These field notes are from the Sandpiper, a publication of Yaquina Birders & Naturalists, Lincoln County, Oregon. This group is independent of the Audubon Society of Lincoln City.
Comments about abundance or seasonality refer only to LINCOLN COUNTY.
Many Lincoln Co. birding sites are in the Oregon Coast Birding Trail Guide.
Semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird records through 1992 at ScholarsArchive@OSU).
------------------------------- Month of Sandpiper, Volume 28 ------------------------------- August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 -------------------------------
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Abbreviations, terms, and some Lincoln Co. site locations: BAYSHORE BEACH: ocean beach along north Alsea Bay Spit, BEAVER CREEK: creek flowing through Ona Beach State Park, BOILER BAY: State Wayside about 0.5 mi north of Depoe Bay, HMSC: OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, IDAHO FLATS: large embayment just east of HMSC, LNG TANK: large green Liquefied Natural Gas tank on the north side of Yaquina Bay about 1.5 miles east of Yaquina Bay Bridge, MIKE MILLER PARK: county park 1.2 miles south of the Yaquina Bay Bridge on the east side of Hwy 101, ONA BEACH: State Park about 6.6 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge along HWY 101 at Beaver Creek, SALLY'S BEND: large Yaquina Bay embayment east of the LNG tank, THORNTON CREEK: about midway between Toledo and Eddyville along HWY 20, YBSJ: Yaquina Bay South Jetty.
Among the oversummering, nonbreeding birds noted this June included BRANT at Yaquina Head on 6/11, 12, and 30 (BLM). On 8/24, PL detected 20- 25 Brant at Idaho Flats.
The latest report for northerly migrating CANADA GEESE was for 6/2 about 0.5 mi north of Ona Beach (RC).
On 6/18, AH saw a CACKLING GOOSE fly low into a cliff at Yaquina Head, slide down the face of the rock, "knocking a Western Gull off its nest"! The goose evidently was not hurt badly as it was later swimming in the tide pools.
An adult WOOD DUCK with 7 ducklings was at the middle reservoir of Big Creek (Newport) Reservoir in mid-June (BLo).
BB notes that a hen MALLARD and 8 freshly hatched ducklings were at the newly created Yachats Community Park wetland on 6/20. But only one duckling survived to 7/2; it lingered to at least 7/23 (BB).
First reports of migrant ducks were all from Boiler Bay and include: NORTHERN PINTAILS on 8/18 (WH) and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELLER, and CINNAMON TEAL on 8/26 (SF & JD).
HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued to show at Yaquina Head in late May and on 6/30 (BLM). 5 were also at Seal Rock on 6/5 (JGr).
All three scoter species have oversummered here in the past, but this June only SURF SCOTERS were noted at Seal Rocks (KB), Yaquina Head (BLM), and Yaquina Bay (RB). On 7/16, about 300 Surfs were near Yaquina Head (DA).
A HOODED MERGANSER with ducklings was viewed during the 6/23 YBNFT at Mike Miller Park.
On 7/20, J&KC spotted a NORTHERN BOBWHITE pecking at weeds and berries along the fence of their home about 4 miles east of Waldport. This appears to be our 6th record (SemiL, FN)--they may all be escapees.
LN found a YELLOW-BILLED LOON at Sally's Bend on 8/16, where he had also found one last summer.
Nonbreeding WESTERN GREBES are typically along the open coast and that was also the case this June-July at Yaquina Head (BLM; DA), and there were also as many as 60 near Seal Rocks in June (KB).
On 6/28, TG very promptly reported over 50 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES less than a mile off Yaquina Head. This was a golden opportunity to see this normally pelagic species from shore, but no one reported doing so. TG also spotted PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, SOOTY SHEARWATERS, and over 45 FORK- TAILED STORM-PETRELS.
From shore at Depoe Bay, DS saw a steady stream of SOOTY SHEARWATERS moving south at a rate of about 60/minute on 8/19; however, on 8/29, DS observed they were now streaming north at 45-60/minute.
BROWN PELICANS started to be common along the open coast in late April but generally it takes time before they venture far into estuaries. This year our first report east of the Yaquina Bay Bridge was of 5 near the Embarcadero on 7/1 (LW). The peak count thus far is 170 at Yaquina Head on 6/9 (CA). It is unusual to find any beached pelicans, but one was along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach in late July (B&SLo, L&VO).
"Squawker," the Great Blue Heron that unusually calls frequently while flying was noted at the HMSC on 6/21 (RB & BHa), 6/26 (JL), 7/12 & 26 (JL), and 8/1, 2, and 23 (RB). JL observes that it doesn't squawk every wing beat, just every fourth beat or so. TW comments that he saw it land once last year, and it stopped calling, so its frequent calling may only be while it is flying. This year, on 7/12, JL also noted that it stopped squawking after landing in a spruce tree. JL had her digital camera that takes movies and tried to get a video with sound, but Squawker was too distant.
From late Dec. through May 9, RB counted 27-34 Great Blue Herons (X) at Yaquina Bay embayments (see graph below). On May 22, they about doubled to 62, as given in the May Sandpiper, and RB closely studied the head plumage to determine that none were hatched this year. 65-67 were surveyed on June 6 and 20.
In late July and August, they more than again doubled to 134-156! This second increase can be attributed to fledgling, with juveniles showing up at embayments to feed. Werschkul et al. (1977. Murrelet 58:7-12) found that peak fledging at 8 Oregon coast colonies was from June 28 to July 12.
If it is assumed that the 62 adults observed on May 22 all nested successfully, and if it is assumed that they produced 2.45 young per successful nest (2.45=midpoint of 2.2-2.7 found by Werschkul et al.), then they would have produced 76 young (31 nests x 2.45 young/nest). 62 adults + 76 young=138 herons, which is very close to the three counts of 134-143 counts herons during July 31-August 16. Perhaps deceptively close, in RB's opinion. This could just be coincidence as we have no knowledge of the actual number of successfully breeding herons (not all adults may have nested and not all herons nest successfully), of nesting success (this year an adult Bald Eagle was seen in the lower Yaquina colony and this could have reduced nesting success), or if young produced from these nests went to Yaquina Bay embayments (young are on their own at feeding areas and they could have dispersed elsewhere and young produced from elsewhere could have come to the Yaquina). But the explanation for the 134-143 herons was certainly tidy! However, it became less tidy when even more (156 herons) were censused on 8/31.
Now what will happen? Will heron numbers continue to increase in a straight line as suggested by the graph?
Similar numbers of herons may also be at Alsea Bay. On 6/18, MR counted 75 Great Blues at Alsea Bay--slightly more than the 65 at Yaquina Bay embayments on 6/20 (RB).
In this month's Sandpiper, RB's GREAT EGRET counts are also included in the graph below. Prior to July, egrets were generally absent. Signs of an influx of egrets at Idaho Flats occurred with observations of 10 on 6/28 (JL) and 30 on 7/14 (HS).
They rapidly increased, with 70-71 at Idaho Flats on 8/5 (HS) and 8/6 (JL). On August 31, 84 were tallied (RB). Now what will happen? Will the straight line increase continue? Will there be more GE's than GBH's this year?
There still are no Great Egret nesting records in Lincoln County, so their increase as shown in the graph at about the same time as for Great Blues would not represent local production of young.
Great Egrets are rare along the coastline, but one flew over Colony Rock at Yaquina Head on 7/20 (BLM). On 8/12, JGe's family visited Ona Beach, and JGe wrote that they saw a flying Great Egret that "looked like he was headed straight out to sea, but eventually he turned around and landed on the beach, standing among about 70 resting gulls as if he was one of the flock."
Number of Great Blue Herons (X) and Great Egrets (e) Within 1 Hour
of Predicted Low Tides Less Than +0.8 ft at Yaquina Bay Embayments
(Idaho Flats, Sally's Bend, and mudflats south of Sally's Bend)
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BHa reported that there were active OSPREY nests on two light poles at the Waldport High School football field this year. On 6/22, JW saw 4 Osprey circling and squawking over these nests on side-by-side poles before landing. Another Osprey nest was active at Mike Miller Park during the 6/23 YBNFT.
JCo established that 1-2 WHITE-TAILED KITES were in the Siletz River Valley this summer, where they probably nested.
Our first juvenile RED-SHOULDERED HAWK of the fall flew by the HMSC on 8/24 (RL).
PEREGRINE FALCONS were along the Lincoln County coast in June and July (BLM; CL; KB). On 6/21, one was enjoying its duck dinner and "stared off" an adult TURKEY VULTURE that landed nearby, interested in dining, too (KB).
[Image Not Included: Kitty Brigham's July 7 photo of a Peregrine Falcon feeding on what appears to be an adult Common Murre (fide Roy Lowe) on a Lincoln Co. beach. Since adult murres were washing ashore then, it is not clear if this may be a freshly beached murre, an unhealthy murre that would have beached, or a healthy murre.]
[Image Not Included: Jill Grover's July 18 photo of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper walking with its reflection on a wet Bayshore Beach.]
As usual, nonbreeding WHIMBRELS lingered at Yaquina Bay in June, with 40 on 6/6 (RB), 41 on 6/10 (CA), and 38 on 6/26 (JL). Immigration appears to have begun on 6/27 or 6/28 when there was a marked increase to 57 and 73 Whimbrels, respectively (JL).
Migrant arrivals include RED-NECKED PHALAROPES off Yaquina Head on 6/28 (TG), 30 peeps at Idaho Flats on 6/28 (JL), 5 DOWITCHERS at Idaho Flats on 7/4 (LW), SURFBIRDS at Yaquina Head on 7/13 (BLM), a WANDERING TATTLER at Yachats on 7/17 (SaL), MARBLED GODWITS near Yachats on 7/21 (fide BB), a WILLET at Yaquina Bay on 8/11 (WH), and a carefully studied SOLITARY SANDPIPER at the Drift Creek/Harris Ranch Trail junction in Drift Creek Wilderness, north of Waldport on 8/14 (EH's family).
On 7/18, JGr saw and photographed what DI, DS, and others identified as a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at Bayshore Beach (which is the ocean beach along north Alsea Bay Spit).
Some years, Bayshore Beach has been very productive for shorebirds. This season it was good, since JGr also photographed a RED KNOT with a Semipalmated Plover there on 8/21. From the photo, DS pointed out that it was most likely a juvenile knot because in examining a photo he saw that it had fine black subterminal lines and white fringes at the tips of several greater coverts and tertials.
On 6/2, DI, NSt, JS, and TJ saw an early HEERMANN'S GULL at Yachats. It was one of the 219 bird species that they recorded from Yachats to Summer Lake in a 24 hour period. This was a new June record for North America as well as Oregon!
On 6/19, C&AH and ES reported a rare, possible BLACK-TAILED GULL near Ona Beach.
On 6/27, CP noted a WESTERN GULL nest with 3 eggs just below the top of the pitched roof of the Stanley Building at 615 SW Hurbert, Newport. Western Gull nests on roofs have been noted at Salishan Spit in the past, but the Stanley Building is much further from shore, about 0.4 mile. They like to nest on flat surfaces, so the pitched roof also does not seem appropriate. The eggs hatched by 7/6, and on 8/10, CP reported that the 3 chicks had slid down the roof or had an attempted short flights, so that they were on the ground, but people from a neighboring building had put them up on their roof.
At least one Western Gull nested on the east side of the pitched roof of Barry Fisher Building at the HMSC--with a chick on 7/23 (RB).
Continuing the tradition of nonbreeding, oversummering CASPIAN TERNS, up to 40 were noted at Idaho Flats during June, some with colored leg bands (JL; RB) that can be reported (http://www.columbiabirdresearch.org). 15 were also at Alsea Bay on 6/23 (CA).
In late August, ELEGANT TERNS showed up near Florence (Lane Co.), and 3 also flew south past Yaquina Head on 8/26 (M&MD).
2 rare XANTUS'S MURRELETS were encountered 20-30 miles off Newport during the 8/25 Bird Guide Pelagic Trip.
2 ANCIENT MURRELETS at Yachats on 6/2 were late (DI & JS).
It does not look like it was a good year for COMMON MURRES. In July, 41 adults and 9 juveniles were beached along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach (B&SLo, L&VO). The number of adults is worrisome because of their low productivity but is far less than the July totals of 181 in 2005 and 125 in 1983. In mid- to late July BLo and RL saw few murre chicks at sea, and RL concluded that "it's going to be another poor year of recruitment for murres."
D&LF found a rare HORNED PUFFIN in breeding plumage between the first rock finger west of the Yaquina Bay Bridge and the Bridge on 7/5; CP also got a chance to see it.
One TUFTED PUFFIN beached in May north of Ona Beach (B&SLo, L&VO). Live ones graced Yachats on 6/2 (DI, NS, JS, TJ) and Yaquina Head on 6/11 & 23 (BLM).
While driving North Yaquina Bay Road between Toledo on Newport on 7/15, CP counted 21 MOURNING DOVES, with 12 in one place. That is an exceptionally high count. However, it appears that he was very fortuitous to see so many. He did the same route on 7/16 & 17 and saw only 4 and 0, respectively. With such great variability, it is important to have many counts.
EH's family went on a camping trip to Drift Creek Wilderness north of Waldport on 8/14, and they were all lucky enough to see a recently fledged SPOTTED OWL perched over Harris Ranch Trail.
In recent years most of our BARRED OWL reports came from north Beaver Creek, near LO's home. This summer, LO notes that they were absent until 8/8. For the first time ever, JL heard them near her home between Toledo and Siletz on 8/28.
LO had our only COMMON NIGHTHAWK reports--they were at north Beaver Creek on 6/29 and 8/2 & 13.
4-5 BLACK SWIFTS joined local BARN SWALLOWS in swooping for flying insects at RC & WN's home about 0.5 mi north of Ona Beach on 8/9.
The single VAUX'S SWIFT at Thornton Creek on 6/11 is DF's third record of them in the 50 years he has birded there; then on 8/22, several more passed through! On 6/18, 2-3 Vaux's were flittering over the HMSC, where they have not been noted in a long time (RB).
Both ANNA'S and RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were often reported. Then the last week in July, an all white hummingbird appeared at a Hummingbird Plant in Toledo (BS).
The most unusual flycatcher record was of a late BLACK PHOEBE 15-16 miles west of Newport on 6/2 (RL). RL notes that it was very foggy while they were fishing for halibut when the phoebe approached "our boat and circled around us widely for about 3-4 minutes. It looked tired and confused so I was surprised it didn't land on the bow of our boat, but it eventually disappeared."
Our only GRAY JAY report was by EH's family at Drift Creek Wilderness on 8/14.
WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS appeared in mid-May and singletons were also noted on 6/13 near Waldport (BHu), on 7/13 in Toledo (CP), and on 8/27 in Newport (CP).
On 8/21, FR had a very fleeting glimpse of what appeared to be a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE at the north end of the Otter Crest Loop, north of Cape Foulweather. However, in July 2002 at Yaquina Head, there was a juvenile AMERICAN CROW with white feathers that gave it a magpie-like appearance. FR was able to relocate the bird on 8/23 and determined that it was indeed a crow with white patches at the ends of its wings. EE also saw a crow with white feathers in the same area on 8/21. Other crows with white patches were viewed this summer at Waldport (JP) and the HMSC (RL).
A sign of the changing seasons--CP heard the call notes of the first night migrating SWAINSON'S THRUSHES at 5:45 AM the morning of 8/6 at his Toledo home.
During the 6/23 YBNFT to Mike Miller Park, a WRENTIT was appreciated by all simultaneously, a difficult feat for such a retiring species!
DA recognized an uncommon NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD flying across HWY 101 at Mooloch Beach, north of Yaquina Head on 7/16.
Our only reports of large number of migrant terrestrial birds were by DF at Thornton Creek. On 8/7, he noted that:
"We annually get this kind of movement here in the fall when conditions are right: low cloud ceiling with drizzle in the first few weeks of August, but this was one of the better fallouts I had seen for several years."
DF noted that there were then:
"good numbers and a good variety of birds in the willows and alders along the creek. Lots of WILSON'S and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, WESTERN TANAGERS, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, AMERICAN ROBINS, and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES. Lesser numbers of CEDAR WAXWINGS, PURPLE FINCHES, and ORANGE- CROWNED WARBLERS. One each of PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, HERMIT WARBLER, and NASHVILLE WARBLER. ... Numbers of WESTERN TANAGERS were particularly impressive."
On 8/22 at Thornton Creek, DF also observed "a sizeable movement of Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks. Numbers of both species kept flying out of the trees, and appeared to snap up some sort of flying insect before returning to the trees." There were also "a number of Barn and Violet-green Swallows passing through."
[Image Not Included: Kitty Brigham's July 28 photo of a Cedar Waxwing with a glint of sunlight reflecting off its black eye near Seal Rock.]
On 7/27, WO saw two waxwings with yellow on the wing at his South Beach home. In July 1994 we also had a report of waxwings with yellow on the wings. While the yellow would suggest a BOHEMIAN WAXWING, it is much more likely that they were CEDAR WAXWINGS, perhaps molting or with plumage that appeared yellow. Breeding Bird Surveys did not report Bohemians in the lower 48 states in June, so it seems unlikely that they would be here in July--they rarely show up in winter. Other characteristics to distinguish them as Bohemians were not observed.
On 7/12, NSe studied an unseasonal VESPER SPARROW near the YBSJ to be sure it was not a much more-to-be-expected Savannah Sparrow or a juvenile Dark-eyed Junco.
On 7/5, BLo heard the song and the single note whistle in brush and small trees of what he was sure was a WESTERN MEADOWLARK about a quarter mile south of the Newport Airport in South Beach. Meadowlarks were recorded as possibly nesting in hexagons along the eastern Lincoln Co. borders with Benton and Polk Co. during the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas Project, and we have a smattering of June-July records. Too bad it wasn't seen because one may wonder if it could have been a vocal mimic such as an Eurasian Starling.
A female BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was feeding on nectar from a red-hot poker plant at CP's Toledo home on 6/24. This is the first Bullock's at that site.
Several observers noted RED CROSSBILLS this summer. At Depoe Bay, DS observed a flock of 7 adults and juveniles. 4 had sinistral (crossed to left) bills and 3 had dextral (crossed to right) bills. In Red Crossbills, the ratio between left- and right-crossing is approximately equal (http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v109n02/p0383-p0385.pdf).
OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Don Albright, Cindy Ashy, Betty Bahn, Range Bayer, Kitty Brigham, Bureau of Land Management staff at Yaquina Head (BLM), Rebecca Cheek, Jorrie & Ken Ciotti (http://www.birdsamore.com), Joel Colvin (JCo), Jim Danzenbaker, Mike & MerryLynn Denny, Emily Eppinger, Darrel & Laura Faxon (some of DF's bird records are at bird.htm#thornton_creek), Shawneen Finnegan, Joel Geier (JGe), Jill Grover (JGr), Bird Guide Pelagic Trip (BGPT; info about pelagic trips, http://thebirdguide.com), Troy Guy, Bill Hanshumaker (BHa), Adrian & Christopher Hinkle, Wayne Hoffman, Eric Horvath, Bettye Hunt (BHu), Dave Irons, Tim Janzen, Janet Lamberson, Chris Langdon, Pete Lawson, Sally Lockyear (SaL), Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley Loeffel (SLo), Roy Lowe, Walt Nelson, Lars Norgren, Field Notes (FN, use "Search" link at top of hbird.htm [all lower case letters] to search for Lincoln County records from the Sandpiper since 1992), OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line; recent postings with info about joining is at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html), Laimons & Vicki Osis, Woody Ouderkirk, Chuck Philo, Jan Power, Fran Recht, Maggie Rivers, Em Scattaregia, Bonnie Schaaf, SemiL (semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird records through 1992 at ScholarsArchive@OSU), Nathan Senner (NSe), Howard Shippey, Don Stein, Noah Strycker (NSt), John Sullivan, Tom Wainwright, Larry Wampler, Jean Weakland, Yaquina Birders & Naturalists Field Trip (YBNFT led by EH).
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Abbreviations, terms, and some Lincoln Co. site locations: BEAVER CREEK: creek flowing through Ona Beach State Park, HMSC: OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, IDAHO FLATS: large embayment just east of HMSC, LNG TANK: large green Liquefied Natural Gas tank on the north side of Yaquina Bay about 1.5 miles east of Yaquina Bay Bridge, ONA BEACH: State Park about 6.6 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge along HWY 101 at Beaver Creek, SALLY'S BEND: large Yaquina Bay embayment east of the LNG tank, YBSJ: Yaquina Bay South Jetty.
GR. WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were on the move with 85 counted during the 9/22 BGPT, 2 flocks on 9/28 at 7:38 AM over Newport (RL), and 2 flocks on 9/29 in the late morning over Newport (CP).
HARLEQUIN DUCKS were reported at Yaquina Head on 8/19 & 26 (BLM). 2- 4 were at Seal Rocks on 9/3 (JG and others) and in mid-Sept. (PPa).
Apparently following a fish school, a feeding flock of 18 COMMON MERGANSERS scooted across the shallows of Idaho Flats during the 9/21 YBNFT. In winter, they are very rarely detected that far downstream.
4 RUFFED GROUSE were in the hills above Toledo in early Sept. (DuGr). On 9/13 at north Beaver Creek, LO reports:
"The good news is that I still have Ruffed Grouse on my place. The bad news is that he/she chose to fly into one of our windows and broke the outer pane in the process. The grouse walked away."
The 9/22 BGPT detected 50 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES, 225 NORTHERN FULMARS, 6 BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, 150 PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 100 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, and 8 FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS.
On 9/21, CP viewed 7-8 BROWN PELICANS flying from the Georgia Pacific Mill in Toledo over the Yaquina River boat launch at the Toledo Airport. They were unusually far upstream--we have few pelican records upstream of River Bend at Yaquina Bay. But CP saw 1 again at the Airport boat launch on 9/22. They were commonly reported along the coast and in lower parts of estuaries.
Poor visibility, tide timing, and scheduling resulted in only one GREAT BLUE HERON census at Yaquina Bay in September on 9/26 (RB). Nevertheless, the results were dramatic--a 29% decrease since the 8/31 peak of 156 herons (see graph below).
This precipitous decline is not explained by adverse weather--it has been very mild. No mass mortality was observed or expected. Similar declines have also been noted in past years at this time. Day length has declined dramatically, and the nights are chillier, so herons may have decided to leave. But are they dispersing randomly or migrating? Will all of them leave?
GREAT EGRETS also declined 19% at Yaquina Bay embayments since 8/31 (RB), but some of them may have moved up the Yaquina as they have in past years. In contrast, heron numbers have not increased upstream when they decline at embayments.
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The main pond at the newly created Yachats Community Park was used by Great Blue Herons and GREEN HERONS in Sept. (BB; SaL). A Green Heron was also at Criteser's Moorage downstream of Toledo during the NAMC on 9/15 (JL).
[Image Not Included: Howard Shippey's Sept. 6 photo of an Osprey precariously perched atop one of the dead trees surrounding the pond behind the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Note that its talons are much larger than the perch.]
Singleton RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were in the Ona Beach area during 9/15-9/28 (RG; LO; RL) and at Sally's Bend during the NAMC on 9/15 (CA & DF).
On 9/20 at the HMSC, BO saw EUROPEAN STARLINGS form a flying "ball" in the sky in response to a MERLIN, our first of the season. The Merlin seemed confused and was unsuccessful in its attempts to catch a starling, so the starling's anti-predator behavior was successful.
A PEREGRINE FALCON was recorded 3 days in August at Yaquina Head (BLM). 2 at Moolack Beach north of Yaquina Head during the NAMC on 9/15 (JL) is our high count.
[Image Not Included: Janet Lamberson's Sept. 26 photo of Turkey Vultures perched in the dead alder along the HMSC Nature Trail at about 10 AM. One TV is "sunning" with its back towards the sun. In addition, 3 others were on the ground nearby--2 "sunning." The Birds of North America Online (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/) notes that such "Spread-Wing Postures" are "usually assumed in full sunlight, most often at morning perches. It also notes that various functions are proposed for spread-wing posturing in birds (e.g., heat loss when too hot, heat gain in the morning, and wing- drying).]
KG & GH heard SORAS and VIRGINIA RAILS near Lincoln City on 9/21. This is our first Sora report since May--they and rails are often missed here.
A flightless AMERICAN COOT with a molting left wing was walking around the HMSC on 9/11 (RB). It is a mystery where it came from and how it go there as the closest known nesting area is near Toledo. KG & GH reported 2 coots at Eckman Lake, east of Waldport, on 9/21.
One MARBLED GODWIT was at Idaho Flats during the 9/21 YBNFT and at Sally's Bend on 9/23 (CA).
The 9/22 BGPT found 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS, 5 POMARINE JAEGERS, and 1 SOUTH POLAR SKUA.
The 9/21 YBNFT saw many WESTERN GULLS finding cockles or steamer clams at Idaho Flats and dropping them on sand or pavement to break them open. RB was surprised because this was a very high low tide (predicted +4.2 ft), so these clams must extend high into the intertidal.
On 9/23 at Sally's Bend, CA saw a gull that appeared to be smaller than a Bonaparte's Gull that was a possible LITTLE GULL. Our most recent Little Gull record was on 4/23/2006, when DK reported one at Lincoln City that had dark underwings (FN), an important characteristic for identifying [adult] Little Gulls.
PS & CK discovered a FORSTER'S TERN at YBSJ on 9/9. Never common, most of our records are from the 1980's--the most recent is DFi's sighting of one at the YBSJ on 8/23/2001 (SemiL; FN).
CASPIAN TERNS tend to be pretty coastal, though they have been reported over the town of Siletz. On 9/11, DF recorded the first one at his Thornton Creek farm about 10 miles inland, east of Toledo.
The most numerous beached birds along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach in August were COMMON MURRES (20 adults and 7 chicks), but there were also 2 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and 1 CASSIN'S AUKLET (B&SLo, L&VO).
Our first EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES of the year appeared in May, and our only report of them since then was of a pair near the "back gate" of the HMSC on 8/27 (RL).
DaGr notes that she had 2 MOURNING DOVES visiting her Toledo home all summer with 6 at her feeders from mid-August through mid-September, but when she came home on 9/14, she found 20!
The first GREAT HORNED OWL near CP's Toledo home in years hooted on 9/23.
EH had our only report of VAUX'S SWIFTS on 9/11:
"a flock of 100 over the Recreation Center in Newport at dusk--6:30 PM. I didn't see them swirling and going into a chimney, although they probably did somewhere later. The flock was milling in the sky, forming and reforming for 20 min."
Our first RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER of fall arrived at L& VO's walnut tree at north Beaver Creek on 9/27.
A PILEATED WOODPECKER ate "chittum" (cascara) berries near Siletz in mid-Sept. (HJ). On 9/24, JL wrote about a Pileated at their home between Toledo and Siletz:
"PL, a friend, and I enjoyed watching a Pileated Woodpecker in our yard hanging on upside down to the fragile tips of the mountain ash, gently taking one berry at a time. The red crest of the bird blended beautifully with the bright red berries!"
3 GRAY JAYS returned to BB's feeders in Yachats on 9/16.
A WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was in Newport in early Sept. (fide JL).
TD reported that a dead AMERICAN CROW found in Beverly Beach State Park on 9/6 tested positive for West Nile virus. This virus was first discovered in Lincoln County in Sept. and Oct. 2006, when 2 crows tested positive (TD). Corvids are particularly vulnerable to this virus. Anyone finding a fresh, dead, ill corvid (e.g., one with no visible causes of death such as being a roadkill) in Lincoln County should call 541-265-4127 to ask about testing. About 80% of infected people show no symptoms--the best defense against West Nile is to prevent mosquito bites (TD).
EH last found PURPLE MARTINS on 9/4.
DF heard heavy nocturnal movements of SWAINSON'S THRUSHES at Thornton Creek the second week of September.
PP noticed our first AMERICAN PIPIT of fall at the YBSJ on 9/9.
On 9/9, PP encountered 50+ SAVANNAH SPARROWS at the YBSJ that may have been migrating or staging for migration. 25 were also recorded during the 9/15 & 16 NAMC (CA).
On 9/21, KG & GH reported our first fall FOX SPARROWS near Toledo and our first fall LAPLAND LONGSPURS (5) at the YBSJ.
BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS now usually only seem to be found here in towns at parking lots, but SK had a flock of 7 that grew to about 50 at his feeder near Criteser's Moorage downstream of Toledo during 9/8-13. It will be interesting to see if they linger.
Our first fall WESTERN MEADOWLARK was at Yaquina Head on 8/24 (BLM) and at the HMSC on 9/24 (JL).
A partial albino HOUSE FINCH returned to DaGr's feeder at the HMSC on 9/13--its head is white with scattered pink feathers.
OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Cindy Ashy, Betty Bahn, Range Bayer, Bureau of Land Management staff at Yaquina Head (BLM), Terry Dillman (Sept. 14, p. A11, West Nile Virus Shows Up Again. Newport News-Times newspaper), Darrel Faxon (some of DF's bird records are at bird.htm#thornton_creek), David Fix (DFi), Kurt Gaskill, Joel Geier, Roy Gerig, Dawn (DaGr) & Doug (DuGr) Grafe, Bird Guide Pelagic Trip to Perpetua Bank off Yachats and to Heceta Bank off Lane Co. (BGPT; info about pelagic trips, http://thebirdguide.com), Gerry Hawkins, Eric Horvath, Herbert Jennings, Carol Karlen, Diane Kook, Steve Kupillas, Janet & Phil Lamberson, Sally Lockyear (SaL), Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley Loeffel (SLo), Roy Lowe, North American Migration Count (NAMC; coordinated in Lincoln Co. by CA on 9/15 and 9/16), Field Notes (FN, use "Search" link at top of bird.htm [all lower case letters] to search for Lincoln County records from the Sandpiper since 1992), Bob Olson, OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line; recent postings with info about joining is at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html), Laimons & Vicki Osis, Pam Parker (PPa), Chuck Philo, Phil Pickering, SemiL (semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird records through 1992 for each species at ScholarsArchive@OSU), Paul Sullivan, Yaquina Birders & Naturalists Field Trip (YBNFT led by RB).
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Abbreviations, terms, and some Lincoln Co. site locations: BEAVER CREEK: creek flowing through Ona Beach State Park, BOILER BAY: State Wayside about 0.5 mi north of Depoe Bay, ECKMAN LAKE: lake 2 mi east of Waldport along HWY 34, HMSC: OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, IDAHO FLATS: large embayment just east of HMSC, LNG TANK: large green Liquefied Natural Gas tank on the north side of Yaquina Bay about 1.5 miles east of Yaquina Bay Bridge, ONA BEACH: State Park about 6.6 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge along HWY 101 at Beaver Creek, SALLY'S BEND: large Yaquina Bay embayment east of the LNG tank, THORNTON CREEK: about midway between Toledo and Eddyville along HWY 20, YBSJ: Yaquina Bay South Jetty.
Many observers saw or heard GR. WHITE-FRONTED, CANADA, or CACKLING GEESE passing during October. The furthest inland reports were 13 miles east of Big Creek near Yachats on 10/15 (PR) and at Thornton Creek (DF). In past years, we have had reports of geese flying east up the Yaquina, Siletz, or Alsea Valleys during fall migration (RB, RL, and DF. 1995. Spring and fall migration of geese across the Coast Range of Lincoln Co., Oregon. Oregon Birds 21[1]:10-12). This month the only report of geese flying east was by RL on 10/15, when 100 CACKLING GEESE flew east past the HMSC.
A lone White-fronted had evidently fallen out of migration and wandered the YBSJ on 10/13 (CA). 2-5 Cackling/Canada Geese dropped out and were among the gulls at Yachats State Park during the week of 10/21, and 3 remained to 10/29 (BB).
Eckman Lake continues to be a fall haven for ducks with NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARD, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and SCAUP sp. on 10/14 (SaL & JW).
PP found our first fall LONG-TAILED DUCK at Boiler Bay on 10/14. 2 BUFFLEHEADS at Boiler Bay on 10/10 (PP) are on schedule for our first fall migrants.
Distinguishing RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS from COMMON MERGANSERS in summer and early fall can be problematic. Common Mergansers nest here, but Red-breasteds do not (Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas). Female and immature Commons in summer can look very similar to female Red-breasteds and can only be safely told apart then by bill and head shape and nostril position (Kaufman 1990 Am. Birds 44:1203-1205 and in his "A Field Guide to Advanced Birding"). Sibley's Guide to Birds (p. 102) also indicates that female Commons during July-October lack the sharply contrasting white on the neck that easily distinguishes them from female Red-breasteds in winter.
There is also a seasonal habitat shift for Commons--in late summer and early fall, rafts of them often appear in lower Yaquina, Siletz, and Alsea Bays. From late fall through spring, only Red-breasteds are found low in the estuaries.
So during July-October, it is important to distinguish females/immatures of these two by other characteristics than habitat or assuming that all summer birds are Commons (we have had some summer records of female Red-breasteds based on bill and head shape and nostril position). If the contrasting white is present on the neck, then it is a Common; if not during July-October, it may be either a Common or a Red-breasted.
On 10/10, JL saw 28 Commons or Red-breasteds at Idaho Flats. On 10/19 & on the 10/20 Yaquina Birders & Naturalists Field Trip, BO found 6 Common Mergansers showing necks with contrasting white at the Log Pond between the HMSC and Oregon Coast Aquarium. On 10/29, PP & DT saw a Red- breasted during a Boiler Bay seawatch.
The 2 NORTHERN FULMARS found beached in Sept. along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach is just above average (B&SLo, L&VO). During the 10/6 Bird Guide Pelagic Trip out of Newport, about 700 fulmars and over 100 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES were noted.
At Boiler Bay during his Oct. seawatches, PP first saw numbers of fulmars on 10/10 (300), three days after gusts of up to 33 mph were recorded at the HMSC. But his biggest numbers of 2,000+ were during his 10/17-10/21 seawatches; gusts of 34 mph were on 10/15, and of 39-49 mph occurred each day during 10/18-20, so his high counts of fulmars were after or during days with high winds, which is expected.
Fulmars have color phases. PP observed that about 20% of the 800+ fulmars on 10/17 and 25% of the 400+ on 10/19 were light-phase. Most are usually not light-phase here.
At Boiler Bay, PP detected a MANX-like SHEARWATER on 10/17, and PP & DT spotted a probable FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER on 10/29.
Many observers reported lots of BROWN PELICANS during Oct. During PP's 3 seawatches at Boiler Bay during 10/14-17, he noted 500-1,500+ heading north; on 10/21, he noted 1,200+ heading south, their expected migration direction now. But some may continue to fly north to feed before they head south, as PP & DT saw 800+ feeding and flying in both directions at Boiler Bay on 10/29. We typically have Brown Pelicans through November, with stragglers remaining even into December and January (SemiL).
Some wondered if pelicans are more abundant this month than usual or if they are being affected by ocean conditions. It is hard telling if they were more abundant because they are so mobile that they are hard to monitor each year. And this is their migration time. So far, I have not heard reports of dying or starving pelicans, so ocean and feeding conditions are presumably satisfactory.
The greatest count of perched pelicans was 250 at the second finger west of Yaquina Bay Bridge on 10/19 and during the 10/20 YBNFT (BO) and at Siletz Bay on 10/29 (PP).
[Image Not Included: Kitty Brigham's May 13 photo of a Great Blue Heron stepping out at Lint Slough, Alsea Bay.]
RB's Oct. 10 census showed a continuing decline in Yaquina herons (see graph below). The 44% decrease from August 31 was before the first series of windstorms during 10/18-20 and before the first frosts. So the decline occurred before one would expect the decline to be from mortality. Will the decline continue?
GREAT EGRETS also continued to decline at the Yaquina--their Oct. 10 count of 32 is 62% down from their peak census on Aug. 31. During 10/14 & 20, the Lincoln City Audubon and Yaquina Birders & Naturalists field trips found 15 at the Log Pond between the HMSC and Oregon Coast Aquarium.
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On 10/6 at Thornton Creek, DF saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK playing tag with six Steller's Jays in an alder. DF writes: "These contests always appear to be just a game, as nothing ever comes of them other than a half- hearted pursuit by the hawks."
CA wrote on 10/6 that a Sharpie had been around the Yaquina Head fee booth at Yaquina Head. When it flew west along the headland, it was mobbed by crows and sometimes also by gulls.
On 10/17 in a clearcut, SK saw a Sharpie in a tree about two hundred yards away. "It came straight at me on a low descent dive with wings set until it flared about twenty feet away and flew past. That was different!"
On 10/24, CP picked up a stunned Sharpie after it had evidently flown into something in a Newport breezeway while chasing a MOUNTAIN QUAIL. CP has seen Sharpies eating Mountain Quail before.
DF reported our latest TURKEY VULTURE at Thornton Creek on 10/12.
TW has our latest OSPREY report, with one being harassed by 3 American Crows at Idaho Flats on 10/10.
A juvenile WHITE-TAILED KITE perched on the dead alder along the HMSC Nature Trail on 10/10 (JL), and an adult was at Nute Slough (freshwater slough at about mile 9.3 along north Yaquina Bay Road) on 10/15 (CP).
A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was viewed in the Ona Beach/Makai area on 3 days during 10/6-12 (CP; BB; RL).
On 10/29, DS found an all-white adult GYRFALCON at South Siletz Bay. This is our 13th record--our last report of a Gyrfalcon was in 1997 (FN, SemiL).
1 MERLIN was at Yachats on 10/3 (SaL), and another was near the pond south of the HMSC on 10/25 (BO).
SaL and JW had our only AMERICAN COOTS with about 100 at Eckman Lake on 10/14.
On Sept. 2, AF located a SNOWY PLOVER at Yachats; he carefully studied it to be sure that it was not a Sanderling. In fall and winter, Sanderlings in nonbreeding plumage have sometimes been misidentified as Snowy Plovers. Snowy Plovers have become scarce in Lincoln County with WH having our previous record of a banded one on 6/28/2001 (FN).
SaL found 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS at Yachats on 10/6, which is the largest concentration of them so far this season. 10 or more have often been found in past winters at high tide.
[Image Not Included: Dick Demarest's Oct. 13 digiscoped photo of a Long- billed Dowitcher eyeing Dick and others during the Lincoln City Audubon field trip to Yaquina Bay. By tucking its bill under its wing, it reduces heat loss through its bill, similarly to humans putting hands in their pocket on a cold day.]
At least one SOUTH POLAR SKUA was seen during the 10/6 Bird Guide Pelagic Trip out of Newport, and PP saw another about a half mile from Boiler Bay during his 10/17 seawatch.
During 10 seawatches through 10/28 at Boiler Bay, PP saw POMARINE JAEGERS during 6 watches with a maximum count of 19 and jaeger sp. during 2 of these 6 watches. On 10/21, WH saw a PARASITIC JAEGER at Boiler Bay.
10/22 was unseasonably warm (69 F at the HMSC), and CS saw lots of gulls swooping in the air like swallows over her South Beach home. That evening, RB found many flying reddish-orange bodied ants at the HMSC, so the warm weather must have triggered a late flight of ants that the gulls tried to catch! The next day was even warmer (77 F at HMSC).
PP counted 1-3 SABINE'S GULLS during 6 and 2-20 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES during 7 of his 10 Oct. Boiler Bay seawatches through 10/28.
PP spotted our latest terns at Boiler Bay: a CASPIAN TERN on 10/9 and a juvenile ARCTIC TERN on 10/20.
12 adult and 8 juvenile COMMON MURRES were beached in Sept. along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach (B&SLo, L&VO). The number of adults is tied for the 4th highest year since BLo started these beach surveys in 1978. The number of juveniles is much less than average.
3-60 MARBLED MURRELETS were counted during PP's 8 Boiler Bay seawatches during 10/14-28; they were absent during his 2 earlier Oct. seawatches. PP surveyed 1-6 ANCIENT MURRELETS during 4 of his 9 Oct. seawatches through 10/27, but PP & DT found 80+ there on 10/28.
PP saw many RHINOCEROS AUKLETS during his October Boiler Bay seawatches, but only 1 CASSIN'S AUKLET on 10/20.
On 10/5, DF noted a probable LONG-EARED OWL at his Thornton Creek home. This is our first record since 1992 (FN). Prior to that, we had 6 records, all except one during August-early November (SemiL). On 10/17, a BARRED OWL also showed up there, and DF had a total of 6 species of owls in October as he also found GREAT HORNED OWL, WESTERN SCREECH OWL, NORTHERN PYGMY OWL, and NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL.
[Image Not Included: Roy Lowe's photo of a perched TROPICAL KINGBIRD along the HMSC Nature Trail in Oct. 2005. Note the notch in the tail that separates it from a Western Kingbird.]
J&LM had our only TROPICAL KINGBIRD, with one perched on wire near their home just east of Sally's Bend on 10/20. Since 2000, 1-2 have been reported each fall, except in 2005.
DF noted that WESTERN BLUEBIRDS passing his Thornton Creek farm on 10/6 were typical for the season. They are rarely reported along the coastline unless there is freezing weather. Through at least 10/12 at his farm, DF also continued to hear SWAINSON'S THRUSHES calling during their nocturnal migration.
An AMERICAN PIPIT was at Boiler Bay on 10/9 (PP) and 10/28 (PP & DT).
Our first DARK-EYED (Oregon) JUNCOS of the fall arrived at BB's Yachats feeders on 10/10. No reports yet of Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos.
OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Cindy Ashy, Betty Bahn, Range Bayer, Dick Demarest, Darrel Faxon (see bird.htm#thornton_creek), Andy Frank, Bird Guide Pelagic Trip (BGPT; info about pelagic trips, http://thebirdguide.com), Wayne Hoffman, Steve Kupillas, Janet Lamberson, Lincoln City Audubon Field Trip (LCAFT led by DD), Sally Lockyear (SaL), Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley Loeffel (SLo), Roy Lowe, John & Linda MacKown, Field Notes (FN, use "Search" link at top of bird.htm [all lower case letters] to search for Lincoln County records from the Sandpiper since 1992), Bob Olson, OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line; recent postings with info about joining is at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html), Laimons & Vicki Osis, Chuck Philo, Phil Pickering, Paul Reed, SemiL (semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird records through 1992 at ScholarsArchive@OSU), Claire Smith, Don Stein, Dave Tracy, Tom Wainwright, Jean Weakland, Yaquina Birders & Naturalists Field Trip (YBNFT led by BO).
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Abbreviations, terms, and some Lincoln Co. site locations: BEAVER CREEK: creek flowing through Ona Beach State Park, BOILER BAY: State Wayside about 0.5 mi north of Depoe Bay, HMSC: OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, IDAHO FLATS: large embayment just east of HMSC, LNG TANK: large green Liquefied Natural Gas tank on the north side of Yaquina Bay about 1.5 miles east of Yaquina Bay Bridge, ONA BEACH: State Park about 6.6 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge along HWY 101 at Beaver Creek, SALLY'S BEND: large Yaquina Bay embayment east of the LNG tank, SOUTH BAY: Yaquina Bay mudflats south of Sally's Bend, WANDEMERE: about 0.5 mi north of Ona Beach State Park near HWY 101, YBSJ: Yaquina Bay South Jetty.
YB&N has become a project partner of the International Brant Monitoring Project (IBMP) (http://www.padillabay.gov/brant/), and RB relays on significant Brant sightings in Lincoln County to their Observation Log (see link on the left side of their web page).
Their IBMP's Observation Log indicates that the first big flight from Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, where Brant stage before migrating, was on 10/30. Two days later on 11/1, JL found the first arrivals (6) at Yaquina Bay; the next day there were 16 (JL). Numbers continued slowly to build up through November (see graph below).
Seawatches using a telescope to look out over the ocean from land can directly monitor Brant migration. During Boiler Bay seawatches, PP did not see any Brant on Nov. 6, 7, or 9; only 4 on Nov. 11, and none on 11/11; so Brant did not seem to be migrating then. During a 1.5 hour afternoon Lincoln City seawatch on 11/12, PP saw 160 Brant. As RL comments, few of these went to Yaquina Bay, since the 23 Brant on 11/12 only increased to 38 on 11/14 (RL). During a 11/27 Boiler Bay seawatch, PP saw 2 flying north-- it is unknown if these had come from Yaquina Bay and were going to the two other Oregon estuaries where Brant overwinter (Tillamook and Netarts Bays, Tillamook Co.).
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[Image Not Included: Vikki Anderson's Nov. 25 photo of a Tundra Swan in a pasture/marsh at Seal Rock Stables in south Beaver Creek. A drake Mallard is in the foreground and a drake Ring-necked Duck appears to be in the background--Western Canada Geese were also nearby.]
While riding her horse on 11/25, VA found a TUNDRA SWAN in a partially flooded pasture at Seal Rock Stables at about Milepost 1.6 along South Beaver Creek Road; thanks to KA and LO for relaying on this report! VA saw it until 11/29 (VA); it moved a bit, and LO saw it from South Beaver Creek Road on 12/1.
2-6 EURASIAN WIGEON were at Idaho Flats on 11/2 & 14 (JL), and 4 were at Alsea Bay on 11/25 (RN).
6-8 HARLEQUIN DUCKS graced Seal Rocks on 10/28 (JG) and YBSJ on 11/12 (CA); 9 flew south at Boiler Bay on 11/19 (PP). 1 LONG-TAILED DUCK was also at Boiler Bay on 11/6, 10, & 19 (PP).
Several HOODED MERGANSERS were noted in freshwater, but a pair that B&JO saw at Port Dock 5 along the Newport Bayfront was in saltier waters.
2 RUFFED GROUSE were in LO's ornamental plum in north Beaver Creek on 11/8--they eat its leaves in fall. One was also eating berries in LO's holly tree next to his house on 11/25.
On 11/7, CP found a rare YELLOW-BILLED LOON at Olalla Lake, north of Toledo, but it was not relocated. On 11/18, JG & BOl saw what was possibly a Yellow-billed Loon at a small lake along HWY 101 about 1.5 mile north of the Alsea Bay Bridge; it was also not relocated.
The morning of 11/6 at Wandemere, RC noted a massive southward loon flight with an estimated rate of 1,000/minute; most were PACIFIC LOONS. That day at Boiler Bay, PP saw 4,000+ Pacific, 400+ RED-THROATED LOONS, and 100+ COMMON LOONS passing during a 75 minute morning seawatch. PP also noted them during his other seawatches, with the peak on 11/10 with 25,000+ Pacific, 3,000+ Red-throateds, and 100+ Commons.
During PP's Boiler Bay seawatches, NORTHERN FULMAR numbers began increasing on 11/9, with 2,000+ on 11/19.
Fulmar coloration varies. The following widely used four-way classification is from Hatch and Nettleship (1998. Northern Fulmar [Fulmarus glacialis]. The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu.bnaproxy.birds.cornell.edu/bna):
LL (double light): Head, neck, and underparts white, except for small dark patch in front of eye.
L (light): Crown of head, nape, and hindneck gray, grading into gray of mantle. Breast white; remainder of underparts may be white, light gray, or flecked with gray.
D (dark): Head, neck, and underparts light or medium gray; breast in most cases lighter, but never white. [PP adds: "all-gray, but obviously lighter than Sooty Shearwater."]
DD (double dark): Almost uniformly dark or very dark gray; wings almost as dark as their tips. [PP adds: "very dark like Sooty Shearwater."]
Light and double-light are commonly pooled.
For PP's 11/13-11/29 seawatches, light-phase fulmars ranged from about 50% to 66% of the fulmars. Often light-phase are about 10% or less of fulmars here, but in late 2000, PP also estimated that 20-60% of fulmars were light-phase during seven seawatches.
BLo's beached bird results show that the percentage of white-phase (light and double-light) fulmars is often less than 10%, but was 20-35% in 1995, 2000, and 2006-2007 (Table 1). So a high percentage of live or dead light fulmars have been seen before.
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TABLE 1. Percentage of white-phase (light and double-light) fulmars found by BLo's team along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach. Results are summed for a year (Total); or for a sample only of the southern part of that beach during October-December (Sample). N=number. With additional analyses, results may be available for other years.
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Beached
Fulmars (N)__ %
Year Total Sample White
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1990 - 52 4
1992 - 59 3
1995 - 93 23
2000 - 54 35
2003 275 - 5
2004 61 - 7
2005 206 - 11
2006 37 - 20
2007* 202* - 35* (Of 146 fulmars in Nov. 2007, 44% were white.)
* 2007 is incomplete and is for January-November 2007.
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Fulmar mortalities began increasing in October with 35 along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach (B&SLo, L&VO). In Nov., the number greatly increased to 146 there.
On 11/13 & 30, TM found a fulmar resting on Nye Beach in Newport (CoastWatch mile 216). On 11/30, he also found a "huge number of feathers washed up on the strand line" (see http://home.teleport.com/~tmorse/Pages/Ephemera.html). TM guessed that the feathers might represent molting at sea rather than mass mortality.
To my knowledge, no fulmars were oiled. If you find an oiled bird (whether live or dead), please call Mike Szumski, Natural Resource Damage Assessment/Spill Response, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 503-705-5747.
Weak fulmars could be more vulnerable to predators. On 11/19 at Boiler Bay, PP saw an adult BALD EAGLE "grab a pale fulmar off the water, but it was only able to get about 30 feet up before dropping it."
PP detected some rare tubenoses during his seawatches: at Lincoln City, 2-4 MOTTLED PETRELS on 11/12; at Boiler Bay, 1-2 MANX SHEARWATERS on 11/9 & 10, and 1 BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER on 11/6.
BROWN PELICANS were very numerous in November. "At least 700" were at the YBSJ on 10/30 (CA). "Hundreds" were at Siletz Bay on 11/12 (PtR; LK [fide LO]) and at Boiler Bay, with 275 flying north on 11/27 (PP). We often have records into early December, but such high numbers raise concerns about mortality. In October, only 1 dead pelican was found along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach (B&SLo, L&VO), but 6 dead pelicans were on beach north of Otter Rock on 11/22 (P&JK).
GREAT BLUE HERON numbers at Yaquina Bay continued the almost straight-line drop since August 31 (see graph). This sharp decline occurred at a time when many other waterbirds are migrating and before weather harsh enough to cause mortality occurred.
The Nov. 21 census of 33 herons was within the range of counts last winter through early May. Will heron numbers now remain relatively constant at winter levels?
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GREAT EGRET numbers also continued their decline at Yaquina Bay embayments, with none found on Nov. 21. Some may be in the upper estuary, and LO counted 4 at Beaver Creek, during the 11/17 YBNFT.
[Image Not Included: Howard Shippey's Nov. 9 photo of a Sharp-shinned Hawk dining on a live Eurasian Starling on the lawn below Howard's apartment just north of the Newport Bayfront. Indistinctly visible, the starling's left foot tightly grasped the hawk's right leg--so much so that the hawk unsuccessfully tried to shake itself free. After several bites, the hawk flew away with the still alive starling.]
Our latest OSPREY report was on 10/14 at Seal Rocks (KB), and JL had our only MERLIN--1 at Idaho Flats on 11/14.
1-2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were at Siletz Bay on 10/29 (DS & DD), Boiler Bay on 11/10 (PP), and the HMSC on 11/13 and 11/16 (BO; JL).
On 11/21, LO saw two separate groups, about 10 in each, of AMERICAN COOTS "huddled" together in the wet sand along the ocean beach north of Ona Beach. They are usually in bays or freshwater.
In winter, we regularly have had flocks of 10+ BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS at high tides in past winters. This month, the most reported was of 4 at Seal Rocks on 11/21 (KB) and at Yaquina Head on 11/25 (CA). If you see concentrations of 10 or more anywhere along the Oregon Coast, please email oystercatcher researcher Elise Elliott-Smith (eelliott-smith at usgs.gov).
A BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and a WHIMBREL found by RN at Siletz Bay on 11/25 were the only ones reported. Both used to overwinter.
[Image Not Included: Clay Creech's Nov. 9 photo of a Sanderling at Moolack Beach north of Yaquina Head. Sanderlings are the small white shorebird seen running back and forth with the waves along the shoreline in winter and are then the most numerous shorebird in Yaquina Bay.]
The peak SANDERLING count was 28 at Idaho Flats on 11/14 (JL). Hundreds could be expected in winter at low tide in Yaquina Bay.
Our only DUNLIN was 1 at Idaho Flats on 11/14 (JL), and a WILSON'S SNIPE was at an Idaho Flats marsh on 11/14 (JL).
At Boiler Bay, PP found a PARASITIC JAEGER on 10/30 and a POMARINE JAEGER on 11/10. Rare gulls that PP found there during seawatches included a FRANKLIN'S GULL on 11/7 and a probable BLACK-HEADED GULL on 11/27.
Our latest HEERMANN'S GULL report was at Boiler Bay on 11/27 (PP).
A summary of PP's Nov. sightings of alcids is in Table 2.
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TABLE 2. Alcids recorded during PP's 11 seawatches at Boiler Bay on Nov. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 19, 27, 29. N=number.
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% of
Watches Peak Count____
Noted (N) (Date)
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COMMON MURRE 100 15,000+ 11/10
PIGEON GUILLEMOT 91 5 11/13
MARBLED MURRELET 82 80 11/10
ANCIENT MURRELET 82 175 11/10
CASSIN'S AUKLET 18 1 11/7 & 19
RHINOCEROS AUKLET 91 900+ 11/7*
* Rhino numbers declined markedly after 11/10 to 30 or less.
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On 11/6, RC saw a new bird from her & WN's Wandemere home: 4 ANCIENT MURRELETS flying south just outside the surf zone!
[Image Not Included: Howard Shippey's Nov. 14 photo of a Barred Owl along the trail from Nye Street to Sam Moore Park in Newport. Note the horizontally barred chest and vertical striping on the belly that separate it from a Spotted Owl.]
BARRED OWL were more widely reported this month than in the past: 1 in Nye Beach area of Newport on 11/8-14 (PaR; J&PL; HS), at least 2 in the Beaver Creek area on 11/9 (CA), 1 in SE Newport in early Nov. and on 11/17 (SS), and 1 at north 71st Street in Newport on 11/12 (BBe).
Barred Owl status has changed here markedly in the past decade. Our first confirmed record was in Oct. 1998--it was beached north of Ona Beach and found by S&DB as part of BLo's team (SemiL; FN).
[Image Not Included: Howard Shippey's Nov. 17 photo of a male Northern Flicker at his home near the Newport Bayfront. It has a red mustache and no red crescent on the nape, which are typical of a red-shafted Northern Flicker. No flickers with yellow-shafts have been reported yet this season.]
LO's "mooching" STELLER'S JAY flock has grown to about 20 at his north Beaver Creek home on 11/25.
JG & BOl closely watched a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE at their Sandpiper Village feeder north of Waldport on 11/20. Sometimes they show up in winter but usually do not. Previous sightings since 1990 occurred in Dec. 1990, Feb. 1991, Oct.-Dec. 1996, Oct. 2000-April 2001, and Aug. 2001 (SemiL, FN). Sort through those chickadees--there could be a Mountain amongst them!
A flock of BUSHTITS appeared at JW's Waldport home on 11/23--they can be inconspicuous!
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at DG's Toledo feeder on 11/18 to 12/1 was our only report so far this season.
PP saw a SNOW BUNTING flying over waves about 200 yards off Boiler Bay on 11/11. There were no reports of them at the YBSJ where they are more to be expected.
On 11/3, JG & BOl had a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK or ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK at their Sandpiper Village feeder--it had a grosbeak bill but was not an Evening Grosbeak. [Their initial impression was that it was a Black-headed Grosbeak.] A Black-headed would be unusual, since we didn't have any Black-headed records between late Sept. and late April for records through 1992 (SemiL). On 11/21, DG had a raggedy-looking female Black- headed Grosbeak at her Toledo feeder that lingered to 12/1--it looked ill, which could explain its lingering.
On 11/8, JS saw 2 mystery birds along with 30 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS on the rocks over the Depoe Bay seawall; LT also saw and photographed the mystery birds. On 11/13, DD investigated and determined that the mystery birds were first-year RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (20) that are not shown well in many field guides; there were also more than 25 Brewer's. The concentration of Brewer's is noteworthy, too. Brewer's seem to be mostly in towns now, but 6 were at SK's home near Criteser's Moorage, downstream of Toledo on 11/16.
3-7 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were at the HMSC on 11/14-15 (JL).
PINE SISKINS come and go. On 11/18, DG had 20 at her Toledo feeder.
L&JM identified 2 male and 1 female, uncommon LESSER GOLDFINCHES on 11/15 at their home near east Sally's Bend; they had also been present a few days before.
OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Vikki Anderson, Karen Anderson, Cindy Ashy, Range Bayer, Bob Berman (BBe), Kitty Brigham, Sara & Don Brown, Rebecca Cheek, CoastWatch (a volunteer project monitoring one-mile segments of the Oregon coast), Dick Demarest, Dawn Grafe, Jill Grover, Steve Kupillas, Penelope & Jack Kaczmarek, Linda Kasper, Janet & Phil Lamberson, Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley Loeffel (SLo), Roy Lowe, Linda & John MacKown, Terry Morse (http://home.teleport.com/~tmorse/), Russ Namitz, Walt Nelson, Field Notes (FN, use "Search" link at top of bird.htm [all lower case letters] to search for Lincoln County records from the Sandpiper since 1992), Bori Olla (Ol), Bob & Jerryann Olson, OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line; recent postings with info about joining is at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html), Laimons & Vicki Osis, Chuck Philo, Phil Pickering, Paul (PaR) & Pat Reed (PtR), SemiL (semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird records through 1992 for each species at ScholarsArchive@OSU), Howard Shippey, Joline Shroyer, Don Stein, Stacy Strickland, Linda Taylor, Jean Weakland, Yaquina Birders & Naturalists Field Trip (YBNFT led by LO).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Abbreviations, terms, and some Lincoln Co. site locations: BEAVER CREEK: creek flowing through Ona Beach State Park, HMSC: OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, IDAHO FLATS: large embayment just east of HMSC, LNG TANK: large green Liquefied Natural Gas tank on the north side of Yaquina Bay about 1.5 miles east of Yaquina Bay Bridge, ONA BEACH: State Park about 6.6 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge along HWY 101 at Beaver Creek, SALLY'S BEND: large Yaquina Bay embayment east of the LNG tank, SEAL ROCK STABLES PASTURE: pasture at about Milepost 1.6 along South Beaver Creek Road, SOUTH BAY: Yaquina Bay mudflats south of Sally's Bend, SPANISH HEAD: pullout north of Inn at Spanish Head at 4009 SW Highway 101 in Lincoln City, WANDEMERE: about 0.5 mi north of Ona Beach State Park near HWY 101, YBSJ: Yaquina Bay South Jetty.
TUNDRA SWANS usually only briefly stop, but one lingered. DM spotted 12 at south Siletz Bay that remained several hours on Nov. 11. On 12/10, HJ beheld 6-8 Tundras flying south in a "V" inland, about 2 miles north of the town of Siletz. The lone Tundra at Seal Rock Stables first reported on 11/25 (VA) lingered until at least 12/18 (LO).
The Dec. 2-3 storms did not diminish BRANT numbers. JL counted 133 at Idaho Flats on Nov. 30, and, after the storm, 133 on 12/4 and 138 on 12/10. On 12/21, RB counted 140-150 at Yaquina Bay embayments. YB&N is a project partner of the International Brant Monitoring Project (IBMP) (http://www.padillabay.gov/brant/), and RB relays on significant Brant sightings in Lincoln County to their Observation Log (see link on the left side of their web page).
On 12/18, LO found that the flooded fields near Seal Rock Stables had a nice complement of waterfowl besides the swan: CANADA GEESE, GADWALLS, MALLARDS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAILS, and RING- NECKED DUCKS.
PG and other Salem birders viewed a LONG-TAILED DUCK at south Siletz Bay on 12/6.
On 12/22, SaL unsuccessfully searched hard for a BARROW'S GOLDENEYE amongst the COMMON GOLDENEYES at Alsea Bay. No Barrow's have been reported this winter.
Many RED-THROATED LOONS continued migrating south with 600 during PPi's 60-minute seawatch at Spanish Head in Lincoln City on 12/6.
In Nov., 146 dead NORTHERN FULMARS were found along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach (B&SLo, L&VO). This is the second-most ever found in a month--they recorded 298 in Nov. 2003. The third-most was 145 in December 2005, so very high numbers have been reported every other winter recently. During PPi's 12/6 seawatch at Spanish Head, he did not see any fulmars or other tubenoses--so fulmars have definitely declined since his Nov. seawatches.
BLo's team also found a beached FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL in Nov.
After the Dec. 2-3 storms, many dead BROWN PELICANS were reported on OBOL in the Port Orford (Curry Co.) area (RN; DL). Some live ones lingered in Lincoln Co.: 2 at Seal Rocks on 12/16 (PPa), 1 at YBSJ on 12/17 (CA), and 1 at the Newport Bayfront to at least 12/20 (HS).
Yes, GREAT BLUE HERONS can perch in trees! During early Dec. mornings, WO saw 2 roosting in trees at Old Pioneer Cemetery near the south end of Yaquina Bay Bridge.
Before the major Dec. 2-3 storms, RB counted 33 herons on 11/21. After the storm, heron numbers dropped to 19-20 during two counts (see graph below). These are less than the 27-29 found Dec.-Jan., which suggests that the big storms caused a decline in heron numbers that did not occur last winter. The mystery is whether the decline is a result of mortality or from some herons going elsewhere.
Well, we have completed the yearly cycle for herons at Yaquina Bay! The graph is similar to other years, though the timing and size of the peak can vary.
Are Great Blue Herons migratory at Yaquina Bay? Migration is often defined as the regular movement to and from an area. Clearly, some herons remain in winter (see graph), so not all herons migrate. But the repeated pattern in timing of spring increases and fall declines suggest that herons at Yaquina Bay have the possibility of being partially migratory. Part of the population may migrate away in fall before December and return before May. Partial migration occurs in many birds, but obviously is harder to discern than complete migration, such as for Great Egrets (see graph).
Thanks for following a "heron year" at Yaquina Bay!
160- X
150-
140- X X
130- X
120-
110- X
100- X
90- X
80- e
70- XX e
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20-----------------------------------XX
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Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov
Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec
The December Lincoln Co. raptor route was conducted on 12/8 by JL, WN, and RC. The route runs from Alsea Bay north to Lincoln City, inland following Hwy 229 to Siletz and Toledo, and along the Yaquina River back to Newport.
Numbers of Red-tailed Hawks and Peregrine Falcons were higher than during their Raptor surveys the past 3 winters!
Oregon Winter Raptor Surveys are coordinated by the East Cascades Birds Observatory (ECBC) (http://www.ecbcbirds.org/Default.aspx?tabid=73)
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Dec-Feb.__________________
Lincoln Co. 2004- 2007-2008
Raptor Route 2007* 12/8
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Turkey Vulture 0-1 0
No. Harrier 0-5 3
White-t. Kite 0-3 1
Sharp-shin. Hawk 0-2 0
Cooper's Hawk 0-4 2
Accipiter sp. 0-1 0
Red-should. Hawk 0-2 0
Red-tail. Hawk 10-22 24
Bald Eagle ad. 2-22 14
" " subadults 1-5 2
" " unknown 0-2 0
" " total 4-27 16
Merlin 0-1 0
Am. Kestrel 0-5 0
Peregrine Falcon 0-3 4
RAPTOR SUM 29-62 50
Counts 3 1
Miles 117- 119
121
Hours 6.5-8 8
Snowy Owl 0-1 0
Burrowing Owl 0-1 0
* Ranges for Dec.-Feb. periods in 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007. See Feb. 2007 Sandpiper for ranges each winter; individual counts are in earlier Sandpipers.
The afternoon of 12/7, BB reports that "a COOPER'S HAWK arrived, wrapped in a rug, on my doorstep with an urgent request for help." It was found on the pavement on HWY 101 south of Yachats.
BB was an excellent choice because she is a retired nurse and has also worked on rehabbing oiled birds. She determined after a brief, unresisted exam that there were no apparent injuries. The hawk was docile and seemed stunned. It was then placed in a covered kennel in a quiet warm place.
BB tried calling around for assistance, and Chintimini Wildlife Rehab Center near Corvallis (541-745-5324; http://www.chintiminiwildlife.org/) suggested that she keep it overnight and see if it had recovered enough to be released in the morning. If injuries were then apparent, it would be transported to Chintimini.
The next morning, the hawk seemed fully recovered in the kennel. So BB and a helper took it out to release: "one wearing heavy leather gloves, and one ready with the blanket in case it couldn't fly" After release, "it flew happily into the forest, with no apparent lingering signs of injury."
BB did well--thanks! If you find an injured or sick bird, try calling around because, especially on the weekend or after 5 PM, it can be hard to get ahold of someone.
If you find an oiled bird (whether live or dead), please call Mike Szumski, Natural Resource Damage Assessment/Spill Response, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 503-705-5747.
If you find an injured or sick bird that is not oiled, try
If those options do not work, your other options:
Please note that an animal may try to defend itself and injure you, if you are not careful about its bill and feet. Safety first! You are responsible for your own safety.
For information about sick or injured wildlife, also see: nature.htm#rehab
A brown (female or immature male) NORTHERN HARRIER foraged at Yaquina Head on 12/5 (CA) and near Seal Rocks on 12/14 (KB).
On 12/14-15, a COOPER'S HAWK was inspecting birds coming to bird feeders in BB's Yachats neighborhood--it is unknown if it may be the same one that BB released.
An immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK on utility line near Yachats' Community Park on 12/7 (fide BB) was our only one this month.
On 12/9, WN was outside his & RC's Wandemere home when a PEREGRINE FALCON overtook and captured a flying pigeon! The Peregrine was "last seen heading for the beach with its still-struggling prize."
100+ AMERICAN COOTS fed at Idaho Flats on 12/21 (RB). They have made a comeback at Yaquina Bay.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS have become scarce in recent winters. ME had our only report, with 85 in late Nov. at Siletz Bay.
Our biggest BLACK OYSTERCATCHER count was 4 off Yachats 804 trail on 12/5 (SaL). If you see concentrations of 10 or more along the Oregon Coast, please email oystercatcher researcher Elise Elliott-Smith (eelliott-smith@usgs.gov).
Lone WHIMBRELS were reported at several sites, including at Siletz Bay by PG and other Salem birders on 12/6. A probable Whimbrel visited Yachats Community Park on 12/7 (fide BB). At the YBSJ, RC & WN found 1 near the "gull puddle" on 12/24, and JL spotted presumably the same Whimbrel on the rocks on the first "finger" west of the Bridge on 12/31.
1 ROCK SANDPIPER was with a flock of BLACK TURNSTONES at Depoe Bay on 12/6 (PG and other Salem birders).
MR had our latest report of BONAPARTE'S GULLS (5) at Alsea Bay, west of the Bridge on 12/4.
1 ANCIENT MURRELET and 2 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were beached north of Ona Beach in Nov. (B&SLo, L&VO). 2 live Ancients were seen during a Spanish Head seawatch on 12/6 (PPi).
1-6 MOURNING DOVES were at DG's Toledo home in mid-December.
After setting a record for the most BARRED OWL reports in Nov., we did not have a single report in Dec. But it was not without looking. PR continued to walk the trail from Nye Street to Sam Moore Park in Newport every Thursday since he and others reported one there in early Nov., and did not see any.
LT reports that our first yellow-shafted NORTHERN FLICKERS (2) of the winter arrived on 11/29 at her home near Three Rocks Road in northern Lincoln Co.
LO detected a SWALLOW sp. flying over the flooded pasture near Seal Rock Stables on 12/18. It didn't have the white rump of a Violet-Green, so it may have been a Tree Swallow but visibility was poor because of the rain.
RC&WN detected the first HERMIT THRUSH at their Wandemere home on 12/9. Hermits appear to be less common so far this winter, since R&CF noted on 12/13 that they normally have 2-3 at their Newport home, but this year they have only seen 1 sporadically.
On 12/13, R&CF also reported that they "normally have four to six FOX SPARROWS in our [Newport] yard and for the past four years we have had one with a very distinctive large white eye ring. Sure enough it has turned up again this year!
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW remains at DG's Toledo feeder through 12/16.
Storms can reveal fascinating behaviors in birds. During the 12/2 storm, MC saw DARK-EYED JUNCOS hunkered down on the ground near her Bayshore Beach home north of Waldport. When wind gusts briefly blew tree branches up off the ground, the juncos ran (not flew!) in to peck at food that was briefly exposed. This was not without risk, since gusts occasionally blew a junco around.
There were several PINE SISKIN reports with a peak count of about a 100 in early Dec. at L&JM's Coquille Point home east of Sally Bend. A LESSER GOLDFINCH also lingered into early Dec. at L&JM's home.
OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Vikki Anderson, Cindy Ashy, Betty Bahn, Range Bayer, Kitty Brigham, Rebecca Cheek, Maureen Collson, Mark Elliott, Roy & Cathy Filby, Patrick Gallagher, Dawn Grafe, Herb Jennings, Janet Lamberson, Dave Lauten, Sally Lockyear (SaL), Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley Loeffel (SLo), Linda & John MacKown, Dona Morris, Russ Namitz, Walt Nelson, OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line; recent postings at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html), Laimons & Vicki Osis, Woody Ouderkirk, Pam Parker (PPa), Phil Pickering (PPi), Paul Reed, Maggie Rivers, Howard Shippey, Laura Todd.
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