[obol] Lincoln Co. Bird Notes: June-August
Range Bayer
rbayer at orednet.org
Mon Sep 10 19:28:04 PDT 2007
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BIRD FIELD NOTES from the August 2007 Sandpiper 28(6)
for June-August Observations Received Through August 31 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: 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.
WATERFOWL
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.
BOBWHITE-PELICAN
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).
GREAT BLUE HERON
"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).
GREAT EGRET
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)
160- X
150-
140- X X
130- X
120-
110-
100- X
90-
80- e
70- XX
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
RAPTORS
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.]
SHOREBIRDS
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.
GULLS-ALCIDS
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).
MOURNING DOVE-BLACK PHOEBE
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."
CORVIDS-MOCKINGBIRD
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.
MIGRANT FALLOUTS
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."
WAXWING-CROSSBILL
[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
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/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 http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/bird.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
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/bird.htm#semimonthly [all lower case
letters]), 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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