[obol] Migrating and breeding birds, Mt. Tabor, SE Portland

[m_scatt at yahoo.com]

We were surprised to find a juvenile WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, probably recently fledged, near the lower reservoir. To our knowledge, this is the first time that they have bred in the park. This is a totally unexpected breeder; we haven't seen them at Tabor since late April.

As we were biking we heard 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a WESTERN TANAGER, a couple of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, many WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, 2 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, many groups of PINE SISKINS, a SWAINSON'S THRUSH (we saw two more elsewhere), and 3 PACIFIC- SLOPE FLYCATCHERS. We assume that all of these species nest at Tabor, since several of each have been hanging around all summer.

Fall migration seems to have arrived. We found 2 singing CASSIN'S VIREOS and a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER; presumably fall migrants because they are the first ones we've found at Mt. Tabor since the spring migrants left. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS will probably be quite numerous at Tabor again this fall; we found at least 5 today.

Additionally, we found an adult GREAT-HORNED OWL and we heard a LAZULI BUNTING.

Other recent birds at Tabor included two singing TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS on the 21st. 


Also, though not at Tabor,  we heard a COMMON NIGHTHAWK at Gales Creek Camp (Washington County) on June 28th.


Christopher and Adrian Hinkle