March 16 to May 25, 1997
by Colin Dillingham

An American Bittern, first found approximately April 28 by DM at the Winchuck Pond, was present at least through May 10. A second bittern was seen at the South Coast Mill Pond on May 3 (CPD, MAM, MRS). Lake Earl's bittern population appears to be much higher than normal as the habitat continues to improve with higher lake levels (ADB). The Prince Island snowy egret colony off the Smith River mouth continues to provide spring/summer records to Curry as noted by TJW when he saw 6 at the Winchuck Pond on 3 May.

The snow goose first found January 17 at Euchre Creek marsh was still present through May 17. The Emperor Goose that Betty Irle found December 14 was last noted April 6 at Hunter Creek (CPD). Hal Mason on Garrison Lake reported that 13 wood ducks fledged from his wood duck box on April 29. A second brood of 24 fledged on June 2. Two pairs of bald eagles were incubating eggs on the Rogue River on March 25 (CPD). The peregrine falcons nesting on the Rogue River have also been noted incubating. A new pair of peregrine falcons was reported on the Illinois River by Harvey Young, although the nest site has not been located. The pair were very aggressive, indicative of a nearby nest.

On May17, two different sightings of sandhill cranes lend support to each other. In the early afternoon TJW noted 2 flying south towards Garrison Lake. Later that afternoon Holly Witt, and Cheryl Douglas reported 2 on Floras Lake Road. Betty Irle found a breeding plumaged American golden plover at the Brookings/Harbor Marina. The bird was seen by many observers from April 28 to May 1. TJW found a Pacific golden plover on his ranch May 21-25. Two lesser yellowlegs, always uncommon in spring migration, were found at the old mill site at Jerry's Flat on 3 May (CPD,MAM, MRS). Western kingbirds appeared in above average numbers this spring migration. TJW saw at least 20 on his ranch on Elk River bottomlands May 2, and 8 more kingbirds were noted on Oceanview Drive the following day (CPD, MAM, MRS).

FH saw purple martins entering the drain holes under the highway 101 bridge over the Chetco River on April 27 to document probable nesting. This news is welcome as two of Curry's martin nesting populations have been abandoned: one population on the south side of the Winchuck River where recent clearcutting removed all of the nesting snags and a second population didn't return to the Hunter Creek site on Bureau of Land Management land following a precommercial thinning to the plantation the martins were nesting in. The thinning didn't remove any of the nesting structures but did remove all of the diversity in the plantation. The stand, once a diverse stand of conifers, extensive willows, madrone, blueblossom ceanothus, and tanoak was transformed into a Douglas-fir plantation monoculture. A pair of tree swallows were seen copulating and entering a bird box on Long Ridge (CPD GB). Although the nest didn't yet have eggs on May 22, the box has been used in recent years by tree swallows. This location is unusual fr tree swallows because it is several miles from water, normally thought to be an important habitat component for tree swallows. The male's leg band was visible on May 22, he was originally banded in 1996.

A single white-breasted nuthatch was heard on 3 May up Burnt Ridge Road. After many sightings last summer and fall nesting by a few pairs in Curry county is suspected, but no nests have yet been located and the species is still quite rare in Curry County. An early nest of house wrens was located at Long Ridge on 22 May by CPD and GB. TJW found a mountain bluebird on his Elk River ranch 2 May., always a rare visitor in Curry County especially to coastal lowlands. The wintering Northern Mockingbird first found by BS on 28 February on 2nd and Easy Streets in Brookings was last noted 6 April by CPD.

On April 14, CPD and ALD noted an amazing warbler fallout in Brookings. Between 6 and 7 PM the following were seen flying through their backyard: 30 Townsend's warbler, 2 black-throated gray warbler, 2 orange-crowned warbler, 100 Audubon's warbler, and 3 solitary vireo. What a show! Two vesper sparrows were seen at Jerry's Flat on 3 May, a welcome sight after this winter’s storms cleared most of the sparrow habitat here (CPD, MAM, MRS). Also seen by these observers on 3 May was a lingering Lincoln's sparrow at Oak Flat up the Illinois River. Last, but certainly the rarest bird of spring, was ADB's and Deborah Strong's finding of a LeConte's sparrow at Pacific Shores on Lake Earl's edge (22-25 May).

Observers are: Colin Dillingham(CPD), Don Munson(DM) Angie Dillingham(ALD), Mark Stevens (MRS), Terry WahI (TJW) Fred Hummel (FH), Buzz Stewart (BS), Alan Barron (ADB), Greg Bennett (GB) Michael Miller (MAM).