BIRD NOTES

by Jim Rogers
Jim Rogers has been birding and compiling bird count records in Curry County for over 30 years. He regularly shares his observations with KAS members in the Bird Notes column of the Storm Petrel.

Late Fall/Early Winter 2012

Oct. 11 – Don Munson found one or two Clay-colored Sparrows in McVay Rock State Park south of Brookings. This was a few miles from where one was found a few days earlier.

Oct. 13 - Don found another Clay-colored in the wetlands on the lower Winchuck River. A Say’s Phoebe was also in the vicinity. This sparrow of the arid brush lands of Lake, Malheur and Harney County occasionally winters near the coast.

Oct. 14 – Tim Rodenkirk found 50+ American Pipits along with a few Lapland Longspurs at Cape Blanco

Oct. 15 – Russ Namitz, Don Munson and Diane Cavaness found a Tropical Kingbird along the Winchuck. This was Russ’ 370th species for Oregon in one year. Late in the day Russ found a Palm Warbler at the Langlois Cemetery.

Oct. 16 – Tim found a Clay-colored Sparrow near Floras Lake.

Oct. 17 – Tim found a Northern Wheatear at Pistol River. This is an extremely rare occurrence to see this Eurasian arctic thrush species in Oregon. It was also the 400th species seen in Curry County!

Oct. 18 – Tim found a Chestnut-collared Longspur in the tall beach grass at the NW end of Floras Lake. This bird of the High Plains occasionally finds its way over to the coast. Knute Andersson and Russ found it again in the late afternoon.  Tim noted that there were a few Laplands around as well and that this is the best time of year to see and hear them during migration on the south coast.

Oct. 19 – Knute Andersson reported a Tropical Kingbird at his cranberry farm.

Oct. 20 – Tim reported mass movements of tens of thousands of gulls per hour for the past few days heading south over the ocean along the south coast. Probably 90% were Californias.

Oct. 21 – Terry Wahl reported 3 Clay-colored Sparrows on the family ranch in the Elk River estuary.

Oct. 26 – Terry found a Chestnut-collared Longspur on the Elk River Ranch, a species he’s seen there several times previously.

Oct. 27 – Diane Cavaness’ 6th-8th grade Birding Club kids were thrilled to watch a male Pileated Woodpecker put on a show for them not 30 feet away at Azalea Park in Brookings. He hammered on a dead alder sending chunks flying and eating grubs

Oct. 27 – Knute Andersson reported a Harris’ Sparrow at his feeders near Langlois. Tim found a Swamp Sparrow at Floras Lake. Terry Wahl had a Rough-legged Hawk at his Elk River ranch

Oct. 29 – Tim checked a flock of 500 gulls at Meyer’s Creek, counting 120 Heermann’s, with most of the rest being Californias with a smattering of Bonaparte’s, Western, Glaucous-wings and a Thayer’s and a Herring. At Gold Beach there were 4,000 gulls with similar percentages as Meyer’s Cr. In Port Orford he found a fog-drenched Tropical Kingbird. While watching it, the local gendarmes came along to arrest him for being weird. Fortunately, Lois Miller was on hand to rescue him! Heading north he checked out the annual winter resident Palm Warbler and Say’s Phoebe at the blue silos near Floras Lake.

Oct. 30 – Tim hiked from Floras Lake to an overlook north of Blacklock – the best place to see Black Scoters on the Oregon coast. He counted about 60 and has seen over 100 there. I remember seeing over 200 in this flock years ago.

Nov. 5 – Knute found a Clark’s Grebe at the Port of Port O. He also saw a Burrowing Owl on Rick McKenzie’s New Lake ranch, plus 2 Palm Warblers,  a Black-legged Kittiwake , and the first Tundra Swan of the season.

Nov. 6 – Tim & Knute birded the Floras Lake area and found Shearwater sp., 20 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 4 Red Phalaropes, a Northern Shrike, 2 Swamp Sparrows, and an American Bittern. At the blue silos were a Say’s Phoebe, 2 Palm Warblers and a Tropical Kingbird.

Nov. 9 – Don Munson pulled into Lone Ranch and found an Eastern Kingbird in the beach willows and a Clay-colored Sparrow near the parking area (his 4th in the past month).

Nov. 9 – Terry reported a female Yellow-headed Blackbird showed up on the Wahl Ranch.  It remained through the fall.

Nov. 10 – Tim observed huge numbers of loons (at least 500 per minute) flying past Cape Blanco.  Down in Gold Beach he found the regularly wintering Northern Mockingbird at Jots He saw 5 White-throated Sparrows at Sevey’s in Hunter Creek and 3 Black-legged Kittiwakes off Otter Point. At Pistol River he found a Clay-colored Sparrow and a Swamp Sparrow.  Up the Winchuck at M.P. 1 he heard a calling Swamp Sparrow (a tough bird to find in Curry Co.).

Nov. 11 – Tim heard a HUGH flock of Western Bluebirds fly over the Floras Lake area and has heard similar flocks the past few days in Coos County.

Nov. 11 +/-  - Terry Wahl spotted a very rare Dickcissel on the family ranch near the Elk River estuary. This is the second time Terry’s sharp vision and knowledge and attention have found this eastern U.S. bunting . The lone bird happened to find it’s preferred habitat of grass and brush on the west coast of North America. on the wrong side of the Rocky Mountains.

Nov. 13 – Tim and Knute visited the Wahl Ranch and Terry pointed out the Dickcissel. There were at least 4 Palm Warblers around the barn, and 2or 3 Clay-colored sparrows. Before Tim & Knute arrived, Terry saw 5 Barn Swallows and a Tree Swallow. There were about 150 Eurasian Collared-doves: Terry has seen over 200 around the barn.

Nov. 20 – Tim found an amazing number of Palm Warblers at the Blue Silos, estimated at between 9 and 15!

Nov. 27 – John Sullivan of Springfield counted 35 Black Oystercatchers on Lone Ranch Beach

Nov. 29 – Tim had a brief look at an American Tree Sparrow on the shores of Floras Lake. Additionally Tim found a Swamp Sparrow and 2 Lapland Longspurs along New River and a Say’s Phoebe and 9 Palm Warblers at the Blue Silos

Dec. 3 – Morrie Hickerson, who lives in the Indian Hills subdivision near the north bank of the Rogue River about 3 miles upriver from Gold Beach, observed a Snowy Owl in the top of a 40 foot fir tree near his driveway. He took photos of the bird with a small digital camera and showed them to the U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Biologist in Gold Beach who confirmed the identification as a Snowy Owl. We rarely find this species in Oregon, but this year has been the exception with a dozen or so reports this winter. If anyone else sees one in Curry County, PLEASE let me know! This individual only stayed around for a few minutes.

Dec. 8 – Knute Andersson had a Dickcissel at his feeder on his cranberry farm south of Langlois. This was not the same one seen on the Wahl Ranch in mid-November as that bird was still present on the day of Knute’s sighting. Furthermore, the Wahl bird has rufous in the wings whereas the Knute bird does not. Both have been well-photographed.

Dec. 9 – Both Dickcissels still present. Tim saw and heard a Short-billed Dowitcher at Floras Lake. This species is very rare on the coast in winter; most winter dowitchers are Long-bills. Tim also found a Snowy Plover (rare in Curry Co.) on the beach along Floras Lake. The previously reported Northern Shrike was still present.

Dec. 9 – Jim Heaney spotted a Snow Goose on Floras Lake.

Dec. 17 – Terry Wahl reported a Mountain Bluebird visited his ranch. Terry also reported that the apparent over-wintering Yellow-headed Blackbird is still amongst the huge blackbird flock on his ranch.

Dec. 26 – Al & Joan Geiser spotted 2 late Brown Pelicans heading south past Blacklock Point.

Dec. 29 – The Port Orford Christmas Bird Count ... 6 inches of rain driven by 40 mph wind didn’t deter the intrepid crew of birders, but the birds weren’t too happy. Even the ocean was devoid of birds. The conditions were so miserable that it was actually fun! Nevertheless we did manage to find 112 species – our lowest count ever, but respectable given the conditions. And we did find the previously reported Dickcissel, Clay-colored Sparrow, Snow Goose and Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Jan. 7 - Jim Heaney reported 2 Burrowing Owls on a ranch in the Floras Lake area. This small inhabitant of the eastern Oregon grasslands occasionally winters on ranch land near the southern Oregon coast.

Jan. 16 – Tim & Holly Rodenkirk spotted their first Turkey Vultures of the year circling west of Langlois. Don Munson spotted two south of Brookings. This seems to be the return of the spring birds, but it may be birds that winter in Del Norte coming up to Curry County for a day or two to take advantage of no sales tax.

Jan 16 – A very early Hermit Warbler visited Al Collinet’ s deck in Brookings.

That’s all for now.  Please email me with interesting bird observations: chlaparl@wildblue.net