[obol] Sherman County NAMC

[David Bailey]

Birders,

I compile the Sherman County section of the North American Migration 
Count (NAMC). It is unlikely that I will be able to get out to the 
county this weekend (16 or 17 Sept.) to count due to various logistical 
constraints. If any of you would like to go birding there and 
participate in the count please keep track of your miles by foot and 
car, your hours by foot and by car, and the total number of individuals 
for each species you encounter. Even if you bird the county only part of 
the day, your data will still be useful to the project.

Over the years I have found birding this extremely under-birded region a 
continually  rewarding experience.  I look forward to the NAMC as an 
excuse to get over there and see what is passing through. If you live in 
Portland, the county, which begins along the Columbia at the mouth of 
the Descutes River, is less than a two hour drive away--as close as 
Tillamook or Seaside. The county is mostly wheat fields, with the few 
trees and shrubs (aside from a few remnant sage brush fragments) 
confined to town and park oases and narrow riparian strips. In this way 
it very much resembles areas of southern Harney County. The passerine 
migrants tend to be concentrated in the oases and vagrants can be more 
easily detected. This makes for some spectacular birding at times. 
Vagrants I have found on past Fall NAMC in Sherman include Black-backed 
Wagtail and Prairie Warbler.

Let me know if you would like to be a part of this Fall's count in 
Sherman, or let me know your numbers after you bird there this weekend.

Sincerely,

David

David C. Bailey
Seaside, Oregon
baileydc at pdx.edu