July 19 to September 28, 1997
by Colin Dillingham

A September 1 pelagic trip aboard tidewind’s Charter "Superstar" yielded a bounty of seabirds including the following tubenoses: 1 black-footed albatross. 25 northern fulmar, 250 pink-footed shearwater, 5 buller's shearwater and 500 sooty shearwater (CPD,ALD). ADB had a highly unusual sighting of a black-vented shearwater from Point St. George about September 20. Susan Hootman saw a Leach's storm-petrel at Cape Blanco on 28 August. Brown pelicans have been very numerous throughout this strong El Nino event.

Snow and Aleutian goose at Euchre Creek remained through the period. 5 harlequin ducks were at Cape Blanco on 5 September (CPD, SH. DPV). The year of the sandhill crane continued when TJW found one August 12 on the Elk river bottoms. It stayed around long enough for CPD to see it on August 14 Several of us wonder if the crane has spent all summer in the north end of the county. ADB reported both a snowy and pacific golden-plover at Point St. George on August 11. Another pacific golden-plover was found on the Sixes River on September 20 by JR. A ruddy turnstone at the Rogue River on 8 September is expected this time of year (CPD, ALD). Also at the Rogue River mouth was a semipalmated sandpiper on August 14 (CPD., ALD). More common were the baird's sandpipers and pectoral sandpipers reported at Pistol River. Rogue River and Sixes River (CPD, ALD. TJW).

MAM reported 2 parasitic jaegers at the Rogue Mouth on August 30. Jaegers were regularly seen through September 5, about the same time the elegant terns appeared to leave. CPD and ALD saw 5 long-tailed jaegers 12-20 miles offshore of Brookings on September 1 and ADB had one much closer to shore when he saw it oft Point St. George about September 20. CPD and ALD saw 5 sabine's gulls 12-20 miles offshore on September 1. This species was also seen much closer to shore. this time by Cindy Lawes at Cape Sebastian on September 27.

Elegant tern flocks were incredible this season, undoubtably due to a very strong El Nino event. Flocks of 150 or more were seen daily. with the peak number of 348 reported on August 20 by CPD, ALD. A flock of 150 on September 8 (DM) was gone the following day (CPD), and no significant numbers were reported after that date. Found with the elegant terns was a common tern on Sept 1-5 (CPD. DPV). Two Arctic terns were seen about 18 miles offshore of Brookings on September 1 (CPD, ALD). CPD and Gaetan Vanloqueran heard a long-eared owl August 4 at Bear Wallow on Burnt Ridge, the same location DPV heard one July 8.

TJW's sighting of 10-15 black swifts at Cape Blanco on September 15 were 23 years and 1 day after Tom Lund saw them there on September 14, 1974. I hope I'm there September 16, 2020 to find out if the tradition continues! Willow flycatchers were amazingly common August 14 through September 6 (CPD et al). JR reported the second Curry record of a red-eyed vireo on August 31. DM had one on the Harbor bench for the third Curry record! ADB found an American redstart on Enderts Beach Road south of Crescent City. CPD and DPV banded and photographed a hybrid hermit X Townsend's warbler at Bear Camp Wallow on Burnt Ridge on August 5.

Observers: Colin Dillingham, (CPD), Don Munson (DM), Angie Dillingham (ALD), Jim Rogers (JR), Terry WahI (TJW), Susan Hootman (SH), Alan Barron (ADB), Dennis Vroman (DPV).