[obol] Coast and S. Oregon week highlights

[Richard Hoyer]

Sunday, August 6

Dear OBOL,

Since the Yellow-billed Loon and the scoters on 7/26, I've completed 
the first Birds & Shakespeare tour, and idea I've had for several 
years. It was a great success. All the participants and especially my 
co-leader Bryan Bland (from England) were overwhelmed by the birds and 
beauty that Oregon has to offer. You all knew that. I have to thank the 
several birders who helped in providing specific information on sites 
and birds, without which the tour would not have been nearly as 
successful.

Though we saw nothing rare during the tour, here are a few of the 
highlights:

7/28/06: TUFTED PUFFIN flying north past the end of the South Jetty 
Siuslaw River

7/30/06: NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL and GREAT GRAY OWL in the Howard 
Prairie-Hyatt Lake area.

7/31/06: TONS of birds in the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National 
Wildlife Refuges, including countless GADWALL. A BARN OWL with a nearly 
fledged chick in the Petroglyph Cliffs of Tule Lake NWR was a fun 
sight. In the appropriate habitats near Dorris, CA we our only GRAY 
FLYCATCHERS, BREWER'S SPARROWS, and SAGE THRASHERS. That night (around 
9:00 p.m.) we heard two distant YELLOW RAILS on Dixon Rd. NE of Fort 
Klamath. There aren't many reports of this species so late in the 
season. (I highly recommend the Aspen Inn Motel in Fort Klamath, by the 
way--can't be the location and very friendly proprietors.)

8/1/06: RED-NECKED GREBE at Rocky Point on the west shore of Upper 
Klamath Lake. AMERICAN DIPPER at Woodruff Bridge of the upper Rogue 
River was a nice last-minute score.

8/3/06: Great day with Frank Lospalluto to Mt. Ashland and beyond to 
Wrangler Camp. WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS were at the ski area where we 
had picnic breakfast as well as just down the road at the campground. 
GREEN TAILED TOWHEES were above Grouse Gap, and both Frank and I 
learned a new vocalization, the almost song-like begging call of a 
barely fledged "THICK-BILLED" FOX SPARROW.

8/4/06: MOUNTAIN QUAIL, SOOTY GROUSE, SANDHILL CRANE, NORTHERN 
PYGMY-OWL and migrant TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS in the forests to the east of 
Ashland, as far as the Klamath County line and Winema National Forest.

Good Birding,

Rich
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Rich Hoyer
Tucson, AZ

Senior Field Leader, WINGS, Inc.
http://www.wingsbirds.com
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