September 29 to November 10, 1997
by Colin Dillingham

ADB and EC had a late sighting of a fork-tailed storm-petrel at Chetco River Mouth on 12 October. The snow goose and Aleutian Canada goose that have been at Euchre Creek since January were joined by a white-fronted goose as well as several western Canada geese on October 30. This made for a remarkably diverse flock of geese in Curry County. Perhaps the emperor goose present last winter will join this flock if he returns to Curry County this year! Also at Euchre Creek October 30 was a gadwall which has been hard to find in Curry County the past couple of years (CPD, ADB, KS).

TJW reported the greater sandhill crane was still around the Elk River lowlands on October 21 and 27. He also reported that another crane, thought to be a lesser sandhill crane, was at Floras Creek/New River area October 18 and 22. CPD and ALD found a white-tailed kite (aka black-shouldered kite) at Jerry’s Flat on October 11. It was still there November 1 (CPD, ADB, EC). KS saw a golden eagle flying south over Brookings on October 20. Also around this date, KS and others reported many northern harriers, Cooper’s, red-tailed and sharp-shinned hawks heading south over Brookings. A sora joined in on a small chorus of Virginia rails at the mill pond at Jerry’s flat on Nov. 1 (ADB, EC, CPD). KS found the only unusual shorebird of the period when he sighted a late ruddy turnstone at the Chetco mouth on October 20.

TJWs sighting of 10-15 black swifts at Cape Blanco on September 15 were repeated on September 17, but I heard the news too late to include in the last storm-petrel report. TJW found a small herd of rare flycatchers including a Say’s phoebe and a tropical kingbird on October 14 at his Elk River ranch The tropical kingbird was joined by two others for an unprecedented group of three at his ranch on October 16 (1JW, BS) TJW also found another Say's phoebe at Langlois on October 25. Dorothy Sevey's house in Hunter Creek yielded a northern mockingbird on October 30 (ADB, KS, CPD). Palm warblers made a showing at TJW's ranch on October 19 (1 by TJW) and October 28 (5 by Tooze and TJ'W). and November 1 at Pistol River (1 by ADB, CPD. EC)

Observers: Colin Dillingham(CPD), Angie Dillingham(ALD), Terry WahI (TJW), Alan Barron (ADB). Keith Slauson (KS), Buzz Stewart (BS), Eileen Cooper (EC).