BIRD NOTES – Early Fall 2008

By Jim Rogers

Week of Sept. 7 – Don Munson reported hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters and a few Pink-footed Shearwaters offshore from the Brookings/Harbor area. Also 2 male Harlequin Ducks showed up, as usual, at Lone Ranch. White-tailed Kites apparently nested again along Oceanview Drive with 2 adults and 2 juveniles being seen in the area. Don noted that the week of 9/16 was great for whale watching with many Humpback and several Blue whales moving by.

Sept. 21 – The North American Migration Count was lots of fun on a nice day, but there weren’t a lot of birds to count and very few migraters. A few mentionables include 647 Brown Pelicans, only 8 Killdeer (I’ve seen very few Killdeer this year), only 3 Western Sandpipers, a lone Baird’s Sandpiper, 12 Long-billed Dowitchers, 120 Heermann’s Gulls, (a common gull here in the summer & fall, but apparently unusual further up the coast), 19 Eurasian Collared Doves (and 26 Mourning Doves – it remains to be seen if the recently arrived ECDOs will displace MODOs), 550 Violet-green Swallows (migrating way up high), 6 lingering Barn Swallows, and 30 Lapland Longspurs (on the Wahl ranch, Elk River estuary – more to follow)… .

Sept. 25 – Terry Wahl reported 90 Lapland Longspurs on the ranch! We occasionally find a few of these birds of the far northern tundra, but 90 is an amazing number.

Oct. 6 – Don Munson reported a White-winged Dove on Chetco Point, the fifth record of this Southwestern U.S./Mexico species in Curry Co. Terry Wahl spotted what may well have been Oregon’s first Skylark, but just couldn’t be sure.

Oct. 8 – Mr. Munson found a Clay-colored Sparrow at the new visitor center south of the Winchuck. Don says it’s a real birdy spot – hope they don’t screw it up!

Oct. 11 – Up the coast at Yaquina Head Cindy Ashy counted an astounding 3600 Brown Pelicans! This is one of the most successful Endangered Species Act stories - back in the 70’s you just didn’t see them. I hope they all get past Port Orford before the first winter storm hammers them as happened last December 3^rd.

Oct. 13 – Don made another visit to the new visitor center and found the first Palm Warbler of the season and the last Willow Flycatcher. On the same day Terry Wahl and Jeff Gilligan birded the Wahl ranch and found a Clay-colored Sparrow, several late departing Barn Swallows, two Palm Warblers, 2 Horned Larks, 90 Lapland Longspurs, 250 American Pipits (sometimes being strafed by a Merlin) a Northern Shrike and 2 White-tailed Kites, AND on the same day, Tim Rodenkirk came down from Coos Bay to bird the Floras Lake area. He found the first Swamp Sparrow of the season, 5 Lapland Longspurs, and a Black-legged Kittiwake offshore with a few hundred pelicans.

Oct 14 – Terry & Jeff went out on the ranch again and found a Tropical Kingbird (usually found every fall on the Wahl ranch), 3 Palm Warblers, and 2 Yellow warblers. On the same day Don Munson checked out the “Fred Myers Pond” and found Northern Shrike carrying a House Finch and being pursued by a flock of HOFIs. He also found several Horned Larks in the area. At Chetco Point he found a Ruddy Turnstone – a bird of the northern Oregon/Washington Coast, but very uncommon down here in the Banana Belt. He was amazed to see several hundred Pelicans flying north.

Oct. 18 – Terry reports 2 Clay-colored Sparrows, 2 Palm Warblers, and 2 Dunlin on the Wahl Ranch.

Mark your calendars for the annual Port Orford Christmas Bird Count Saturday December 27.