteers who keep it
going. Here are a few more folks who help make
OFO strong:
Good-host nominations: Pamela Johnston; OFO
B i r d i n g We e k e n d s : R a y K o r p i
(rkorpi@clark.edu); OFO Bookcase: Lucy Biggs
(lucyb@cyber-dyne.com); OREGON BIRDS:
Production & Distribution: Sylvia Maulding (sylviabird@att.net), Anne Heyerly (tanager@nu-world.com) and
Don DeWitt (dondewitt@hotmail.com); Editors: Steve Dowlan (oregonbirds@aol.com), Don DeWitt and Laura
Graves; Membership: Anne Heyerly
Yes, some of these folks are doing double duty! There's always room for more volunteers, so let us know if you'd
like to help. Our thanks to everyone who cheerfully volunteers their time to help OFO succeed!
Memories with LeRoy Fish: the man who did not fit in a box
Matthew G. Hunter, 2205 NW 13th St. Corvallis, OR 97330, matt.hunter@attbi.com, 541-752-4604
LeRoy Fish died at home, on the
morning of Wednesday, March 20,
2002. He just went out to the barn to
do chores and his wife Jackie found
him a while later in the shop. He was
being treated for congestive heart
failure.
Many intellectual endeavors of man
seek to put reality in a box. We even
foolishly attempt to put our fellow
sojourners in such boxes. I am tickled
to say that not only was LeRoy Fish
too big of a man to fit into most
physical boxes, so also was he nearly
impossible to put into any conceptual
box. LeRoy Fish was a man who did
not fit in any box. I will miss him.
I want to tell you of some
memories of events that I experienced
with LeRoy on a trip that he and I
took to southeastern Oregon in June
1999. It was the last year of the Oregon
Breeding Bird Atlas Project. Through
the course of normal conversation
LeRoy and I decided that we would
try to cover some of the most remote
hexagons in southeastern Oregon,
where Nevada and Idaho seem only
a stones throw away. OBBA grant
money (for gas) was a plus because
it was a long drive.
I asked LeRoy about having
extra gas along with us. He said he
had a 5-gallon can ready. I asked him
if we could bring 10; I didnt want to
sacrifice birding time just to drive out
several hours to get gas (as it turned
out we didnt use either can!).
LeRoy showed up early one
morning in front of my house in Adair
Village (north of Corvallis). Gear was
packed away in the back of his truck,
with a heavy canvas tarp tied down
over it all. I put all my stuff under it
and away we went.
We arrived at Basque in the
afternoon, took a short break there
and then headed south and east into
the higher country.
At one point we spotted a
band of wild horses and stopped to
look at them. As we got out of the
truck a black stallion separated from
the herd a short distance and turned
to stare directly at us. It pranced
LeRoy Fish, fall 1997. Photo/S. Shunk
around in proud rocking-horse motion,
his long black mane tossing in the
wind, and stopped and stared at us
some more. It kept this up, so that it
completely circled us in a period of
about 5 minutes, keeping about a 200yard distance. When the stallion again
neared its herd it called to them and
they all raced off together. There was
no doubt we were impressed and felt
fortunate to have had a vehicle to jump
back into should the stallion have
made good on any of his threatening
displays.
We spent one night on the
north edge of Battle Mountain, near
the site that several folks had observed
Virginias Warblers the year before
(we had none). As the sun set, I stood
at the edge of the north rim, a 100-ft
cliff, and video-taped what appeared
to be an aerial dance of two Common
Ravens. The dance lasted at least half
an hour. The two birds coursed through
the air in a huge oval pattern, joining,
parting, dashing, darting, calling
infrequently. Over and over they
followed the same path, repeating the
same moves, as if in a mid-air
ballroom, with a backdrop of the sun
setting over the Oregon Canyon
Mountains and Steens Mountain. It
was an unbeatable performance with
which to end the evening and head
back to camp to sleep the night away.
A couple days later we tried
to work our way north to Three Forks.
On the plateau just south of the deep
canyon of the main Owyhee River we
lost the 4WD track in the sagebrush
and grass among basket-ball-sized
rocks, which we could no longer
negotiate. We were disappointed.
Nevertheless, the day before we had
stared down into the canyon in awe
at the rock formations, caves, and lava
flows, and the previous evening we
had enjoyed the duetting song of a
pair of juniper-nesting Western
Screech-Owls. We turned back and
went around to Three Forks the easy
way on highway 95, almost 20 times
the distance from where we turned
back.
From Three Forks we worked
our way up Brown Ridge, south of
the Middle Fork of the Owyhee River.
We spent the night on the south side
of the river in the small canyon. After
some local birding the next morning
we headed out, driving slowly along
they gave us a couple tips on how and
man told, but I knew that would spoil
a fence line. After a couple miles we
where to travel. As we parted, I relaxed
(and end) the spontaneity and openness
were coming up on some buckaroos
in my fortune that LeRoy was on their
of the conversation; I might as well
working some cattle and moving them
side of the truck, not me.
have jumped out of the truck with
through a gate. As we approached, the
When we had finally made it
Bermuda shorts and sunglasses. It was
three buckaroos on their horses
out of the vicinity for the day I closed
clear I would have only my memory.
gathered up on the opposite side of
one last gate (many of the roads went
LeRoy began by telling them
the fence, faced us squarely, in a
through private land, especially along
we had just come up Brown Ridge
perfect row, all with the exact same
the rivers). As I did I saw a sign,
and camped last night down by an old
posture: right hand on the saddle horn,
referring to the area we had just come
cabin on the river. Naming some local
left hand tucked under the right armpit,
from. The sign said that (due to some
landmarks sparked the older mans
left elbow resting on the right hand
recent government decisions) the area
interest, and he asked if we had seen
and saddle horn, and eyes fixed right
was closed and that no one was
any cattle on our way up. We had seen
at us. It was a
allowed to pass
threatening formation.
through the private
I was getting a little
road (we had come
nervous (wait until they
up a back-country
find out were bird
route from the
watchers and wildlife
other direction so
biologists!). I figured
saw no such signs
we would wave and
along the way we
keep right on going.
entered). At that
LeRoy pulled up right
point I realized that
across the fence from
those buckaroos,
them, stopped, and
that old man, had
turned off the truck. Oh
surely been kind to
no, I thought. Oh my
us during our
God, what is he going
encounter with
to say? I figured he
them earlier in the
was really going to get
day. We both had
us into trouble now. But
presented
a
we had one thing going
potential threat:
for us: LeRoy looked
LeRoy and I
like an old miner, and
coming from whoLeRoy Fish at Battle Mountain, Harney County, June, 1999.
had a down-to-earth
knows-where and
Photo/Matt Hunter.
speech that could
up to who-knowsplacate a mama bear
what, and the
a heifer at a water hole on the plateau,
with cubs.
buckaroos lining up in their combat
just up from the river. The man was
The buckaroos were one older
formation. I was glad that LeRoy was
appreciative of the information
man and two younger men, probably
there to participate in the
because they had just tried to get all
in their 30s. LeRoy rolled down the
communication of mutual respect and
the cattle out of that area, and said
window. The old buckaroo spoke first
longsuffering with that older man.
something about always missing one
You lost or somethin? The young
The remainder of the trip was
or two. LeRoy mentioned we had just
buckaroos did not say a word at that
less eventful. Back at Three Forks
been down in the Battle Mountain
time, nor during the duration of our
area. The mans demeanor again
20-minute conversation, and did not
again we marveled at the canyon
softened and brightened, and his
flinch as far as I could tell the entire
formations and the hot springs, and
conversation became filled with story.
time. I didnt say much either, but I
finally headed home. Later I copied
He said he used to buckaroo down in
fidgeted more than the young guys on
over two hours of video of birds and
that area when he was younger. He
the horses. What took place over the
other things, including LeRoy, that we
said the sage hens used to be so
next 20 minutes was no less than
saw on our trip and sent them to
common down there you had to shoo
astounding. I so, so badly, wanted to
LeRoy. It was a trip to remember.
them out from under the lone junipers
video-tape the entire conversation, and
Now, my friend LeRoy is
so you could get your own shade. We
capture the image of these buckaroos
told them of our tentative plans and
in formation, and the stories the older
REALLY out of the box.
Oregons First Blue-footed Booby
Eric Horvath, P.O. Box 721, South Beach, OR 97366
On 7 September 2002, a Blue-footed
Booby amazingly appeared at
Yaquina Head lighthouse in Lincoln
County. The Blue-footed Booby
was initially identified by Alvaro
Jaramillo and George Armistead who
were leading a birding tour for Field
Guides.
They immediately
recognized that this was a remarkable
rarity, and made phone calls to other
birders who posted a message on
OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line).
Word spread quickly on the Internet,
and the bird was seen by many
observers. The Blue-footed Booby
remained at the lighthouse for 3 days.
Yaquina Head is the site of
a large colony of Common Murres
and Brandts Cormorants. Many of
these nest on colony rock, a treeless
sea stack separated from the
mainland by only about 50 meters.
The Blue-footed Booby chose
colony rock as its roost site, and most
of the observations were of the bird
perched there. At times the Booby
perched in full view on top of colony
rock, while at other times it perched
on the west (back) side of the rock.
For several hours on Sunday, 8
September, the Booby was visible
from shore only by ascending the
lighthouse. About 30 birders took
turns going up to view the bird from
this vantage point. At other times
the bird was seen flying and later
preening, which allowed observers
to study various field marks. The
kelp flies at Yaquina Head were also
memorable since they landed in
aggravating numbers on the faces of
those watching the booby. Since the
bird was not visible at all times, some
folks had to wait awhile for it to
appear from the backside of colony
rock. During this time a good deal
of humor was made, some to do with
the name of bird of the quest.
The bird was clearly a sulid
by its distinctive shape. In addition
to what is visible in the photo, it was
generally brown dorsally, but had a
white rump and a white spot on the
back of the neck. The tail was brown,
but showed a pattern of white at the
bases of the rectrices, and white in
Blue-footed Booby , 7-9 Sep 2002, Yaquina Head,Lincoln Co. Photo/Eric Horvath
the central dorsal rectrices. The
plumage (especially the tail) was
worn, and the bird appeared to be
missing some central tail feathers.
The bill was light gray, and the feet
were grayish-blue (not a bright blue).
The eye was brown, not pale. With
the combination of these characters it
was concluded that this bird was
neither a juvenile nor an adult, but a
second-year bird (sub-adult).
For Oregon birders this was
an historic occasion, since it is the first
record of Blue-footed Booby in the
state. Blue-footed Boobies normally
reside along the Pacific Coast of
Central and South America, occurring
from Peru north to Mexico. They
breed in the Galapagos Islands and on
islands in the Sea of Cortez (Harrison,
1983, Seabirds). In the United States,
Blue-footed Boobies sometimes stray
north of Mexico to various areas of
the Southwest. Over half of the U.S.
records are from the Salton Sea in
California, where they are considered
rare but regularly occurring.
Mlodinow & OBrien (1996,
Americas 100 Most Wanted Birds)
have analyzed the U.S. records, and
peak numbers occur from mid-August
through September. Along the Pacific
Coast there are far fewer records (only
23 records as of 1996), with most of
these being from central and southern
California. One exceptional record is
from Washington in September 1935.
The photo shows the Bluefooted Booby raising its foot, which
is one of the spectacular displays they
use on their breeding grounds. The
bird was holding its foot out steadily
for at least ten minutes on September
9th, the last day it was seen. I was
lucky enough to be at Yaquina Head
when the fog had lifted and the Booby
was out in full sun. By aiming my
digital camera through the eyepiece
of my spotting scope (the digiscoping
technique), I was able to capture this
remarkable image. I would like to
thank all the people who made detailed
postings to OBOL (Range Bayer,
Darrel Faxon, Greg Gillson, Dave
Lauten, Kathy Castelein, Wayne
Hoffman, John Hull, Gerard Lillie,
Michel Kleinbaum, Harry Nehls, Ruth
Sullivan, Marg Tweelinckx), their
notes helped to prepare this article.
And all that remained for Ruby
Was that damned blue-footed booby,
A sula nebouxii left high and dry;
The tragic pelagic
So eager to breed in July.
The Adventures of Ruby and Captain
Pearl
by E.F. Gannett, Ca 1899
OFO Bookcase
Oregon Field Ornithologists Publications:
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Bibliography of Oregon Ornithology: An Updating for
the Years 1971-1977, With a Revised Cross-Referenced
List of the Birds of Oregon. 1980. Mark Egger.
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Index to Oregon Bird Reports in Audubon Field Notes
and American Birds 1947-1981. 1982. Clarice Watson.
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A Bibliography of Bird Identification Articles in Five
Journals, with Cross-References to a List of Over 580
Species. 1987. Clarice Watson.
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Birds of Northeast Oregon: An Annotated Checklist for
Union and Wallowa Counties. Second Edition (Revd).
1992. Joe Evanich.
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Birds of Malheur County, Oregon. 1996. Alan Contreras
and Robert R. Kindschy, illustrated by Ramiel Papish.
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Cumulative Index to Oregon Birds, Vol. 1-22, 1998.
Alan Contreras.
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A Guide to Birds and other Wildlife of the Columbia
River Estuary. 1998. Mike Patterson.
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Birds of Coos County, Oregon: status and distribution.
1998. Alan Contreras.
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A Pocket Guide to Oregon Birds. Second Edition, 1999.
Alan Contreras.
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A Distributional List of the Land Birds of West Central
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Northwest Birds in Winter
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264 pp., softcover.
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Annotated Bibliography of Oregon Bird Literature
Published Before 1935
George A. Jobanek. Oregon State University Press,
1997, 496 pp., hardcover.
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A Birders Guide to the Klamath Basin
Steve Summers. 1993, 85 pp.
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Birds of Oregon: Status and Distribution
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Birding the Southern Oregon Coast
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2002 Oregon Listing Results
Jamie Simmons, 1430 NW Terracegreen Place, Corvallis, OR 97330 woodpecker97330@yahoo.com
Notable Oregon listing milestones of 2002:
Tim Rodenkirk smashed the 16-year-old Oregon year record, and thus added a third personal entry to the alltime top ten state year list.
Walt Yungen and Bob Stites also added new totals to the top ten state year list.
Jack Corbett and Walt Yungen reached 400 for their Oregon life lists.
In county life lists, Tim Rodenkirk (Coos) and Mark Nikas (Linn) emerged as new leaders, while Paul Sherrell
(Lane), Bill Tice (Polk), and Dave Irons (Tillamook) tied for the lead. Leaders in Curry, Gilliam, and Linn
have very slim leads.
Ron Maertz became the first birder to reach 300 in Douglas County.
New county year records were set by Chuck Gates (Crook), Norm Barrett (Jackson), Mark Nikas (Linn), Iain
Tomlinson (Multnomah--by 25 birds!), Roy Gerig (Polk), Trent Bray (Union), and Frank and Sue Conley
(Wallowa). John Fitchen as well broke the late Joe Evanich's 1988 Multnomah year record, by 18 birds.
A hearty thanks to all who submitted their listing numbers!
Totals marked with an asterisk (*) are previously submitted totals; no updated total was received this year.
Only totals of 400 or more for the Oregon life list are carried through without an updated list. County totals
are carried through from year to year only if they are leading in that county. Names marked with () symbol
honor deceased birders.
Oregon State List (300)
464* Jeff Gilligan
444* Tom Crabtree
442* Owen Schmidt
437
Gerard Lillie
433
Sheran Wright
431* Jim Johnson
426* Richard Smith
425
Alan Contreras
423
Paul Sullivan
420
Tim Janzen
417* David Bailey
414* Donna Lusthoff
413
Craig Miller
413
Dave Irons
413
Jim Carlson
413* Rick Krabbe
411
Hendrik Herlyn
411* Skip Russell
409
Tom Mickel
408
Tim Shelmerdine
406
Paul Sherrell
406* Linda Weiland
402
Alan McGie
401* Steve Summers
400
Jack Corbett
400
Walt Yungen
399
Tim Rodenkirk
397
Allison Mickel
395
Steve Kornfeld
395
Tom Love
394
394
393
393
393
391
391
390
389
388
387
385
385
385
384
382
380
378
377
375
375
375
374
374
371
370
369
369
368
366
365
Barbara Combs
Joe Evanich ()
David Copeland
Patty Bernardi
Reid Freeman
Diane Pettey
Stephen Dowlan
Craig Corder
Bill Tice
John Lundsten
Jan Krabbe ()
Greg Gillson
Marshall Beretta
Mike Patterson
Kamal Islam
Sylvia Maulding
Dan Heyerly
Ed McVicker
Don Schrouder
Martha Sawyer ()
Merry Lynn & Mike Denny
Rich Hoyer
Ron Maertz
Ulo Kiigemagi
Alice Parker
Clarice Watson
Floyd Schrock
Judy Corder
Roger Robb
Don Munson
Bob Stites
364
362
362
361
359
358
355
354
353
352
351
351
348
348
346
344
342
342
338
337
335
334
332
331
328
326
324
318
318
316
315
Jamie Simmons
Chuck Gates
Mark Nikas
Jeff Harding
Henry Gilmore
Stuart Sparkman
Marion Corder ()
Eva Schultz
Karen Viste-Sparkman
Marilyn Miller
Anne Heyerly
Paul Osburn
Michael Nomina
Norm Barrett
John Fitchen
Don DeWitt
Jim Rogers
Vjera Arnold
Karl Fairchild
Carol Karlen
Tanya E. Bray
Marcia F. Cutler
Fred Zeillemaker
Lewis Rems
Noah Strycker
John Sullivan
Rick Maulding
Fred Parker ()
Wayne C. Weber
Jim Arneson
Don Albright
315
314
313
312
308
303
300
Elmer Specht
Mike Wihler
Tom Ewert
Tom Snetsinger
John Kemper
Daniel Farrar
Diane Horgan
Oregon Year List (250)
363
Tim Rodenkirk
346
Walt Yungen
340
Bob Stites
332
Tim Shelmerdine
324
Patty Bernardi
315
Greg Gillson
315
Noah Strycker
314
Sylvia Maulding
311
John Sullivan
310
Diane Pettey
310
Paul Sherrell
308
Paul Sullivan
306
Alan Contreras
305
Jack Corbett
300
Carol Karlen
300
Jim Carlson
295
Hendrik Herlyn
293
Ulo Kiigemagi
292
Mark Nikas
292
Trent Bray
289
Chuck Gates
282
Don Albright
278
Tom Ewert
276
Karl Fairchild
273
Tom Love
262
Jeff Harding
260
Don DeWitt
260
Roger Robb
258
Mike Patterson
254
Jim Moodie
250
Diane Horgan
Top Ten Oregon Year Lists
363
Tim Rodenkirk (2002)
355
Phillip Pickering (1986)
351
Tim Janzen (1996)
348
346
Walt Yungen (2002)
345
Donna Lusthoff (1987)
345
Skip Russell (1992)
344
Jeff Gilligan (1981)
342
340
Bob Stites (2002)
2002 Oregon County Lists
Baker
231* Ann Ward
220
Craig Corder
205
Paul Sullivan
172
Merry Lynn & Mike
Denny
148
Walt Yungen
141
Judy Corder
129
Tim Shelmerdine
127
David Copeland
118
Don Munson
113
Jamie Simmons
112
Wayne C. Weber
109
Barbara Combs
102
Craig Miller
Benton
238* Rick Krabbe
229
Hendrik Herlyn
228
Jan Krabbe ()
225
Jamie Simmons
219
Alan McGie
213
Rich Hoyer
208
Ulo Kiigemagi
196
Marcia F. Cutler
196
Roy Gerig
194
David Copeland
192
Fred Zeillemaker
188
Tom Snetsinger
179
Tanya E. Bray
178
Greg Gillson
169
Bill Tice
168
Dave Irons
167
Paul Sullivan
164
164
Mark Nikas
162
Barbara Combs
162
Roger Robb
161
Walt Yungen
160
Craig Corder
159
Jeff Harding
159
Sylvia Maulding
156
Jack Corbett
156
Stuart Sparkman
153
Carol Karlen
146
Stephen Dowlan
146
Tim Shelmerdine
144
John Sullivan
144
Mike Patterson
142
Jim Carlson
134
Judy Corder
132
Karl Fairchild
129
Paul Sherrell
127
Eva Schultz
121
Reid Freeman
116
114
110
106
Joe Fontaine
Rick Maulding
Tom Love
Vjera Arnold
Clackamas
242
Elmer Specht
238
Tim Janzen
203
Tim Shelmerdine
202
Stephen Dowlan
190
Paul Sullivan
185
Ed McVicker
183
David Copeland
149
Walt Yungen
148
Tom Love
135
Jack Corbett
126
Tom Ewert
121
Dave Irons
117
Barbara Combs
105
Craig Corder
104
Greg Gillson
102
Henry Gilmore
101
Jeff Harding
Clatsop
314
Mike Patterson
261
Stephen Warner
240
Dave Irons
237
Henry Gilmore
229
Paul Sullivan
216
David Copeland
211
Greg Gillson
208
Tim Shelmerdine
194
Tom Love
193
Walt Yungen
171
Craig Corder
166
Barbara Combs
151
Ed McVicker
151
Wayne C. Weber
149
Ulo Kiigemagi
146
Hendrik Herlyn
146
Jim Carlson
140
Craig Miller
133
Tom Ewert
130
Stuart Sparkman
126
Floyd Schrock
126
125
Fred Zeillemaker
124
Jack Corbett
119
Jeff Harding
114
Judy Corder
113
Don Munson
108
Merry Lynn & Mike
Denny
107
Jan Krabbe ()
107
Michael Nomina
106
101
100
Paul Sherrell
Reid Freeman
Roger Robb
Columbia
214* Phillip Pickering
170
Paul Sullivan
160
David Copeland
153
Tim Shelmerdine
142
Greg Gillson
140
Dave Irons
131
Tom Love
125
Ed McVicker
120
Tom Ewert
119
Walt Yungen
117
Craig Corder
113
Henry Gilmore
108
Barbara Combs
108
Ulo Kiigemagi
104
Mike Patterson
103
Michael Nomina
Coos
305
292
251
246
244
238
235
232
229
227
226
223
221
221
205
205
203
203
201
193
190
185
184
183
180
175
172
164
162
161
156
154
151
Tim Rodenkirk
Alan McGie
Paul Sullivan
Mike Wihler
Alan Contreras
Dave Irons
Hendrik Herlyn
Don Munson
Alice Parker
Jim Rogers
Tim Shelmerdine
David Copeland
Ulo Kiigemagi
Walt Yungen
Jack Corbett
Jim Carlson
Roger Robb
Ron Maertz
Sylvia Maulding
Jan Krabbe ()
Stephen Dowlan
Paul Sherrell
Barbara Combs
Greg Gillson
Anne Heyerly
Craig Miller
Jamie Simmons
Mike Patterson
Mark Nikas
Noah Strycker
Craig Corder
Reid Freeman
147
146
144
143
139
138
138
138
135
135
134
132
123
120
118
113
112
111
Don DeWitt
Jeff Harding
Chuck Gates
Judy Corder
Stuart Sparkman
Eva Schultz
Marcia F. Cutler
Tanya E. Bray
Bill Tice
Wayne C. Weber
Tom Love
John Sullivan
Marilyn Miller
Vjera Arnold
Tom Ewert
Rick Maulding
John Kemper
142
142
141
140
136
134
131
125
124
123
122
113
111
107
102
100
Crook
243
239
228
203
183
157
150
138
136
134
134
125
123
123
121
118
117
116
114
111
108
100
Lewis Rems
Chuck Gates
Craig Miller
Paul Sullivan
Marilyn Miller
Walt Yungen
David Copeland
Jim Moodie
Eva Schultz
Craig Corder
Dave Irons
Ulo Kiigemagi
Hendrik Herlyn
Roger Robb
Barbara Combs
Greg Gillson
Judy Corder
Tim Shelmerdine
Jan Krabbe ()
Tom Ewert
Marcia F. Cutler
Tom Love
Curry
321
319
252
219
214
211
165
162
157
156
149
145
Don Munson
Jim Rogers
Tim Rodenkirk
Paul Sullivan
Dave Irons
Jim Carlson
Alice Parker
David Copeland
Walt Yungen
Ulo Kiigemagi
Jamie Simmons
Jack Corbett
Tim Shelmerdine
Jan Krabbe ()
Barbara Combs
Hendrik Herlyn
Alan McGie
Roger Robb
Craig Corder
Noah Strycker
Wayne C. Weber
Ron Maertz
Jeff Harding
Sylvia Maulding
Craig Miller
Judy Corder
Greg Gillson
Deschutes
288* Tom Crabtree
276
Craig Miller
249
Lewis Rems
235
Marilyn Miller
233
Paul Sullivan
232
Chuck Gates
199
Ulo Kiigemagi
197
Greg Gillson
188
Jim Moodie
183
Tom Love
181
Walt Yungen
179
Bill Tice
178
Hendrik Herlyn
177
Jim Carlson
177
Roger Robb
173
Henry Gilmore
173
Jan Krabbe ()
171
David Copeland
171
Eva Schultz
169
Paul Sherrell
167
Tim Shelmerdine
166
Alice Parker
163
Stephen Dowlan
160
Stuart Sparkman
156
Dave Irons
153
Jack Corbett
150
Barbara Combs
150
Carol Karlen
149
148
Alan McGie
145
Craig Corder
140
Jamie Simmons
139
Sylvia Maulding
138
Marion Corder ()
137
Don Munson
135
Marcia F. Cutler
123
Don DeWitt
121
Judy Corder
120
120
120
118
116
115
105
100
Fred Zeillemaker
Reid Freeman
Ron Maertz
Jeff Harding
Mike Patterson
Tanya E. Bray
Anne Heyerly
Douglas
300
Ron Maertz
292
Martha Sawyer ()
289
Alice Parker
244
Dave Irons
238
Fred Parker ()
221
Paul Sullivan
193
Don Munson
171
Tim Shelmerdine
171
Walt Yungen
167
Jim Carlson
166
Paul Sherrell
163
Barbara Combs
154
Ulo Kiigemagi
153
David Copeland
152
Stephen Dowlan
145
Reid Freeman
144
Eva Schultz
144
Roger Robb
140
Norm Barrett
132
Mike Patterson
127
Hendrik Herlyn
127
Sylvia Maulding
125
Anne Heyerly
123
Craig Miller
120
Jeff Harding
117
Jamie Simmons
114
Jack Corbett
105
Bill Tice
103
Wayne C. Weber
102
101
Craig Corder
Gilliam
203
Craig Corder
202
Judy Corder
171
Roy Gerig
160
Paul Sullivan
151
Marion Corder ()
140
David Copeland
136
Tim Shelmerdine
116
Walt Yungen
104
Barbara Combs
Grant
211
Paul Sullivan
188
173
145
141
131
129
128
128
123
123
122
120
119
118
117
117
114
112
112
111
110
103
Walt Yungen
Jan Krabbe ()
Craig Corder
Ulo Kiigemagi
Tim Shelmerdine
David Copeland
Roy Gerig
Greg Gillson
Paul Sherrell
Barbara Combs
Jim Carlson
Craig Miller
Jack Corbett
Hendrik Herlyn
Jamie Simmons
Don Munson
Alan McGie
Wayne C. Weber
Tom Love
Judy Corder
Reid Freeman
Harney
291* Jeff Gilligan
272
Craig Miller
266
Jim Carlson
263
258
Paul Sullivan
256
Hendrik Herlyn
254
Dave Irons
253
Alan McGie
235
Craig Corder
232
Tim Rodenkirk
232
Ulo Kiigemagi
228
Jack Corbett
225
Judy Corder
224
Greg Gillson
223
Barbara Combs
220
David Copeland
220
Rich Hoyer
219
Marilyn Miller
218
Tim Shelmerdine
218
Walt Yungen
217
Alice Parker
214
Paul Sherrell
214
Tom Love
213
Stephen Dowlan
211
Jan Krabbe ()
210
Bill Tice
209
Henry Gilmore
204
Mark Nikas
203
Roy Gerig
201
Fred Zeillemaker
199
Carol Karlen
198
Jamie Simmons
197
Jeff Harding
194
191
191
187
187
187
187
183
180
178
178
174
174
168
166
164
162
155
145
136
135
132
132
124
124
121
Chuck Gates
Sylvia Maulding
Vjera Arnold
Marcia F. Cutler
Noah Strycker
Reid Freeman
Stuart Sparkman
Ron Maertz
Ed McVicker
Mike Patterson
Eva Schultz
Wayne C. Weber
Don Albright
Rick Maulding
Floyd Schrock
John Sullivan
Anne Heyerly
Roger Robb
Jim Moodie
Tom Ewert
Michael Nomina
Tanya E. Bray
Daniel Farrar
Don DeWitt
Don Munson
Hood River
221* David Anderson
164
Paul Sullivan
152
David Copeland
149
Tim Shelmerdine
130
Walt Yungen
125
Barbara Combs
121
Dave Irons
117
Tom Love
116
Craig Corder
103
Ulo Kiigemagi
101
Ron Maertz
Jackson
289
Marjorie Moore
258
Norm Barrett
223
John Kemper
208
Douglas Kirkpatrick
201
Paul Sherrell
199
Don Munson
198
Don Schrouder
195
Paul Sullivan
173
David Copeland
160
Barbara Combs
152
Roger Robb
150
Walt Yungen
149
Jan Krabbe ()
146
Jack Corbett
145
Ulo Kiigemagi
132
131
128
127
125
123
114
114
114
111
110
108
102
100
Tom Love
Sylvia Maulding
Stephen Warner
Alice Parker
Dave Irons
Tim Shelmerdine
Craig Corder
Jim Carlson
Stuart Sparkman
Henry Gilmore
Stephen Dowlan
Wayne C. Weber
Jeff Harding
Judy Corder
Jefferson
245
Lewis Rems
219
Craig Miller
207
Paul Sullivan
177
Roy Gerig
168
David Copeland
168
Marilyn Miller
157
Floyd Schrock
148
Chuck Gates
145
Walt Yungen
140
Tim Shelmerdine
138
Stephen Dowlan
128
Dave Irons
119
Tom Love
118
Jeff Harding
112
Barbara Combs
112
Greg Gillson
102
Craig Corder
Josephine
213
Dennis Vroman
201
Don Munson
173
Paul Sullivan
136
Walt Yungen
122
Jack Corbett
122
Tim Shelmerdine
115
David Copeland
115
Greg Gillson
111
Wayne C. Weber
106
Barbara Combs
102
Norm Barrett
100
Craig Miller
Klamath
291* Steve Summers
257
Jim Carlson
244
Paul Sullivan
227
Paul Sherrell
210
David Copeland
208
Don Munson
208
Don Schrouder
203
202
195
191
189
188
188
188
188
181
180
177
174
168
168
166
163
160
158
157
156
156
155
154
147
144
143
140
140
139
135
134
130
130
128
128
127
122
121
118
115
113
105
101
Ron Maertz
Ulo Kiigemagi
Roger Robb
Walt Yungen
Alice Parker
Barbara Combs
Dave Irons
Jan Krabbe ()
Jack Corbett
Hendrik Herlyn
Alan McGie
Eva Schultz
Greg Gillson
Tim Shelmerdine
Craig Corder
Craig Miller
Stephen Warner
Marion Corder ()
Lewis Rems
Stuart Sparkman
Stephen Dowlan
Henry Gilmore
John Kemper
Anne Heyerly
Wayne C. Weber
Jeff Harding
Marcia F. Cutler
Mike Patterson
Jim Rogers
Sylvia Maulding
Norm Barrett
Tom Ewert
Jamie Simmons
Tom Love
Raymond C. Korpi
Mark Nikas
Fred Zeillemaker
Bill Tice
Michael Nomina
Reid Freeman
Judy Corder
Tanya E. Bray
Lake
279
246
246
236
229
226
211
191
191
187
Craig Miller
Marilyn Miller
Roy Gerig
Paul Sullivan
Lewis Rems
Jim Carlson
David Copeland
Paul Sherrell
Ulo Kiigemagi
Greg Gillson
186
182
180
177
172
172
169
167
164
161
160
159
158
157
156
151
151
150
147
144
143
143
139
138
134
133
131
128
128
119
113
111
110
Tim Shelmerdine
Dave Irons
Don Munson
Walt Yungen
Hendrik Herlyn
Tom Love
Marcia F. Cutler
Bill Tice
Jack Corbett
Henry Gilmore
Barbara Combs
Alan McGie
Craig Corder
Judy Corder
Eva Schultz
Sylvia Maulding
Jan Krabbe ()
Fred Zeillemaker
Jamie Simmons
Stephen Dowlan
Tom Ewert
Ron Maertz
Reid Freeman
Roger Robb
Vjera Arnold
Don Albright
Jeff Harding
Wayne C. Weber
John Kemper
Alice Parker
Stuart Sparkman
Lane
336
336
331
314
310
308
305
305
293
293
289
289
287
284
277
275
265
260
252
250
250
Tom Mickel
Paul Sherrell
Jim Carlson
Alan Contreras
Barbara Combs
Don DeWitt
Clarice Watson
Don Schrouder
Dan Heyerly
Reid Freeman
Mark Nikas
Roger Robb
Sylvia Maulding
Hendrik Herlyn
Dave Irons
Eva Schultz
Vjera Arnold
Daniel Farrar
Jan Krabbe ()
Mike Patterson
Paul Sullivan
249
246
246
243
242
238
224
222
217
211
210
202
200
199
195
193
190
188
179
176
173
172
166
164
161
159
159
148
146
146
137
129
128
118
114
109
102
100
Norm Barrett
Anne Heyerly
Noah Strycker
Walt Yungen
John Sullivan
Ulo Kiigemagi
Tanya E. Bray
Rick Maulding
Tim Shelmerdine
Jack Corbett
Tim Rodenkirk
Craig Miller
David Copeland
Marcia F. Cutler
Ron Maertz
Alice Parker
Greg Gillson
Marilyn Miller
Stephen Dowlan
Don Munson
Tom Snetsinger
Jamie Simmons
Michael Nomina
Jeff Harding
Paul Osburn
Tom Love
Stuart Sparkman
Bill Tice
Tom Ewert
Floyd Schrock
Wayne C. Weber
Craig Corder
Alan McGie
Joe Fontaine
Henry Gilmore
Jim Rogers
Lincoln
263* Rick Krabbe
256
Floyd Schrock
253
Jamie Simmons
253
Paul Sullivan
252
Jan Krabbe ()
251
Greg Gillson
244
Dave Irons
241
David Copeland
241
Hendrik Herlyn
238
Roy Gerig
238
Walt Yungen
237
Stephen Dowlan
228
Bill Tice
227
Tim Shelmerdine
224
Ulo Kiigemagi
219
Barbara Combs
219
213
212
197
194
192
190
189
184
183
183
182
182
182
181
178
177
173
170
169
165
158
154
145
144
142
135
130
129
124
123
123
121
116
116
106
Jack Corbett
Jim Carlson
Rich Hoyer
Tom Love
Craig Miller
Sylvia Maulding
Roger Robb
Tom Snetsinger
Ed McVicker
Mark Nikas
Eva Schultz
Jeff Harding
Marcia F. Cutler
Tanya E. Bray
Don Munson
Carol Karlen
Craig Corder
John Sullivan
Alan McGie
Stuart Sparkman
Reid Freeman
Paul Sherrell
Mike Patterson
Henry Gilmore
Joe Fontaine
Wayne C. Weber
Fred Zeillemaker
Don DeWitt
Judy Corder
Michael Nomina
Ron Maertz
Anne Heyerly
Tom Ewert
Rick Maulding
Linn
231
229
229
205
195
185
181
181
180
179
176
173
173
171
171
170
169
168
Mark Nikas
Jeff Harding
Roy Gerig
Greg Gillson
David Copeland
Marcia F. Cutler
Hendrik Herlyn
Paul Sullivan
Jamie Simmons
Tom Snetsinger
Dave Irons
Stephen Dowlan
Ulo Kiigemagi
Jan Krabbe ()
Sylvia Maulding
Barbara Combs
Rich Hoyer
Walt Yungen
167
151
150
146
146
135
135
134
129
125
124
123
116
112
102
Roger Robb
Alan McGie
Craig Corder
Tim Shelmerdine
Judy Corder
Paul Sherrell
Tom Love
Stuart Sparkman
Jack Corbett
Jim Carlson
Bill Tice
Reid Freeman
Tanya E. Bray
Floyd Schrock
Malheur
230* John Gatchet
216
Craig Corder
212
Paul Sullivan
206
Marion Corder ()
190
164
Alan Contreras
136
Tim Shelmerdine
134
David Copeland
132
Hendrik Herlyn
129
Jamie Simmons
127
Fred Zeillemaker
124
Barbara Combs
122
Paul Sherrell
120
Ulo Kiigemagi
119
Walt Yungen
118
Reid Freeman
115
Wayne C. Weber
113
Henry Gilmore
111
Judy Corder
110
Don Munson
102
Marilyn Miller
Marion
265
John Lundsten
256
Stephen Dowlan
255
Jack Corbett
251
David Copeland
233
Walt Yungen
226
Stuart Sparkman
225
221
Paul Sullivan
219
Roy Gerig
203
Bill Tice
181
Tim Shelmerdine
178
Jeff Harding
175
Floyd Schrock
162
Carol Karlen
149
Barbara Combs
146
Greg Gillson
143
143
140
134
134
134
133
126
126
120
116
112
108
106
102
Marcia F. Cutler
Sylvia Maulding
Roger Robb
Alan McGie
Hendrik Herlyn
Jamie Simmons
Dave Irons
Tom Love
Ulo Kiigemagi
Reid Freeman
Mike Patterson
Craig Corder
Don Munson
Tom Ewert
Judy Corder
Morrow
238
Craig Corder
220
Judy Corder
219
Marion Corder ()
210
Paul Sullivan
201
Jamie Simmons
163
135
David Copeland
135
122
Tim Shelmerdine
121
Walt Yungen
108
Barbara Combs
107
Stuart Sparkman
Multnomah
244* Jeff Gilligan
232
Tom Love
228
Iain Tomlinson
223
John Fitchen
222
Dave Irons
215
Paul Osburn
202
Paul Sullivan
199
Bob Stites
195
Tim Shelmerdine
193
Ed McVicker
188
Michael Nomina
182
Henry Gilmore
180
Pamela Johnston
171
Tom Ewert
163
Greg Gillson
156
David Copeland
153
Mike Patterson
149
Stephen Dowlan
148
Walt Yungen
142
Craig Corder
127
Raymond C. Korpi
122
Reid Freeman
121
Jack Corbett
119
Ulo Kiigemagi
118
Wayne C. Weber
117
106
106
105
105
Barbara Combs
Judy Corder
Marion Corder ()
Hendrik Herlyn
Polk
265
265
234
226
221
218
210
200
188
188
172
167
163
161
154
149
147
146
146
144
141
138
137
137
136
132
131
129
120
119
118
117
110
108
100
100
Roy Gerig
Bill Tice
Walt Yungen
Jack Corbett
Stephen Dowlan
David Copeland
Floyd Schrock
Carol Karlen
Paul Sullivan
Stuart Sparkman
Marcia F. Cutler
Tim Shelmerdine
Tom Love
Alan McGie
Ed McVicker
Hendrik Herlyn
Barbara Combs
Rich Hoyer
Tanya E. Bray
Sylvia Maulding
Don Albright
Roger Robb
Tom Snetsinger
Dave Irons
Greg Gillson
Jan Krabbe ()
Jamie Simmons
Ulo Kiigemagi
Henry Gilmore
Jeff Harding
John Sullivan
Jim Carlson
Tom Ewert
Craig Corder
Judy Corder
Sherman
201 Lewis Rems
186 Roy Gerig
175 Paul Sullivan
164 Craig Miller
144 David Copeland
136 Craig Corder
130 Tim Shelmerdine
129 Walt Yungen
121 Judy Corder
112
Dave Irons
100 Barbara Combs
Tillamook
279
Dave Irons
279* Jeff Gilligan
247
Jan Krabbe ()
237
Tim Shelmerdine
233
Paul Sullivan
229
Greg Gillson
227
Roy Gerig
227
Walt Yungen
225
Tom Love
222
David Copeland
221
Jack Corbett
221
Mike Patterson
208
Bill Tice
208
Stephen Dowlan
203
Carol Karlen
202
Barbara Combs
199
Ed McVicker
192
Craig Corder
192
Floyd Schrock
191
Craig Miller
187
Hendrik Herlyn
185
Ulo Kiigemagi
169
Stuart Sparkman
168
157
Don Munson
156
Jeff Harding
153
Judy Corder
147
Jim Carlson
147
Henry Gilmore
146
Marion Corder ()
140
Alan McGie
139
Wayne C. Weber
136
Jamie Simmons
136
Roger Robb
134
Alice Parker
134
Tom Ewert
124
Marcia F. Cutler
124
118
Mark Nikas
114
Fred Zeillemaker
110
Eva Schultz
106
Paul Sherrell
102
Michael Nomina
Umatilla
273
Craig Corder
257
Judy Corder
257
Marion Corder ()
256
228
Paul Sullivan
166
Jan Krabbe ()
162
Jamie Simmons
150
Jim Carlson
134
David Copeland
129
Henry Gilmore
126
124
123
119
106
106
101
Walt Yungen
Tim Shelmerdine
Wayne C. Weber
Dave Irons
Alice Parker
Barbara Combs
Hendrik Herlyn
Union
254
215
204
164
164
157
154
154
153
153
147
143
141
132
131
130
130
130
127
117
109
108
103
Joe Evanich ()
Paul Sullivan
Craig Corder
Judy Corder
Marion Corder ()
David Copeland
Walt Yungen
Henry Gilmore
Jan Krabbe ()
Paul Sherrell
Barbara Combs
Tim Shelmerdine
Ulo Kiigemagi
Wayne C. Weber
Hendrik Herlyn
Jim Carlson
Tom Love
Jim Rogers
Jamie Simmons
Stuart Sparkman
Dave Irons
Wallowa
277
Frank Conley
265
Sue Conley
231
Paul Sullivan
212
Craig Corder
211
Judy Corder
171
157
David Copeland
153
Marion Corder ()
147
Jamie Simmons
146
Tim Shelmerdine
143
Jack Corbett
136
Walt Yungen
125
Wayne C. Weber
123
Hendrik Herlyn
116
Craig Miller
110
Barbara Combs
104
Henry Gilmore
102
Jim Carlson
Wasco
255* Donna Lusthoff
219
David Copeland
215
207
191
169
169
147
138
128
116
116
111
102
Craig Corder
Marion Corder ()
Paul Sullivan
Roy Gerig
Walt Yungen
Tim Shelmerdine
Judy Corder
Jack Corbett
Barbara Combs
Henry Gilmore
Tom Love
Greg Gillson
Washington
234
Joe Evanich ()
222
Greg Gillson
214
Paul Sullivan
201
Tom Love
195
Dave Irons
188
Ed McVicker
168
David Copeland
167
Walt Yungen
158
Carol Karlen
156
Tim Shelmerdine
154
Tom Ewert
135
Craig Corder
135
Michael Nomina
132
Henry Gilmore
119
Don Albright
109
Barbara Combs
108
Jack Corbett
101
Mike Patterson
Wheeler
216* Donna Lusthoff
211
Lewis Rems
206
Paul Sullivan
201
Judy Corder
201
Craig Corder
175
Craig Miller
169
David Copeland
124
Walt Yungen
113
Tim Shelmerdine
103
Barbara Combs
Yamhill
215
Tom Love
208
Floyd Schrock
193
Carol Karlen
192
Roy Gerig
189
David Copeland
173
Walt Yungen
169
Paul Sullivan
166
Don Albright
165
Bill Tice
159
Dave Irons
134
129
129
128
114
101
101
Greg Gillson
Stephen Dowlan
Tim Shelmerdine
Jack Corbett
Barbara Combs
Craig Corder
Judy Corder
2002 County Year Lists
Baker
Benton
156
Marcia F. Cutler
Clackamas
176
Elmer Specht
Clatsop
239
Mike Patterson
227
Stephen Warner
Coos
267
Tim Rodenkirk
Crook
224
Chuck Gates
Curry
Deschutes
185
Jim Moodie
Douglas
236
Alice Parker
173
Ron Maertz
Gilliam
Harney
198
Tim Rodenkirk
162
Mark Nikas
161
Noah Strycker
150
John Sullivan
Jackson
243
Norm Barrett
Jefferson
Josephine
Klamath
Lake
Lane
265
Paul Sherrell
245
Don DeWitt
241
Noah Strycker
232
John Sullivan
217
Sylvia Maulding
214
Mark Nikas
207
Roger Robb
188
Vjera Arnold
Lincoln
166
Greg Gillson
165
John Sullivan
164
Jamie Simmons
Linn
206
Mark Nikas
Malheur
Marion
Morrow
Multnomah
225
Iain Tomlinson
218
John Fitchen
194
Bob Stites
152
Tom Ewert
151
Pamela Johnston
Polk
210
Roy Gerig
205
Bill Tice
161
Carol Karlen
Sherman
Tillamook
Union
210
Trent Bray
Wallowa
219
Frank Conley
219
Sue Conley
Wasco
Washington
Wheeler
Yamhill
161
Carol Karlen
All-Time County Year List
Records
Baker
204
Craig Corder (1988)
Benton
202
Trent Bray (2000)
Clackamas
209
Tim Janzen (1995)
Clatsop
252
Todd Thornton (2001)
Columbia
196
Coos
272
Crook
224
Chuck Gates (2002)
Curry
269
Don Munson (1999)
Deschutes
219
Dean Hale (1998)
Douglas
247
Martha Sawyer () (1983)
Gilliam
183
Craig Corder & Judy
Stevens (1994)
Grant
185
Paul Sullivan (1988)
Harney
237
Hood River
170
David Anderson (1989)
Jackson
243
Norm Barrett (2002)
Jefferson
209
Lewis Rems (1992)
Josephine
175
Dick Cronberg (1992)
Klamath
236
Kevin Spencer (1996)
Lake
241
Steve Summers (1991)
Lane
273
Don DeWitt (2000)
Lincoln
241
Linn
206
Mark Nikas (2002)
Malheur
224
John Gatchet (1995)
Marion
220
John Lundsten (1995)
Morrow
224
Craig Corder (1990)
Multnomah
225
Iain Tomlinson (2002)
Polk
210
Roy Gerig (2002)
Sherman
181
Phillip Pickering
(1989)/Lewis Rems (1997)
Tillamook
234
Umatilla
242
Craig Corder & Judy
Stevens (1992)
Union
210
Trent Bray (2002)
Wallowa
219 Frank & Sue Conley (2002)
Wasco
211
Donna Lusthoff (1992)
Washington
188
John F. Gatchet (1984)
Wheeler
196
Craig Corder & Judy
Stevens (1996)
Yamhill
172
Floyd Schrock (1998)
Short-billed Dowitcher, 10 August, Prineville, Crook County. Photo/K.
Smith
Brown Creepers Nest in a Manufactured Creeper House
Noah Strycker, 35995 E. Wills Rd., Creswell, OR 97426
In an effort to attract nesting Brown
Creepers, during the winter of 20002001 I nailed pieces of bark of different
sizes and shapes to six Douglas-fir tree
trunks in a one-acre section of secondgrowth forest near my house east of
Creswell in Lane County, Oregon. The
pieces of bark ranged in size from about
six to 12 inches wide and from about
12 to 18 inches in height. I nailed the
bark against each tree so that it formed
a cup, with the bottom flush against the
trunk and with a two-inch opening at
the top. All of the creeper houses
were at about eye level so that they
could be checked without using a ladder.
By the next spring, only three or four
houses remained after storms had
destroyed the rest. I saw no evidence
of nesting during the first spring (2001),
either in the houses or anywhere else
in the vicinity.
On 4 June 2002, I discovered
a creeper nest with five nestlings in one
of the creeper houses. Interestingly, the
creepers chose the house in which I had
nailed an extra piece of bark over the
top to act as a roof. The nest filled the
bottom inch or two of the cavity and
consisted of bits of moss, lichen, fine
strips of bark, animal fur, and other soft
materials. On 16 June, I showed the
nest and nestlings to Alan Contreras
and Alex King. A few days later, the
nest was empty, after the young had
apparently fledged successfully. No
other creeper houses were occupied that
spring.
Brown Creepers are known to
nest almost exclusively under loose
bark. The success of the creeper house
suggests that they will use manufactured
housing built to similar specifications
as well.
A Brown Creeper adult emerges after feeding the nestlings in a man-made
creeper house.
A Brown Creeper adult appears outside the creeper housecarrying a fecal
sac.
Black Phoebe Nesting at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, Marion County
John Lundsten, 2352 Bunker Hill Rd. South, Salem, OR 97306
The first Black Phoebe I saw at
Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge was
on 3 September 2001, a bird that was
flycatching around Frog Pond near
Pintail Marsh. It was a juvenile, with
rusty edges on its wing coverts, and
I saw it again in the same area on 5
November. The next summer an adult
was flycatching near the kiosk at Eagle
Marsh on 21 May. On 11 July I saw
one and possibly a second bird
flycatching near a small bridge near
Eagle Marsh. I went back on 13 July
hoping to get some pictures. Within
a few minutes I saw there were two
birds in the area, and began thinking
about finding a nest. The first obvious
place to look was under the bridge,
which was not easily done as the ditch
was full of water. By laying down at
the waters edge I could see a nest on
the vertical concrete wall of the bridge,
hidden by the overhang that provides
a walkway along the edge of the
bridge.
The next day I looked to see
if the nest was occupied, and a Black
Phoebe flew off the nest. I moved
Black Phoebe nest under a bridge over
Sydney Ditch, Ankeny N.W.R. Photo/J.
Lundsten
away from the nest area and soon saw
the bird fly back under the bridge. On
18 July a Black Phoebe was perched
on the vegetation near the bridge, so
I did not stop. On 22 July I stopped
to look, and no bird flushed from the
nest. After a few more visits with no
birds seen, it became clear that the
nest was abandoned.
In early September I used a
ladder to get a closeup view of the
nest. I could feel 4 eggs in the nest. I
took one out, and it was a dull white
with no markings. Given the white
droppings on the rim of the nest, I
suspect a brood was raised earlier in
the summer. The bird I saw leaving
the nest may have been laying a
second clutch, and my presence may
have been enough for her to give up
the re-nesting effort.
Bridge over Sydney Ditch, Ankeny N.W.R., Marion Co. Approximate location of Black
Phoebe nest is indicated by the arrow. Photo/J. Lundsten
Oregon Birds 29(1):18, Spring 2003
Site Guide: Siltcoos Estuary Area, Lane County
Alan Contreras, 795 E. 29th Ave, Eugene OR 97405
In recent years so many interesting
birds have been found in coastal Lane
County that a revised site guide for the
area seems timely. This segment covers
the Siltcoos River. A brief guide to the
Florence area including the Siltcoos
has already appeared in OB (Contreras
and Heinl 1985) and the area is covered
by Tom Mickel and Bill Stotz in their
chapter in Birding the Southern Oregon
Coast (Cape Arago Audubon Society,
1996) and more briefly by Evanich
(1990). This article is intended to
provide a more recent map than is
available in any of those sources,
together with comments on how to visit
the major areas and what to expect
there.
This area was rarely birded until the
early 1980s but in recent years has
received fairly steady coverage. The
best birding areas are inaccessible from
April 15-September 15 because of
closures for Snowy Plover nesting.
However, some areas are still visible.
After Sep. 15 the area is worth constant
coverage into winter because it has a
good small pond for shorebirds and
ducks, a gull flock numbering from the
low hundreds to in excess of 2000
during peak movements, open areas
for pipits and raptors and a wooded
trail for passerines.
Species of note: Snowy Plover can
be found here year-round; easiest to
see from late September through winter
when the river mouth is open to the
public after breeding season. They
sometimes move north of the estuary
and use flatter areas between the dunes
in winter. Less regular species found
here have included Comon Goldeneye,
Long-tailed Duck, golden-plovers,
Willet, Ruff, Stilt Sandpiper, Buffbreasted Sandpiper, Semipalmated
Sandpiper, Wilsons Phalarope,
Parasitic Jaeger, Yellow Wagtail, Palm
Warbler and Smiths Longspur. Bandtailed Pigeon is common in late summer
and N. Saw-whet Owl has been heard
in early May. Red-shouldered Hawk
was fairly regular in 2002. A good gull
flock is often present from September
through April.
acontrer@mindspring.com
Access and Conditions: The access
road is off Hwy. 101 7 miles south of
the Siuslaw River bridge in Florence
or about 15 miles north of Gardiner,
Douglas Co. The mouth of the river
and the pond are usually closed April
15-Sep. 15. Trails involve some short
steep climbs (Waxmyrtle access) and
soft sand (all access points). Daily use
fee or NW Forest Pass required for
parking. Some hunting occurs.
Moderate turista traffic almost yearround. ORVs are allowed north of the
river and noise is an occasional
problem. Camping is available right
by the Waxmyrtle trailhead.
How to cover the area: The Siltcoos
mouth is one of the most dynamic
pieces of sand on the Oregon coast,
thus the last 100 yards of the river
changes its route every year, creating
and changing the area constantly.
Because most of the area is not
significantly affected by tides, it can
be birded at any tide. In late summer
and early fall when the beach has built
up and the river barely empties into
the ocean, the area is esssentially nontidal and the lower estuary can become
stagnant and back up over all muddy
areas. Winter storms generally open
the channel but may make the outer
beach inaccessible.
There are two basic access points to
the lower river, via the Waxmyrtle Trail
and via the northern slough or beach.
Waxmyrtle access
To use the Waxmyrtle route, park just
south of the bridge into the Waxmyrtle
Campground and walk west along the
riverbank trail. The trail is about half
a mile to the river mouth, but it is all
through good birding area. If the river
is low enough, there will be a small
muddy area partway out the trail. This
area is best seen from above at the high
point of the trail and from where the
beach trail and the river trail fork.
Under good conditions shorebirds such
as yellowlegs, dowitchers and various
peeps use this area. Always check the
pond area, whether it is a pond or a
backwater of the river. Most of the
areas good shorebirds have been at
this pond, and waterfowl use it in small
numbers.
When the Snowy Plover closure is in
effect, access to this area is limited.
Users must take the Beach trail where
it forks from the River trail. The Beach
trail takes longer to reach the beach,
but goes through some good passerine
areas and provides access to a small
marsh with shrubby edges that has had
Green Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk
and rails. This marsh is undercovered
and could produce something really
exciting. Adjacent to the marsh is a
place from which the pond can be
viewed without entering the closed
area.
Northern access
Although the river mouth can be waded
(it is often less than a foot deep on the
beach), access to its north side is more
convenient by driving to the end of the
Siltcoos Rd. and parking either with
all the turistas in the official lot or in
the two-car pullout adjacent to the
north slough access. I use the latter
for convenience. Note that the whole
northern area of the estuary is closed
during Snowy Plover breeding season,
though part of the outer beach is open.
To get to the estuary from the north,
walk down into the shallow slough that
leads south from the road and follow
it to the river, checking both sides of
the slough. The eastern side is grassier
and has Marsh Wrens, pipits and the
like in season, while the west side is
mainly sand and is occasionally
rearranged or reoccupied by the river
(as was true in summer, 2002). The
west side leads onto the outer beach
and provides good access to Snowy
Plovers and the gull flock. If the river
mouth has cut far enough through the
beach to create genuine tidal conditions,
this northern slough is often affected
and is better birding at lower tides.
To the north of the two-car pullout is
a mixed pine-willow stand that is very
good for passerine migrants. It is
adjacent to a flat grassy area that
sometimes has sparrows and pipits.
These areas are easy to cover in any
season but can be wet in winter and
early spring.
In addition to the outer coastal sites,
the lower Siltcoos River has several
campgrounds with good birding and
some small lagoons which have held
American Bittern, Solitary Sandpiper,
mergansers, rails and other typical
species of the Oregon coast. The
Lagoon Campground has good wet
and dry habitats and has produced
Black Phoebe and Eastern Kingbird
in addition to more regular birds.
Wrentit is especially easy to find in
these areas, emerging in response to
pishing and hooting.
information or commenting on an
earlier draft.
Special thanks to Bill and Zanah Stotz,
Bruce Newhouse, Don Munson and
Tom Mickel for adding useful
Evanich, J. 1990. A Birders Guide
to Oregon. Audubon Society of
Portland.
Sources:
Contreras, A. and S. Heinl. 1985.
Coastal Florence and Siltcoos River
Mouth, Lane County. Oregon Birds
11(4):202.
2002 Banders Field Season
Birds in the Hand
Belted Kingfisher, 9 September, Neawanna
Banding Station, Clatsop Co. Photo/M. Patterson
Downy Woodpecker, 30 August, Mikes Meadow,
Clackamas Co. This was the first detection of this species
at the site (4,000 ft elevation) in six years of banding
efforts. Photo/S. Dowlan
Birds in the Hand
Northern Pygmy-Owl, hatch-year, 4 August 2002, Grayback Creek MAPS Station
near Cave Junction, Josephine Co. Photo/D. Vroman
Sharp-shinned Hawk, hatch-year, 6 August 2002, Horse Creek Meadows MAPS
Station west of Grants Pass, Josephine Co. Photo/D. Vroman
Birds in the Hand
Hammonds Flycatcher, 15 August,
Mikes Meadow MAPS Station near
Estacada, Clackamas Co. Photo/S.
Dowlan
Hermit Warbler, hatch-year female
15 August, Mikes Meadow MAPS
Station near Estacada, Clackamas
Co. Photo/S. Dowlan
Common Yellowthroat, 15 August,
Applegate River Monitoring Station
near Provolt, Josephine Co. Photo/D.
Vroman
Supplement to Taxonomic Comments on Selected Species of
Birds from the Pacific Northwest
M. Ralph Browning, 7280 Crowfoot Rd., Trail, Or 97541
Editors Note: The full text of this article appeared in Oregon Birds 28:2. Two tables were inadvertently omitted
from the final draft. These tables are included here with the introduction and text from the two associated species
accounts.
Introduction
Conclusions on the taxonomy of many species of bird from the Pacific Northwest vary, and many questions remain
unanswered. Lack of adequate specimens (Winker et al. 1991; Browning 1995; Remsen 1995) and insufficient study
of existing specimens (Pyle et al. 1997) continue to prevent accurate description of geographic variation and
distributions of subspecies.
Subspecies are often ignored in publications, either because of lack of interest or knowledge of their
importance in taxonomy today. Many authors (=compilers) publishing on subspecies repeat (=copy) older publications
or use unreliable sources (e.g., ranges; see Cyanocitta stelleri below; Browning, in press). Modern state books
usually do not include information on subspecies even though their research may uncover information that is new
since A.O.U. (1957), the last scientifically based publication to cover subspecies of all species of birds from North
America north of Mexico. A future edition of the A.O.U. check-list will include subspecies, and much of the basis
for such information will be from taxonomic publications and so-called state books.
The forthcoming book Birds of Oregon, A General Reference will include subspecies. There is limited
space in the book for explanations for recognition of some subspecies that are either not widely recognized (e.g.,
not by A.O.U. 1957), have convoluted taxonomic histories that deserve fuller explanations, or have ranges that
differ from most published sources. Explanations for the following species' taxonomies require more space than
is available in the forthcoming book. Abbreviations of museums holding specimens are listed in the acknowledgments.
Cepphus columba
Pigeon Guillemot. Two subspecies
(adianta and eureka), described by
Storer (1950) for North America
populations, were not recognized by
A.O.U. (1957), but were recognized
by Udvardy (1963) and Ewins
(1993). Storer (1950, 1952) reported
that adianta, eureka and nominate
columba were separable on the basis
size, and that Oregon specimens are
intermediate between eureka and
adianta in tarsus and bill but near
eureka in wing length. Storer's
(1952) data reveal considerable
overlap between geographic samples,
with similar means for wing length
of specimens from Oregon and
California (=eureka) and Siberia
(=nominate columba). Ewins (1993)
data, based heavily on Storer (1952)
unfortunately combined
measurements made by others; it is
a well known fact among
ornithologists that such
measurements are not completely
comparable. Nonetheless, I found
(Table 1) that measurements of wing
chord and exposed culmen of
specimens representing adianta,
eureka and nominate columba are
statistically not significantly different
at the 5% level, and I follow A.O.U.
(1957) in synonymizing eureka and
adianta with nominate columba.
Oregon specimens are referred to
nominate columba, the mainland
North American subspecies.
Table 1. Wing chord and exposed culmen of three possible subspecies of Cepphus columba.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Wing chord
Exposed culmen
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"subspecies" n
range
mean+SD
n
range
mean+SD
_____________________________________________________________________________________
columba
15
178-188
182.4+2.89
15
30.0-33.5
31.46+1.12
adianta
30
171-187
179.0+5.02
30
30.1-36.5
33.06+1.57
eureka
37
176-191
180.7+4.67
36
31.4-35.7
33.65+1.21
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Cyanocitta stelleri
Steller's Jay. There is some
controversy concerning the subspecies
of C. stelleri in western Oregon.
Gabrielson and Jewett (1940; see their
Figure 12) recognized three subspecies
of C. stelleri in Oregon: annectens
occurring in the northeast, frontalis
from the Cascades from near Bend
southwest to southern Josephine
County and southeast to the Warner
Mountains, and carbonacea from the
coast to the eastern slope of Cascades
south to near Bend and west of the
Cascades.
Oberholser (1932) had earlier
proposed the name paralia as a
subspecies from the southwestern
mainland of British Columbia to
western Washington and Oregon. He
characterized paralia as similar to
nominate stelleri but smaller, paler,
and more greenish blue above and
below, with the back "more washed
with bluish," and larger and darker
backed than carbonacea.
Stevenson (1934) concluded
that paralia was intermediate between
nominate stelleri and frontalis. Miller
(1941:261), in reference to frontalis,
referred to birds as 'toward the darker
paralia of coastal Oregon," but
Grinnell and Miller (1944) declined
to recognize paralia. Aldrich (in
Jewett et al. 1953) recognized paralia
as breeding in western Washington.
The range of paralia was
included, without providing reasons,
in nominate stelleri by A.O.U. 1957);
Blake and Vaurie (1962) and Goodwin
(1986), with stelleri in Oregon
breeding in the northwest from
Columbia County to Hood River,
Corvallis, and Depoe Bay, and frontalis
to occur from "central Oregon" (=west
of the Cascades south of Depoe Bay
?).
I (Browning 1979) recognized
paralia but did not discuss subspecific
characters. Phillips (1986:43)
characterized paralia as "a bit paler"
than nominate stelleri, and stated that
frontalis was from "across much of S
Oregon" and paralia was from SW
British Columbia to "SW Oregon."
Greene et al. (1998) stated that they
followed Phillips (1986) but failed to
list paralia.
In a recent review of C.
stelleri Wiebe (1995) recognized
paralia, and characterized the
subspecies as smaller than all
subspecies in tarsus and culmen length,
as similar in color but with a shorter
wing than annectens, and with a paler
blue breast than stelleri. Specimens
from south of Seattle were apparently
not compared.
I compared over 600 adult
specimens from Alaska to California,
Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and
Wyoming for variation in plumage.
Fewer specimens were compared for
variation in size. Mensural data for
wing chord, length of tarsus and crest
only are compared in this study. Crest
length was measured following
Browning (1993).
Preliminary
analysis revealed small differences in
size between populations and
subspecies (e.g. Table 1), and is
consistent with results reported by
Brown (1963) and Weibe (1995).
Some differences (Table 1) may be
statistically significant, but the amount
of overlap in ranges and differences
in means of characters is surely
insignificant biologically.
Means of wing chord and
crest length of coastal samples are less
than means for Alaska and interior
samples. Although the means for
length of tarsus of specimens from
south of Alaska (=stelleri) are shorter,
these small differences appear slightly
clinal from north to south, and are not
useful subspecific characters. Color
and pattern evaluations were subjective
and is a method that has proven
successful in many taxonomic studies
(Browning 1994). Results from the
human eye are superior for recognizing
subtle differences and similarities in
color than most results from a
spectrophotometer (see Winker 1997).
The amount of white on the
throats of specimens from western
Oregon to Del Norte County,
California, is less noticeable than with
specimens from the Siskiyou
Mountains to the southern Cascades,
east to Lake County, Oregon. Back
color is paler, grayer and bluer (slight
bluish wash) in birds from western
Washington to Humboldt Bay,
California, than in specimens from
most localities from British Columbia,
interior southern Oregon and northern
California. The interior specimens
and those from central coastal
California usually have a more purely
grayish back. Breast and rump color
of western Oregon birds is slightly
paler blue than birds from British
Columbia and is darker than specimens
from the Siskiyou Mountains. A white
superciliary mark is found in most
specimens of annectens.
Preliminary results support
recognition of paralia. The subspecies
is on the average smaller than
nominate stelleri, frontalis, and
annectens, and larger than carbonacea
(Table 1). In color, paralia differs
from nominate stelleri by its paler blue
belly and grayer (less black) back,
differs from annectens by lacking the
superciliary, and differs from frontalis
by having less white on the throat and
more bluish wash on the back.
Cyanocitta s. paralia breeds from
southwestern coastal British Columbia
(Wiebe 1995) to the Cascades, and
west to the coast of western
Washington, western Oregon, and
northwestern California (Humboldt
County ?). Intergrades with stelleri
in southern British Columbia (Weibe
1995). Intergrades with annectens
east of the northern Cascades in
Washington (Aldrich in Jewett et al.
1953). Cyanocitta s. paralia
intergrades with frontalis in upper
Rogue River Valley region, and
intergradation with carbonacea and/or
frontalis is suspected in Humboldt
County, California. In Oregon,
frontalis breeds in the Cascades from
near Bend to Klamath Co., Warner
Mountains in Lake Co. and the Upper
Rogue River Valley; annectens breeds
in the Blue, Wallowa and Ochoco
Mountains, and intergrades with
paralia on the east slope of the
Cascades from near Mt. Hood to
Sisters. More study is required.
142.93+3.67
140.07+4.34
149.2+4.34
15
20
14
21
OR, coastal
CA, N coast
CA, cent. coast 17
12
WA, coastal
frontalis
annectens
141.9-159.9
142.3-154.7
135.1-149.2
136.3-148.2
139.2-150.8
137.8-151.8
145.3-151.7
145.2155.9
19
9
18
15
19
14
13
26
42.57+1.78
42.34+1.21
41.03+0.91
40.13+1.88
41.71+1.15
42.19+1.61
42.19+0.86
44.34+1.48
39.1-47.7
40.2-44.1
38.5-42.6
37.1-44.5
39.8-43.6
39.2-43.7
41.1-44.3
41.846.6
14
15
12
14
15
16
12
13
62.3-70.6
65.2-71.6
54.6-64.0
52.3-68.0
57.5-69.9
56.7-68.8
63.8-70.2
61.0-68.7
65.31+3.12
67.03+2.81
61.35+2.56
60.54+4.48
63.67+3.11
63.44+3.32
66.73+1.72
64.86+2.55
annectens--E Washington, NE OR, N Idaho, W Montana and NW Wyoming.
frontalis--interior N CA, Nevada.
CA, cent. coast--Marin to Monterey counties (range of carbonacea, sensu A.O.U. 1957).
CA, N coast--Coast Range from Del Norte County to central Humboldt County.
OR, coastal--west of western slope of Cascdes.
1 WA, coastal --specimens from west of western slope of Cascades, excluding Puget Sound localities.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
150.09+4.79
146.28+3.54
144,95+3.63
148.1+2.00
13
Puget Sound
149.64+3.52
21
Alaska
1
Wing chord
Tarsus
Crest Length
_____________________________
_____________________________
_______________________________
Sample
n
mean+SD
range
n
mean+SD
range
n
range
mean+SD
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table 1. Measurements of wing chord, tarsus and crest length of adult male Cyanocitta stelleri.
Vagrancy of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) from
Washington to Baja California, with notes on identification of
juveniles
Steven G. Mlodinow, 4819 Gardner Ave., Everett WA 98203 sgmlod@aol.com
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker breeds
from extreme east-central Alaska south
through northeastern British Columbia
to southern Alberta and east to southern
Labrador and southern New York, with
local breeding populations in the
Appalachians south to Tennessee and
North Carolina. The main wintering
range is from southern New England
west to northern Missouri and south
through Texas and the U.S. Gulf Coast
to much of the Caribbean and in
Central America, to Panama. During
winter, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are
rare west of Texas and Coahuila. The
vagrancy patterns of this species have
only become well-known since 1985,
when the A.O.U. split this species
from its sister species, the Red-naped
Sapsucker (S. nuchalis) and the Redbreasted Sapsucker (S. ruber).
from Santa Barbara County, all 3
October to 10 February, again with a
concentration in November and
December. Hamilton and Willick
(1996) showed seven records from
Orange County, widely scattered
between 8 November and 17 March.
A review of North American
Birds/ Field Notes covering fall 1992
through winter 2001-2 reveals an
average of about 14 Yellow-bellied
Washington and Oregon
Through September 2002, there have
been 19 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
recorded in Washington and Oregon
(see tables 1 and 2). Four of these are
from Washington, and 15 are from
Oregon. Most are from October
through February, but four have been
found in Oregon during July and one
during early September. Records are
fairly well split between eastern and
western portions of both states.
California
As with many species that are
primarily of eastern North American
distribution, California has recorded
far more Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
than Oregon and Washington. Small
(1994) considered Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers rare-but-regular in
California from early October to late
March, with most records being of
immatures. Harris (1996) noted twenty
records from northwestern California
(Del Norte, Trinity, and Humboldt
Counties plus northern Mendocino
County and western Siskiyou County),
all from 10 October to 29 March, and
mostly from November and December.
Lehman (1994) listed twenty records
Sapsuckers per fall and 12 per winter
in California (see table 3). Almost
twice as many were reported from
southern California as were reported
from central and northern California.
The vast majority of central and
northern California records were
coastal or near-coastal, whereas
southern California records were more
evenly distributed between coastal and
interior locations. California had few
Table 1: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Records from Washington
Ellensburg, Kittitas, 16 Dec 1989-18 Feb 1990 (Tweit and Paulson
1994)
Pe Ell, Lewis, 24-28 Feb 1997 (Aanerud and Mattocks 2000)
Sacagawea State Park, Franklin, 1 Oct 1999 (North American Birds
54:97)
Kent, King, 30 Dec 2001-5 Jan 2002 (North American Birds 56:216)
italics= county
All records from Washington Bird Records Committee files or North
American Birds.
Table 2: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Records from Oregon.
*2, Scoggins Valley Park, Washington, 9 Jul 1976
*LaGrande, Union, 11 Jul 1980
*near Gilchrist, Klamath, 5 Jul 1983
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney, 4 Oct 1987
(Oregon Birds 14:200)
*Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney, 14 Oct 1990
*Brookings, Curry, 25 Feb 1991
*Silver Lake, Lake, 6 Oct 1991
*Salem, Marion, 22 Feb 1995
near Fern Ridge Reservoir, Lane,1 Jan 1997
(Oregon Birds 23:111)
*Stukel Mountain, Klamath, 4 Jan 1997
*Gold Beach, Curry, 20 Dec 1998
*Bay City, Tillamook, 16 Dec 2001
Adrian, Malheur, 17 Feb 2002
Long Creek, Grant, 8 Sep 2002
*=reviewed and accepted by the Oregon Bird Records
Committee (H. Nehls, pers. comm.)
italics= county
spring reports, averaging about one
per year and none after March, and
no summer reports. Only two records
fell outside the October to March
timeframe, both from late September.
from the Baja California Peninsula,
all from the northern third, mostly
immatures, and all 18 October to 3
March. Half of these records are from
October.
Baja California
Erickson et al. (2001) listed 10
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker records
Vagrancy: Summary and
Discussion
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are rare
Table 3: Occurrence in California from North
American Birds/ Field Notes
Season
winter 2001-2
fall 2001
spring 2001
winter 2000-1
fall 2000
spring 2000
winter 1999-2000
fall 1999
spring 1999
winter 1998-9
fall 1998
spring 1998
winter 1997-8
fall 1997
spring 1997
winter 1996-7
fall 1996
spring 1996
winter 1995-6
fall 1995
spring 1995
winter 1994-5
fall 1994
spring 1994
winter 1993-4
fall 1993
spring 1993
winter 1992-3
fall 1992
N/C CA
8
5
0
3
1
1
7
3
1
1
4
0
4
3
2
5
7
0
?
10
3
5
5
?
?
6
0
9
0
So CA
1
8
3
12
11
0
12
9
0
12
?
0
6
?
0
8
10
0
8
12
0
3
9
0
6
8
0
4
13
but regular vagrants to Pacific Coast
states from Washington to northern
Baja California. Records are most
numerous from California,
particularly southern California, and
are overall split somewhat evenly
between coastal and interior
locations, excepting in central and
northern California. Almost all
records were noted from October
through March, with a likely peak
during November and December.
Records of juveniles/immatures
predominate.
How much of the above
pattern is affected by observer
effort/density is unclear. Birding
effort in the Oregon and southern
California oases seems to be
considerably greater than that in
central and northern California,
where desert hot spots are far less
well known. This may explain the
relatively low number of records
from eastern portions of central and
northern California. It seems likely
that there is not a large coastal effect
in actual occurrence. The relative
frequency of records from each
region discussed above is also likely,
in part, due to birder density. For
instance, during the Winter Season
issue of North American Birds for
2001-2 (Vol. 56, no. 2), 128 observers
were listed for southern California,
95 for northern/central California,
64 for Oregon/Washington, and 35
for Baja California. Though these
observer numbers may not be the
most accurate estimation of field
effort, they are probably a fair rough
estimate. Seasonal distribution may
also be affected by observer effort.
Typically, birds found during fall and
winter lose their allurer over time,
and as spring migration begins,
observers might not track or report
overwintering birds, potentially
leading to a relative under
representation of the number present
during spring. Nonetheless, it seems
likely that most overwintering birds
are gone after March and that there
is some drop off in numbers even as
early as January.
Identification of Juveniles
As noted above, most identified
vagrant Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
are juveniles. Red-naped Sapsuckers
have mostly completed their first prebasic molt by sometime in October
and typically do so on their breeding
grounds, whereas Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers typically dont complete
their first pre-basic molt until they
reach their wintering grounds,
retaining some juvenile plumage until
January or even March (Kaufman
1990, Pyle 1997). This fact has been
used to suggest that presence of
juvenile plumage after September or
October is a useful field mark (e.g.,
Kaufman 1990). However, sapsucker
identification remains problematic
with juvenile birds when seen before
November, especially within or near
the breeding range of Red-naped
Sapsucker. The possibility of Rednaped X Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
hybrids, which have an intermediate
molt schedule, further complicates the
issue (Pyle 1997).
This topic was brought near
and dear to my heart when I saw a
juvenile sapsucker, looking to be a
typical Yellow-bellied, at Long Creek,
Grant County, Oregon, on 8 September
2002. Sibley (2000) seemed to do a
fairly good job depicting juvenile
sapsuckers but had little commentary
in the text, and other standard field
guides were somewhat lacking on this
issue. Furthermore, there was the issue
of hybrids, so I wanted to be as clear
as possible on the differences between
the juvenile plumages of these two
taxa. Pursuing this topic, I went to the
University of Washingtons Burke
Museum. I found that Sibleys
drawings demonstrated the differences
between juvenile Yellow-bellied and
Red-naped Sapsuckers fairly well, but
that these differences were even more
pronounced than shown.
More specifically, on juvenile
Yellow-bellieds, the crown, transocular
stripe, and malar stripes are all heavily
mottled in buff yellow (butter color).
In juvenile Red-napeds, these areas
are solid blackish brown (excepting
crown which often has red mixed in),
with little or not buff or whitish
mottling. Additionally, juvenile
Yellow-bellieds have a back that is
more broadly barred dark and light
than that of a juvenile Red-naped, but
Table 4: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Records from Baja
California
Rancho San Jose, 4 Feb 1984 (Bowers 1987)
Mikes Sky Ranch, 24 Oct 1989 (Ruiz-C., et al. 2001)
Campo Mosqueda, 29 Dec 1991-11 Jan 1992 (Patten et al. 1993).
Maneadero Plain, 23 Oct 1994 (Erickson et al. 2001)
Maneadero Plain, 9 Jan-3 Mar 1995 (Erickson et al. 2001)
Catavina, 18 Oct 1995 (Erickson et al. 2001)
La Mision, 25 Oct 1995 (Erickson et al. 2001)
Tijuana, 25 Oct 1995 (Erickson et al. 2001)
Rancho San Jose, 3 Dec 1995 (Erickson et al. 2001)
Rancho San Jose, 31 Jan 1999 (Erickson et al. 2001)
all records were obtained from Erickson and Howell (2001).
there is much overlap here. More
interestingly, on juvenile Yellowbellieds the pale bars of the upper back
tend to be more golden, whereas the
pale bars are whiter juvenile Rednapeds. Both species show white bars
on the lower back. Though there is
some overlap, on many birds the
difference on the upper back is
pronounced. Both juvenile sapsuckers
show chests that are scalloped dusky
and pale, but in Yellow-bellieds the
pale areas tend to be paler and buffier
when compared with the grayer pale
scalloping of Red-napeds.
Finally, a word of caution
regarding molt times. At the Burke
Museum there is a juvenile Yellowbellied Sapsucker specimen (UWBM
#41290) that already shows the black
bar across the chest (usually doesnt
appear until December), and the rest
of the throat border was fairly blackish
with relatively little mottling. The
crown was still mottled buff and red
throughout, and the throat was mottled
red and buff-yellow througout. The
belly was already fairly bright yellow.
This bird was collected on 11 October
1982 and was in quite advanced molt
for a pure Yellow-bellied, but as it was
collected in Maryland, and showed no
plumage characteristics of a Rednaped, I think the likelihood of it being
a hybrid is quite low.
Conclusion
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a rare
vagrant from Washington to northern
Baja California. This species seems
as likely to occur at interior areas as
coastal areas within this region. The
preponderance of records are from
California, especially southern
California, but this may be partly due
to an observer effort/density effect.
The vast majority of records have been
from October through March, though
three anomalous records involving
four birds exist from Oregon during
July. Peak time seems to be November
and December, though again observer
effects may play a role.
Most records are of juveniles,
and the timing of juvenile molt has
been suggested as a field mark. Though
the timing of molt in a given bird is
useful, there may be exceptional birds
with odd molt times, and the possibility
of a hybrid needs to be considered.
Sibley (2000) does a fairly good job
of depicting the differences between
juvenile Red-naped and Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers, though these differences
are even more pronounced. In
particular, juvenile Yellow-bellieds
show heavy buffy mottling in the dark
areas of the head and chest, causing
juvenile Red-napeds to look far darker
and duller in these areas.
Literature Cited
Aanerud, K.R., and P.W. Mattocks,
Jr. 2000. Fourth report of the
Wa s h i n g t o n B i r d R e c o r d s
Committee. Washington Birds 7:724.
American Ornithologists Union.
1985. Thirty-fifth supplement to the
American Ornithologists Union
Checklist of North American Birds.
Auk 102.
Bowers, R. 1987. News and notes.
Mexican Birding Association Bull
Board 1(3):6-7.
Erickson, R.A., R.A. Hamilton, and
S . N . G. H o w e l l . 2 0 0 1 . N e w
information on migrant birds in
northern and central portions of the
Baja California Peninsula, including
species new to Mexico. In:Birds of
the Baja California Peninsula, eds.
R.A. Erickson and S.N.G. Howell.
American Birding Association
Monographs in Field Ornithology,
no. 3.
Erickson, R.A., and S.N.G. Howell,
eds. 2001. Birds of the Baja
California Peninsula. American
Birding Association Monographs in
Field Ornithology, no. 3.
Hamilton, R.A., and D.R.
Willick.1996. The Birds of Orange
County, California. Sea and Sage
Audubon Society, Irvine, California.
Harris, S.W. 1996. Northwestern
California Birds, 2nd ed. Humboldt
State University Press, Arcata,
California.
Birds of the Baja California
Peninsula, eds. R.A. Erickson and
S.N.G. Howell. American Birding
Association Monographs in Field
Ornithology, no. 3.
Sibley, D.A. 2000. The Sibley Guide
to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New
York, New York.
Kaufman, K. 1990. A Field Guide to
Advanced Birding. Houghton Mifflin
Co., Boston, Massachusetts.
Small, A. 1994. California Birds:
their status and distribution. Ibis
Publishing Co., Vista, California.
Lehman, P.E. 1994. The Birds of
Santa Barbara County, California.
Vertebrate Museum, University of
California at Santa Barbara, Santa
Barbara, California.
Tweit, B., and D.R. Paulson. 1994.
First report of the Washington Bird
Records Committee. Washington
Birds 3:11-41.
Patten, M.A., K. Radamaker, and
T.E. Wurster. 1993. Noteworthy
observations from northeastern Baja
California. Western Birds 24:89-93.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks are due to Alan
Contreras and Bill Tweit for
reviewing this manuscript and
offering useful advice. They are also
to be thanked for their stimulating
discussions of vagrancy in eastern
Oregon and Washington, which in
turn led to the trip that led to the
L o n g C r e e k Ye l l o w - b e l l i e d
Sapsucker. Also, thanks to Harry
Nehls for providing much useful
information on Oregon reports.
Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide
to North American Birds, part 1. Slate
Creek Press, Bolinas, California.
Ruiz, C., G., S. Gonzalez-G., R.A.
Erickson, and R.A. Hamilton. 2001.
Notable bird specimen records from
the Baja California Peninsula. In:
Poetry Submissions for Oregon Birds
From time to time Oregon Birds ends up with odd chunks of space that are hard to fill. With
that in mind, OB has decided to accept submissions of poetry to fill such spaces. Submissions
should relate to birds or the natural world, not exceed 40 lines and be suitable for the broad
audience that OB reaches.
OB will not pay for submissions but you'll get some exposure for your work. Owing to the
expected volume of submissions, we will only acknowledge the poems that are accepted for
possible use. Whether a poem is used will be at the discretion of the editor depending on
available space. We expect that one or two poems will be used in most issues of OB.
Submissions should be sent to:
Alan Contreras
795 E 29th Ave, Eugene OR 97405
Do NOT send submissions directly to Oregon Birds or the editor.
Albinistic Male Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) Discovered
along the Walla Walla River, Umatilla Co., Oregon
Mike Denny 323 Scenic View Dr. College Place, WA 99324 m.denny@charter.net
On 5 May 2002 Dr. and Mrs. Dwight Smith discovered an almost
pure white bird visiting the bird feeders in their small, well planted
front yard just north of the Walla Walla River. This bird required closer
scrutiny as did the event unfolding around their feeders. Packed into
this small area were well over 55 Lazuli Buntings with 95% being
male birds. It soon became obvious to Dr. Smith that this was very
unusual happening for his location in northern Umatilla County. He
quickly took a number of digital photos of the white bird and the large
number of normal Lazuli Buntings covering his yard.
Dwight called me on 6 May and told me he was sure that he
was looking at a mostly albino Lazuli Bunting and that in his many
years of birding he had never seen a bird like this. He then wanted
to know if we would like to come down and take a look at this amazing
bird and all the other buntings milling about in his yard. I was first
able to get down to the Smith home on the 8th where I was greeted
by a very hospitable Dr. Smith and his wife, plus dozens and dozens
of bright blue and rust male buntings all over the bushes, trees and
yard. A few moments after my arrival the white bunting appeared
and what an impression it made on the group of birders present.
What I saw was an adult male Lazuli Bunting with gray upper and
lower mandibles, dark eyes and mostly powder blue ear coverts with
some powder blue feathers across the nape and at the base of the
mandibles. The secondary coverts displayed a little darker blue as
male Lazuli Bunting, 5-9 May 2002, along
did the leading edge of the primaries. The feet and legs were dark. Albinistic
the Walla Walla River, Umatilla Co. Photo/D. Smith
There was a hint of powder blue lightly sprinkled across the back
and just a hint of light blue down the throat and onto the upper chest.
The only rust wash I observed was between the secondary coverts and the primaries. The rest of the plumage was an ivory
white. This bird behaved as the rest of the feeding, perching, preening, squabbling buntings did. After an hour or so I
headed home. This concentration of Lazuli Buntings remained in the Smith yard through 9 May 2002.
Sage Sparrow Singing
A Diamond Hard Morning
The Radiant Sun
Maitreya
Site Guide: Rough and Ready Botanical Wayside, Josephine County
Dennis P. Vroman, 269 Shetland Drive, Grants Pass, OR 97526
dpvroman@cdsnet.net
Rough and Ready Creek - looking east downstream from the irrigation dam. Photo/D.
Vroman
Rough and Ready Botanical
Wayside, also known as Rough and
Ready Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (Bureau of Land
Management), is a convenient stop
for bird watchers traveling U.S.
Highway 199 in southwest Josephine
County. Located about 2 miles
northeast of OBrien, it is best known
for unusual plants, but numerous bird
species are here as well. In spring, the
floral show alone is well worth the
visit. The Rough and Ready Creek
floodplain is mainly rocks and cobbles
with sparse soil and vegetation. It
ranges in elevation from 1380 feet
(420 meters) to 1440 feet (439 meters)
and is easy walking. A Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) road extending
west from the parking area is closed
to unauthorized vehicle traffic, but
open to hikers. Those unable to walk
can obtain a gate key to access the
road at the Illinois Valley Visitor
Center in Cave Junction, located a
short distance out the Caves Highway.
Getting There
The Wayside is adjacent to
U.S. Highway 199, 4.8 miles south of
Cave Junction and the junction of 199
and Caves Highway. Parking is
available on the west side of the
highway near the southern end of the
four-lane section of road. It is just past
the Rough and Ready Lumber Mill
and just before the bridge over Rough
and Ready Creek.
Vegetation
Rough and Ready Creek
flows but for the driest time of the
year. Its riparian zone is thinly
vegetated with some willows (Salix
spp.) and a few alder (Alnus sp.).
Surrounding mountains are serpentine
Additional information can be found at the following BLM
web page:
http://www.or.blm.gov/medford/recreationsites/Medroughrea
dybot.html
bedrock; soil derived from serpentine
supports unique vegetation. Unusual
plants include Cook's Lomatium
(Lomatium cookii), Howell's Mariposa
(Calochortus howellii), Howell's
Microseris (Microseris howellii) and
Siskiyou Butterweed (Senecio
hesperius).
The floodplain has sparse
trees and patchy brush. Scattered
Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) occupy
the flat with some incense cedar
(Calocedrus decurrens). Shrubs
include white-leaf manzanita
(Arctostaphlos viscida), buckbrush
(Ceanothus cuneatus), birch-leaf
mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus
betuloides), poison oak
(Toxicodendron diversilobum),
rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus sp.) and
silk tassel (Garrya sp.). Openings are
lightly touched with grasses and forbs.
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii), Port Orford cedar
(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), sugar
pine (Pinus lambertiana), knobcone
pine (Pinus attenenuata), Pacific
madrone (Arbutus menziesii),
California black oak (Quercus
kelloggii) and a shrubby form of
Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana),
sometimes called Brewers oak, all
inhabit areas with increased soil and
moisture. Mixed conifer-hardwood
forest favors slopes with increased
available moisture. Snags are present
and spike-topped trees are prevalent.
Where to Look
South of the parking area is a
small stand of trees divided by
Highway 199. With its thick brush
under story this area is a good starting
point. Often, birds are more numerous
along Rough and Ready Creek itself.
Walking the gated road west will lead
to a utility
line where buckbrush (Ceanothus sp.)
habitat is abundant. Farther west lies
an irrigation ditch with water and some
willows located near where the road
approaches it. Parallel to the ditch a
dirt road leads southwest to Rough
and Ready Creek and a dam. A nice
stringer of trees follows the irrigation
ditch, with good brush habitat
northward. A small, mixed coniferhardwood forest, with fair-sized trees,
is near the dam.
Oregon Department of
Transportation lands are located
directly east of 199 with different
habitats to explore. Opposite the
parking area is a wide gravel flat.
Rough and Ready Creek floodplain is
to the south with semi-open habitat
and a good amount of birch-leaf
mountain-mahogany. Late summer,
Rough and Ready Creek is often
completely dry east of 199, but
generally there are small ponds of
water near the 199 bridge. Habitat on
the bench north of the floodplain is
mixed conifer forest (Douglas-fir and
pines) with good amounts of brush; a
dirt road runs eastward through the
forest. A gravel extraction pit is located
to the northeast. Following the dirt
road going northeast will lead to it
(take the dirt road leading east to the
pit). During the winter the pit usually
contains water.
The Birds
A total of 75 species were
found during 11visits; 6 in spring, 1
in summer, 2 each in fall and winter
(see bird list). It is likely additional
species can be added with more visits.
Birds of interest include Olive-sided
Flycatcher (low elevation for this
species), Lark Sparrow, Black Phoebe
and California Towhee. Breeding was
confirmed for American Kestrel,
Western Bluebird, Chipping Sparrow,
Lark Sparrow and Lazuli Bunting.
Breeding is probable for Acorn
Woodpecker, Annas Hummingbird,
Cassins Vireo, Bushtit, Whitebreasted Nuthatch, Bewicks Wren,
American Robin, Wrentit, European
Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler,
Dark-eyed Junco, Western Tanager,
Spotted Towhee, California Towhee,
House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.
Riparian associates include a
few waterfowl species, Spotted
Sandpiper, Annas Hummingbird,
Belted Kingfisher, Black Phoebe,
Cedar Waxwing and Song Sparrow.
Birds favoring brushy areas
are Rufous Hummingbird, Bewicks
Wren, Wrentit, Spotted Towhee,
California Towhee, and sparrow
species in winter.
The largest portion of the
species found prefer the semi-open
areas of mixed trees and brush.
Observed in such habitat were
American Kestrel, Merlin, Mourning
Dove, several Woodpecker species,
Mountain Quail, Western WoodPewee, Western Kingbird, Huttons
Vireo, Black-capped Chickadee
(especially non-breeding), Bushtit,
Lark Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco,
Lazuli Bunting, Western Bluebird,
House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch and
American Goldfinch.
Areas of forest were inhabited
by Band-tailed Pigeon, Olive-sided
Flycatcher (occasionally), Cassins
Vireo, Varied Thrush, American
Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackthroated Gray Warbler, Nashville
Warbler, Western Tanager, Blackheaded Grosbeak and Pine Siskin.
Look for Acorn Woodpeckers in the
snags near the parking area.
Summer birding is best
accomplished between sunrise to about
10:00 am. On hot days bird activity
comes to a standstill. In winter (nonbreeding season) mixed-species flocks
move about in areas where trees are
the thickest, as along the irrigation
ditch. Chickadees, Nuthatches,
Kinglets, Bushtits, and Huttons Vireo
with an occasional Woodpecker can
be observed when a winter-time flock
is located.
Rough and Ready Creek flat west of Highway 199, looking northward from
the BLM dirt road. Photo/D. Vroman
Jose
phin
e Co
unty
Airp
ort
Hi gh
w ay
199
ACEC Boundary
River or Stream
Park here
Creek
dy
Illino
is R er
iv
a
& Re
Road
t Fork
R ough
Area of Critical
Environmental
Concern
State
Botanical
Wayside
W
Tr
an
sm
iss
ion
Li
ne
Rough & Ready
es
Birds of Rough and Ready Wayside
Species
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Mallard
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
California Quail
Mountain Quail
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Annas Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Olive-sided Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Black Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Cassin's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Season
Spr Sum Fall
x
x
x
x
x
Win
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Species
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Wrentit
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Western Meadowlark
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Spr
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Season
Sum Fall Win
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Spring (Spr) March to May, Summer (Sum) June to August, Fall (Fall) September to November, Winter (Win) December to February
SHORT NOTES
Frog Legs Anyone? A Belted
Kingfisher Devours a Red-legged
Frog
Dennis P. Vroman, 269 Shetland Drive,
Grants Pass, OR
97526
dpvroman@cdsnet.net
Belted Kingfishers are known to eat
frogs (Bent 1940, Kaufman 1996), but
it may not often be witnessed. On a
rainy 28 December 2002, just south
of Coquille, Oregon, Tom Love and I
observed a Belted Kingfisher with a
food item in its bill. It became apparent
to us it had captured a frog. While
perched and holding the frog in its
bill, the Kingfisher beat it against the
wooden perch several times, after
which it swallowed the frog head first.
The frog was larger than a
Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla),
but small than an adult Bullfrog (Rana
catesbeiana)(Corkran and Thoms
1996, Leonard et al. 1993). The frog's
back was brownish and it had a reddish
cast to the underside of its legs. We
believed the prey item was a Redlegged Frog (Rana aurora), which is
the size of the devoured frog. Redlegged Frogs are active during warm
rains from around late December near
the Oregon Coast (R. Storm, p.c.).
Acknowledgments
Comments from Mike Patterson and
Robert M. Storm on frog biology were
greatly appreciated.
Sources Cited
Bent, A.C. 1940. Life histories of
North American Cuckoos,
Goatsuckers, Hummingbirds and their
allies. Dover Publications (1989
reprint), New York.
Corkran, C.C. and C. Toms. 1996.
Amphibians of Oregon, Washington
and British Columbia. Lone Pine
Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada.
Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North
American birds. Houghton Mifflin,
Boston.
Leonard, W.P, H.A. Brown, L.L.C.
Jones, K.R. McAllister and R.M.
Storm. 1993. Amphibians of
Washington and Oregon. Seattle
Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington.
crow but chose to eat it while hiding
in the trees.
Red-Tailed Hawk Takes Crow
Linton J Whittles, Sandlake Rd.,
Cloverdale, OR 97112
Red-tailed Hawk not Fan of
Shakespeare
Lee Cain, 35269 Lyngstad Heights,
Astoria, OR 97103 lcain@seasurf.net
On 24 September 2002 at around
9AM, I was getting ready to scan the
Sandlake Estuary through the spotting
scope that I keep set up in my living
room. As I came up to the window, I
saw an adult Red-tailed Hawk fly from
close to the house toward a spruce tree
that is down by our pond.
Approaching the tree from the right
in a more or less casual flight mode,
he (I refer to the Red-tail as he
because I believe it was the smaller
of the two that are often here on the
property and nest on the hill behind
our house) made a slight dip or
correction that set him up to dive
slightly down and around the tree to
pluck a crow off of a limb on the left
side of the tree. The crow seemed to
have no idea that the hawk was there
and the Red-tail was able to grab it in
such a way that the crow could not
even flap a wing (I could see no wings
flapping or hanging down). He
quickly carried the crow off into the
woods where he was able to hide in
the trees.
In just a short time I grabbed
my binoculars and was down in the
area where the hawk was hiding.
Scores of crows had arrived and were
making that awful racket or din that
they make when one of their own is
taken by a raptor. I located some of
the crows breast feathers that had
drifted to the ground. I could not see
the hawk, but I could see the crows
diving toward the area of the tree that
he was in. Either my presence, or the
crows harassment, or both, caused
him to move several times until he
had moved across the swamp where
I could not follow. As far as I could
tell, he never came to ground with the
Astoria High School is a semi-urban
campus on the edge of Young's Bay.
A pair of Red Tailed Hawks make the
campus part of their territory. This
territory includes a spruce-hemlock
alder forest, approximately 30 acres,
on the uphill side of the campus, a
creek flowing through the campus,
and a strip of emergent wetland
vegetation and red alder lining the bay.
I suspect that Douglas squirrels, mice,
and voles from this habitat sustain this
pair of hawks, but I have observed at
least one of them take Western Gulls
off the practice fields in the past.
I was driving through the
Astoria High School parking lot at
about 0800 hrs on December 31, 2002,
when something fell from the wires
overhead. It turned out to be two
European Starlings duking it out in
mortal combat. Each bird had its
"talons" locked into the breast of the
other, and they flopped and flapped
back and forth, screeching and pecking
hard for all they were worth, first one
on top, and then the other. It was all
taking place in a mud puddle, but they
were so engrossed they didn't seem to
mind.
At first I had foolish softy
thoughts about breaking it up, then I
thought, "No this is nature," and then
I thought, "What am I saying: these
are STARLINGS and may they both
just --"
Suddenly a mature Red-tailed
Hawk slammed into the action and in
a flash carried BOTH starlings off to
a nearby snag, where it promptly began
dismantling them. Natural selection
in action...ahhhhhh.....wish I had a
video camera. This event was moved
to the top of my Parking Lot Action
List.
FIELD NOTES
Oregon Birds Regional Editors
CHANGES TO FIELD NOTES
REPORTING FORMAT
After much discussion, Oregon Birds has decided to return
to the regional field notes format that it used in the 1980s.
This structure will go into effect with the SPRING
2003 REPORTS, which includes birds reported after
28 February. We believe that this format will better
facilitate reporting of local phenology and trends, and
reduce the size and scale of seasonal field observation
summaries that each Field Notes Editor must compile.
There will be an overview written by a statewide writer
for each issue, but the focus of OB will be more on local
status than has been the case in recent years. For largescale northwestern status, we recommend that birders
subscribe to North American Birds, which includes an
excellent Oregon-Washington report for each season.
Oregon Birds and North American Birds have
synchronized reporting areas, periods, and deadlines.
Field reports for eastern and western Oregon are due to
the OB Regional Editor and NAB Regional Editor at
the same time.
Season
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Months
March-May
June-July
August-November
December-February
To Editor
10 June
10 August
10 December
10 March
North American Birds
Regional Editor
North American Birds
Sub-Regional Editors
All of Oregon
Western Oregon
Steve Mlodinow
4819 Gardner Avenue
Everett, WA 98203
425-514-5874
Harry Nehls
S.E. 20th
Portland, OR 97202
503-233-3976
Rogue Valley
Howard Sands
10655 Agate Road
Eagle Point, OR 97524
541-826-5246
OFO members bird all over the state, and often find birds that are of interest to local birders. OFO supports publication
of local field notes and encourages OFO members to contact local newsletter publishers or field notes editors
whenever birding in or near the Oregon locations listed below. If you would like to add a local newsletter or revise
any of the information below, please contact the Editor, Oregon Birds, P.O. Box 220, Mehama, OR 97384
Bend
Grants Pass
La Grande
Roseburg
Coos Bay
Hood River-The Dalles
Newport
Salem
Corvallis
John Day
Portland
Eugene
Klamath Falls
Port Orford
Eagle Eye
Central Oregon Audubon Society
P.O. Box 565
Bend, OR 97709
Craig Miller
cmiller@bendnet.com
541-389-9115
The Tattler
Cape Arago Audubon Society
P.O. Box 381
North Bend, OR 97459
Inactive
541-267-7208
The Chat
Audubon Society of Corvallis
14505 Corvallis Rd.
Corvallis, OR 97339
Joel Geier
jgeier@attglobal.net
541 928-2815
The Quail
Lane County Audubon Society
P.O. Box 5086
Eugene, OR 97405
Allison Mickel
541-485-7112
The Siskin
Siskiyou Audubon Society
P.O. Box 2223
Grants Pass, OR 97528
Eleanor Pugh
541-866-2665
The Garryana Rag
Columbia Gorge Audubon Society
P.O. Box 64
White Salmon, WA 98672
Stuart Johnston
sfjk@yahoo.com
509-493-3363
The Upland Sandpiper
Grant County Bird Club
P.O. Box 111
Canyon City, OR 97820
Tom Winters
ducksouptom@juno.com
541-542-2006 (h)
541-575-2570 (w)
The Grebe
Klamath Basin Audubon Society
P.O.Box 354
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Ken Johnston
541-883-7671
The Rav-on
Grande Ronde Bird Club
P.O. Box 29
LaGrande, OR 97850
Joyce Coate
jcoate@eou.edu
(541) 963-9404
The Sandpiper
Yaquina Birders & Naturalists
P.O. Box 1467
Newport, OR 97365
Kathy Merrifield
merrifik@ava.bcc.orst.edu
(541) 753-2503
Audubon Warbler
Audubon Society of Portland
5151 NW Cornell Road
Portland, OR 97210
Harry Nehls
hnehls@teleport.com
503-233-3976
The Storm Petrel
Kalmiopsis Audubon Society
P.O. Box 1265
Port Orford, OR 97465
Wing-Tips
Umpqua Valley Audubon Society
P.O. Box 381
Roseburg, OR 97470
The Kestrel
Salem Audubon Society
189 Liberty St. NE 209A
Salem, OR 97301
John Lundsten
lundjo@open.com
503-585-9442
Portland
Metro
North
Coast
Willamette
Basin
South
Coast
RogueUmpqua
Northeast
North
Central
South
Central
Southeast
South coast region extends east to Mapleton and Scottsburg
North Coast
To Be Announced
Contact Alan Contreras
795 E. 29th Ave
Eugene, OR 97405
541-342-5750
South Coast
Dave Lauten
58134 Seven Devils Road
Bandon, OR 97411
541-347-1603
birdsong@harborside.com
Portland Metro
Ray Korpi
12611 N.E. 99th St.
Apt. DD-214
Vancouver, WA 98682
360-604-0122
rkorpi@clark.edu
Willamette Basin
Joel Geier
14505 Corvallis Road
Monmouth, OR 97361
541-928-1829
jgeier@attglobal.net
North Central
Chuck Gates
14265 S. Antelope Dr.
Powell Butte, OR 97753
541-923-1320
cgates@empnet.com
Rogue-Umpqua
Norm Barrett
PO Box 97
Shady Cove, OR 97539
541-878-2214
ndbarret@medford.net
Dennis Vroman
269 Shetland Dr.
Grants Pass, OR 97526
541-479-4619
dpvroman@cdsnet.net
South Central
Kevin Spencer
P.O. Box 353
Tulelake, CA 96134 530667-4644
kspencer@tulesd.tulelake.
k12.ca.us
Northeast
To Be Announced
Contact Alan Contreras
795 E. 29th Ave
Eugene, OR 97405
541-342-5750
Southeast
Noah Strycker
35995 E. Willis Road
Cresswell, OR 97426
541-895-3123
birdboy@bkpix.com
Field Notes: Western Oregon, Fall 2002
Loons through alcids, except pelagics: Alan Contreras, 795 E. 29th Ave., Eugene OR 97405.
Pigeons through finches: Norm Barrett, Box 97, Shady Cove OR 97539. ndbarret@medford.net
Pelagic species: Greg Gillson, 2367 S Dogwood Street, Cornelius, OR 97113.
greg@thebirdguide.com
This report represents only a portion of the actual records sent in; we used reports from about 175 observers.
Marjorie Moore assembled the bulk of the Rogue Valley records, as did Harry Nehls for a lot of OBOL and NW
Oregon records and Joel Geier for the Birdnotes online submission database that some observers use. Many late
dates were from the late date tracking system maintained by Mike Patterson.
August was brutally dry and generally hot throughout western Oregon except for some moist mornings on the
north coast late in the month. Massive forest fires occurred in sw. Oregon, but the effect of the fires on birds is
not yet clear though they may have affected local movements of Ferruginous Hawk and Dark-eyed Junco. Weather
remained warm and clear throughout the fall, with only nominal precipitation through early November. An unusual
cold spell the last few days of October caused brief January-like conditions, broken in early November when a
week-long series of fronts finally brought significant rain throughout the region. Much of early November had
windy, rainy weather but the last half of the month was unusually dry with warm, clear days on the coast and cool,
often foggy days in the interior valleys. This pattern did not break up until just before CBCs.
A remarkable flight of Chestnut-collared Longspurs eclipsed all previous Oregon records combined. Moderate
El Niño conditions may have been responsible for a brief influx of Elegant Terns, high numbers (by Oregon
standards) of Flesh-footed Shearwaters, several Xantuss Murrelet, Manx and Black-vented Shearwater reports
(neither shearwater is yet confirmed for Oregon), Oregons first Blue-footed Booby and high counts of Brown
Pelican and Heermanns Gull. The ENSO also may have contributed to low numbers of Laysan Albatross, Shorttailed Shearwater, Bullers Shearwater, and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel. Most of the seabird data is from the following
Bird Guide pelagic trips:
Date
Aug 24
Sep 6
Sep 8
Sep 28
Oct 5
Origin
Newport
Newport
Newport
Charleston
Newport
Oct 6
Oct 19
Oct 26
Newport
Newport
Newport
Hours
8
5
3
10
12
12
8
10
Destination
Perpetua Bank, 32 miles offshore
24 miles offshore
nearshore
Umpqua River Sea Canyon, Douglas Co.
Perpetua and Heceta Bank, also deep water to 50 miles offshore, Lincoln
and Lane Cos.
Perpetua and Heceta Bank, Lincoln and Lane Cos.
Perpetua Bank, 32 miles offshore
(OSU trip) Perpetua Bank and out to 40 miles offshore
In general we have not mentioned reports of typical numbers
at typical locations, focusing rather on arrival and departure
dates, notable high and low numbers, unusual locations and
possible range changes, rarities and a few oddments that
may be of interest to readers of OB. OBRC review species
are noted; we do not discuss their status by county. We
otherwise indicate rare county records when known, up to
the 10th record for a county.
Mallard - plain type denotes species usually seen
Pacific Loon - italics indicates unusual sightings, late dates,
unusual locations, Latin subspecies
HARLEQUIN DUCK - all capitals indicates a rare sighting
Northern Fulmar, 5 Oct, The Bird Guide pelagic trip to
Heceta Bank, Lane County. Photo/C. Gates
ROSS'S GULL - all capitals in italics indicates the rarest
sightings, first state records, species on the review list of
the Oregon Birds Records Committee.
Abbreviations
AL
ANWR
BBSW
BMNWR
BSNWR
CS
DF
DWA
EEW
ENSO
FNWR
FRR
FW
JB
KSP
LCR
MM
MSC
NJ
RW
PB
PVW
SI
SJ
SJCR
SJS
SP
SPk
TNWR
WS
Agate Lake, JACK
Ankeny NWR, MARI
Boiler Bay State Wayside, LINC
Bandon Marsh NWR, COOS
Baskett Slough NWR, POLK
Coos Spit sites including ponds
Detroit Flats, e. MARI
Denman Wildlife Area, JACK
E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, BENT
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
Finley NWR, BENT
Fern Ridge Reservoir, LANE
Fernhill Wetlands, WASH
Jackson Bottom, WASH
Kirtland Rd. sewage ponds, JACK
Lost Creek Res., JACK
Millicoma Marsh, COOS
Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport.
N. Jetty
Ridgefield NWR, Clark Co., Washington
Perpetua Bank, off LINC
Pioneer Villa Wetlands near Brownsville, LINN
Sauvie Island (county noted when known).
S. Jetty
SJ, Columbia River, CLAT
S. Jetty Rd. sites, Siuslaw R., Florence, LANE
Sewage ponds
State park
Tualatin NWR, WASH
Whetstone Savannah Reserve, JACK
County names are given in 4-letter format for sites other
than well-known cities.
Red-throated Loon- One at Big L.
in the high Cascades 20 Oct was the
2nd LINN record (MN).
Pacific Loon - Inland birds were one
at FRR 19-21 Oct (JS, DDe, DA) and
1 at LCR where rare 19 Oct (JL, NB).
Yellow-billed Loon - An early report
was seen in flight at BBSW on 9 Oct
(PP). An adult still largely in breeding
plumage was seen in the middle of
the Columbia R downstream of St.
Helens on 14 Nov (BTw). One was
at Seaside 20-21 Nov (MP, TT).
Pied-billed Grebe - 2 on the
Willamette R. at Eugene 6 Sep were
probably migrants (DI); 13 in Eugenes
Alton Baker Park on 16 Nov (VA)
certainly were.
Red-necked Grebe - 1 was at FRR
where irregular on 19-20 Oct and 7
Nov (JFo, VA, JaS, NKS); 2 were
there 15-17 Nov (DB, VA, RR).
* OBRC review species
** OBRC review species not yet proven to occur
in Oregon by specimen, photo or recording
# Description submitted to OBRC
Eared Grebe - The earliest report was
one 27 Sep at CS (TR). Inland, they
were more widespread than usual with
a clear influx in Nov: 1 at FRR on 2
Nov (JaS), Foster Res. 5-7 Nov, at the
Brownsville SP 13 Nov (both MN),
Independence SP 13-15 Nov (RG,
JFo), Junction City SP 18 Nov (JaS),
2 at the Philomath SP on 20 Nov (HH),
and 1 at Creswell SP on 30 Nov (VA).
Horned Grebe - 18 were at FRR 24
Nov, a high count for that location
(StM); 11 at Foster Res. LINN on 23
Oct (JF) was also a high count.
Western Grebe - It was a good
breeding year at FRR. A pair with
two young was seen 14 Aug (DDe).
At least 5 flightless juvs. were with 2
pairs of ads. at FRR 21 Aug (DDe).
Over 100 were there 11 Sep (DI).
Clarks Grebe - 10 were on FRR 11
Sep, probably representing the bulk
of the local breeding population (DI).
1 was there on 18 Sep (JFo). One
was on the ocean off Cape Ferrelo
CURR on 4 Sep (DM).
Laysan Albatross - 1 was off Newport
on 26 Oct (GG). Typically late, though
seen pretty regularly on early Oct
Heceta Bank trips in recent years.
Black-footed Albatross - 167 were
off Newport on 6 Sep, 120 on 6 Oct,
125 on 5 Oct and 340 on 26 Oct,
typical numbers (GG).
Northern Fulmar - 255 were off
Newport on 6 Oct, 258 on 19 Oct and
2500 on 26 Oct (GG). 1000 were seen
from Spanish Head LINC on 7 Nov
(PP). Counts at BBSW included 400+
on 9 Nov, 600+ on 10 Nov and 150+
on 18 Nov (PP). Onshore reports were
few early in the season, but scores (all
but a few dark-phase) were visible
from land in LINC during the storms
of 8-11 Nov (PP, ALC et al.) and
many were visible from shore on 17
Nov (ALC, NKS).
**DARK-RUMPED PETREL - Not
yet confirmed for Oregon, one was
reported 45 nm w. of Port Orford 8
Aug and another was reported 45 nm
w. of Florence on 10 Aug (DaA et al.).
This would represent a first state
record if accepted.#
**COOKS PETREL - Not yet
confirmed for Oregon, 3 were reported
76 nm w. of Florence on 1 Aug (DaA
et al.). This would represent a first
state record if accepted.#
Pink-footed Shearwater - 139 were
off Newport on 5 Sep (GG), 18 were
seen from BBSW on 24 Sep (PP), 300
were off Newport on 26 Sep, 180 on
5 Oct, 92 on 6 Oct, 9 on 19 Oct and
120 on 26 Oct. 150 were off
Charleston on 28 Sep (GG). Typical
numbers.
Flesh-footed Shearwater - 7 off
Newport on 26 Oct was a new Oregon
record for a single trip (GG). 1 was
on Heceta Bank on 5 Oct. 2 were
over Umpqua River Sea Canyon on
28 Sep; a first DOUG record (TS).
Short-tailed Shearwater - The
earliest were 8 off BBSW on 26 Sep
(PP). Several were at SJCR on 17 Nov
(MP). 1 was at BBSW on 18 Nov
(PP). A rather poor early showing;
more were seen in Dec.
Sooty Shearwater - 50,000+ were at
Seaside on 7 Aug, 250,000+ at SJCR
on 25 Aug, 1000+ at BBSW on 27
Oct and 1000+ on 5 Sep; typical
numbers.
**MANX SHEARWATER - 1 was
reported at Tierra del Mar LINC 7 Sep
and 1 at BBSW on 18 Nov (WG).
There are still no confirmed records
for Oregon.
**Black-vented Shearwater - 1 was
reported at SJCR on 17 Nov (MP).
There is only 1 confirmed record for
Oregon (1992).
**Manx/Black-vented Shearwater 1 was reported at BBSW on 13 Aug,
2 (possible) at SJCR on 25 Aug, 1 at
BBSW on 11 Oct and 1 at BBSW on
9 Nov (PP).
Bullers Shearwater - 4 were off
Newport on 6 Sep, 33 on 5 Oct, 20
on 6 Oct, 21 on 19 Oct and 100 on 26
Oct (GG). 25 were at BBSW on 24
Sep and 70 on 26 Sep (PP). Rather
late to arrive this year and didnt build
into large numbers.
Blue-footed Booby, 9 Sep, Yaquina Head, Lincoln Co. Photos/P. Tilley
Leachs Storm-Petrel - 1 was off
Charleston on 28 Sep (GG/BGP).
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel - 27 were
off Newport on 24 Aug, 5 on 5 Oct,
17 on 6 Oct, 21 on 19 Oct and 4 on
26 Oct. Low numbers this year
(GG/BGP).
*BLUE - FOOTED BOOBY Oregons first was at Yaquina Head
7-9 Sep (AJ, m. obs.); see cover of
this issue.
Am. White Pelican - A flock was in
upper Coos Bay (fewer than 10 county
records) with 7 first found 31 Jul
(DoA), 10 on 3 Aug and a slow
diminution through late Aug, with 1
on 2 Sep the last reported (TR). 3
others were on the coast at Astoria on
8 Nov (DoH), 22 were at SI on 31
Aug (TR); 23 were there in COLU on
15 Sep, later 33 were there, with some
remaining through 20 Sep; they have
become regular in that area in recent
years (DB). 6 were at AL throughout
Aug and were last seen 9 Sep (MaM,
NB); they are rare on the Rogue Valley
floor but were also there last year.
Brown Pelican - Good numbers were
present all season, with flocks of
dozens common all along the coast
through the end of the period. A count
of about 300 birds perched on the
offshore rocks at Seal Rock, LINC on
15 Nov (CP) was high for that area at
any season, especially so for mid-Nov.
119 were still there 29 Nov (JS).
BBSW flyby counts showed the huge
numbers still in Oregon late in the
season: 250 on 9 Nov, 500+ on 18
Nov, 600+ on 22 Nov (PP). See the
winter season report for some really
remarkable numbers. The astounding
2000 near Pacific City on 18 Nov were
shown on Portland TV (fide HN).
Double-crested Cormorant - At least
125 migrants were circling Stewart L.
BENT on 29 Oct (JaS et al.); only 7
actually used the lake.
Brandts Cormorant - Many Oregon
breeders leave in winter; the 3500
northbound off Newport on 13 Oct
(WH) may have been heading for
Puget Sound wintering areas.
Great Egret - Movements into the
Willamette Valley continue to be early
and heavier (esp. n. of FRR) than what
was seen 10-15 years ago. Reported
11 Aug from SI (EK), three were near
Pioneer Villa LINN as early as 16 Aug
(TS). Up to 26 were at BSNWR in
mid-Sep (RG); they are regular now
but a few years ago were rarely seen
in the northern valley in such numbers.
Scores were in s. coastal estuaries
through Sep, with 86 off MM in upper
Coos Bay on 4 Oct the peak count
(TR) and 60 at Yaquina Bay 31 Aug
an excellent count (TB). 35 at
BSNWR on 17 Sep and 50 on SI 22
Aug (HBN) are numbers that would
have been considered impossible 15
years ago; today they are almost
expected. By mid-Oct very few
remained at the Siuslaw while numbers
at FRR increased with reservoir
drawdown; peak counts at FRR were
80 on 18 Oct (DDe) and at least 147
on 21 Oct (MN).
Snowy Egret - None north of Coos
Bay this fall. First reports at the usual
wintering locations around Coos Bay
were 1 on 4 Oct and 2 on 26 Nov
(TR).
Cattle Egret - Another off year, or
perhaps off decade: none were
reported.
Green Heron - Singles and family
groups were seen through late Aug
throughout the region; most were gone
after mid-Oct. One was seen as late
as 24 Oct at Stewart L BENT, thus
proving that it was not the owner of
the pile of Green Heron feathers found
there 21 Oct (JaS, JA). A few winter,
mainly in sw. Oregon; 1 at
Meadowlark Prairie w. of Eugene
(StM) and one below Foster Dam
LINN 5 Nov (MN) were late for a
northerly location.
Black-crowned Night-Heron - An
ad. was at FRR 21 Aug (fide DDe);
an imm. was there 30 Aug (DF). 1
was at Astoria 22 Oct (TT), 4 were at
the N. Portland roost on 12 Nov (KaS),
3 were at the mouth of the Chetco R.
CURR until 15 Nov (ShC).
White-faced Ibis - One was at FRR
1 Aug (PSh, NKS, LS); perhaps the
same bird was at PVW 12-13 Aug
(MN).
Turkey Vulture - A cave containing
a recent nest (by feather content and
smell) was found on Spencer Butte
on the s. edge of Eugene 14 Oct
(NKS). A straggler was near Eugene
on 12 Nov (AP), 1 was at FRR 27
Nov (StM) and 4 were w. of Eugene
29 Nov (NKS); a few have wintered
in the area in recent years. As usual
the best departure data for large groups
was from the Rogue Valley, where
425 were at a Bear Creek roost (SJ)
and 1,000 were at a roost elsewhere
in the valley (TP), both 2 Oct. The
last reports in the Rogue Valley were
17 Oct.
Greater White-fronted Goose - The
first small flocks arrived in late Aug
as usual, with 37 at SI on 29 Aug
(HBN) and 11 at FRR on 30 Aug (DF).
Movements seemed rather heavy and
extended in NW Oregon, with flocks
of over 100 still moving through
during the 4th week of Sep (m. obs).
South coast numbers were unusually
high. 13 reached BMNWR on 17 Sep
(TR) and numbers there were
exceptional, with 100 on 29 Sep and
an amazing 250 on 4 Oct. 60 were at
CS on 10 Oct (TR). 5 to 8 were at
LCR 22 to 30 Sep (NB, MaM); they
are irregular in the Rogue Valley. 1
was near Junction City, LANE, where
irregular, on 12 Nov (JSu) and it
reappeared around FRR off and on
through the end of the period.
Emperor Goose - One was at SI on
14 Oct (IT, JF et al.) and one was near
McMinnville YAMH on 30 Nov (CK).
Snow Goose - 3 at FRR in early Aug
(TM) were ahead of the usual
movement. One at Floras L., CURR
on 11 Oct was unexpected (HH, ALC,
NKS) as were 1 over Tillamook 30
Nov (JH, DoM, BT, JoC) and 7 at
BMNWR 4 Oct (TR). A few were in
the Willamette Valley after mid-Oct,
with small numbers at SI (HBN). 35
southbound over Mt. Pisgah, LANE
on 7 Oct were a little unusual (DDe),
as was one at a Medford golf course
18 Oct (NB); they are rare in the
Rogue Valley.
Rosss Goose - One was near Junction
City, LANE on 12 Nov (JSu) and
reappeared in early Dec near FRR.
They are not annual in LANE. A bird
appeared at the mouth of the Elk R.,
CURR the last week of Nov, where
one wintered last year (TJW).
Brant - A few inland birds were found,
with 2 near FRR on 10 Nov and 1 near
Junction City 12 Nov (JSu); probably
the same bird remained with the FRR
goose flock through the period. About
120 were at Yaquina Bay 29 Nov, the
only significant wintering site in
Oregon (JS). One was reported at
Coos Bay all period after 23 Sep (TR).
Trumpeter Swan - 1 was with
Tundras at FRR on 3 Nov (StM); they
are not annual in LANE.
Tundra Swan - 2 at FNWR on 16 Oct
(DA) were the earliest reported. 6
were at FW on 24 Oct (AL), 9 arrived
at FRR on 25 Oct (DBr), one had
reached central DOUG where irregular
by 11 Nov (LBa). Although small
flocks were scattered over nw. Oregon,
numbers were generally low through
the end of the period, with 87 at
ANWR 12 Nov (MK) the largest flock
reported until 500 were seen at dusk
at FRR on 30 Nov (StM).
Gadwall - 20 at FRR 19 Oct (JFo)
would have been considered unusual
a few years back, but they have been
wintering in numbers in recent years.
29 were at FW on 28 Oct (WS).
Mallard - 5000 were at FNWR on 26
Oct (SP).
Northern Pintail - A female with 5
young was at FW on 12 Aug (JB).
Earliest in JACK were 2 at AL on 3
Sep (MM).
Eurasian Wigeon - Peak count was
8 males at Yaquina Bay 23 Nov (JaS).
Green-winged Teal - A Eurasian form
(Common Teal) was at FW 21-24
Nov (PT, GG, HN, CB et al.)
Blue -winged Teal - Always thin in
fall, the exception was Malheur West
at FRR, where at least 125 were
present 2 Aug (StM), as astonishing
number for anywhere in Oregon, let
alone the west side in August. More
typical reports were from PVW 17
Aug (MN), 1 Sep at ANWR (MC), 4
at New R. (COOS) on 5 Sep (TR) and
4 s. of Newport on 30 Sep (CP). A
late bird was at Brownsmead CLAT
on 22 Nov (MP).
Cinnamon Teal - Stragglers were a
pair at ANWR 6 Nov (JFo), one at
BSNWR 24 Nov (EK) and 1 in
YAMH on 29 Nov (QN).
Canvasback - Small numbers (fewer
than 10 per location) were found after
early Nov in nw. Oregon but up to 30
were at LCR and AL, JACK in late
Oct (JL, NB, DC).
Redhead - A female was on Floras L,
CURR on 13 Oct (HH, ALC, NKS),
where unusual. A male was on CS 31
Oct (TR), a good find since there is
no longer a winter flock on Coos Bay
as there was in the 1970s-80s. More
regular were 3 at Yaquina Bay 23 Nov
(JaS, JFo).
Ring-necked Duck - Arrival of
migrants was noted 20 Sep at SI (WG)
and Corvallis (JaS) and 21 Sep at FW
(MaM). 279 were at the Brownsville
SP on 13 Nov (MN), a high count.
Greater Scaup - Although a few
winter in w. Oregon, they are not often
reported in migration. One was at
Stewart L. BENT from 15 Oct through
13 Nov (JaS). One was at Adair SP
(JFo). A female was at Foster Res
LINN on 11 Oct (MN) and 17 Nov
(JFo); a male was on the Philomath
sewage ponds 20 Nov (HH).
Harlequin Duck - Three were near
the Eagle Cr. fish hatchery MULT on
26 Aug (TS).
Surf Scoter - Coastal numbers were
very high in late Oct, with counts off
n. LANE and LINC in the thousands
(ALC, PP et al.). The peak single-site
count was 15,000 southbound off
BBSW on 13 Oct (WH). It was also
an excellent year for inland birds. 1
was at Gold L. LANE on 15 Oct (JeL
& KL), 1 on Dexter Res. LANE 16
Oct (HH) and 31 Oct at FRR (JaS).
2 were at FW 13 Nov (PS), 8 at LCR
8-19 Oct (NB, JL) and 4 on the
Clackamas R. e. of Estacada on 16
Nov. (EH).
White-winged Scoter - Numbers
were far lower than for Surf Scoter;
peak count off Newport was 1200 on
13 Oct (WH).
Black Scoter - Reports were very few,
with 30 off BBSW on 29 Oct but most
movement there from late Nov through
mid-Dec, a pattern that PP has noted
for three years in a row. The earliest
report was 1 Sep at Seaside (DJ, DEJ).
Long -tailed Duck - An early bird
was at Yaquina Head 10 Sep (ALC et
al.), providing nominal consolation
for frustrated booby-seekers. Small
numbers were seen south to the
Siuslaw R. Oct-Nov, esp. during storm
conditions.
Bufflehead - An early bird was at
LCR on 10 Aug (fide MaM); 74 on
Foster Res. LINN on 23 Oct was
noteworthy (JF).
Barrows Goldeneye - The 6th COOS
record was near Empire on Coos Bay
26 Nov through the end of the period
(TR). A male at FW 3 Nov was very
unusual (GG). Flocks of up to 27 on
Foster Res. below Green Peter Dam,
LINN as usual were the only
lowland reports of flocks this fall
(JFo). One was at Youngs Bay, CLAT
from 11 Nov (DoA, MP, LC) to the
end of the period, perhaps the bird
that wintered at the same site last year.
A female was at the Willamina sewage
ponds POLK-YAMH on 13 Nov
(DoA), also a probable return from
last year.
Common Merganser- 140 were in
the Siuslaw estuary 17 Aug, typical
timing for peak numbers but a high
count (ALC, DF). 110 were at FW on
13 Nov, a high number for that location
(PS), as was 200 at Oaks Bottom in
Portland 2 Oct (MMa).
Red-breasted Merganser - A female
was at FW on 13 Nov (PS). One was
at Smith-Bybee Lakes MULT 3-4 Nov
(DH, PJ). A male was at FRR where
not annual on 12-16 Nov (JFo, VA,
DB, NKS), and a female was at DWA,
where quite rare 15 Nov (JL, HS, JK).
Ruddy Duck - A very rare and
irregular breeder w. of the Cascades,
thus at least three breeding sites this
year are of note. A family group was
seen at Eastmoreland Park in Portland
on 22 Aug (PA), at least one pair bred
at FRR: a female with 4 flightless
young was seen there on 11 Aug
(ALC, NKS); DDe saw 5 flightless
young the same day. An adult with
one mostly-grown young was at
ANWR 1 Sep (JL). 60 were on the
ocean at BBSW 29 Nov; they are
unusual on the open ocean in Oregon
(GG).
Osprey - They have become more
common in late fall in the past 10
years or so; only birds after mid-Nov
can be considered late any more, and
a few have wintered in recent years.
Fall stragglers seemed fewer than
usual on the coast, with only a couple
of mentions after Sep. except at Coos
Bay where 1-2 remained (TR), but
there were quite a few inland reports,
mainly around Eugene through the
end of Nov (AP, NKS, JS, TB), with
1 in the Grants Pass area at the end of
the month (DV).
White-tailed Kite - Late summer was
very slow and only moderate numbers
were found early this fall, but by Nov
it looked like one of the best years in
quite a while, with singles and groups
of 2-3 birds all over lowland w. Oregon
and 21 at the FRR roost on 26 Nov
(DJ), the largest number there in well
over a decade.
Bald Eagle - Widespread in the
Willamette Valley after late Oct, with
small gatherings of 2-5 birds at the
major refuges and FRR as usual.
Coopers Hawk - One was living off
roosting Vauxs Swifts in Eugene on
2-3 Sep (StM).
Northern Goshawk - A migrant was
in ne. Portland on 13 Sep (DM et al.).
One was at Horsepasture Mtn. 16
Aug and an ad. and imm. were at Fuji
Mtn. 6 Sep, both LANE (DDe). One
was four miles up the Chetco R from
Brookings on 2 Sep (DM); they are
rare in coastal CURR.
Red-shouldered Hawk - One was at
SI throughout the season (HN, JoF,
IT). Expansion has made this a regular
bird in small numbers on the coast
north to Florence, where 3-4 birds
seemed to be present from Sep onward
(ALC, DiP et al.). Singles were
reported from multiple sites
throughout the Willamette Valley,
mainly from the central valley floor
westward.
Red-tailed Hawk-A Harlans form
was at BSNWR 24 Nov (EK). One
or two are annual in the central
Willamette Valley.
Ferruginous Hawk - Two different
birds were seen 26 Oct and 28 Oct
migrating west along the Chetco R
CURR (DM); the bird on the 28th was
later seen at the mouth of the
Winchuck R. (KG). Another bird was
near AL most of Nov (JL). A bird
now and then in the Rogue Valley in
late fall is normal, but 3 from this
region suggest that perhaps the severe
fires of late summer created an
attractive bare-ground habitat that
diverted a few birds.
Rough-legged Hawk - Numbers
started low this year, with little
movement and very few birds in late
Oct and some increase by early Nov.
The earliest report was 15 Oct at Oaks
Bottom MULT (EK). They have not
wintered at Coos Bay in recent years
but two passed through on 15 Oct and
1 Nov at CS (TR). The peak count
was 12 on SI 21 Nov (IT, JoF).
Golden Eagle - One was at FNWR
26-29 Nov (DA et al.), where irregular.
Also unusual was one at FRR on 30
Nov (StM). 2 were at ANWR on 13
Oct (EK).
Merlin - Singles were reported at
multiple sites in Aug; most late in the
month. Unusually early was one 6
Aug at ANWR (CK); one was far
south at AL on 16 Aug (NB). By Sep
singles were found throughout the
region.
Gyrfalcon - At least 4 reports of at
least 3 and possibly 4 different birds
had been received by the end of the
period, quite good for w. Oregon so
early in the season. A rather early bird
was a gray-phase at FW on 3 Nov
(TE, DMa, GG). A fairly dark grayphase was at BSNWR on 24-27 Nov
(JJ, KS, GF). One was reported 22
Nov near the mouth of the Elk R.,
CURR, about 10 miles from where
one spent last winter (BF fide Dhz).
A very pale bird was at Warrenton
CLAT 28 Nov (MP).
Peregrine Falcon - Widespread in
small numbers after early Aug.
Prairie Falcon - There appeared to
be more than usual in w. Oregon this
fall, with perhaps 8-10 birds in the
Willamette Valley and 2 in JACK
(MaM). It is always hard to judge
how many are in the W. valley, but
my sense is that 3-4 might be normal
in fall. This fall it seemed that every
reasonably well-covered piece of
potential habitat had one on a regular
basis, so it wasnt just a few birds
moving around. One at the Scappoose
airfield 19 Sep was a little off the usual
path (DB), as was one near Tillamook
on 30 Nov (JH, BT, DoM, JoC).
Wild Turkey - Especially obvious in
JACK this fall (MaM); increasing at
Mt. Pisgah LANE.
California Quail - Two coveys
totaling 24 birds were found late this
fall near Leaburg, 17 miles up the
McKenzie Valley from Springfield,
where they have not been regular
(AR).
Mountain Quail - 3 juveniles were
above Green Peter Res., LINN on 3
Sep (TS). 10 were close to the beach
in South Beach LINC on 28 Nov
(WH).
American Coot - A migrant flock of
300 at Foster Res LINN on 5 Nov was
unusual for that site (MN); 200 at
Dexter Res. LANE on 30 Nov was
more expected (VA).
Sandhill Crane - An early migrant
was at SI on 4 Aug (DB). 78 were on
SI on 15 Sep (DB), building to 600
by 22 Sep (HBN). The survey taken
8 Oct found 3500-3600 cranes there
(fide HN). 10 passed over Mt. Pisgah
LANE on 25 Oct (PS). There was a
noticeable late-season movement this
year, with small flocks of 60-80 birds
reported over Beaverton 24 Nov (LM),
25 over Crabtree, LINN 24 Nov (JH)
and 22 (the same group?) at the
Creswell LANE sewage ponds later
the same day (NKS). 1 was at the Elk
R., CURR 24 Nov (TJW fide DM),
where a few birds are regular in
migration; 2 at AL on 4 Sep were less
expected (DC).
Black-bellied Plover - Peak count at
BMNWR was 101 on 9 Oct (DL, KC).
American Golden-Plover, 8- 9 Sep,
Agate Lake, Jackson Co. Photo/J.
Livaudais
American Golden-Plover - South
coast: A probable was at CS 15-16
Aug (TR). One was at BMNWR 12
Sep and another on 23 Sep (DL, KC);
1 was there on 6 Oct (RR). Interior:
One was seen at FW on 26-28 Sep; it
was brightly colored but had the
primary extension appropriate for an
American (EB, GG, LM et al.). One
was at FRR 29 Sep (DDe, NKS, MN).
One was at AL where rare on 8-9 Sep
(JL et al.).
Pacific Golden-Plover - South coast:
Movement began with 1 at BMNWR
11 Aug (TR); 2-4 were at CS 15-28
Aug (TR). One was at BMNWR 12
Sep, standing next to an American GP for convenience in identification;
another was there 16 Sep, remaining
until at least 4 Oct (TR). 1 was at CS
on 27-29 Sep (TR), another was there
for one day on 4 Oct (TR). 5 were at
BMNWR on 6 Oct (RR), at least one
of these remained through 30 Oct
(TR). North coast: 1 was at SJCR 27
Aug (TT), 3 were on Sunset Beach,
CLAT on 19 Sep (DB), another was
at the Astoria golf course 4 Oct (MP).
Snowy Plover - Peak counts were 15
at the Siltcoos R. mouth 29 Sep (ALC
et al.) and 16 there 9 Oct (SM).
Semipalmated Plover - Movements
of hundreds were found at
concentration sites along the outer
coast as usual, with 500 at BMNWR
on 4 Aug exceptionally high (ALC,
NKS, TR) and 400 there 15 Aug
another sizable showing (TR). Three
at the PVW LINN on 18 Aug were
unexpected (JF). Two at FRR 6 Nov
(LaM) were late, but they occasionally
winter on the mudflats of the reservoir.
Black-necked Stilt - One was near
BSNWR as late as 28 Aug (K&StS)
and a family group of 5 birds was at
FRR 1-4 Aug (NKS, DF, DDe).
American Avocet - Three were at AL,
where rare, 2 Sep (NB).
Greater Yellowlegs - Numbers were
unimpressive throughout the region
this fall, with peak counts at
BMNWR under 10 birds (KC, DL)
Lesser Yellowlegs - Most movement
was in Aug and early Sep as usual.
An amazing 55 were at FW on 7 Sep
(PS), a count that would be high even
in eastern Oregon. 2 were a little late
at FW on 20 Oct (PaS, RuS, GG).
Solitary Sandpiper - After an
exceptionally good spring movement,
a few were reported this fall, when
Semipalmated Sandpiper, 2 Sep, Agate
Lake, Jackson Co. Photo/J. Livaudais
they are often nearly absent. Because
this species fall status is poorly
known, we list all reports from this
season. Singles were at Vanport
wetlands in N. Portland 6 Aug (IT),
PVW 11 Aug (MN), Brownsville SP
12 Aug (Jfl), CS 17 Aug (JG, OS),
Croeni ponds near North Plains,
WASH on 1 Sep (GG), EEW on 1 Oct
(JoG), 1 there on 8 Oct and 2 on 9 Oct
(JG).
Willet - Unusual so far north on the
coast, one was at the Necanicum
estuary CLAT 7-8 Aug (SW, MP),
another northerly bird was at
Tillamook Bay 8 Aug (CK). One was
at Bandon, where regular, on 11 and
13 Aug (KC), 6 remained on the
mudflats next to downtown Coos Bay
at the end of the period; they have
wintered for the past two years (TR).
Wandering Tattler - Reports were
from 4 Aug through 21 Sep, with peak
counts under 10 at jetties as usual; 11
at Bandon 13 Aug was the high for
one site (DL, KC).
Spotted Sandpiper - Peak movement
seemed to be in early Aug; the high
count was 10 on 11 Aug at PVW
(MN). Singles on 28 Nov at Salem
(HR) and Barton County Pk CLAC
(BE) may have represented birds likely
to winter rather than stragglers of local
origin.
Whimbrel - One was out of place at
ANWR 14 Aug (MK). One was still
present at BMNWR through the end
of the period; they often winter (TR).
Long-billed Curlew - One was in a
pasture along the Alsea estuary on 10
Nov, a late bird in an unexpected
location (WH).
*Hudsonian Godwit - One was at
BMNWR on 8 Sep (AJ et al.)
Marbled Godwit - Numbers were
low; 38 on 26 Sep was the peak at
Aug (TS) and at SI 3 Sep (IT, JoF), 8
Coos Bay (TR).
at the Necanicum estuary 1 Sep (TT).
Ruddy Turnstone - Coastal numbers
Stragglers were reported through the
were quite low. One was at the
end of Sep, a little later than they
Brownsville ponds 12 Aug (JF) and
normally stay; one on 4 Oct at FRR
at PVW 11 and 13 Aug (MN), perhaps
(DDe) was the latest reported.
the same bird.
Pectoral Sandpiper - Small numbers
Red Knot - Very few as usual, most
moved through during Aug and Sep
on the s. coast. 1 was at BMNWR 11
throughout the region; the earliest
Aug, 1 25-27 Aug at New River COOS
report was 10 Aug at FW (GG). A
(TR, DL, KC), 2 there 4 Sep (DL,
few stragglers were found: 1 at MM
KC) and a few other singletons
on 2 Nov (TR) 1 at SJCR on 11 Nov
through 23 Sep, with no
(DoA); one with an injured foot was
concentrations. 6 at BMNWR on 17
with the shorebird flock near Junction
Sep was the high (KC, DLa).
City LANE on 17-18 Nov (TM, AM,
Sanderling - One was at FRR on 12
JaS, JFo).
Sep (JSu). They are annual at FRR
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Four
when habitat is available in Sep and
records makes a fairly good year, with
the area is well covered. They are less
the 6th for LANE at FRR 28-29 Sep
regular in JACK, where the 10th
(DF, MN) and perhaps the same bird
record was at AL on 6 Sep (JL).
again 7 Oct (PSh), one at Seaside 16Semipalmated Sandpiper - The usual
18 Oct (TT), one at FW, a 3rd record
trickle occurred throughout Aug and
for WASH, from 29 Sep to 28 Oct
into early Sep with 2 at Wireless Road
(MkN, GG, TS, WS et al.). Another
CLAT on 9 Aug the only flock (LC).
was at BMNWR from 29 Sep to 6 Oct
Least regular in the sw. interior, so 1
(DL, KC, TR, RR).
at AL on 2 Sep
and at LCR the
same day are of
note (NB). The
latest reported
was one at FW on
8 Sep (PJ). After
early Sep this
species is rarely
reported and even
more rarely
reported correctly.
W e s t e r n
Sandpiper - Peak
counts were 9000
at BMNWR on
11 Aug (KC, DL)
and the lateseason peak of
Sandpiper, 22 Oct, Fernhill Wetlands, Washington
imms. was 5000 Sharp-tailed
Co. Photo/R. Sullivan. See Members Gallery Special Color
there on 23 Sep Edition in this issue.
(TR).
Least Sandpiper - Peak counts were
Rock Sandpiper - An imm. was
2500 at BMNWR on 27 Oct and 2000
reported with turnstones 23 Aug from
there on 16 Sep (TR); peaks are
Yachats (DWe), a very early date. Oct
typically later than for Western.
arrivals were very thin and by midBairds Sandpiper - It was an up
Nov only a few reports had been
year for this somewhat irregular
received, none from south of Depoe
migrant. Small numbers were found
Bay until 3 were found at SJ Yaquina
throughout w. Oregon after mid-Aug,
Bay 30 Nov (MiN).
with 1-2 birds at many locations and
Dunlin - Outriders were at SJCR 10
peak counts of 6 at Coos Spit 19
Aug (HN), PVW 13 Aug (MN) and
Aug (TR), 5 there 5 Sep (TR), 5 along
BMNWR (2) on 4 Sep (DL, KC);
Wireless Rd, CLAT on 6 Sep (LC), 6
numbers built slowly in Sep (the first
at LCR on 2 Sep (NB), PVW on 16
small flocks in mid-Sep) and most
birds arrived in late Oct as usual, with
10,000 at BMNWR on 27 Oct the
peak (TR).
Stilt Sandpiper - One was at FW 31
Aug-8 Sep (GG, DS, JR, MrM, TS et
al.), a second record for WASH,
another was at Stanley L., CLAT on
4 Sep (TT). One was at BMNWR on
16-17 Sep (MiM, TR). Later reports
at various locations were clouded by
the presence of solitary Dunlin
possibly misidentified.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper - It was a
good year with at least 12 birds found.
The first was 1 on 23 Aug at Bayocean
spit, TILL (K&StS), the latest in the
regular window was 1 at CS on 16
Sep (MiM), an unusually late bird was
at FW 20 Sep until at least 29 Sep
(MMa, MkN, GG, TS).
Ruff - It was an excellent year, with
at least 8 separate birds and perhaps
9. 2 imm. Reeves were at New R.,
COOS on 25 Aug-1 Sep (TR, DL,
KC, GS, BM, SK), 2 more imm.
Reeves were on the beach at Cape
Meares, TILL on 4 Sep (DoA) and 3
were at CS on 16 Sep (MiM). 1 Ruff
(LANEs 9th) was found at FRR on
27 Sep (DF) and remained until at
least 1 Nov, assuming that the sporadic
multi-observer re-sightings were of
the same bird (DA, DDe, LaM, NKS).
Two were found just w. of Junction
City, LANE feeding in a fertilized
field with gulls, plovers and other
shorebirds on 15 Nov (DDe),
remaining for at least a week, and one
was still there through at least 29 Nov
(m. obs.), perhaps settling for the
winter since 2 were in w. Eugene in
late Dec, see winter report. It is not
clear whether the latter birds included
the one last seen two weeks earlier at
FRR, about 9 miles south.
Short-billed Dowitcher - Latest
reports were on 23 Sep in COOS (TR).
Long-billed Dowitcher - Earliest
report was 2 on 11 Aug at BMNWR
(TR). A flock of 142 at FRR on 10
Sep was a good concentration for the
Willamette Valley (JSu). Numbers at
inland sites seemed fairly high this
year.
Wilsons Snipe - The earliest migrant
report was 17 Aug at FW (LM).
Wilsons Phalarope - 2-3 juvs were
still present at ANWR 16-17 Aug (TS,
JHa). They are rare on the outer coast,
thus 1 at the Siltcoos mouth 17 Aug
(ALC, DF) was noteworthy, as were
2 imms at FRR 5 Aug (DDe), where
they bred in 2001 and probably did in
2002. 1 at FW on 22 Oct was late
(PJ).
Red-necked Phalarope - Offshore
trips found few; 125 off Newport on
6 Sep (GG) was the high. Small
numbers moved through the WIV and
along the coast in early Aug, with a
trickle still moving in early Sep. One
was exceptionally late at BBSW 10
Nov, described as having a very black
back with a white stripe, and a needlelike bill (JHa, JF). Most reports in
Nov during the Red Phalarope wreck
did not have convincing details and
probably relate to molting Red
Phalaropes. Most observers see Red
Phalarope so infrequently in migration
that its various appearances even in
the same flock are not well known.
report.
South Polar Skua -1 was off Newport
on 24 Aug, 3 on 6 Sep, 5 on 5 Oct
and 2 on 6 Oct. 1 was off Charleston
COOS and 1 over Umpqua Sea
Canyon, DOUG on 28 Sep. As
expected, recorded on nearly every
trip from mid-Aug through Oct beyond
20 miles from shore (GG/BGP).
Pomarine Jaeger - Normal numbers
offshore. 22 were off Newport on 6
Sep, 4 at Tierra del Mar LINC on 7
Sep, 43 at BBSW on 24 Sep, 8 at
BBSW on 26 Sep, 15 off Newport on
26 Oct, 1 at BBSW on 29 Oct
(GG/BGP). One at BBSW on 9 Nov
(PP) was a little late, but see winter
report.
Pomarine Jaeger, 5 Oct, The Bird Guide
pelagic trip to Heceta Bank, Lane
County. Photo/C. Gates
Red Phalarope, 13 Nov, Siuslaw Dog
Ponds, South Jetty Road, Florence, Lane
Co. Photo/A. Reid
Red Phalarope - Offshore trips found
moderate numbers: the earliest were
65 off Newport on 24 Aug. An early
coastal migrant was at CS on 15 Sep
(PS et al). A major onshore movement
occurred during the storms of 7-11
Nov, with thousands of birds all along
the coast, locally forming flocks of
many score birds. 2000 were off
BBSW during the early part of this
period (PP). 160 were on the CS
ponds on 10 Nov (TR). Numbers
remained high through 20 Nov when
at least 120 were still in Yaquina Bay
(EH). A few appeared east of the
Coast Range at FW, Willamina SP
POLK-YAMH 10 Nov (QN), 1 at
Sheridan sewage ponds 18 Nov
(DoA), Independence SP POLK 14
Nov (RG), FRR 15 Nov (DB).
Numbers began dropping around 20
Nov and most of the remainder
departed around 29 Nov. See winter
Parasitic Jaeger - Typical numbers
were seen. 12 were off Newport on 6
Sep, (GG/BGP), 1 was on CS on 15
Sep (PS), 1 was at the NJ Siuslaw on
21 Sep (DiP, SM), 1 at BBSW on 24
Sep, 2 on 26 Sep. 1 13 Oct, 1 off
Newport on 26 Oct, 1 chasing a
Bonapartes Gull off Strawberry Hill,
LANE on 15 Nov (GG), 1 off Bob
Creek beach, LANE, on 16 Nov (GG).
Inland, an imm. was at FW 7 Sep
(MiR), another was at SI on 14 Sep
(IT).
Long -tailed Jaeger - A poor showing
this fall, with 9 off Newport on 24
Aug and 1 off Newport on 6 Sep
(GG/BGP).
Franklins Gull - A good year, with
singles off BBSW 7 Sep (WH), at SI
8 Sep through the end of the period
(IT, LM et al.), at FW on 21 Oct (MK),
at FRR 20 Oct (JS, DF, VA, HH, NKS)
and possibly the same bird 12 Nov17 Nov near Junction City (JSu).
Bonapartes Gull - An early migrant
was at BSNWR 18 Aug (CK). Small
numbers were observed from Sep
onward, with most reported from midOct to late Nov as usual. The storms
of 7-11 Nov did not bring large
numbers onshore or inland, perhaps
because winds were often from the
south rather than from the west. One
possibly storm-assisted adult was
feeding in a pasture near Junction City
LANE on 13 Nov (JFo).
Heermanns Gull - 1500 were at
SJCR on 19 Sep, an unusual
concentration (DB). Sizable
southbound movements were still
occurring through mid-Nov and some
were found in Dec, see winter report.
Mew Gull - An exceptionally early
bird was at Coos Bay 8 Aug (TR). A
bird showing characteristics of the
Asiatic subspecies kamtschatschensis
was observed at Yaquina Bay on 11
Nov (WH). 130 were at the
Monmouth SP 15 Nov (JFo), a count
more often seen in the valley in spring,
not fall, but perhaps related to the
storms. One was at KSP on 8 Nov
(JL); it is rare in JACK.
Ring-billed Gull -Two were at SJS
on 4 Aug (ALC, NKS); they are
uncommon on the outer coast away
from pastures.
California Gull - 2500 at SJCR on
19 Sep (DB) was the high count from
a single location.
Herring Gull - Several were at LCR
on the early date of 2 Sep (NB).
Singles and small numbers appeared
along the outer coast after early Oct,
with no major concentrations during
the storms of early Nov.
Thayers Gull - Small numbers
trickled in by early Oct; there were
no concentrations but singles were
widespread. Of the five single birds
seen by ALC during Oct-Nov on the
outer coast, two were second-year
birds, usually by far the least common
plumage seen on the Oregon coast.
*SLATY-BACKED GULL- An adult
was reported without details available
at Siletz Bay on 27 Nov (Mike
Marshall fide HBN).
Western Gull - A single adult was at
SI in COLU on 15 Sep (DB),
somewhat early for this location,
where a few birds are regular in winter.
Glaucous Gull - 1 was at the
Warrenton SP on 21 Nov (MP) and
one was at the NJ of the Siuslaw on
Franklins Gull, 20 Oct, Fern Ridge Reservoir, Lane Co. Photo/N. Strycker
30 Nov (B&ZS).
Sabines Gull - 3 were off Newport
on 24 Aug, 8 on 6 Sep (GG/BGP) 31
on 5 Oct, 1 on 6 Oct. A late imm. was
feeding with kittiwakes and
Bonapartes Gulls off BBSW on 10
Nov (ALC); it or a bird in similar
plumage was there 12 Nov (FP).
Black-legged Kittiwake - Singles and
small groups comprised of both adults
and imms. were fairly common
offshore after late Sep, with
concentrations off BBSW. Strong
winds on 16 Nov may have been partly
responsible for small groups all along
the c. coast on 17 Nov (ALC, NKS).
*ROSSS GULL - A possible imm.
was described at Yachats on 18 Nov
(DaF).
Caspian Tern - Flocks of 12 on 5
Aug (DDe) and 28 on 6 (JSu) and 10
Sep (NKS) at FRR were very high for
a valley location, a few moved through
FRR throughout Aug. The latest report
was of an adult and imm. at Gold
Beach CURR on 12 Oct (ALC, HH,
NKS) and 2 at Newport 13 Oct (WH).
Elegant Tern - This was one of the
odder years on record for this species.
A report of 16 at Empire, Coos Bay
on 4 Aug, with 22 there 5 Aug (TR)
suggested that at least a moderate
movement was underway, but in fact
that group dwindled to 2 on 8 Aug.
2 were at Florence on 6 Aug (PSh),
5 at Seaside on 7 Aug but there were
no other reports except 1 on 15 Sep
at HMSC (JFo). Thus the invasion of
02 turned into a brief skirmish.
Common Tern - One at AL on 15
Sep was the 8th record for JACK (JL).
Small numbers were reported from
multiple coastal sites. Inland, 22 were
at FRR on 4 Sep, a sizable group for
an inland location that does not report
it every year (DF). Some stayed until
16 Sep (NKS, JSu, DI). At least 8
and perhaps as many as 13 were at SI
on both sides of the county line on 15
Sep (DB). Two were seen at
Warrenton, CLAT on the very late
date of 2 Nov (MP et al.).
Arctic Tern - A very poor showing
this year. 1 was off Newport on 24
Aug, 1 on 6 Sep (GG/BGP), 1 at Tierra
del Mar LINC on 7 Sep (WG) and 1
at Yaquina Head on 8 Sep (GG).
Forsters Tern - One was at LCR on
2 Sep (NB) and one at Big L. LINN
on 16 Sep (DDe, PSh, JF).
Black Tern- 35 adults and 15 imms.
were at the FRR dikes on 11 Aug
(NKS, ALC), one of three colonies at
FRR this year. The latest report from
the FRR breeding area was 4-5 on 26
Aug; none were there 29 Aug (DDe).
Common Murre - An amazing 700
were between the Siuslaw jetties on
18 Aug (RR); 20-30 is a normal peak
tally there. Peak count was 20,000
southbound off BBSW on 18 Nov
(PP).
Pigeon Guillemot- There seems to
be a long-term trend toward more
birds remaining off Oregon later in
the fall. 50 were off Newport on 26
Oct (BGP), a remarkable number so
late. There were 11 at BBSW on 9
Nov (PP), a date at which 1 or 2 would
be normal and zero not a surprise. A
few stragglers were still present
nearshore and in lower estuaries
through the end of the period.
Marbled Murrelet - Numbers were
quite low along the coast.
*Xantus's Murrelet - 5 were off
Newport on 5 Oct, the highest number
ever for an Oregon pelagic trip
(BGP).#
Ancient Murrelet - Numbers were
quite low from the first report of 1 on
19 Oct off Newport (GG) through
early Nov, by which time there is
typically a more significant movement.
Not until the last half of Nov was there
a large showing, with 290 at Boiler
Bay on 18 Nov 18 (PP) and 90 on the
30th (PP).
Cassins Auklet - Very high numbers
were found offshore. 140 were off
Charleston on 28 Sep, 355 were off
Newport on 5 Oct and 153 on 6 Oct.
10,000 off Newport on 19 Oct was a
new record from an offshore platform
in Oregon. 1500 were off Newport on
26 Oct (GG/BGP).
Rhinoceros Auklet - 500 were at
Boiler Bay on 24 Sep (PP), 78 off
Newport on 5 Oct, 318 on 19 Oct, 120
on 26 Oct (GG), 800+ at Boiler Bay
on 18 Nov (PP). 17 were off Sea Lion
Caves on 27 Oct, a high number at a
breeding site so late in the season
(ALC, NKS).
Tufted Puffin - 1 at the Siuslaw jetties,
LANE on 13 Aug (fide DiP) and 3 on
19 Aug (PSh, DiP) were a little late
and at an odd location.
*White-winged Dove - 1 at Newport
was photographed at a feeder 11-14
Oct (DK).#
Barn Owl - One was hunting in
daylight on a foggy 31 Aug at SJS
(B&ZS). 1 was in Falls City POLK
22 Sep (SB) and 1 in West Linn CLAC
27 Aug (TS).
Northern Pygmy-Owl - 2 were at
Spencers Butte LANE 25 Sep (LaM)
and one was still there 29 Sep (NKS);
this is a regular lowland site. 1 was at
Larch Mtn MULT 25 Oct (WG).
Burrowing Owl - 1 was at SJS
deflation plain 29 Sep (ALC, DF, M),
very rare in coastal LANE; 1 was at
Smithfield Rd POLK 22 Oct (CK), 1
was s. of Peoria, LINN at a site used
last year, on 11 Oct (MN) and 3 Nov
(MC). One was near Halsey LINN
on 21 Oct and a different bird was
near there 3 Nov. On 22 Oct, CP found
two wings of an owl along the beach
south of the Yaquina Bay S J
LINCOLN, which were later identified
by CP and WH as belonging to a
BUOW. In the 1970s this species was
often seen at the Yaquina Bay SJ.
Northern Spotted Owl - 2 were at
Buck Meadows in the Three Sisters
Wilderness LANE on 1-4 Sep (PeB,
BN), higher than usual. 3 were in the
Falls City area POLK 22 Sep (SB), 1
was along Highway 20 e. of Lost Lake
LINN mid Sep (PB).
Barred Owl - 5 were near Falls City
POLK 22 Sep (SB), 3 were whooping
it up along the Chetco R. e. of
Brookings CURR 2 Nov (DM). 1 was
near Newport on 5 Oct (GG, Tim
Shelmerdine), 1 in sw. Portland
8 Sep (BrB) and 1 on 15 Oct at Oaks
Bottom MULT (EK).
Short-eared Owl - Small numbers
moved through, mainly in late Oct and
early Nov. 1 was at LCR 20 Oct (NB),
1 was at CS on 2 Nov, where a rare
migrant (TR). 1 was at SJCR on 2
Nov (GG); 1 was at the odd location
of BBSW 15 Nov (RC), another
unusual report was 1 on top of 2000ft. Spencers Butte in s. Eugene 27 Sep
(NKS). 2 were at a more traditional
location where they have been scarce
for many years, FRR, on 30 Nov
(StM). 1 was seen at Yaquina Bay SJ
on 31 Oct (CP).
N. Saw-whet Owl - There is a
noticeable movement in w. Oregon in
Oct each year. Reports this fall include
1 at Thornton Creek LINC 16 Oct
(DaF), 3 responding to tapes along
Bear Valley Rd. LINC on 19 Oct (TS)
and one calling at Bandon on 26 Oct
(DL, KC).
Common Nighthawk - They have
become so irregular in w. Oregon that
some individual reports are worth
mentioning. On 27 Aug 5 birds were
s. of Salem (JL) and on 28 Aug one
was over River Rd., Eugene (MaR).
1 was at Yachats LINC 2 Sep (BeB),
1 in Springfield 16 Sep (StM), 1 at
Glenhaven Park, Portland 18 Sep
(PO). 1 13 Sep over nw Eugene (BC),
1 was using a clearcut in the coast
range of COOS on 7 Aug (TR). 1 was
sitting on the SJ of the Siuslaw on 7
Sep (B&ZS).
Common Poor-will - One was in the
Hills Creek area of e. LANE on 21
Aug (TM); this is the area from which
most LANE reports have come.
Black Swift - Birds were still at Salt
Creek Falls LANE on 20 Aug (AP,
BH), 20 were along the Clackamas R.
near Estacada on 21 Aug (MOG).
One was with 100 Vauxs at AL on 8
Sep (JL); they are rare in JACK. One
was at FW 22 Sep (LM).
Vauxs Swift - The first reports of
migratory flocks gathering was 21
Aug in Eugene (DaF) and in JACK
(NB, DV). 8,000-11,000 was the peak
late-season count at Eugene 8-9 Oct
(MaP, m. obs). The Chapman school
site in Portland reached 5000 and then
dropped off (HN). No last dates were
reported for these sites but 4 Oct was
the last report at Eugene airport (MN),
6 Oct at Lower Table Rock JACK
(DV) and 7 Oct in Corvallis (HR).
Rufous Hummingbird - There were
many reports in Aug as usual; the latest
was 29 Sep in Portland (PJ).
Annas Hummingbird - One was
displaying at Pistol River, CURR on
20 Nov during the warm sunny period
on the s. coast (TR).
*Costas Hummingbird - One was
reported 25 Sep in Tigard (TrS).
Lewiss Woodpecker - Widespread
reports across inland western Oregon.
1st fall migrant in Jackson County
was 21 Aug (DV) with a few in the
high Cascades of JACK on 22 Aug
(NB). A rather thin movement in and
around the Rogue Valley later in the
season (MaM). 1 was at Taylor Burn
LANE 23-24 Aug (JaS, DE, SOE,
MaK); 4 were there 25 Aug (DE,
SOE); 3 on Mt. Pisgah LANE between
1-18 Sep followed by 6 on 21 Sep but
none after (DDe), 1 w. Portland 23
Sep (WG), 1 at Seaside CLAT 12 Oct
(SW) was very rare, 2 e. and n. of
Coffin Butte BENT Oct 16 (JG), 1
Brownsville Rd LINN 14-16 Nov
(ToS, JS), BSNWR 14 Nov (CK), 1
17 Nov LINN (TS).
Red-naped Sapsucker - West-side
records are uncommon, thus 1 at Opal
Creek in the w. Cascades of MARI 28
Oct (RG) and 1 at Devils Half-Acre,
Mt. Hood NF CLAC on 22 Sep (PJ et
al.) were of note; hybrids with Redbreasted were near Scott L. in the
LANE Cascades on 9 Sep (ALC, VA)
and at Shady Cove JACK 25-28 Nov
(NB).
Williamsons Sapsucker - A few slop
over the Cascade crest in fall, this year
brought reports of 1 at Scott L. on 6
Oct (AM, TM) and one at Gold L. 15
Oct (both LANE) (JeL&KL). 1 was
at Hyatt L. JACK on 2 Nov (NB).
White-headed Woodpecker - One was
on Mt. Ashland JACK, where quite
rare, on 13 Aug (AK).
Three-toed Woodpecker - 1 was at
Taylor Burn LANE 24 Aug (JaS) and
20 Oct (KF), also 1 on 15 Aug in the
Mt. Hood Wilderness CLAC (TeJ).
Also reported from the Diamond Peak
area 27 Oct (GF), where this year it
outnumbered Black-backed 3:1, a
reversal of the observers usual
experience there, which is that Blackbacked outnumber Three-toed 5:1.
Black-backed Woodpecker - 2 were
at Taylor Burn at the n. end of Waldo
L. LANE on 20 Aug (AP, BH), 4 there
24 Aug (JaS), 3 there 20 Oct (KF) and
1 there 26 Oct (DI). Also reported
from the Diamond Peak area 27 Oct
(GF).
Northern Flicker - 1 Yellow-shafted
race was at Stewart Lk. BENT 27 Nov
(JaS)
Olive-sided Flycatcher - Latest was
one 25 Sep in w. Portland (WG).
Western Wood-Pewee - Still easy to
find in late Aug (one had just fledged
24 Aug in nw. Eugene, BC), most were
gone by mid-Sep. Late migrants were
1 FNWR 20 Sep (HH) and 1 at Stewart
Lk. BENT 1 Oct (JaS).
Willow Flycatcher - The tail end of
regular movement was represented by
1 at the Neawanna R. CLAT 8 Sep
(MP) and in the Rogue Valley 19 Sep
(fide MaM) and 26 Sep at the
Applegate R. banding station JOSE
(DV); a late bird was up the Chetco
R. CURR on 4 Oct (DM).
Hammonds Flycatcher - One at
Devils Half-Acre, Mt. Hood NF
CLAC on 22 Sep (PJ, BA) and one
29 Sep at the Siltcoos mouth (M, ALC,
NKS) was the latest reported.
Dusky Flycatcher - 1 was in w.
Portland 25 Sep (WG).
Western Flycatcher - Late birds
were 23 Sep at Eugene (DDe), 6 Oct
at Craig L. in e. LANE (TM) and at
Minto-Brown Park (Salem) MARI 5
Oct (KS).
empidonax, sp. - 1 late bird was in
Kirk Park at FRR on 1 Oct (LaM) and
a very late one was in Corvallis 28
Nov (MaR).
Black Phoebe - They are now regular
north to COOS and DOUG. 1 was at
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, 10 Nov, Salishan Spit, Lincoln Co. Photo/F. Schrock
ANWR 21 Sep (KS), 1 24 Oct near
SJS (B&ZS), 1 at Dayton YAMH 9
Nov (FS), BSNWR 14 and 27 Nov
(CK, GF), probably settled in for the
winter. One was at Tillamook 20 Nov
(JoC); how soon will they be a regular
bird on the north coast as they are
from Coos Bay southward?
Says Phoebe - A light movement
west this fall, with 1 on 3 Nov at
Brownsville LINN (JFl), 1 at Cape
Blanco CURR 7 Nov (TJW), 1 at Elk
River CURR 24 (TJW fide DM). A
few winter in the Rogue Valley; first
report was 22 Sep (LN).
Tropical Kingbird, 10 Nov, South Jetty,
Siuslaw River, Lane Co. Photo/S.
Maulding
Ash-throated Flycatcher - The latest
in the Rogue Valley breeding range
was 12 Aug at AL (MaM); rare in nw.
Oregon was 1 at FW 23 Nov (CK)
Tropical Kingbird - It was a good
year, with at least 5 reported (some
overlap possible): 1 at CS 12 Oct (RS),
1 at Newport 15 Oct (RB), 1 SJS 915 Nov (R&SM, DiP, many obs.), 2
at Warrenton SP CLAT, 16-28 Nov
with at least 1 remaining into Dec (TT,
MP, m. obs.).
*Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - 1 was
at Salishan Spit LINC, Nov 7-11 (Ruth
and Don Roberts, DaF, m. obs). #
Western Kingbird - The latest in the
Rogue Valley was 26 Aug (fide MaM).
An irregular coastal migrant in fall,
1 was at CS on 2 Sep (TR).
Loggerhead Shrike - One was at SI
6 Oct (EK), 1 at SJCR 28 Oct (TT),
1 at Sixes R. 20 Nov (DM, KG).
Northern Shrike - Widespread in
good numbers this fall; 1st reports
were 1 at CS Oct 10 (TR) and 1 at
South Beach LINC Oct 13 (DaF), after
which there were reports throughout
the region except for CURR; at least
3 were in JACK after 20 Oct, where
they are sometimes very hard to come
by (fide MaM) and near Roseburg
where also hard to find on 5 Nov (JiA).
One on top of Spencers Butte LANE
on 17 Oct (NKS) was a somewhat
misplaced migrant.
Cassins Vireo - The latest were at
FRR on 11 Sep (DI), Tualatin Hills
Nature Pk. WASH on 18 Sep (EK)
and at the Sandy R. delta MULT 6 Oct
(PS).
Warbling Vireo - The last seen at
Emigrant L. JACK was one on 5 Sep
(MaM). One was in Eugene 23 Sep
(DF) and a late bird was at Brookings
on 13 Oct (ALC, HH, NKS).
Red-eyed Vireo - Latest reports were
1 at Smith Lake MULT 6 Aug (IT)
and at SI 18 Aug (PJ).
Black-billed Magpie - 1 of unknown
origin was south of Monmouth POLK
27 Sep (fide PA)
Blue Jay - 1 was in Springfield 19
Oct through the end of the period
(R&SM, MA, m. obs.). Another was
in Coburg LANE 25 Oct (RH).
Stellers Jay - 6 presumed migrants
were at the Eugene airport, an unlikely
site, on 10 Oct (MN).
Western Scrub-Jay - Fall records on
the coast have become more regular.
This fall we received 3 reports from
non-breeding areas: 1 at Waxmyrtle
Campground LANE on 4 Sep (DJ,
DEJ), 1 at South Beach LINC 10 Oct
(RC) and 1 at Seal Rock LINC 28 Oct
(MR). Much less expected was one
near the summit of the McKenzie Pass
LANE on 6 Oct (ShS, DF, VA).
Horned Lark - There were many
reports this year, perhaps owing to
better coverage of open-ground
habitats. 60 were w. of Brownsville
on 11 Oct (MN) and 150, a large flock
for w. Oregon, was at BSNWR on 28
Nov (TB). More reports than usual
came from the outer coast, with 2 at
SJS 22 Sept (NKS, SS, ALC), 1 near
Floras L, CURR on 13 Oct (HH, NKS,
ALC), 1 on 31 Oct and 1 Nov at CS,
with 2 there 3 Nov (TR) and 1 near
Cape Blanco CURR 7 Nov (TJW).
Other inland reports of migrants
included 1 imm. Mt. Pisgah LANE 2
Aug (DDe), 1 at The Twins, e. LANE
on 2 Aug (DDe, DA, PS), singles on
13 Sep at Adair BENT (JG) and Mt.
Pisgah LANE 9-10 Nov (DDe) and 2
on Powell Butte MULT on 26 Sep
(Roger Tomlinson).
Purple Martin - A late report was 15
Sep near Brownsmead CLAT (LC)
where 19 birds were seen on 6 Sep
(MP); 1 was at LCR where unusual 3
Aug (NB), latest at the colonies at
South Beach LINC was 3 Sep (EH).
Peak count was 100 at FRR on 25
Aug (DF).
Tree Swallow - Late reports included
1 at FNWR 20 Sep (HH), at FRR on
1 Oct (LaM) and at Oaks Bottom
MULT on 1 and 6 Oct (EK).
Violet-green Swallow - 3000 at
Brownsmead CLAT was the latest
large migrant flock reported (MP).
85 at the Eugene airport 4 Oct were
the latest there (MN) ; 40+ were at
Suver POLK 6 Oct (JoG); they were
also at SI that day (EK), one was up
the Chetco R. CURR on 11 Oct (DM),
3 at ANWR 12 Oct (MK), one in
Eugene 15 Oct (DDe) and the latest
Rogue Valley report was 6 Oct (DV).
N. Rough-winged Swallow - The
latest in nw. Oregon was at SI on 17
Sep (TL); 1 at CS 25 Sep (TR) was
the latest known from COOS.
Bank Swallow - 10 pairs still had
young in the burrows at the CLAC
colony near Barton Park on 8 Aug
(MOG), the second year of known
nesting there; 1 or 2 were at FRR 1821 Aug (JS, DDe)
Cliff Swallow - Latest were 1 at
FNWR 20 Sep (HH), 1 unhealthylooking juv. at ANWR 22 Oct (VE).
Barn Swallow - Over 100,000 on 13
Sep dropped to 5000 on 30 Sep and
50 on 12 Oct at the annual mega-roost
near Wheatland YAMH (FS). Last
reported dates were 1 at Salem 10 Nov
(SD), Independence POLK 17 Nov
(HR), 18 Nov at Salem (MK) and
BBSW 25 Nov (PP).
Brown Creeper - 3 at EEW on 24
Sep (SB) suggests some migratory
movement; some creepers migrate out
of and into Oregon, though some may
remain.
Rock Wren - One was on the outer
coast where rare, at Cape Ferrelo
CURR on 4 Sep (DM). 2 were on
Marys Peak BENT 18 Sep (JM), 1 on
Spencers Butte LANE 25 Sep (LaM).
1 was at Wolf Mtn. LANE, a known
breeding site, on 25 Aug (PS).
House Wren - The summer resident
at JLs home s. of Salem was last seen
1 Sep. Stragglers were 1 at Hills Creek
Res. LANE 18 Sep (NKS), 2 on 21
Sep near Creswell LANE (NKS), at
Willamette Park BENT on 24 Sep
(MC) and 1 at EEW 1 Oct (JoG) and
one 19 Oct at Baker Beach Rd. n. of
Florence (DA). Observers are
cautioned that Marsh Wren can look
remarkably dull in fall and is often
confused with House Wren on CBCs.
Winter Wren - 9 at FNWR on 26 Oct
(SP) suggests that wintering birds had
arrived by then.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - First reports
were 4 Sep at Bandon (KC, DL), 19
Sep at Philomath (KF) and 21 Sep in
Eugene (LaM); numbers had reached
the lowlands by early Oct.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Stragglers
included 3 on 24 Aug at Merlin rest
area along I-5 (JoG, TL, JHa), 1 at the
Applegate River JOSE 27 Aug (DV)
and 5 Sep at Emigrant L. JACK
(MaM).
Mountain Bluebird - An unusually
high 15 were at Four-in-One Cone
LANE 30 Aug (DDe), 1 female at CS
27 Sep (TR) was the second COOS
record. 2 pairs were at Taylor Burn
LANE on 24 Aug (JaS).
Western Bluebird - We have Elsie
Eltzroth, Al Prigge and many others
to thank for the fact that reports of
small flocks in fall are now so common
in the Willamette Valley that we can
once again consider this species part
of the normal avifauna of nw.
Oregon. In the early 1970s this was
a truly rare, very local bird in the
valley. Flocks were found at four sites
in COOS this fall, where they have
been rare: 8 at CS on 6 Nov, 4 at Arago
24 Nov, 4 at Bandon 27 Nov (TR) and
1 at New River 7 Sep (KC, DL).
Townsends Solitaire - One was on
the valley floor, where rare, in NW
Eugene on 27 Nov (StM).
Swainsons Thrush - Heavy
overnight movement began the last
few days of Aug and early Sep. Night
flocks were heard over Salem
throughout the 1st half of Oct (KS
others), 1 migrant Applegate JOSE
Oct 16 (DV), last reported date was
24 Oct in w. Portland (WG).
Hermit Thrush - 2 arrivals were in
w. Portland 25 Sep (WG), 1 was at
WS Oct 3 DV.
Varied Thrush - 5 were in w Portland
21 Sep (WG), early movers in what
became a good winter for them in
some lowland areas.
Northern Mockingbird - An early
report was at SJS on 12 Aug; it or
another was there 28 Nov (B&ZS); a
juv. was banded WS 21 Aug (DV),
with multiple birds the entire period
WS (DV, NB, JL), 1 was in Astoria
12-13 Oct (DoH, TT).
Gray Catbird - 1 well-described along
the Applegate River JOSE 18 Sep
(DV) was extremely rare in w. Oregon.
*Brown Thrasher - One at Lake
Creek 23-26 Sep (ML, m. obs.) was
the second JACK record.
**YELLOW WAGTAIL - 1 juvenile
was on the n. jetty of Yaquina Bay
LINC 8 Sep (FS) #, 1 was reported
from Diamond Peak LANE/KLAM
Oct 16 (Dave Clark); #. There is only
one OBRC-approved sight record for
Oregon.
American Pipit - Early reports of
migrants included 1 24 Aug at CS
(TR), 2 at New River COOS (DiP)
and at SJCR (TT) on 27 Aug. The
main movement began in mid-Sep but
peaked a little later than usual with
400 at CS 30 Sep (TR).
*Phainopepla - 2 males were reported
at Florence 8-15 Oct (fide DiP) and a
single 22 Nov (DiP) at the same
general location. No details are
available.
*Tennessee Warbler - One was along
the lower Winchuck R. on 5 Sep (DM).
Orange-crowned Warbler Stragglers were 1 at Smith-Bybee L.
MULT Nov 22 (PJ), 1 FW 24 Nov 9
(CB). By late fall most have
disappeared from the valley floor, so
one at the Brownsville SP 13-30 Nov
(MN et al.) was a little odd. A few
winter.
Nashville Warbler - Not often
reported in the Willamette Valley in
fall, 1 was at Suver, POLK 18 Sep
(JoG). A late bird was at Lone Ranch
wayside, CURR on 13 Oct (HH,
NKS).
*Virginia's Warbler - 1 was at
Winchuck Wayside CURR 23 Sep
(DM) #
*Cape May Warbler - 1 was reported
at Timberline Lodge CLAC on 9 Aug,
no details are available (JW).
Yellow Warbler - Late birds were
singles at Idaho Flats 29 Sep (DaF),
LCR 30 Sep (MaM), Warrenton SP 5
Oct (MP) and Brookings 11 and 13
Oct (different birds; ALC, HH, NKS).
The latest was 10 Nov in Beaverton
(JO).
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Movement
seemed rather slow until Oct, with Sep
birds mainly Audubons and later
movements shifting toward Myrtles
as is typical.
Black-throated Gray Warbler Straggling birds included 2 at Seaside
(MP) and 1 at the Sandy R delta (PS)
on 6 Oct, 1 at Neck Rd YAMH 8 Oct
(DoA), FRR 9 Oct (LaM), in the
Rogue Valley 10 Oct (fide MaM) and
3 in Brookings 12 Oct (ALC, HH,
NKS).
Townsends Warbler - The first
movement of coastal migrants were 2
noted 17 Sep at Warrenton SP CLAT
(MP).
Hermit Warbler - 1 latish bird was
in w. Portland 20 Sep (WG), another
was in Eugene 21 Sep (TM).
Palm Warbler - An above-average
year on the coast but no inland reports
until Dec (see winter season report).
At least 24 birds were found on the
coast between 10 Oct and the end of
the period, with the largest numbers
on the s. coast in Nov.
*Prairie Warbler - Three solid reports
constitutes the best fall on record in
Oregon: 1 was at Neawanna Wetlands
CLAT 22 Sep (MP) #, 1 at Pistol River
CURR Oct 12 (ALC, HH, NKS) #;
also see the east-side report.
Blackpoll Warbler - 2 were at
Winchuck Wayside CURR 23 Sep
(DM).
Black-and-white Warbler - 1 at Peoria
LINN 16 Sep was a county first (Mary
Campbell fide JaS); one in nw. Eugene
22 Sep (MM) was LANEs 8th.
American Redstart - A female was
near Pittock Mansion in w. Portland
17 Sep (WG, RS, m. obs.)
Ovenbird - 1 was in North Bend
COOS 1 Nov (Sue Townsend).
Northern Waterthrush - 1 was in the
swamp along Baker Beach Rd. n. of
Florence, LANE 19 Oct (NKS, ALC,
DF et al.), and again Nov 30 (JS, TB).
MacGillivrays Warbler - 1 at Devils
Half-Acre, Mt. Hood NF CLAC on
22 Sep (PJ, BA) was the latest
reported.
Common Yellowthroat - More than
usual ran late: 1 was at EEW on 9 Oct
(JG), 1 at FW (DoA) and another at
Warrenton SP (MP) 13 Oct, 1 at
Johnson Mill Pond near Coquille,
COOS 24 Nov (TR). See also the
winter season report.
Wilsons Warbler - 1 at Devils HalfAcre, Mt. Hood NF CLAC on 22 Sep
(PJ, BA), 1 on 23 Sep at Harrisburg
LINN (MN) and 1 at the Applegate
banding station JOSE 1 Oct (DV) were
the latest reported at the end of the
normal period of movement; 1 in
Eugene 25 Oct was late (DiH) and an
exceptionally tardy bird was there in
27 Nov (JH).
Yellow-breasted Chat - Latest was 1
near Creswell LANE 20 Sep (NKS).
*Summer Tanager - A female was in
South Beach LINC 21 Nov (EH).
Recent years have seen a startling
increase in Oregon records.
Western Tanager - Latest reports
during the end of normal passage were
singles at Suver, POLK 18 Sep (JoG),
EEW 23 Sep (AlM), Corvallis 24 Sep
(MC), Eugene 25 Sep (DF) and along
the Rogue R. in JOSE 29 Sep (DV).
A late bird was up the Chetco R.
CURR on 11 Oct (DM).
Green-tailed Towhee - A presumed
migrant was at the Rigdon L. trailhead
in Taylor Burn, LANE on 24 Aug
(JaS).
Chipping Sparrow - 1 Suver POLK
Oct 5 (JoG)
Clay -colored Sparrow - 1 was at
Yaquina Bay 31 Aug (TB, JS), 1 (same
bird?) was in South Beach LINC 1618 Sep (RC), Wandemere LINC 30
Sep (RC), Brookings CURR 2 Nov
(KG).
Brewers Sparrow - The status of this
species in fall away from the Cascade
ridgeline is clouded by the difficulty
of distinguishing it from imm.
Chipping Sparrows which are plentiful
at some sites. Reports include 2 in
the sparrow zone at Royal Ave, FRR
LANE 18 Aug (DF), 1 at Oaks Bottom
MULT Aug 19 (AA), 1 at Four-inOne Cone LANE 30 Aug (DDe),
conceivably a local breeder although
the date suggests a migrant, and 1 at
FNWR 31 Aug (HH).
Vesper Sparrow - 10 on Mt. Pisgah
LANE 28 Sep (DDe) was high, 1-2
were there through early Oct with
latest date 10 Oct (Dde)
Lark Bunting 17-20 Aug, near Bandon
Marsh NWR, Coos Co. Video Capture/O.
Schmidt
*Lark Bunting - 1 breeding-plumage
male at a feeder near BMNWR 17-20
Aug (JG, OS, m. obs.)#
American Tree Sparrow - One was
remarkably far south at Brookings 15
Nov (KG) and 1 was at Floras L.
CURR 24 Nov (TJW fide DM)
Savannah Sparrow - What appeared
to be a migratory flight was grounded
by rain at FRR on 18 Sep (DI). A
major movement was underway on
the s. coast 11-13 Oct (ALC, NKS,
HH), with flocks of scores of birds in
many locations. 80 were at EEW on
20 Aug and 55 were there on 25 Nov
(JG).
Grasshopper Sparrow - One was
in a sparrow flock at FRR 11 Aug,
probably from the nearby colony
(NKS, ALC).
Fox Sparrow - First fall reports of
wintering subspecies were 25 Aug, a
little early, in CLAT (LC), 7 Sep at
Barton County Park CLAC, 18 Sep at
Mt. Pisgah LANE (DDe) and in
Phoenix JACK (MaM), 21 Sep in
Florence, (DiP). At least 100 at the
Warrenton SP CLAT on 5 Oct (MP)
suggested a heavier movement than
usual.
Lincolns Sparrow - Numbers
seemed high this fall, with small flocks
in many locations after late Sep. An
exceptionally early arrival was one at
CS 11 Aug (TR), 1 at Devils HalfAcre, Mt. Hood NF CLAC on 2 Sep
(PJ, BA) may have been a local bird
or a migrant. Earliest in LANE was
16 Sep at FRR (DI).
Swamp Sparrow, 28 Nov, Baker Beach
Swamp, Lane Co./Photo/N. Strycker. See
Members Gallery Special Color Edition.
Swamp Sparrow - Records were
unusually widespread, especially at
inland sites, starting with 1 in
residential Eugene 14 Oct (LaM),
obviously a migrant that came down
out of habitat. Inland reports were 1
FRR 21 Nov (JS), 1 EEW 25 Nov
(JoG), a different bird 28 Nov at FRR
(NKS), 1-2 at FW 19-28 Nov (WG,
DoA, MrM). Peak counts were 4 at
Floras Lake CURR on 21-24 Nov
(TR, DM) and 3 at MM, a regular
wintering site, 26 Nov (TR).
White-throated Sparrow - Numbers
were high this fall, with first reports
at Phoenix JACK 29 Sep (MaH,
MaM), Sandy R. MULT on 1 Oct (Ron
Spencer), McMinnville on 4 Oct (CK)
and FRR 9 Oct (LaM), and peak
counts of 7 at EEW 25 Oct and 5 there
25 Nov (JoG).
Golden-crowned Sparrow - The first
reports were 4 Sep near Powers COOS
(TR), 11 Sep on Larch Mtn. MULT
(IT), 14 Sep (JL) at Breitenbush MARI
and at FNWR (PV), and 16 Sep at
Phoenix JACK (MaM). First report
in LANE was 18 Sep at Mt. Pisgah
(DDe). Early reports of this species
are often along montane ridges, not
in lowlands.
White-crowned Sparrow - Several
observers considered movements very
thin this fall, with noticeable
movements the third week of Sep.
hybrid zonotrichia - A hybrid
Golden-crowned x White-throated was
in Brookings on 10 Oct (Sheila
Chambers).
Harriss Sparrow - 1 was at Coos
Bay 4-8 Nov (MW), 1 imm. was at
Eugene Airport 25 Nov (DA).
Dark-eyed Junco - In the Rogue
Valley several observers noted juncos
earlier than usual at low elevations,
with one 27 Jul and several in early
Aug. Marjorie Moore speculates that
this early downslope movement could
be related to the severe forest fires at
higher elevations north and west of
the valley, which seems a likely theory.
Movement into the Willamette Valley
was in small numbers during early
Oct. Slate-colored birds appeared a
little early, with 1 at Eugene 18 Oct
(MaR) and 28 Oct (BN); a few reports
were from late Nov as usual.
Lapland Longspur - Small numbers
were found along the outer coast as
usual, mainly after mid-Sep, with most
movement in Oct and early Nov. Peak
counts were 15 at SJCR on 2 Nov
(GG), 11 there 9 Nov (MP), 5 at CS
on 24 Oct (TR), 5 at SJCR 29 Oct-3
Nov (MP). Inland reports were few
as expected, with 1 at Marys Peak
BENT 20 Sep (HH) and 2-3 at
Smithfield Road POLK 28 Nov into
early Dec (TB, others). One at LCR
on 19-20 Oct was the 7th for JACK
(JL, NB).
*Chestnut-collared Longspur - This
falls extraordinary eleven birds on
the outer coast exceeds all previous
Oregon records combined. 1 was at
Floras Lake CURR 11 Oct (HH, NKS,
ALC)#, 2 at CS 2 Nov (TR)#, 3 at the
Necanicum estuary CLAT 2-30 Nov
(TT, MP)#, 2 at SJCR 2 Nov (MP)#,
3 near Cape Blanco CURR 7 Nov
(TJW), 1 female (different bird than
earlier 2) at CS 8 & 10 Nov (TR)#.
Chestnut-collared Longspur, 11 Oct,
Floras Lake, Curry Co. Photo/N. Strycker.
Snow Bunting - The second record
for JACK was one 3 Nov in North
Mtn. Park in Ashland (PeT, fide
MaM). Up to 7 were at Mary's Peak
BENT 29 Oct-3 Nov (JM, RR, m.
obs.), up to 9 at SJCR 29 Oct-3 Nov
(MP, m. obs.), 2 at SJCR on 2 Nov
(GG), 2 at the NJ Siuslaw LANE 5
Nov (DiP), 1 FW on 2-3 Nov (m.
obs.), 1 female at Mt. Pisgah LANE
4-10 Nov (DDe), 1 at Troutdale MULT
6 Nov (JoF).
Snow Bunting, 3 Nov, South Jetty
Columbia River, Clatsop Co. Photo/L.
Cain
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 was in
Milwaukie on 4 Nov (JG).
Black-headed Grosbeak - The last
significant movement seemed to be
the last ten days of Aug. Latest reports
were at SJS 1 Sep (ALC), at South
Beach LINC 17 Sep (WH) and 5 Oct
in Phoenix JACK (MaM).
Lazuli Bunting - DDe reports that
numbers dropped off fast in Jul on Mt.
Pisgah LANE. Fe with 2 young Aug
6, 1 Fe and 1 young Aug 9 and one
lone begging young, 1 Fe or imm Aug
20. Latest date was 24 Aug at Merlin,
JOSE (DV).
Tricolored Blackbird - 1 was in
Portland 24 Nov (TS).
Yellow-headed Blackbird - 2 were
at SI 6 Sep (IT), 1 was along Marine
Drive in n. Portland 13 Nov (IT). At
least 10 were lingering at FRR on 11
Sep (DI).
*Rusty Blackbird - One was in White
City JACK on 30 Nov (Jim Hostick);
details were not available at the time
of writing this account.
Gray-crowned Rosy -Finch - 12 were
on Larch Mtn MULT 24- 29 Oct (WG,
IT), 3 on Marys Peak BENT 29 Oct4 Nov (JM, m. obs.). Peak count was
60 on S. Sister LANE on 28 Aug
(JiM), a very high count, all of which
appeared to be imms.
Cassins Finch - 6 were at The Twins
LANE 2 Aug (DDe, PS, DA); this
species is rare at any season in e.
LANE. 1 male was seen well at the
summit of Marys Peak BENT 19 Oct
(JoG).
Lesser Goldfinch - 1-4 were at MM
from 4 Oct-26 Nov (TR); this is the
northern fringe of their coastal range.
2 were at FW 28 Oct (WS); they are
not common that far north so a flock
of nearly 50 there on 11 Nov (Mark
Miller) is all the more remarkable,
perhaps the largest flock ever found
in WASH.
American Goldfinch - Large flocks
sometimes form in fall but 2000 near
Eugene on 1 Oct was exceptional
(DH).
Exotica:
The Chukar at the Eugene Airport
throughout the period (MN) was
suspected of being part of the new
security system there. 11 Monk
Parakeets were at the Portland Airport
nest on 4 Nov (CB). A Ringed Turtle
Dove was at a Portland feeder 31 Aug27 Sep (TeM).
Errata:
The Whimbrel listed for the Kirtland
Rd ponds, JACK in spring field notes
for 2002 (OB 28: 133) was a Willet
(fide Marjorie Moore).
Chestnut-collared Longspur, 11 Oct, Floras Lake, Curry Co.
Photo/Noah Strycker
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Ray Korpi
Robert Lockett
Roger Robb
Richard Smith
Ruth Sullivan
Sean Burgett
Steve Dowlan
Sheila Chambers
Shawn Steinberg
Stewart Janes
Steve Kornfeld
Sylvia Maulding
Steve McDonald
Sally Olson Edge
Stacy Peterson
Steve McDonald
Stuart Sparkman
Steve Warner
Tanya Bray
Tom Ewert
Terry Johnson
Terrie Murray
Terry J. Wahl
Tom Love
Tom Mickel
Tom Phillips
Tim Rodenkirk
Tracy Stainbrook
Tim Shelmerdine
Todd Thornton
Vjera Arnold
Virgil Evans
Wink Gross
Wayne Hoffman
Wesley Stone
Zanah Stotz
Field Notes: Eastern Oregon, Fall 2002
Ray Korpi, 12611 NE 99th St., Apt. DD-214, Vancouver, WA 98682, rkorpi@hotmail.com
Abbreviations used :
BR
Cr.
FS
GR
HQ
Lk.
MNWR
Mt.
NF
R.
Rd.
Res.
s.p.
SP
Tr.
UNWR
WMA
Bowers Residence, 5 mi. w. of
Hines, Harney Co.
Creek
Forest Service
Gutierrez Ranch, Crook Co.
Headquarters
Lake
Malheur NWR, Harney Co.
Mount or Mountain
National Forest
River
Road
Reservoir
sewage ponds
state park
trail
Umatilla NWR, Morrow Co.
Wildlife Mgmt. Area
Mallard - plain type denotes species usually seen
Pacific Loon - italics indicates unusual sightings,
late dates, unusual locations, Latin subspecies
HARLEQUIN DUCK - all capitals indicates
the rarest sightings, first state records, species
on the review list of the Oregon Birds Records
Committee.
Pacific Loon-4, Wickiup Res., DES,
27 Oct (JM, HHo); 1, Rufus, SHE, 1
Nov (CC); 1, Columbia R. at Sand
Station Pk., UMA, 2 Nov (M&MLD).
Common Loon-1, Gerber Res., KLA,
14 Aug (QN); 5, Wallowa Lk., WAL,
29 Sep (FC); 2, Ochoco Res., CRO,
17 Oct (CG); 1, Phillips Res., BAK,
20 Oct (OL); 200 at Wickiup Res.
and Davis Lk., DES, 27 Oct (JM,
HHo); 1 near Heppner, MOR, 24 Nov
(EE).
Pied-billed Grebe-7, The Dalles boat
basin, WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
Horned Grebe-6, Ochoco Res., CRO,
14 Oct (CG); 1, Love Res., MAL, 20
Oct (DH); 1, Elgin s.p., UNI, 13-17
Nov (TB).
Red-necked Grebe-1, Hatfield Lk.,
DES, 15 Sep (WT); 1, Haystack Res.,
JEF, 21 Sep (DT).
Eared Grebe-Approx. 2000 nesting,
GR, 8 Aug (CG).
Western Grebe-16, Columbia R. at
Sand Station Pk., UMA, 17 Oct, with
186 there on 2 Nov (M&MLD);
recorded at Bully Cr. Res., MAL, 3
Nov (DH).
Clark's Grebe-1, LaGrande s.p., UNI,
22 Oct (TB); 1, Redmond s.p., DES,
20 Nov (KO).
American White Pelican-2 on 22
Aug and 8 on 22 Sep, Ochoco Res.,
CRO (CG).
Double-crested Cormorant-Among
38 below McNary Dam, UMA, on 2
Western Grebe, 25 Sep, Prineville
Sewage Ponds, Crook Co. Photo/C.
Gates
Nov was one adult with a bright orange
patagial tag (M&MLD).
American Bittern-1, Houston Lk.,
CRO, 10 Nov (CG).
Great Egret-1 at Painted Cove Res.,
Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil
Beds, WHE, 17 Aug, was the 3rd or
4th county record (JS); 3 on 1 Oct and
1 on 6 Oct, UNWR (HB); 1, on the
Grande Ronde R. near Island City, 13
Nov, was only the 2nd one seen by TB
in two years in Union Co.; another
bird (the same one?) was at Elgin s.p.,
UNI, 17 Nov (TB).
Black-crowned Night-Heron-10,
Ladd Marsh WMA, UNI, 16 Aug
(TB); 1, Prineville s.p., CRO, 22 Sep
(CG); 24 at roost in McNary WA,
below McNary Dam, UMA, 2 Nov
(M&MLD); 1 adult, Taylor Lk., The
Dalles, WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
White-faced Ibis-15, GR, 8 and 16
Aug (CG).
Turkey Vulture-1, upper Buzzard Cr.,
Umatilla NF, WAL, 14 Aug (MD); 1,
John Day, GRA, 24 Sep (OL).
Greater White-fronted Goose-1,
Redmond s.p., DES, 5 Sep (MM);
100, MNWR, 18 Sep (TR).
Snow Goose-1st arrival in CRO was
17 Oct (CG).
Trumpeter Swan-1, GR, 8 and 16
Aug (CG); 4, Roaring Spring Ranch,
HAR, 8 Sep (AC); 1, Bully Cr. Res.,
MAL, 3 Nov (DH); 1, Dayville, GRA,
12 Nov (TH).
Tundra Swan-1, Mt. Vernon, GRA,
20 Oct (OL); 15, Redmond s.p., DES,
31 Oct (KO); 26, Bully Cr. Res., MAL,
3 Nov (DH); 9, Hot Lk., UNI, 13 Nov
(TB); 300, Antelope Res., CRO, 16
Nov (CG).
Wood Duck-1 female, Rhinehart
Bridge, UNI, 3 Aug (TS, DS); 3,
Prineville s.p., CRO, 8 Aug (CG); 86,
M c N a r y WA , U M A , 2 N o v
(M&MLD); 2 adult males, Taylor Lk.,
The Dalles, WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
Blue-winged Teal-20, Thief Valley
Res., UNI, 6 Aug (TB).
Canvasback-1, GR, 8 Aug (CG); 4,
Hatfield Lk., DES, 25 Oct (JM).
Lesser Scaup-1, Baker City, BAK, 4
Oct (TW).
Surf Scoter-An excellent year for this
species east of the mountains, part of
a trend within the inland Northwest:
4, Joseph s.p., WAL, 29 Sep (FC); 7,
Wallowa Lk., WAL, 12 Oct (FC); 1,
mouth of the Deschutes R., WAS/SHE,
12 Oct (AS); 7, Wickiup Res., DES,
13 Oct (SK), with 9 there 27 Oct (JM,
HHo); 4 females, Ochoco Res., CRO,
14 Oct (CG); 2, Suttle Lk., JEF, 23
Oct (DA); 1 at Howard Bay, Upper
Klamath Lk., KLA, 3 Nov, was a
county first for KTS; 1 subadult male,
at base of Hwy. 197 bridge, The
Dalles, WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD); 1
adult male, Taylor Lk., The Dalles,
WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
White-winged Scoter-2, Columbia R.
at Sand Station Pk., UMA, 2 Nov
(M&MLD); 1 adult male, Bully Cr.
Res., MAL, 3 Nov (DH).
Long-tailed Duck-1, MNWR, 20 Oct
(DE); 1 at Howard Bay, Upper
Klamath Lk., KLA, 3 & 9 Nov (KTS,
DHt); a second bird was at Lk.
Ewauna, KLA, 9 Nov (KTS, DHt,
FM).
Bufflehead-20, Suttle Lk., JEF, 23
Oct (DA); 10,000 (!), Upper Klamath
Lk., KLA, 16 Nov (PTS).
Common Goldeneye-1, Ochoco Res.,
CRO, 17 Oct (CG).
Barrow's Goldeneye-20, Rufus, SHE,
6 Nov (CC).
Common Merganser-155 were
attracted to spawning 7-15-inch
sockeye salmon (kokanee) along the
s. shore of Wallowa Lk., WAL, 30 Sep
(MD).
Red-breasted Merganser-1 near
Heppner, MOR, 24 Nov (EE).
Ruddy Duck-5000 at Howard Bay,
Upper Klamath Lk., KLA, 21 Sept
were considered seemingly typical
early fall numbers for this species at
that location (KTS).
Osprey-1, John Day, GRA, 18 Sep
(AF); 1, Phillips Res., BAK, 6 Oct
(CCg); 1, below Bully Cr. Res., MAL,
3 Nov (DH).
MISSISSIPPI KITE-A single bird
was reported at Baker City, BAK, on
9 Aug (MCo). This is within the
period when this species is known to
wander north of its breeding range,
but no details have been forthcoming
to the OBRC; efforts to relocate the
bird were unsuccessful.
Bald Eagle-1 ad. & 1 imm., GR, 8
Aug (CG); 8 in CRO on 16 Nov with
6 at GR (CG); 1, Hat Rock SP, UMA,
2 Nov (M&MLD).
Sharp-shinned Hawk-AC noted that
this was most common migrant hawk
in Harney on his trips there this
season. 1, FS Rd. 6230, Umatilla NF,
UNI, 10 Oct (MD); 1, Love Res.,
MAL, 20 Oct (DH); 1, Taylor Lk.,
The Dalles, WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
Cooper's Hawk-1, GR, 16 Nov, was
the 1st CG had detected at this locale.
Northern Goshawk-1 subadult, along
Mottet Cr., Umatilla NF, UNI, 5 Aug
(MD); 1, Walton Lk., CRO, 15 & 18
Aug (JS); 2 subadults, FS Rd. 6232,
Umatilla NF, UNI, 19 Aug (MD, RJ);
1 adult, Bald Mt. overlooking the
Looking Glass drainage, Umatilla NF,
UNI, 8 Sep (M&MLD); 1, Troy, WAL,
8 Sep (M&MLD); 1, Benson Pond,
MNWR, 18 Sep (TR); 1 subadult off
Table Rock, Umatilla NF, UMA, 19
Sep (MD, HHr); 1, John Day, GRA,
22 Sep (OL); 1, Flagtail Mt., GRA,
28 Sep (TW); 1 juv. was chasing quail,
BR, 30 Oct-the bird was seen in the
area through 25 Nov (PB); 1 imm.,
south fk., John Day R., GRA, 17 Nov
(OL).
Red-shouldered Hawk-Sightings
continue to increase in eastern Oregon:
1, Sparks Lk. in high Cascades, DES,
15 Sep to end of period (JM et al.); 1,
Crane Prairie Res., DES, 13 Oct (SK);
2, 5 Sep and 1, 20 Sep, P-Ranch,
MNWR (SM, TR); 1, Lost R. near
Stateline, KLA, 21 Sep (KTS).
BROAD-WINGED HAWK-Only 1
bird reported from the Bonney Butte
Hawk Watch, HDR, on 24 Sep.
Swainson's Hawk-4, GR, 16 Aug
(CG); 1, Walton Lk., CRO, 16 Augnot recorded from this hex (25858)
during atlas (JS); 1 light-morph adult
over Bald Mt., Umatilla NF, UNI, was
seen at 5000+ ft. over dense conifer
forest-as MD noted, Isnt migration
wonderful!! (M&MLD).
Ferruginous Hawk-1, Telocaset,
UNI, 20 Aug (TB); 4+, near Fugate
and Lower Klamath Rds., KLA, 21
Sept (KTS); 2, GR, 16 Nov (CG).
Rough-legged Hawk-1 near Burns,
HAR, 6 Nov (SS); 1, Bonney Butte
Hawkwatch, HDR, 12 Oct (DHz); 2,
Wickiup Res., DES, 13 Oct (SK); 1,
GR, 16 Nov (CG).
Merlin-3, LAK, 18 Aug (CM, MM);
1, Thief Valley Res., UNI, 25 Sep
(TB); 1, Red Bridge at Hwy. 224, UNI,
28 Sep (AP); 1 suckleyi, at the
Umapine feedlots, UMA, 12 Oct
(M&MLD); 1, Prineville cemetery,
CRO, 9 Nov (CG); 1 with kill, BR,
21 Nov (PB). 1, GR, 16 Nov, was the
1st CG had detected at this locale.
Peregrine Falcon-1 subadult below
McNary Dam, UMA, 2 Nov, was
stooping on gulls flying between the
dam and the Hwy. 395 bridge
(M&MLD).
Prairie Falcon-1 was making passes
at drinking Sage Grouse at a small
stock res. off Crowley Cr. near
Stockade Mt., HAR, 11 Sep (PB); 1,
Farewell Bend, MAL, 20 Oct (DH);
1, UNWR, 5 Nov (HB); 1, Clyde
Holliday SP, GRA, 17 Nov (OL).
Chukar-7, Trail Cr., WAL, 31 Oct
(JF); 1, Grizzly Mt., CRO, 20 Nov
(CG).
Gray Partridge-120, corner of Airport
and Wright Rds., UNI, 5 Nov (TB).
Ruffed Grouse-2 along Lick Cr. Rd.,
WAL, 5 Aug (TS, DS); 5, Ochoco
Mts., CRO, 17 Aug (CG); 6, Trail Cr.,
WAL, 31 Oct (JF).
Sage Grouse-6, Steens Mt., HAR, 3
Aug (CG); several drinking from a
small stock res. off Crowley Cr. near
Stockade Mt., HAR, 11 Sep (PB); 6,
GR, 22 Sep (CG).
Blue Grouse-3 birds at head waters
of Big Sheep Cr., WAL, 1 Aug (MD,
RA); 5 along Sheep Cr. Rd., 4 Aug,
and 5 along Lick Cr. Rd., 5 Aug, both
WAL (TS, DS); 1 ad., FS Rd. 6206,
above Troy, Umatilla NF, WAL
(M&MLD); 1, 4 mi. w. of Troy along
FS Rd. 62, WAL, 12 Aug (MD, RJ);
6, Ochoco Mts., CRO, 17 Aug (CG).
Wild Turkey-3, along FS Rd. 64
above Swamp Cr., Umatilla NF, UNI,
14 Aug (MD); 26, East Eagle Cr. Rd.,
Wallowa-Whitman NF, BAK, 24 Sep
(AP); 310 birds in a single flock along
Upper Dry Cr., UMA, 30 Nov
(M&MLD)-MD noted: This is the
largest number of wild turkeys we
have ever seen in one group at one
time. It must be like a giant rototiller
to have a group of this size foraging
through an area.
Mountain Quail-~20 on 29 Oct and
2 on 30 Oct, south fk., John Day R.,
GRA (TW); 8, Trail Cr., WAL, 31 Oct
(JF); 15, near Canyon City, GRA, 11
Nov (JSr); 15 near Deardorff Summit,
FS Rd. 13, 16 Nov (JSr).
Virginia Rail-1, 8 Aug and 2 on 16
Aug, GR (CG).
Sora-1, GR, 16 Aug (CG).
American Coot-1, Baker City, BAK,
4 Oct (TW); 1, Christmas Valley,
LAK, 7 Oct (TW).
Sandhill Crane-1, UNWR, 6 Oct
(HB).
Black-bellied Plover-1, Hatfield Lk.,
DES, 4 Aug (JM); 4, Cold Springs
NWR, UMA, 18 Oct (CC).
Semipalmated Plover-1, LaGrande
s.p., UNI, 11 Aug (TB); 2, Ochoco
Res., CRO, 22 Aug (CG).
Black-necked Stilt-6, Prineville s.p.,
CRO, 4 Aug (CG).
American Avocet-3, Kinney Lk.,
WAL, 4 Aug (TS, DS); 2 on 8 Aug
and 7 on 16 Aug, GR (CG).
Greater Yellowlegs-2, Ochoco Res.,
CRO, 22 Aug (CG); 1 at a small stock
res. off Crowley Cr. near Stockade
Mt., HAR, 11 Sep (PB).
Lesser Yellowlegs-25, LaGrande s.p.,
UNI, 11 Aug (TB); 8, Ochoco Res.,
CRO, 22 Aug (CG); 1, Lower Klamath
NWR, KLA, 8 Nov (DHz).
Solitary Sandpiper-1, Redmond s.p.,
DES, 4 Aug (KO); 3, LaGrande s.p.,
UNI, 15 Aug (TB); 1, Hatfield Lk.,
DES, 17 Aug (DT).
Willet-2, GR, 16 Aug (CG).
Ruddy Turnstone-1, GR, 16 Aug
(CG).
Sanderling-1, Hatfield Lk., DES, 17
Aug (DT); 1, Wickiup Res., DES, 24
Aug (KO); 1 on 6 Sep and 3 on 7 Sep,
Prineville s.p., CRO (CG); 2, Prineville
s.p., CRO, 25 Sep (CG); 1,
Chickahominy Res., HAR, 7 Oct (TE).
Sanderling, 10 Sep, Prineville Sewage
Ponds, Crook Co. Photo/C. Gates
Semipalmated Sandpiper-2,
Redmond s.p., DES, 4 Aug (KO); 1,
Thief Valley Res., UNI, 6 Aug (TB);
2, LaGrande s.p., UNI, 11 Aug (TB);
1, Summer Lk., LAK, 7 Aug (DT).
Western Sandpiper-5 at Painted Cove
Res., Painted Hills Unit of John Day
Fossil Beds, WHE, 17 Aug (JS).
Least Sandpiper-4, Taylor Lk., The
Dalles, WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
Baird's Sandpiper-2, LaGrande s.p.,
UNI, 3 Aug (TS, DS); 12, LaGrande
s.p., UNI, 11 Aug (TB); 12, Hatfield
Lk., DES, 17 Aug (DT); 7, GR, 16
Aug (CG); 14, Ochoco Res., CRO, 22
Aug (CG). AC noted that these were
quite easy to find at every sizable
water feature in e. Oregon Sep 6-9.
No large numbers, just a few at every
site. His high count was 8 at
Chickahominy Res., HAR.
Pectoral Sandpiper-2 on 11 Aug and
10 on 15 Aug, LaGrande s.p., UNI
(TB); 4, LaGrande s.p., UNI, 11 Oct
(TB); 3, Cold Springs NWR, UMA,
18 Oct (CC); 2, GR, 22 Sep, were the
only ones found by CG in CRO this
season.
Dunlin-2, Taylor Lk., The Dalles,
WAS, 25 Nov (M&MLD).
Short-billed Dowitcher-2, Hatfield
Lk., DES, 17 Aug (DT); 1, McKay
Res., UMA, 3 Sep (SM).
Long-billed Dowitcher-8, LaGrande
s.p., UNI, 3 Aug (TS, DS).
Wilson's Phalarope-1, Joseph s.p.,
WAL, 5 Aug (TS, DS); 1, Knox Pond,
MNWR, 20 Sep (TR).
Red-necked Phalarope-2, Joseph s.p.,
WAL, 5 Aug (TS, DS); 3, Prineville
s.p., CRO, 4 Aug (CG); 8, Prineville
s.p., CRO, 8 Aug (CG); 20, LaGrande
s.p., UNI, 15 Aug (TB); 53, Hatfield
Lk., DES, 17 Aug (DT); 20, Ochoco
Res., CRO, 22 Aug (CG); 200, Hines
s.p., HAR, 24 Aug (DM); 10-20, Knox
Pond, MNWR, 18 Sep (TR).
Pomarine Jaeger-1, Owyhee Res.,
MAL, 16 Sep (MJ).
Franklin's Gull-1, Prineville s.p.,
CRO, 4-8 Aug (CG).
Bonaparte's Gull-2, GR, 8 Aug (CG);
64, Hatfield Lk., DES, 25 Oct (JM);
7 below McNary Dam, UMA, 2 Nov
(M&MLD); 20, Rufus, SHE, 6 Nov
(CC); 2, below John Day Dam, SHE,
24 Nov (M&MLD).
Mew Gull-2 adults below McNary
Dam, UMA, 2 Nov (M&MLD); 2,
below John Day Dam, SHE, 24 Nov
(M&MLD).
California Gull-A one-legged
individual returned for the 5 t h
consecutive year to East Lk., DES, in
Sep (KJ).
Glaucous-winged Gull-3, below John
Day Dam, SHE, 24 Nov (M&MLD);
1, Redmond s.p., DES, 26 Nov (KO).
Sabine's Gull-1 juv., Chicken Spring
Res., HAR, 10 Sep (PB).
Caspian Tern-An outstanding late
record was of a bird at Christmas
Valley, LAK, 7 Nov (MM).
Common Tern-1, Redmond s.p.,
DES, 5 Sep (KO); 18, McNary Dam,
UMA, 8 Sep (SM).
Arctic Tern-1, Redmond s.p., DES, 5
Sep (KO).
Eurasian Collared-Dove-The bird that
has been seen in the Joseph, WAL,
area continues at FCs feeders-seen
on 4 Aug (PTS). One (another? same
bird?) was seen in flight on Kinney
Lk. Rd., 4 Aug (TS, DS).
Band-tailed Pigeon-1, Fields, HAR,
27 Sep (SW).
Mourning Dove-1, BR, 21 Oct, was
noted as very late for the location (PB).
Barn Owl-1 at OL home, John Day,
GRA, 28 Sep.
Flammulated Owl-1, MNWRHQ, 7
Sep (AC).
Flammulated Owl, 7 Sep, Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters,
Harney County. Photo/A. Contreras
Western Screech-Owl-1, Cottonwood
Canyon, HAR, 18 Sep (TR); 1, Sage
Hen Hills juniper camp spot along
Double OO Road, HAR, 11 Oct (TR).
Northern Pygmy-Owl-1 in desert e.
of Burns, Harney, 18 Sep (TR); 1,
Crooked R., CRO, 11 Oct (CG)
Barred Owl-1, Clarno, WHE, 16 Oct
(MB).
Great Gray Owl-1, Sunriver, DES,
16 Aug (TL); 1, Bear Valley, GRA,
Oct-Nov (TH).
Long-eared Owl-1, Thief Valley Res.,
UNI, 25 Sep (TB); a pr. circled
overhead then landed in a juniper near
the juniper campsite on Double OO
Rd., HAR, 11 Oct (TR); 1, Redmond
s.p., DES, 26 Nov (KO).
BOREAL OWL-Birders once again
sought this bird near Tollgate, near
jct. of FS Rds. 64 & 65, Umatilla NF,
WAL: 1, 19 Oct (DHe); 3, 26 Oct
(MD, HB, MC); 1, 28 Oct (MD).
Northern Saw-whet Owl-1,
MNWRHQ, 4 Oct (AC); 1, Spring
Mt., Umatilla NF, UNI, 7 Oct (MD);
1, Stillwater CG, Crooked R., 14 Oct
(CG).
Common Nighthawk-25-30 at one
time flying over East Lk., DES, late
Aug (HR); 1, MNWR, 5 Oct (CB).
Common Poorwill-3, Medical
Springs, UNI, 15 Aug (TB); 1, BR,
13-14 Sep (PB); 1, Cottonwood Cr.,
HAR, 18 Sep (TR).
Black Swift-1, MNWR, 6 Sep (DE).
Vaux's Swift-55+ birds whirling in
a tight vortex from 2-10 meters above
the ground on the edge of a clearing
2.3 miles west of Tollgate, UMA, 12
Aug (MD).
Black-chinned Hummingbird-1 at
Frank Conleys feeder, Joseph, WAL,
3 Aug (TS, DS); 1, Dale Store, GRA,
5 Aug-locals had noted that most of
the hummers had left Dale about two
weeks previous (TS, DS); at least 3
females, MNWRHQ, on the late dates
of 7-8 Sep (AC); 1, BR, 13 Sep (PB);
1, John Day, GRA, 18 Sep (OL).
Anna's Hummingbird-An adult male
was seen in Bend, DES, throughout
the period; the female was seen less
frequently (DT).
Calliope Hummingbird-1 female,
BR, 18-20 Sep (PB); 1, Mt. Vernon,
GRA, 21 Sep (AF); 1, John Day, GRA,
23 Sep (OL); 1, Bend, DES, 6 Oct
(JMo).
Broad-tailed Hummingbird-1 female,
Steens Mt., HAR, 31 Aug (MkM).
Rufous Hummingbird-At least 5 still
at MNWRHQ, 7-8 Sep (AC); 1, John
Day, GRA, 18 Sep (OL); 1, Mt.
Vernon, GRA, 22 Sep (AF).
Lewis's Woodpecker-6, Olollie Lk.,
JEF, 31 Aug (DA); 1, Benson Pond,
MNWR, 18-20 Sep (TR).
Williamson's Sapsucker-At least 1
pr. in the Walton Lk. vicinity,
CRO/WHE, 16-17 Aug (JS); 1,
MNWRHQ, 4-7 Sep (SM); 1 Flagtail
Mt., GRA, 28 Sep (TW).
YELLOW-BREASTED
SAPSUCKER-1 immature, Long
Creek, GRA, 8 Sep. A description has
been sent to the OBRC (SM).
Red-naped x Red-breasted
Sapsucker-1 near Scott Lk. Rd., near
McKenzie Pass, DES, 9 Sep (AC).
R e d - b re a s t e d S a p s u c k e r - 1 ,
Frenchglen, HAR, 5 Oct (CB fide AC).
Hairy Woodpecker-1, Fields, HAR,
4-7 Sep (SM); 4, Spring Mt., Umatilla
NF, UNI, 7 Oct (MD); 1 near Horse
Ranch Canyon, DES, 23 Nov (KJ).
White-headed Woodpecker-1,
Cedar/Clark Cr. Rd., Elgin/Wallowa
NF, UNI, 17 Nov (TB).
Three-toed Woodpecker-A male was
feeding a juv., Lick Cr. Tr., WAL, 5
Aug (TS, DS); 1 female, working a
Douglas-fir at 5820 ft. elev., above
Elk Cr., Wallowa-Whitman NF, BAK,
8 Oct (MD); 1, Mt. Fanny summit,
UNI, 11 Oct (TB).
Yellow-shafted Flicker-1, BR, 2 Oct
(PB).
Pileated Woodpecker-1, along Mottet
Cr., Umatilla NF, UNI, 5 Aug (MD);
1, Hash Rock, CRO, 9 Nov (CG).
Olive-sided Flycatcher-3, along
(MD).
Western Wood-Pewee-1, MNWR,
18 Sep (TR).
Willow Flycatcher-1, GR, 16 Aug
(CG); noted as still moving at
MNWRHQ 7-9 Sep (AC).
Hammond's Flycatcher-1, Ochoco
Ranger Station, CRO, 22 Aug (CG);
1 calling bird, MNWR, 18 Sep (TR);
1, Ochoco Mts., CRO, 22 Sep (CG);
1 well-seen bird at Tumalo Falls SP,
1 Oct, was a record late date for DES;
another unidentified Empidonax was
seen that day as well (DT).
Gray Flycatcher-1, Sisters, DES, 16
Sep (ST).
Cordilleran Flycatcher-1, Flagtail
Mt., GRA, 29 Sep (TW).
Black Phoebe-1-2, Lost R. near
Stateline, 21 Sep-9 Oct are rare for
KLA (KTS, DHt).
Say's Phoebe-1, Bald Mtn, Umatilla
NF, UNI, 8 Sep, was a migrating bird
out of normal habitat (M&MLD); 1,
MNWR, 4 Oct (CB); last reported BR,
12 Oct (PB).
Eastern Kingbird-6, Rhinehart
Bridge, UNI, 3 Aug (TS, DS); 3, 8
Aug, and 1, 16 Aug, GR (CG).
Loggerhead Shrike-1, GR, 8 Aug
(CG); 3, Painted Hills Unit, John Day
Fossil Beds, WHE, 17 Aug (JS); 1,
MNWR, 11-12 Oct (TR); 1, rd. from
Farewell Bend to Love Res., MAL,
20 Oct (DH); 1 near Ft. Rock, 23 Nov
(KJ).
Northern Shrike-1, MNWR, 5 Oct
(SSh); 1, LaGrande, UNI, 11 Oct (TB);
1, UNWR, 5 Nov (HB); 1, John Day,
GRA, 8 Nov (TH); 1, near B & K
Auto Salvage, UNI, 13 Nov (TB); 1,
CRO, 16 Nov (CG); 4 near Ft. Rock,
23 Nov (KJ).
Cassin's Vireo-1, MNWR, 18 Sep
(TR).
Warbling Vireo-5, along Mottet Cr.,
Umatilla NF, UNI, 5 Aug (MD); noted
as still moving at MNWRHQ 7-9
Sep (AC); 1, MNWR, 18 Sep (TR).
Gray Jay-3, Spring Mt., Umatilla NF,
UNI, 7 Oct (MD); 1, Austin Jct., GRA,
20 Oct (OL).
Western Scrub-Jay-Birds reported
outside the current expected range
included 1, 4 mi. se of Mitchell, 21
Sep (JG); 1, John Day, GRA, 22 Sep
(OL); 1 that came to BR on and off
from 30 Sep-7 Nov (PB); 1 near the
Cascades Crest on Hwy. 242, DES, 6
Oct (SS); 2, Burns, HAR, 9 Oct to end
of period (RV).
Pinyon Jay-14, BR, 28 Aug (PB);
219, Sisters, DES, 14 Sep (SSh); 300,
Ft. Rock, LAK, 22 Nov (KJ).
Clark's Nutcracker-2 were at a lower
elevation habitat than expected, Little
Sheep Cr., WAL, 31 Oct (JF); 3 adults
pestering a lone Red-tailed Hawk off
Bald Mt., Umatilla NF, UNI, 30 Nov
(M&MLD).
Purple Martin-1, MNWR, 6 Sep
(DE).
Violet-green Swallow-70, Pelton
Dam, JEF, 21 Sep was a significant
number as the late date for this species
for the county is 22 Sep (DT).
Bank Swallow-600, MNWR, 25 Aug
(CM, MM).
Barn Swallow-2, MNWRHQ Pond,
13 Oct (TR).
Mountain Chickadee-Reported from
MWNRHQ, 29 Nov (PB).
Chestnut-backed Chickadee-Small
flock at Crane Prairie Res., DES, 13
Oct (SK).
Bushtit-2, Rhinehart Bridge, UNI, 3
Aug (TS, DS); 12, GR, 16 Aug (CG).
Brown Creeper-1, Walton Lk., CRO,
22 Aug (CG); 1, MNWRHQ, 12-13
Oct (TR).
Rock Wren-1, East Lk., DES, 13 Sep
(KJ); 1, rd. from Farewell Bend to
Love Res., MAL, 20 Oct (DH).
Canyon Wren-1, Little Sheep Cr.,
WAL, 31 Oct (JF).
Bewick's Wren-1, Rhinehart Bridge,
UNI, 3 Aug (TS, DS); 1, Ladd Marsh
WMA, UNI, 16 Aug (TB).
House Wren-1, MNWR, 18 Sep (TR);
1 adult was inspecting a newly toppled
Douglas-fir at 5714 ft. elev., 1 mi. e.
of upper Elk Cr., Wallowa-Whitman
NF, BAK, 2 Oct (MD); 1, Lost R. near
Stateline, 9 Oct, was near the late date
in KLA for the species (DHt fide
KTS).
Winter Wren-2, 4-5 Sep, and 1, 18
Sep and 11-12 Oct, MNWRHQ (TR);
1, BR, 19 Oct (PB); 4 Wildcat Tr., ne
of Prineville, CRO, 20 Oct (CG).
American Dipper-12 along n. fk. of
Meacham Cr., Umatilla NF, UMA
(MD, KL, DB).
Golden-crowned Kinglet-35+, along
FS Rd. 6403, Umatilla NF, UNI, 30
Nov (M&MLD).
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-1, Tumalo
Res., DES, 21 Sep (JGk).
Western Bluebird-1 adult male,
Irrigon Marina Pk., MOR, 24 Nov
(M&MLD).
Mountain Bluebird-4, North Flat
Spring, Umatilla NF, UNI, 7 Oct
(MD).
Townsend's Solitaire-1, BR, 1 Aug
(PB); 2, Bully Cr. Res., MAL, 3 Nov
(DH).
Veery-1, Ochoco Ranger Station,
CRO, 22 Aug (CG).
Swainson's Thrush-1, MNWRHQ,
7 Sep (AC); 1, HAR, 18 Sep (TR).
Hermit Thrush-1, 18 Sep, and 5, 11
Oct, MNWR (TR); 2, Wildcat Tr., ne
of Prineville, CRO, 20 Oct (CG).
Varied Thrush-1, MNWRHQ, 18 Sep
(TR); 2, FS Rd. 6230, Umatilla NF,
UNI, 10 Oct (MD); 3, MNWRHQ,
11-13 Oct (TR); 10, Wildcat Tr., ne
of Prineville, CRO, 20 Oct (CG); 1,
UNWR, 5 Nov (HB).
Gray Catbird-6, Rhinehart Bridge,
UNI, 3 Aug (TS, DS); 1, Tumalo Res.,
DES, 4 Aug (HHo); 1, Riley Pond,
HAR, 24 Aug (JM).
Sage Thrasher ,4 Aug, 2002 Harney
County. Photo/C. Gates
Sage Thrasher-4, GR, 8 Aug (CG);
3, BR, 30 Sep; 2 of the birds stayed
until 27 Nov, and 1 until 6 Dec (PB);
1, GR, 16 Nov (CG).
BROWN THRASHER-1, Honey
Creek, n. of Hwy. 140, w. of Plush,
LAK, 5 Oct (HH).
American Pipit-15, Ochoco Res.,
CRO, 22 Aug and 22 Sep (CG); 7 in
flooded pasture 1 mi. e. of Halfway,
BAK, 2 Oct (MD); many, Lower
Klamath NWR, 5 Oct (KTS); 300+ in
flooded field beside Fruitvale Rd.,
UMA, 12 Oct (M&MLD); 100s,
Wickiup Res., DES, 27 Oct (JM).
Bohemian Waxwing-1, Elgin, UNI,
17 Nov (TB); 13, BR, 28 Nov (PB).
Cedar Waxwing-45, Ontario Rest
Area, I-84, MAL, 20 Oct (DH).
PHAINOPEPLA-1 was reported at
MNWR, 19 Sep (M&SG), but no other
observers saw the bird and no details
have been forthcoming to the OBRC.
Tennessee Warbler-1, MNWRHQ, 6
Sep (AC); 1 first-fall bird (few details),
East Lk., DES, 18 Sep (KJ); 1 firstfall bird, MNWRHQ, 20-21 Sep (TR).
Orange-crowned Warbler-4, along
(MD); 1 near Walton Lk., WHE, 17
Aug-this species was not found in hex
25858 during the atlas; significant
movement in MNWR area in 1st week
of Oct (AC).
Nashville Warbler-1 near Walton Lk.,
CRO, 16 Aug-this species was not
found in hex 25858 during the atlas;
1, MNWRHQ, 18 Sep (TR); 2,
Ochoco Mts., CRO, 22 Sep (CG); 1,
John Day, GRA, 30 Sep (OL); 1
female, MNWRHQ, 7 Oct (AC).
Yellow Warbler-1, MNWRHQ, 18
Sep (TR).
Black-throated Blue Warbler-1
female, Burns, HAR, 12-13 Oct (RV,
JSu).
Ye l l o w - r u m p e d Wa r b l e r - 1 ,
MNWRHQ, 18 Sep (TR); 300,
MNWR, 11 Oct (TR); 6, Farewell
Bend, MAL, 20 Oct (DH).
Black-throated Gray Warbler-Imm.
female, Bend, DES, 23 Sep (DT).
Townsends Warbler-1, Flagtail Mt.,
GRA, 28 Sep (TW).
Hermit Warbler-1 first-fall bird,
Benson Pond, MNWR (TR). TR was
able to eliminate possible hybrid
possibilities.
PRAIRIE WARBLER-1, mouth of
the Deschutes R., SHE, 21 Sep (DB).
BLACKPOLL WARBLER-1,
M N W R H Q , 1 3 S e p ( G e o rg e
Armistead et al.); 1 first-fall bird,
MNWR, 20-21 Sep (TR et al.).
B l a c k - a n d - w h i t e Wa r b l e r - 1 ,
MNWRHQ, 20 Sep (SG).
American Redstart-1, Fields, HAR,
4-6 Sep (SM).
O v e n b i r d - 1 ,
4, McNary WA, UMA, 2
MNWRHQ, 8 Sep (AC,
Nov (M&MLD).
DF).
Snow Bunting-Up to 50,
N o r t h e r n
Thief Valley Res., UNI,
Waterthrush-Some
18 Nov to end of period
interesting Harney Co.
(TB).
sightings: 1, Buena
Rose-breasted GrosbeakVista Station, MNWR,
1 imm. male, Bend, DES,
30 Aug (NS); 1, in ditch
14 Sep (DT); 1,
behind Frenchglen
MNWRHQ, 28 Sep
Motel, 19 Sep (TR).
(SW).
K E N T U C K Y
Lazuli Bunting-1 adult
WA R B L E R - A n
male, Skull Hollow, JEF,
immature female was
21 Sep, was a record late
reported at the Redmond
date for the county (DT).
s.p., DES, 28 Aug, but
INDIGO BUNTING-1,
details have not been
Fields, HAR, 6 Sep (SM).
forwarded to the OBRC
Western Meadowlark(KO).
2 near Walton Lk., WHE,
Waterthrush, 30 Aug, Buena Vista Station, Malheur National
M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Northern
were in a small meadow
Wildlife Refuge, Harney County. Photo/N. Strycker
Wa r b l e r - 2 , a l o n g
in predominantly
Mottet Cr., Umatilla NF,
ponderosa pine forest
UNI, 5 Aug (MD); 6, Ochoco Ranger
(TR); 1, John Day, GRA, 2 Oct (OL);
with scattered meadows (JS).
Station, CRO, 22 Aug (CG); 1,
5, Taylor Lk., The Dalles, WAS, 25
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch-60, South
MNWRHQ, 18 Sep (TR); 1, Bend,
Nov (M&MLD).
Sister, DES, 28 Aug (JMo); 1, Steens
DES, 3 Oct, was one day short of the
Lincoln's Sparrow-3 birds along
Mt., HAR, 31 Aug (MkM); 1, Tumalo
fall late record (DT).
upper Jarboe Cr., Umatilla NF, WAL,
Falls, DES, 23 Sep (DT); flock at
C o m m o n Ye l l o w t h r o a t - 1 ,
20 Aug, were still feeding young and
Abert Rim, LAK, 26 Oct (TSe); 100,
MNWRHQ, 18 Sep (TR); at least six
defending territory in a wet sedge
near Catherine Cr. SP, UNI, 1 Nov
around MNWR, 5-7 Oct, were very
meadow band next to the creek (MD);
(TB); 12 at Grizzly Butte and 3 at
late according to Littlefield-the number
1, Twin Springs Res., HAR, 9 Sep
Hash Rock, CRO, 9 Nov (CG); 9, Pilot
of birds that late were noted as
(PB); 1, MNWR, 18 Sep (TR);
Butte, DES, 11 Nov (CG); 1000, Bald
significant (AC).
many, KLA, 5 Oct (KTS); a
Mt., UMA, 16 Nov (CC, JC); 23 of
HOODED WARBLER-2 males,
movement noted around Fields, HAR,
the Hepburns race, along FS Rd. 6403,
MNWRHQ, 7-24 Sep (GA, AC, TR,
6 Oct (AC); 1, sw Nyssa, MAL, 20
U m a t i l l a N F, U N I , 3 0 N o v
et al.). Reports have been submitted
Oct (DH).
(M&MLD).
to the OBRC.
White-throated Sparrow-1, Fields,
Black Rosy-Finch-Many reports of
Wilson's Warbler-1, MNWR, 18 Sep
HAR, 23 Sep (JM); 1, MNWRHQ,
this species at the East Rim Overlook,
(TR); 1, MNWR, 7 Oct (CB).
13-14 Oct (TR); 1, John Day, GRA,
Steens Mt., HAR, in Sep (mob).
Western Tanager-10+, along Mottet
10 and 21 Oct (OL); 1, BR, 24 Oct
Pine Grosbeak-2 near Bonney Lk.,
Cr., Umatilla NF, UNI, 5 Aug (MD);
(PB).
WAL, 4 Aug (TS, DS); 1 female, East
1, Fields, HAR, 18 Sep (TR)
Harris's Sparrow-1, John Day, GRA,
Lk., DES, 17 Sep (KJ).
Green-tailed Towhee-1, Bowman
17 Nov (OL); 1, Redmond s.p., DES,
Purple Finch-1, corner of Foothill
Dam, CRO, 20 Oct (NM).
22 Nov (KO).
and Hot Lk. Rds., UNI, 13 Nov (TB).
American Tree Sparrow-6, corner
Golden-crowned Sparrow-1,
Cassin's Finch-6, FS Rd. 6230,
of Airport and Wright Rds., UNI, 5
Christmas Valley, LAK, 7 Oct (TW);
Umatilla NF, UNI, 10 Oct (MD).
Nov (TB); 12, corner of Foothill and
Red Crossbill-6, along Mottet Cr.,
Hot Lk. Rds., UNI, 13 Nov (TB).
Umatilla NF, UNI, 5 Aug (MD); 12
Brewer's Sparrow-1, Twin Springs
FS Rd. 6206, above Troy, Umatilla
Res., HAR, 9 Sep (PB).
NF, WAL (M&MLD).
Vesper Sparrow-4, Dead Horse Lk.,
Evening Grosbeak-1, MNWRHQ,
WAL, 1 Aug (MD, RA); 1, Twin
14 Oct (TR); 30, BR, 24 Oct (PB).
Springs Res., HAR, 9 Sep (PB); 1,
Chickahominy Res., HAR, 31 Oct
(SSh).
Lark Sparrow-1, Kinney Lk., WAL,
4 Aug (TS, DS).
Black-throated Sparrow-1 juv, 15
Hooded Warbler, 15 Sep, Malheur National
Aug, and 1 adult, 16 Aug, coming to
Wildlife Refuge, Harney County.
birdbath, BR (PB).
Photo/K.Smith
Fox Sparrow-1, MNWR, 18 Sep
Observers (Reporters listed in bold):
AC Alan Contreras; AF Ann Frost;
AP Al Prigge; AS Ann Shales; CB
Chris Butler; CCg Cecil Gagnon;
CG Chuck Gates; CM Craig
Miller; DA Don Albright; DB Dan
Bowers; DE Duncan Evered; DF
Daniel Farrar; DH Dave Hazelton;
DHe Dave Herr; DHt Dave Haupt;
DHz Dave Helzer; DM Dennis
Manzer; DS David Smith; DT Dave
Tracy; EE Elias Elias; FC Frank
Conley; FM Frank Mayer; GA
George Armistead; HB Howard
Browers; HHo Howard Horvath;
HHr Hans Hemstetiller; HR Holly
Rinehard; JC Judy Corder; JF Joe
Fontaine; JG Joel Geier; JGk John
Gerke; JM Judy Meredith; JMo Jim
Moodie; JS Jamie Simmons; JSr
Jim Souper; JSu Joan Suther; KJ
Ken Jones; KL Kristin Luke; KO
Kimdel Owen; KTS Kevin T.
Spencer; MC Marv Cooper; MCo
Mark Colley; MD Mike Denny;
MLD MerryLynn Denny; MJ
Marlin Jones; MkM Mark Miller;
MM Marilyn Miller; M&SG Mike
& Sandy Greenberg; NM Nancy
MacDonald; NS Noah Strycker;
OL Clarence & Marilyn OLeary;
PB Patty Bowers; PTS Paul T.
Sullivan; QN Quinton Nice; RA
Ralph Anderson; RJ Rod Johnson;
RV Rick Vetter; SK Steve Kornfeld;
SM Steve Mlodinow; SS Shawn
Steinberg; SSh Steve Shunk; ST
Sue Tank; SW Sheran Wright; TB
Trent Bray; TE Tom Ewert; TH
Tom Hunt; TL Tom Love; TR Tim
Rodenkirk; TS Tim Shelmerdine;
TSe Trent Seager; TW Tom
Winters; WT William Tice
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, 9 Nov, Ochoco Mountains. Photo/K.
Smith
Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge
Needs Volunteers
The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is seeking volunteers
to conduct songbird monitoring on the refuge. During spring and early
summer refuge personnel and volunteers will be conducting baseline
monitoring for songbird species in a variety of habitat types. Surveys
will be done by sight and sound. Survey protocols have not yet been
finalized, but surveys will be conducted in early morning hours. Volunteers
may donate as little as one day or more if they so desire. Tualatin River
NWR is currently closed to the public, so this is an opportunity to explore
any of several units of the refuge. Visitor service facilities will be open
in the coming years, and this is an opportunity to provide ground-level
information.Refuge personnel will be having an orientation to refuge
monitoring programs in the near future. For further information please
contact refuge Wildlife Biologist Pete Schmidt at 503-590-5811 or
Peter_Schmidt@fws.gov.
Birds of the Upper Trout Creek Basin, Harney County
Stephen Dowlan, PO Box 220, Mehama, OR 97384 owlhooter@aol.com
There is only one route through the
high elevation paradise of the Trout
Creek Mountains of Harney County,
if your mode of transportation has
four wheels and is loaded with
camping gear, water, banding nets
and poles, beer, spotting scopes,
binoculars, cameras and other
essentials of expedition-style
birding. In a few hours, this loop
route can take a well-prepared birder
from the barren playa of the Alvord
Desert to the lush high country of
the upper Trout Creek basin. The
word lush may seem to be an odd
word for a desert mountain range,
but with all senses wide open and
receptive, this rough road may
adjust your definition of the term.
It will certainly provide numerous
photo-worthy views, and remind
you of the value of the word
utility in the term sport-utility
vehicle.
Laura Graves and I first
visited the Trout Creek Mountains
in late July, 2000. We had spent two
days in Oregon Canyon Mountains,
just a sweeping vista to the east, and
had decided to head to Frenchglen
after numerous lightning strikes sent
up plumes of smoke within view of
the high promontories. The map
made it obvious that we could easily
be cut-off from escape in this
country, should one or more flame
fronts crowd the few access routes.
We found the connecting road from
Chicken Spring to the Trout Creek
Mountains Access Road and
descended into the upper Trout
Creek basin. The wildflower and
butterfly display was outstanding
along the heights, and the road took
us down from the headwaters of
Trout Creek to the confluence with
a short unnamed tributary. At this
confluence, we found one of the
most beautiful campsites I have ever
seen. Butterflies packed around the
ford through Trout Creek, the
namesake fish lurked in every pool,
Fox Sparrows were singing in the
willows, and I spotted a hatch-year
Gray-headed Junco in the aspens
Trout Creek looking downstream from Paradise Camp. There are not many other
spots in the whole mountain range that are flat enough to pitch a tent! Photo/S.
Dowlan
that lined Trout Creek. This was, as
far as I was concerned, paradise,
and I declared on the spot that we
would return on the following year,
in June, if possible.
Early snow-melt offered us
the possibility that we hoped for,
and we found our way back to the
paradise campsite on 7 June,
2001.... only to find a pickup parked
in it! We had seen nobody since
leaving the Fields store several hours
before. Despite my disappointment,
I cheerfully greeted the pickups
owner. Though his wife and small
daughter enjoyed splashing in a trout
hole there, he expressed his intention
to find a flatter spot somewhere
to camp for the night. I carefully
suppressed my inner joy, and told
the man that we would head up the
canyon to look around until they
moved on. Flat spots are very hard
to find in this country, but I decided
to trust his judgement... maybe he
knew something I did not!
An hour later, we returned
to establish our base camp at the
confluence of the two streams,
latitude 42 deg., 01 min., 33 sec.
north, longitude 188 deg., 17 min.,
21 sec. west, elevation 7,000 feet.
I could almost shout into Nevada,
and we were in fact only 2 miles
due north of the border. As soon as
the tent and shade canopy were up,
I set about clearing net lanes and
hanging mist nets. Three nets were
strung in the aspen forest and three
in the willows along the unnamed
tributary. Though Fox Sparrows
were my target species, I was also
hoping to capture a Grey-headed
Junco. The three aspen nets were
all within a few hundred feet of the
location of the previous years
sighting. Since it was already late
afternoon, the nets were furled and
secured for use the next morning.
We spent the next three
mornings banding birds, and the
afternoons hiking, exploring by
vehicle, and lazing around camp.
The family who had surrendered
paradise to us came by on the first
morning, and I let the little girl touch
a live songbird for the first time in
her life. If there must be contact
with fellow humans in a wilderness
paradise, this is probably the best
one could hope for. We banded 45
individuals of 19 species with our
rt
Rim
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Paradise
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Flagstaff
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it
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Hot Springs
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while we were preparing to attend
six nets during the first two
some birding on the fly. Snow keeps
to the nets, four Black-crowned
mornings,
the full loop closed well into July
Night Herons came flapping in from
including seven Fox Sparrows. By
after snowy winters. Weather
the northwest and disappeared into
measurements, these birds
conditions are similar to Steens
a patch of aspen on the slope near
conformed to the shistacea race, the
Mountain, and all of the same
our campsite. This was not
slate-colored form described by
cautions apply.
most authorities for
For anyone in a
this part of the Great
low-clearance passenger
Basin desert. On the
vehicle, it is better to drive
third morning, I
with all of your attention
placed three nets at
focused on the road. Lowthe interface between
clearance passenger
sage and riparian
vehicles are unlikely to get
willow habitats, and
past the ford at Paradise
banded my first ever
Camp anyway, where a
Green-tailed Towhee
steep muddy descent taxes
a n d a B r e w e r s
the undercarriage of
Sparrow.
anything on less than 15
I took one
inch wheels that lacks skid
extended hike several
plates. Travel into the
miles
north
heart of the Trout Creeks
(downstream) through
in a passenger car will
Trout Creek canyon,
limit the scope of
where I heard at least Paradise Camp along Trout Creeks upper canyon, 7 - 9 June 2002. exploration, provided that
two juncos call. The Photo S. Dowlan
everything goes well. If
first bird escaped
everything does not go
expected! That evening, we walked
from view, but the second bird
well, it is a long and arduous ride
up the road in twilight, and I decided
perched in plain sight - it was clearly
home in a tow truck... if you can
to whistle for Poorwills in some
a grey-headed form of junco - but
reach one by satellite phone or
likely looking rocky habitat upslope
unfortunately, this was too far away
radio... and the driver is willing to
from the road. Very quickly, a bird
to make it worthwhile to carry poles
come looking for you. In the riparian
responded, and it played hopscotch
and attempt a capture. The riparian
zone of Trout Creek canyon the
with us as we walked, calling all
area consisted of patchy aspen and
influence of bovine grazing animals
the while. I was constantly torn
willow cover, and I saw or heard
is scarce. Elsewhere in the range,
between wanting to bird, botanize,
most of the species that would be
this is not the case. However, there
and explore, or just relax in the
expected for this habitat anywhere
are some charming cowboy camps
shade, listen to the stream, and
else in the Great Basin. I was most
(cowboys always find the flat spots)
watch the trout.
surprised by the plant community
scattered around, and a few even
The Trout Creek Mountains
of the open slopes, where deep soils
have primitive outhouses. You
Public Access Road makes a huge
still moist from snow melt grew an
cannot count on finding toilet paper
closed loop anchored to the
interesting community consisting
though, but it is, after all, the wild,
Whitehorse Ranch Road in Harney
primarily of sagebrush, currant, and
wild west.
County. With a Bureau of Land
snowberry. Wildflowers and
Im not too worried about
Management (BLM) map of the
butterflies were abundant
revealing the location of Paradise
south half of the Burns District, or,
everywhere, but the birding kept me
Camp, because, by all appearances,
the Benchmark Maps Road and
focused away from those field
very few people find their way there
Recreation Atlas for Oregon, the
guides. White-crowned Sparrow
in any given year, and the condition
route is fairly easy to follow, with
was the most common songbird on
of the road all but guarantees that
only a few confusing places. With
the slopes, though in general, birds
this will not change soon. Still if (or
a DeLorme map, it is not difficult
were scarce here.
when) Steens Mountain begins to
to get lost at all. Take all three, and
Shortly after we had set up
feel too... well... discovered, the
camp, I noticed an American Robin
you will usually know where you
Trout Creeks might be worth
taking food into a willow near our
are. For an experienced driver with
considering when in search of that
tent. We watched her feed noisy
a high-clearance vehicle, the road
got-away feeling that some of us
gaping fledglings for the rest of our
will forgive minor infractions to
seek in the high mountains of
stay. During our second morning,
Oregons really Great Basin.
full-attention driving, permitting
Birds Captured and Banded in the Trout Creek Mountains, 7 - 9 June 2001
Species
Downy Woodpecker
Red-shafted Flicker
Dusky Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Tree Swallow
House Wren
American Robin
Swainsons Thrush
Yellow Warbler
Audubons Warbler
MacGillivrays Warbler
Green-tailed Towhee
Brewers Sparrow
Mountain White-crowned Sparrow
Slate-colored Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Cassins Finch
Male C?
1
1
1
2
1
2
2
4
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
3
Y
1
1
1
1
5
2
1
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Female
Y
B? Unk. Nest?
3
1
Y
Y
1
1
1
2
1
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
2
1
Y
Y
1
2
1
Y
Y
Y
Y
C? = breeding condition confirmed by cloacal protuberance
B? = breeding condition confirmed by brood patch
Nest? = Nest found in banding area
Species Detections by Habitat
Willow/Shrub with Running
Water
Mallard
Downy Woodpecker
Dusky Flycatcher
American Robin (N)
Swainsons Thrush
Yellow Warbler
MacGillivrays Warbler
Song Sparrow
Ceanothus Scrub
Dusky Flycatcher
Aspen Forest
Black-crowned Night Heron (roost)
Accipiter sp.
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-shafted Flicker (N)
Western Wood-Pewee
Gray Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Tree Swallow (N)
House Wren (N)
Mountain Bluebird
American Robin
Swainsons Thrush
Yellow Warbler
Audubons Warbler
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Gray-headed Junco
Fox Sparrow
Bullocks Oriole
Cassins Finch
Sagebrush, Snowberry and
Current Shrub
Common Poorwill
Red-shafted Flicker
Bushtit
Mountain Bluebird
American Robin
Green-tailed Towhee
Brewers Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Mountain White-crowned Sparrow
Open Sagebrush
Golden Eagle
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Ferruginous Hawk
Mourning Dove
Gray Flycatcher
Horned Lark
Rock Wren
Mountain Bluebird
Sage Thrasher
Brewers Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Brewers Blackbird
MEMBERS GALLERY
S p e c i a l
c o l o r
e d i t i o n
Hooded Warbler, 15 Sep, Malheur NWR
Headquarters, Harney Co. Photo/Kevin Smith
Brown Thrasher, 23-26 Sep Jackson Co. Photo/Jim
Livaudais
Snow Bunting, 18 Nov, Thief Valley Dam, Union
Co. Photo/Trent Bray
Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, 2 Sep, Agate Lake,
Jackson Co. Photo/Jim Livaudais
White-throated Swift, 4 August, Crooked River
Gorge, Jefferson Co. Photo/Kevin Smith
OFO
Birding
Weekends
2003
Center Pullout Section
OFO Birding Weekends 2003
Ray Korpi
Oregon Field Ornithologists will again offer a series of OFO Birding Weekends in 2003. The intent
of OFO Birding Weekends is to introduce birders to new birds, to new areas of Oregon, and to
birders from other parts of the state. This announcement covers the months from January to
July; additional trips will be added once the OFO Annual Meeting is set.
Participants are sent a letter in advance of each weekend, suggesting lodging, meeting place,
likely birds, and other details.
OFO Birding Weekends normally begin at dawn Saturday and end early Sunday afternoon. They
are based in the same city both Friday and Saturday night. Most of our travel is by private cars
on public roads, with some walks on trails. Costs of lodging, transportation (car pooling), and
food are up to the individual participants. We usually eat supper together on Saturday night and
have a "countdown" of species seen.
Registration for OFO Birding Weekends is $15 per person for each weekend (except for the OFO
Service Weekend). You do not need to be a member of OFO to participate in these weekends.
However, you must register by the Tuesday before the weekend you plan to attend (decisions
on cancellations will be made on that date). Make checks payable to Oregon Field Ornithologists
or OFO.
Send registrations to:
Ray Korpi
12611 NE 99th St.
Apt. DD-214
Vancouver WA 98682
rkorpi@hotmail.com
(360) 604-0122
Please use a separate form for each OFO Weekend that you wish to attend.
NAME __________________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ______________________________CITY, STATE, ZIP __________________________________________
PHONE__________________________________________EMAIL __________________________________________
TRIP YOU PLAN TO JOIN ______________NUMBER OF PEOPLE __________________________________________
AMOUNT ENCLOSED ($15 PER PARTICIPANT) $
Clip this schedule and post it on your refrigerator
.
Schedule of OFO BIRDING WEEKENDS January 18-19
2003
Union County - RESCHEDULED! See December 6-7
April 11-12 Columbia Basin
Explore early spring migration in north-central Oregon. Target species will include waterfowl,
Sandhill Cranes, Long-billed Curlews, and hopefully Burrowing Owls. We will look for lingering
winter visitors as well as early spring arrivals.
Base: Pendleton
May 10-11 OFO Service WeekendHarney Co.
On Saturday, we will do the North American Migration Count within Harney County. Saturday
will be a day of fun counting, where we focus on learning better counting techniques while finding
those birds people want to see. We will be working in as many habitats in and around Burns that
day as we can (north into the pines, south to the refuge). On Sunday, a morning field trip will
be offered as per the usual OFO weekends. The OFO Service Weekend is FREE to participants
in Saturdays activities!! Those who want to come to only Sundays activity will need to pay
the usual fee.
Base: Burns
June 20-22 Klamath Nights
This will be a special trip to Klamath County to focus on evening and night birding. Trips will start
at 6 pm on both Friday and Saturday. We will be seeking the elusive night birds such as Yellow
Rail, Flammulated Owl, Western Screech-Owl, Great Gray Owl (maybe?) and other denizens
of the evening. We will do some light daytime birding on both Saturday and Sunday as well, but
most of our effort will be focused at night. Because of the nature of this trip, group size may be
limited, group size may be split between the two nights, or an extension to either Thursday or
Sunday may occur. Early registration will be important on this trip!
Base: Klamath Falls
July 12-13 Medford-Grants Pass
This weekend will focus on the specialties of southwestern Oregon: California Towhee, Oak
Titmouse, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. We will explore the Medford-Grants Pass area, looking
for birds in this corner of Oregon. The Saturday activities will be focused early and late to avoid
the summer heat (we will siesta in the afternoon and have an early supper before going back
out in the evening).
Base: Grants Pass
August 2-3 Tillamook County
We will spend much of the day on Saturday looking for shorebirds in and around Tillamook as
well as looking for other specialities of the area (if El Nino continues as has been forecast, perhaps
an Elegant Tern?). On Sunday, we will hike around Bayocean Spit, trying to time our walk at the
spit with high tide, if possible. This has yielded wonderful shorebirds in past years, and good
looks at various alcids can be gotten at the mouth of Tillamook Bay.
Base: Tillamook
December 6-7
Union County
This will be our focused northeast Oregon winter bird trip where we will hopefully find the regions
specialties. Target birds include Bohemian waxwing, American tree sparrow, perhaps snow
buntings and redpolls, and well be looking for raptors in the Grande Ronde Valley. We will also
do some getting-to-know the area so that people can prepare for a summer journey.
Base: LaGrande
MORE OFO WEEKENDS WILL BE SET UP ONCE THE OFO ANNUAL MEETING DATE IS
SET!! Tentative dates are 25-26 October and 15-16 November with locations to be announced.
Announcements will be made via Oregon Birds, the OFO web site, and area listservs.
Grand Opening of Snag Boat Bend,
Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Jennifer M. Weikel, 755 SE Summerfield Pl., Corvallis, OR 97333 weikelj@attbi.com
Join us May 10, 2003 to help celebrate the official opening of Snag Boat Bend to the public. In
association with International Migratory Bird Day and the Refuge System Centennial, a celebration will
be held to officially open the Snag Boat Bend Unit of the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge
to the public. Planned events include an opening ceremony, awards presentation, tours of the parcel,
discussions of current and future restoration work, and wildlife discussions and demonstrations.
Snag Boat Bend was added to the Willamette Valley National Refuge Complex in 2000. The site is 341
acres in size and is located along the Willamette River, just south of the town of Peoria. Snag Boat
Bend contains important habitat for birds and other wildlife including cottonwood and willow riparian
habitat, riverine habitat, and freshwater wetlands and cropland habitat. Visitors to Snag Boat Bend can
expect to observe numerous species of birds including Bullocks orioles, yellow warblers, wood ducks,
green herons, great egrets, and spotted sandpipers. Observant visitors may even catch a glimpse of a
western pond turtle, red-legged frog, or one of the resident beavers.
Since acquisition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have added trails, an observation blind, and
interpretive signs and have initiated extensive riparian habitat restoration work. In addition, a bird
banding station was established within the cottonwood and willow habitat in 2001. The banding station
has been funded by generous contributions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Field
Ornithologists, the Audubon Society of Corvallis and its members, and Pacific Wildlife Research. The
site is run in cooperation with the Institute for Bird Populations as part of the Monitoring Avian
Productivity and Survivorship Program. This program was established to monitor population dynamics
of over 120 species of North American landbirds in order to provide critical conservation and management
information on their populations. Thus far, over 1,000 birds of 33 species have been captured at Snag
Boat Bend over two breeding seasons.
Come help us celebrate the wonders of bird migration and the opening of Snag Boat Bend. Snag Boat
Bend is located off of Peoria Road, approximately one mile south of the town of Peoria, in Linn County.
Festivities will begin at 10 AM. Contact the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge (503-757-7236)
for additional information.
Ruffed Grouse, 22 Sep, Ochoco Ranger Station,
Crook Co.Photo/Chuck Gates
Oregon Birds
Oregon Field Ornithologists
P.O. Box 10373
Eugene, Oregon 97440
Address Service Requested
If your label says 29(1) then
its time for you to renew! Use
the convenient form in the
center insert.
Spruce Grouse, 6 September, Bowman's Trail
between Brownie Basin and Lostine Road,
Wallowa Co. Photo/Wes Morgan
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
EUGENE, OR
PERMIT #679

Oregon`s First Blue-footed Booby!

Transcription

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