[obol] Lincoln Co. Bird Notes: Sept. Received Through 9/30
Range Bayer
rbayer at orednet.org
Sun Oct 7 16:06:07 PDT 2007
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BIRD FIELD NOTES from the September 2007 Sandpiper 28(7)
for Observations Received Through 9/30 by Range Bayer
The Sandpiper is a publication of Yaquina Birders and Naturalists, a
Lincoln County (Oregon) natural history group.
Comments in this column about abundance or seasonality refer to
LINCOLN COUNTY only. If you have any Lincoln County field notes, please
share them with Range (rbayer at orednet.org; P.O. Box 1467, Newport, OR
97365; 541-265-2965) by the 20th of the month. Bird field notes columns in
the Sandpiper since 1992 are at
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/bird.htm#recent (all lower case
letters).
Many Lincoln Co. sites are in the Oregon Coast Birding Trail Guide
(http://www.oregoncoastbirding.com/).
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.
WATERFOWL-BROWN PELICAN
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.
HERONS AND EGRETS
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.
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)
160- X
150-
140- X X
130- X
120-
110- X
100- X
90-
80- e
70- XX e
60- X e
50- e
40- e
30-X X XXX XXX
20-
10-
1-4- e ee e
0-e e eee ee e
'|''|''|''|''|''|''|''|''|''|''|''|''|
Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov
Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec
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).
RAPTORS
[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).]
SORA-ALCIDS
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
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).
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE - WOODPECKERS
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!"
CORVIDS AND WEST NILE VIRUS
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).
PURPLE MARTIN-HOUSE FINCH
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
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/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
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/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
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/bird.htm#semimonthly [all lower case
letters]), Paul Sullivan, Yaquina Birders & Naturalists Field Trip (YBNFT
led by RB).
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