May 26 to July 18, 1997
by Colin Dillingham

A yellow-billed loon was sighted off Point St. George on July 2 by ADB. These are always rare loons but to find one in July is exceptional. FH and BS reported a high count of 18 black-crowned night-herons near the Chetco River mouth. Breeding has not been documented for Curry's summering population of night-herons. It sure would be nice to find where they nest for the Oregon breeding bird atlas. TJW found an unseasonal hooded merganser on Elk River on July 16. TJW witnessed the third sandhill crane this spring flying north of Port Orford on June 15.

Another rare find of the period was Bob Mutchie's adult male bar-tailed godwit on July 2 at Point St. George. The bird was wearing bright breeding plumage. TJW had good luck with shorebirds on July 15 at Cape Blanco when he found 4 semipalmated plover, 12 greater yellowlegs and 2 red-necked phalarope.

Curry County's best find of the period were the two horned puffins found by Terry and Al Murray of Portland. The puffins were immediately south of Goat Island at Harris Beach State Park. Many local birders were able to see the birds (CPD, ALD DM, MRS ADB B). Curry County has 5 previous records of horned puffins, all from June-August between 1975 and 1988. Rhinoceros and cassin's auklets are appearing along the coast in fairly good numbers. FH and BS first saw 2 rhinoceros auktets inside the Chetco River jetties on June 18 and CPD saw 20 Rhinoceros and 8 cassin's auklets on Independence Day at Goat Island.

The resident barred owl at Quosatana Campground (13 miles up Rogue River) was heard on June 21 by Frank Galea and also on June 14 by Paul Cruz. Barred owls have been consistent at Quosatana Campground since 1993. A red-naped sapsucker was found hybridizing with a red-breasted sapsucker on Jawbone Ridge in the Six Rivers National Forest inland from Hiouchi by John Hunter. The adults were seen carrying food to the nest by ADB, CPD, ALD on July 6.

Curry's third eastern kingbird was found by TJW on approximately June 14. I found it noteworthy that both of the previous sightings were in mid-late June (June 25,1989 by Veva Stansell at Pistol River and June 23.1974. by James Olsen at Wedderburn). TJW also found a late western kingbird at Elk River on July 1. This was probably a late migrant, but observers should keep an eye out for breeding. There is a 1993 confirmed breeding record at Oak Flat, 3 miles up the Illinois River from the Rogue River confluence. FH and BS reported an ash-throated flycatcher found June 4 on the Chetco River under the Highway 101 bridge. CPD and ALD found 5 bank swallows on June 21 at Jerry's Flat on the Rogue River.

An adult female blackpoll warbler was found in the willow patch at the south edge of Point St. George by ADB on July 8. A singing green-tailed towhee was seen on June 16 on Burnt Ridge Road near Bear Camp by CPD.

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), Betty Irle (BI).