BIRD NOTES – Spring 2008

by Jim Rogers

March 17 – Don Munson reported a Snow Goose at Pistol River

March 29 – A Ring-necked Pheasant was reported on Coast Guard Hill by Joy McDowell. I recall there being a sighting of this very rare (for Curry County) bird on CGH several years ago, and Don Munson found apparently breeding RNPHs along the south bank of the Rogue prior to the ’96 flood. If anyone sees or hears one anywhere in the County please let me know.

April 3 – A Tree Sparrow was reported by Knute Andersson at the cranberry bogs he manages north of the Cape Blanco Airport. It stayed for about a week.

April 9 – Diane Cavaness found a Townsend’s Solitaire at the Chetco North Fork.

April 12 – Don Munson reported a Sora at the Winchuck ponds. He also noted the Tufted Puffins returning to Goat Island at Harris Beach. Don recently observed Tufted Puffins at Whaleshead. Did anyone realize that puffins apparently nest on Whaleshead? Not I.

April 18 -- Don noted a small flock of Chipping Sparrows at their annual nesting site on the South Bank of the Chetco.

April 21 – Mr. Munson went for a drive in the C BIRDS mobile, spotting 6 Snowy Egrets from the Hwy. 101 Winchuck River bridge, many Savannah Sparrows and a few Western Kingbirds along Oceanview Drive, a large flock of California Gulls at the Port, and back home up the South Bank Chetco, numerous White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Orange-crowned, Townsend’s, Wilson’s and Black-throated Warblers and a Bullock’s Oriole. Whew!

April 24 – I walked out to the mouth of Floras Creek where it enters New River and observed literally thousands of Aleutian Canada Geese on the pastures. The sound of their honking would have been deafening if one were in the middle of the flock. They’d all rise in unison in a cloud, circle around and drop back down to the grass. They were fattening up for the long flight to their nesting grounds in the Aleutians. The recovery of this species from near extinction has been one of the greatest success stories of the Endangered Species Act. I hope the ranchers are being compensated for the forage they provide. I also heard a Sora near the footbridge at the Floras Lake outlet. Diane Cavaness reported 13 Chipping Sparrows at Azalea Park

April 25 – Don Munson reported a Solitary Sandpiper at the Winchuck pond. Al Colinet was visited by a juvenile Hooded Oriole at his home on Alder Street in Brookings.

April 29 – Terry Wahl reported a Solitary Sandpiper in a pond near their sheep barn.

May 4 – Don Munson observed a flock of Franklin’s Gulls northbound at Lone Ranch. This is a species I’ve never seen in Curry County!

May 10 – The North American Migration Count, a day when lots of birders combine their efforts to “take a snapshot” of what the birds are doing throughout the County, State and continent. Some of the more noteworthy sightings in Curry Co.: a couple dozen Aleutian Canada Geese were still in the Floras Lake area; 14 Brant were heading north; 9 Buffleheads were still in the County as well as a Common Goldeneye a Horned Grebe and 7 Western Grebes: a Peregrine Falcon was a possible nester; only 10 Killdeer could be found; 228 Red-necked Phalaropes; 9500 Common Murres; a Rhinocerous Auklet, 26 Eurasian Collared Doves, a Black Swift, a Say’s Phoebe, 44 Evening Grosbeaks, etc. A pelagic trip also ranged past the coat of Curry County and several other counties, adding lots of birds only seen at sea, including a Pink-footed Shearwater, 2 Murphy’s Petrels, a Laysan Albatross, and numerous other species commonly found out there. The complete results for the NAMC will eventually be published in Oregon Birds. The next NAMC will be the third Saturday in September.

May 11 – A lone Sandhill Crane flew over Don Munson’s house.

May 17 – A brightly-colored Yellow-headed Blackbird was spotted by Terry Wahl on his family’s Elk River ranch where it remained for about a week.

May 12 – Don reported a late White-throated Sparrow.

May 23 – Don observed 20-30 Black Swifts foraging northward past his house.

May 24 – A singing Northern Mockingbird was found by Don Munson on Memory Lane in Brookings. I’ve seen several in May during past years, but never during the summer. Maybe, with global warming, there will eventually be breeding NOMOs in Curry.

Lois Miller says she’s seen more Yellow Warblers this spring then in her entire life! A lot of people in Western Oregon are reporting extra high numbers of Band-tailed Pigeons this spring. Do you, dear readers of the Storm Petrel, share this observation?

Please let me know of your interesting bird sightings. chlaparl@wildblue.net