Bird Notes - Spring, 2006
by Jim Rogers

There has been a phenomenal number of migrating shore­birds this spring, from mid-April through early May. Terry Wahl noted that May Day on the ranch near the mouth of Elk River, was amazing. There were infinite numbers of shorebirds and also huge numbers of sparrows, especially Savannah Sparrows, passing through. However, by the time the North American Migration Count rolled around on May 13 the migration had pretty much passed. Don Munson noted that there were very few Greater Yellow­legs in the migrating flocks. We normally see and hear a lot of them during the migration.

Likewise, notes Mr. Munson, Black-crowned Night Her­ons have been few and far between in their normal haunts along the Chetco.

A few notable visitors to Curry County were:

On April 12, an eastern Blue Jay arrived at Linda Steele's feeder in Brookings, where it remained through the NAMC until May 13. We get one or two of these nearly every spring.

Two Eurasian Collared-doves showed up at the Wahl Ranch May 17. They were there last year as well. Several Yellow-headed Blackbirds have been seen out on the Wahl Ranch and Don Munson found one at Pistol River on May 25. He also found a couple of Bank Swallows there and Colin Dillingham spotted several along the banks of the Rogue along Jerry's Flat on May 20. However none were yet to be seen in the colony near Nesika Beach on the May 13 NAMC.

Don Munson reported a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls fly­catching with the swallows for several days on the Chetco. We've seen Western and California Gulls catching flying termites, but the catching of swallow chow by Bonies is a new one on us!

This appears to be a good year for Marbled Murrelets. Jerry & Sharyn Becker observed several flying into the old-growth forest up Elk River on May 5, Don observed 10 in breeding plumage off the mouth of the Winchuck on May 10, and Ann Vileisis and I saw several off Rocky Point on the NAMC (May 13).

On Sunday May 21, Lois Miller got photos of an Eastern Kingbird at the Wahl ranch and on May 25 she & Terry heard a Willow Flycatcher there, a bird that used to be fairly common in coastal Curry County, but is now seldom seen.

From May 22-24 a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak visited the feeder of Steve and Deborah Randolph in Port Orford.

Lois also reported a Common Nighthawk nesting in Port Orford. She hasn't seen it yet, but the person on whose property it is nesting has described it in great detail. This person reports they arrived in early May and have for the past several years, which is very early for nighthawks west of the Cascades. We usually don't see them until well into June. Hopefully Lois will get a photo of them. The North American Migration Count took place on Satur­day May 13. It is held on the second Saturday in May over all of North America. Kalmiopsis Audubon has been conducting a count in Curry County since May 13, 1995. We usually find about 140-150 species in the county and miss probably another 10-20 species that are here but lo­cated in populations too small in areas too remote to be able to spare skilled birders to send after them. The count produces a lot of useful knowledge. Populations of several species have declined precipitously from last year, e.g. 181 Red Crossbills last year, none this year. Hopefully they'll come back next year. We found 144 species this year and in most cases numbers and species were quite similar to last year's count. We missed several species that were pre­sent just before or after the count (Spotted Owl, Barred Owl, Eurasian collared-dove, Yellow Warbler, etc.).

The fall NAMC will be the third Saturday of September. Let me know if you see any good birds.

Phone or fax me at 541-332-2555 or write to 95187 Elk River Rd., Port Orford OR 97465.