May 11 to July 6, 1999.
by Colin Dillingham

Common Loon are often found in Curry County during summer and NW saw numerous on May 26 in non-breeding plumage around P.O. dock. Apparently loons don't migrate to summer breeding grounds until age 4 according to NW. The first Brown Pelicans showed up 5/21, five adults in breeding plumage, floating off Battle Rock beach (NW) and 3 at the mouth of the Rogue River (MAM). One of only few records for Curry were DM's 12 white-faced ibis flying north past his Oceanview Drive yard in Harbor on May 16. Annual in summer time in Curry, but not confirmed as a breeder in recent years were a pair of Blue-winged Teal on 10 May in the Mill Pond, Port Orford (NW). They apparently stayed only the morning. Late Greater Scaup by NW on 30 June, two males and a female in the Gold Beach boat basin.

CPD reported the first nest for white-tailed kite in Curry 4 miles up the Rogue River from Gold Beach. The pair are nesting in a approximately 25 year old Douglas-fir plantation, with young ready to fledge at the end of the period. TJW reported 3 sandhill cranes between May 30 and June 3 on the Elk River bottoms. Jim Rogers also reported a Sandhill Crane May 8 in a field southeast of the Floras Road/ Willow Creek intersection (also seen May 11 by NW and May 21 by DJL and KAC). NW saw a Ring-necked Pheasant 19 May, a male in a field south of Floras Creek Road. There is no self-sustaining breeding population in Curry County of pheasants so this is likely a recent escapee or introduction from somebody's private flock.

TJW found a huge flock, estimated to be between 900-1000 whimbrel at Elk River bottoms on May 18 along with 1 long-billed curlew, 1 willet and 2 marbled godwit. NW also saw marbled godwit on 18 May at the Gold Beach boat basin. NW saw Ruddy Turnstone on 8 May at 12th Street boat dock, Port Orford. Flew in, startled, and flew right off.

The first Curry County Upland Sandpiper was spotted by TJW on May 21 and seen by several observers over the next afternoon and day at Elk River bottoms near Cape Blanco (CPD, ALD, ADB, KAC, DJL, Tooze Wahl, NW). DM reported a Franklin's gull from Oceanview Drive by his yard. NW reported a Glaucous Gull on 5/26, P.O. dock area with inconsistent age criteria. It had the partially black bill of a juvenile but the very pale pearly mantle of an adult.

NW reported a remarkably large congregation of 30 mourning doves on 10 May in Port Orford. A spotted owl was seen while marbled murrelets flew overhead near Kimball Hill on the Rogue River (CPD, Jesse and Melissa McDowell, Tom and Tommy Jr. Hawkins). DJL and KAC saw 4 black swifts at Floras Lake on 8 May; TJW saw 6 at Elk River bottoms on 7 May; and MRS saw black swifts up the Winchuck River on 17 May. The Dillingham's were treated to 120 Vaux's swifts flying down our Chimney for our 10th wedding anniversary on 10 May. TR reported an ash-throated flycatcher at Floras Lake on 20 May and DM had one 17 May in the Winchuck pastures. NW reported that the bank swallows were back at their nesting colony at Nesika Beach. Slumps last winter eliminated all their previous burrows. CPD was able to photograph them May 22, 1999 and estimated 80 bank swallows present. On 7 June, NW counted at least 114 excavated burrows.

CPD and ALD found Curry's first Veery, a reddish eastern race. It showed up in our house 4 miles up the Rogue River on 13 May. The bird had very bright reddish tail, back, wings and crown, silvery gray flanks, buffy breast with small streaks, not definite heavy chevrons. The breast streaking was limited to the upper breast. It lacked the heavy eyering or spectacles of swainson's thrush. Interestingly, there was another that showed up in coastal northern Oregon plus or minus a day or two.

Two northern mockingbirds showed up, one at Glen Sevey's yard up Hunter Creek on 18 May and a second at Elk River bottoms about 31 May (TJW). A rose-breasted grosbeaks showed up in Curry this spring at Glen Sevey's up Hunter Creek on May 18. He was able to photograph the male. Two yellow-headed blackbirds were at Elk River bottoms on 22 May (TJW). An amazing record of a Common Grackle 17-18 June in NW's yard in Port Orford was well described. The bird was a robin-sized, yellow-eyed blackbird with longer bill and tail than a Brewers', with iridescent blue-green head, and rusty-tinged back.

Observers are as follows - Colin Dillingham (CPD), Angie Dillingham (ALD), Mark Stevens (MRS), Terry Wahl (TJW), Alan Barron (ADB), Eileen Cooper (EC), Dave Lauten (DJL), Tim Rodenkirk (TJR), Kathy Castelein (KAC), Nathanial Wander (NW), Don Munson (DM), Buzz Stewart (BS), Fred Hummel (FH), Jim Rogers (JR), Carrie Rogers (CR), Michael Miller (MAM).