September 20 to November 15, 1996
by Colin Dillingham

CD and MS found an Eared Grebe at the mouth of the Rogue River on Nov 10, they are uncommon in Curry County. Paul Roush, a Humboldt County birder, took his boat offshore from Brookings and found impressive numbers of pelagic birds including an exceptional 250 Buller’s Shearwater, as well as more normal numbers of the following: 375 Sooty Shearwater, 20 Pink-footed Shearwater, 15 Black-footed Albatross, 1 Parasitic Jaeger, 100 Northern Fulmar, 200 Cassin’s Auklet, and 70 Rhinoceros Auklet. CD and JB saw 30 Sooty Shearwater from the tip of Cape Blanco on Sept 19, a large number to see from land. Also at Cape Blanco, CD, SH and Tim Rodenkirk saw 13 Harlequin Duck, which included one with a yellow color band on its right leg on Oct 3.

Terry Wahl had an incredible fall at his family ranch north of Port Orford. His findings included one unusual Rough-legged Hawk on Nov 6. CD and JB found a group of 8 Pectoral Sandpipers on the banks of the Rogue River on Sept 20. CD and AD found one late Heermann’s Gull on Nov 11 at the mouth of the Chetco River. A Thayer’s Gull was seen with 1 Black-legged Kittiwake and a dozen or more Herring Gulls at the mouth of the Rogue River on Nov 5 (Jr,DM, Tooze and TW). The scene was similar 5 days later when CD and MS saw 2 Black-legged Kittiwake, 100 Herring Gull, 400 Mew Gull, 400 California Gull, and 130 Western Gull. TW’s luck continued on Oct 17 when he found a Burrowing Owl on his property.

TW spied a normally rare, but apparently more common this fall, Say’s Phoebe on the ranch on Oct 28. Fred Hummel and Buzz Stewart reported seeing one at the South Coast Mill pond in Brookings. A Horned Lark that landed on Nov 6 at TW’s Ranch didn’t escape his sharp eyes. MS found a White-Breasted Nuthatch at Long Ridge Sept 20. A White-Breasted Nuthatch also appeared at the Pfand’s feeder in Port Orford in October and was still present as we go to press. TW found a Northern Mockingbird on his ranch Oct 13. TW’s birds only got better as time went on—the ranch also provided Curry County’s first, and Oregon’s second, Black-Backed Wagtail on Nov 9. This Siberian rarity was subsequently seen by JR, DM and John Bischoff but left before anyone elso had a chance to view it. Hopefully several reports of this bird and photographs will make it to the Oregon Bird records Committee. another wagtail record exists for the county from Harris Beach State Park on June 4, 1980, but wasn’t identified to the species level. TW had a Mountain Bluebird at the ranch Nov 15.

This fall proved to have a good fall warbler show. A late Nashville Warbler was found Oct 4 at the mouth of the Winchuck by Rich Hoyer. CD, SH, and Tim Rodenkirk banded an American Redstart and a Palm Warbler at Cape Balnco on Oct 3. Not to be outdone, TW found 1-4 individual Palm Warblers from Oct 10-Nov 12 on his ranch. CD and SH banded a Blackpoll Warbler at Cape Blanco on Sept 27. Michael Myers found a Black- and-white Warbler on Nov 4 on Silver Butte road in Port Orford. The latest ever record for a Yellow-Breasted Chat found Sept 18 at Jerry’s Flat by CD/JB was soon surpassed by Rich Hoyer’s Oct 4 record at the mouth of the Winchuck.

Observers: Colin Dillingham(CD), John Blithe(JB), Susan Hootman(SH), Mark Stevens(MS), Don Munson(DM), Angie Dillingham(AD), Jim Rogers(JR), Terry Wahl(TW).