[obol] Reason for WB Nuthatch decline?

[Norgren Family]

      Ah yes! The Perkins Penninsula nuthatches.
I was on the CBC team that covered that area
two years ago, and arguably our primary mission
was to count that species as they might be the
only individuals recorded in the circle that
day. My family used to moor a sailboat at Orchard
Point in the seventies and I saw every bit of Fern
Ridge Resevoir's shore summer after summer. The
strongest impression I took away from that Christmas
Count day two winters ago was how incredibly overgrown
all shores of the pond had become. In some places
oak saplings have carpeted the landscape, turning
it into an impenetrable thicket. In others the Douglas-
firs have over-topped the oaks and consigned the spot
to perpetual gloom.
     That day we recorded numerous Wrentits at multiple
locations. Such sightings a quarter century ago
in this part of the Eugene Count circle were a distinct
novelty, while one year tallied 86 White-breasted
Nuthatches for the circle as a whole. For someone
newly arrived to the Willamette Valley, the landscape
appears open. But from the perspective of a half-century's
observations, the encroachment of Coast Range inspired
vegetation is alarming. Not too long ago Chipping
and Vesper Sparrows were not considered noteworthy
species in NW Oregon. Now I hear of people making
dedicated efforts to find them.
     This issue of habitat shift has come up repeatedly
on Obol. Oak Savannah and grassland in the Willamette
Basin is almost entirely anthropogenic. Indians
set fires annually to keep the landscape open.
Grazing by livestock of the European culture that
supplanted the indigenous one forestalled
afforestation. Ranchettes on the fringe of Eugene
have in turn supplanted animal husbandry. Benign
neglect rather than malicious intent have driven
the nuthatches out. An impressive program of
savannah restoration is underway at Finley NWR.
Its long term success is dependent on continued
funding.
     Much as I welcome such a program on a widescale,
I can't imagine where the money would come from
to restore a significant acreage of private land.
Lars Norgren
On Sep 2, 2007, at 4:33 PM, Brandon Green wrote:

> OBOL,
>
> While reading through "Birds of Lane County," I came across the part 
> that discusses the decline of the White-breasted Nuthatch over the 
> past 15 or so years in the Eugene area.  Indeed, the only place that 
> I've seen them (outside of a few rare visitors to my yard) even 
> semi-regularly is the Perkins Peninsula section of Fern Ridge.  I was 
> wondering if anybody knows what has caused this decline.  It seems to 
> me that the traditional "loss of habitat" reason wouldn't come into 
> play here, as there should be more than enough Oak growth in the 
> area.  Despite massive suburban sprawl/loss of habitat in the 
> Northeast and Midwest, they're still MUCH more common there than 
> here.  Is there a lack of a particular food source out here, or 
> something else that I'm not considering?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brandon
> Eugene
>
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