[obol] April Lincoln Co. Bird Notes Received Through 4/30

[Range Bayer]

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           BIRD FIELD NOTES from the April 2008 Sandpiper 29(4)
           for Observations Received Through 4/30 by Range Bayer

      The Sandpiper is a publication of Yaquina Birders and Naturalists, a
Lincoln County (Oregon) natural history group.

      There are too many sightings to report them all.  Only those
considered particularly noteworthy are included here.

      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, COQUILLE POINT:
southeast corner of Sally's Bend at about mile 3.5 along north Yaquina Bay
Road, ECKMAN LAKE: lake 2 mi east of Waldport along HWY 34, 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,
THIEL CREEK: creek about 3.5 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge, THORNTON
CREEK: about midway between Toledo and Eddyville along HWY 20, YBSJ:
Yaquina Bay South Jetty.


                                 WATERFOWL

      CP reported our first GR. WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE flock of about 250
migrating north over Newport's Safeway on 4/14 at about 10 AM.  At 8:25 PM
that evening a flock of 100-150 flew east over the HMSC (RB), so not all
were going the same direction.

      A sign of the spring movement of BRANT was a sighting along the coast
at Yaquina Head on 3/1 (BLM).  At Yaquina Head, WH saw a flock of 120
migrating north about 200 yards off shore on 4/15 and a string of 9 flying
north about 50 yards offshore on 4/16.  The peak count this month at
Yaquina Bay was 269 on 4/4 (RB); JL found 230 on 4/3.   YB&N is a project
partner of the International Brant Monitoring Project (IBMP)
(www.padillabay.gov/brant/), and RB relays on sightings of significant
numbers of Brant in Lincoln County to their Observation Log (see link on
the left side of their web page).

      WH reported the first flock (45) of ALEUTIAN CACKLING GEESE flying
north over Yaquina Head on 4/15.  Many continued to migrate, with about 800
flying over PP's Lincoln City home on 4/18.

      The first brood of MALLARD ducklings (10) appeared at Eckman Lake on
4/16 (RL), and a pair of WOOD DUCKS was there on 4/1 (JWe).

      Yaquina Head has been a good place for HARLEQUIN DUCKS, with reports
during 4 days in March (BLM).  3 males & 3 females were also at Seal Rocks
on 3/22 (JSi & others).

      JSi & others saw a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER with a nasal tag on 3/22 at
the YBSJ.  Finding a marked bird is exciting because there is the
possibility of finding out where it has come from, which can be quite a
long ways from here.  JSi has so far been unsuccessful in trying to find
who marked it.

      Our only LONG-TAILED DUCK was at Yaquina Head on 4/11 (A&CH, ES).

      On 4/16, BLl watched a pair of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS swimming
together with their heads submerged near Idaho Flats.  Watching the
behavior of birds can often be rewarding--and surprising!


                             LOONS-GREEN HERON

      Loon migration was underway by 4/15, when WH estimated 20/min flying
north past Yaquina Head.  PP's seawatches in April at Boiler Bay revealed
thousands of PACIFIC LOONS, hundreds of RED-THROATED LOONS, and lesser
numbers of COMMON LOONS flying north.  The peak counts were during PP &
WH's 8-9:45 AM seawatch on 4/19, when they estimated 8,000+ Pacifics
(varying from 50-300/minute), 600+ Red-throateds, and 200+ Commons; and
during PP's 6:45-8:30 AM seawatch on 4/29, when he noted 9,000+ Pacifics,
400+ Red-throateds, and 40+ Commons.

      WH found a rare CLARK'S GREBE on the water at Boiler Bay on 4/26.

      JSi & others saw 5 EARED GREBES near the LNG tank at Yaquina Bay on
3/22.  While sailing, PR appreciated an Eared Grebe in breeding plumage in
the channel near the LNG tank on 4/6, and RN spotted 2 in breeding plumage
near the HMSC on 4/13.

      A rare MANX SHEARWATER was discerned about 3/4 mile off Boiler Bay
during PP's 4/30 seawatch.

      The 103 NORTHERN FULMARS found along 4.6 miles of beach north of Ona
Beach in March (B&SLo, L&VO) is the most in a month during January-March
since BLo's surveys began in 1978.  Most were not freshly dead, and 16%
were light color-phase, which is less than the percentage of light fulmars
late last year.  The previous highs were 36 (March 1998) and 35 (January
2004).

      BROWN PELICAN sightings increased dramatically during April along the
open coast, with reports during 12 days (FR; BB; KB; BLo; PP; WH; A&CH,
ES).  The peak counts were 45 at Yaquina Head on 4/19 (WH) and 73 at Boiler
Bay on 4/30 (PP).  They are often rare inside of bays until about June, and
HS had our only in-bay report, with one circling inside Yaquina Bay on 4/6.
Prior to the 1982/1983 El Nino, pelicans were rare prior to May and
uncommon in May and June (SemiL).

      GREAT EGRETS overwintered at Beaver Creek, but JL found the first (a
singleton) at Yaquina Bay on 4/1.  Numbers increased to TW's peak count of
6 at Idaho Flats on 4/25, and at least 3 of these were in full breeding
plumage.  2-5 were regularly seen at Yaquina Bay in April (SS; TW; JL; RB).

      Our first spring GREEN HERON was in the west log pond between the
HMSC and Oregon Coast Aquarium on 4/7 (JL).  2 were in downtown Eddyville
on 4/18 (CP).


                                  RAPTORS

      OSPREY arrived at their Eckman Lake nest on 3/18 (RL), at their
Embarcadero nest on 3/26 (HS), and at the Waldport High School football
field by 4/1 (BHu).  At the football field, there were at least 3 Osprey
using the 2 nests atop light poles on 4/2 (BHa).  Another 2 were sitting on
a nesting snag on the north side of the entry way from HWY 101 to South
Beach State Park on 4/30 (KS).

      On 3/31 about 2 miles north of Siletz, JCo saw a brown duck (perhaps
a nesting Mallard?) fly in two large circles and twice dive-bomb a hovering
WHITE-TAILED KITE.  The duck appeared to have hit the kite once.  Kites may
be nesting near the HMSC as JWa watched one carrying nesting material there
on 4/14.

      Several BALD EAGLES were noted.  CN appreciatively spotted an
immature in a snag along the beach while driving to Waldport on 4/12.  When
she returned a few minutes later it was in the freshwater outlet.  She
stopped at a turnout and let a couple share the experience with her binocs.

      Mystery!  The evening of 4/30 at the YBSJ, BM saw a coyote take 2
nests of 2 eggs each in the grass within 50 yards of the South Jetty road;
no birds were around.  The eggs were white and about chicken-sized.  The
nests were about 50 yards from each other.  It is possible that these were
NORTHERN HARRIER eggs based on color, size, ground-nesting, and location.
BM noted a harrier in the same vicinity about 2 weeks previously, and "two
years ago or so, I saw a harrier running a coyote out of the grassy valley
between the dunes west of tonight's spot.  The only harrier nest I've been
lucky enough to see up close was in pretty deep grass at Finley Wildlife
Refuge south of Corvallis---definitely deeper grass than where I saw the
coyote take eggs this evening."  Gabrielson and Jewett (1940.  Birds of
Oregon) write that harriers normally have 4-6 eggs, and that eggs were
collected in Klamath County on May 1.  So these clutches may not have been
completed.  In Gabrielson and Jewett's time, there were a total of only 2
coastal harrier records, so they have become more common since.  The first
Lincoln County record was in 1970 (SemiL), though they may have been
present earlier.  They now regularly overwinter.  BM happened to be in the
right location to see a sequence of behavior that we often do not!

      In past years, MERLINS were most apt to be reported in April (SemiL).
This year does not appear to be the exception.  We had no records in
January and one record each in February and March.  This month we had 4
records of singletons, including at Road's End in north Lincoln City on
4/11 (ME), the HMSC on 4/13 (RN), and Yachats on 4/21 (SaL).  On 4/18, RL
writes: "On my way to work, I was driving down US Hwy 101 in South Beach,
and I saw a Merlin bolt out in front of me.  I caught up to it as it flew
along side the Highway just above eye level.  It stayed even with me as I
was driving.  The Merlin flew along effortlessly and maintained speed even
though it dodged trees, boats on trailers, parked trucks, etc!"

      PEREGRINE FALCONS were recorded during 7 days in March at Yaquina
Head (BLM).  Others included 1 in the Waldport area on 4/4 (SaL) and 1 at
Boiler Bay on 4/29 (PP).


                                SHOREBIRDS

      Our first BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and DUNLIN in breeding plumage were
reported on 4/7 at Idaho Flats (JL).  RN found 100+ DOWITCHERS at Alsea Bay
on 4/13 and a flock of SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS also flew over calling.

      The most BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were 6 on rocks by 68th Street north of
Yaquina Head on 4/5 (FR).

      "Peeps" (small shorebirds) are on the move!  On 4/19, PP & WH saw 500
DUNLIN and 1,600 other small shorebirds passing Boiler Bay.  But their
movement was sporadic, as PP did not see any passing during his 7:15-8:45
AM seawatch at Boiler Bay on 4/22.  The evening of 4/27, over 500
(including DUNLIN) were busy refueling at Idaho Flats (RB), and on PP's
4/29 seawatch at Boiler Bay during 6:45-8:30 AM, he estimated 7,000+
WESTERN SANDPIPERS in "many small, apparently pure flocks."

      There were many April sightings of WHIMBRELS along the ocean beach or
in Yaquina Bay, with high counts of 18 near Seal Rocks on 4/22 (KB) and 17
at Sally's Bend on 4/27 (CA).  They are also often seen in upland, short-
grass habitats.  On 4/19, WH spotted 1 at the Agate Beach Golf Course (near
Yaquina Head), and, on 4/20, PP watched 9 on the lawn at Boiler Bay State
Park.

      MARBLED GODWITS other than those in the photo included 2-6 that
stopped on the rock shelf northwest of Yaquina Bay Bridge on 4/3 & 25 (JL;
RB).

      PP found our first RUDDY TURNSTONE since last May at Boiler Bay on
4/20.

[Image Not Included: Jill Grover's mid-April photo of 2 Marbled Godwits
wading along the ocean shore at Bayshore Beach north of Waldport.]

      During PP's 6:30-8 AM seawatch at Boiler Bay on 4/30, he noted 6,000+
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES--the first of the season and perhaps the harbinger of
a major migration this spring.


                            GULLS-HUMMINGBIRDS

      A single BONAPARTE'S GULL was at Idaho Flats on 4/3 & 4/16 (JL)--they
should be increasing in abundance.  A GLAUCOUS GULL was at the Newport
Bayfront on 3/31 (JN) and at Idaho Flats on 4/3 (JL).

      Our only report of Common or Arctic Terns were a flock of 20+ COMMON
TERNS at Boiler Bay on 4/19 (WH & GG).  There were many reports of Caspian
Terns along the coast or in bays, with the high count of 55 flying north at
Boiler Bay on 4/26 (WH).

      PIGEON GUILLEMOTS were using a hole in the cliff at Pacific Shores,
south of South Beach on 4/5 (LO).

      1 ANCIENT MURRELET and 1 RHINOCEROS AUKLET were washed ashore along
4.6 miles of beach north of Ona Beach in March (B&SLo, L&VO).  No live
Ancients were reported, but 3-60+ Rhinoceros Auklets and 1-6 MARBLED
MURRELETS were recorded alive during 5 Boiler Bay seawatches on 4/19 (PP &
WH) and 4/20-29 (PP).  During these watches, PP saw 1-2 TUFTED PUFFINS on
4/22, 24, & 29.

      We had our first records of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES during May/June
2006.  In 2007, we had a smattering of sightings in May and one record in
August.  Our only record since then was on 4/29, when WH detected one
flying past the entrance to South Beach State Park.

      4 MOURNING DOVES resided through mid-April at L&JM's Coquille Point
home east of Sally's Bend.  Another was near the south end of the Yaquina
Bay Bridge on 4/26 (SS).

      BAND-TAILED PIGEONS appeared to have arrived en masse on about 4/11
(BB; EH), with reports of 15 or more in Yachats on 4/11 (BB), near Coquille
Point in mid-April (L&JM), and in Newport on 4/27 (SS & TD).

      A BARRED OWL hooting at LO's north Beaver Creek home on 4/27 was our
only report.

      L&JM also noted more hummers at their Coquille Point home, with
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS together until 4/11.  An Anna's
lingered near the USFWS building at the HMSC on 4/15 (JL).


                            HYBRID WOODPECKERS

[Image Not Included: Darrel Faxon's cropped photo of a sapsucker near his
Thornton Creek home on April 12.  His photo is at the Bird Guide site
(http://thebirdguide.com/temp_images/RecentPhotos/RecentBirdPhotos.htm).
Darrel notes that there was not a consensus about its identity, and it
appears to have been a Red-naped Sapsucker with some Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker characteristics.  Nevertheless, as Darrel comments, "it was a
beautiful bird."]

[Image Not Included: Howard Shippey's photos of a male hybrid Red-shafted X
Yello-shafted Northern Flicker near the Newport Bayfront in mid-March.  It
is identifiable as a hybrid because it has the red crescent on the back of
its neck like a yellow-shafted, but it has the red malar stripe
(moustache), reddish undertail feathers, and grayish side of the face like
a red-shafted.  It was last seen there on 4/30.]


                          SPRING ARRIVALS-WARBLER

      Arrivals include: WILSON'S WARBLER at DG's Toledo home on 3/30,
PURPLE MARTIN in South Beach on 4/11 (EH), EVENING GROSBEAK at Yachats on
4/11 (BB) and Toledo on 4/13 (CP), BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD at L&JM's Coquille
Point home on 4/17, CASSIN'S VIREO at EH's South Beach home on 4/24, BLACK-
HEADED GROSBEAK at BB's Yachats home on 4/24, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT during
the 4/26 YBNFT to Cape Perpetua's Giant Spruce Trail, and WARBLING VIREO
and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER at EH's South Beach home on 4/27.

      On 4/12, a BLACK PHOEBE was found in Yachats just north of Overleaf
Lodge's housing development where the 804 trail crosses a stream that has
been dammed by beavers (A&CH, ES).  SaL looked a few days later and did not
find the phoebe but did see Wood Ducks in the beaver pond.  Black Phoebes
are uncommon here, with only 2 records since 1997 (FN), including one in
December 2004 while WH was steelhead fishing on the Siletz River downstream
of Morgan Landing, and the second on 6/2/2007, while RL was halibut fishing
15-16 miles west of Newport (FN).

      An underreported BROWN CREEPER was near LO's north Beaver Creek home
in mid-April.

      DF found a flock of 30 CEDAR WAXWINGS in Newport on 4/8.  These may
be spring nomads rather than spring migrants, since they usually do not
arrive and remain until mid-May (SemiL).  During 1973-1992, we had a
smattering of Cedar Waxwing records during January-April in 9 of 20 years
(SemiL).

      April was often wintry, with lots of ice and hail.  On 4/20, DF wrote
that he had "two inches of snow at Thornton Creek this morning, and a flock
of bright breeding-plumaged Audubon's YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are moving
through the white blanket in the trees.  What a sight!"


                           SPARROWS-GOLDFINCHES

       The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW along the HMSC Nature Trail lingered until
at least 3/29 (ME).

      Different subspecies of SAVANNAH SPARROWS move through, especially
right along the coast strip.  On 4/19 at the YBSJ, WH admired "a bright
'Alaska' " Savannah Sparrow.

      BLo had our only report of a Slate-colored DARK-EYED JUNCO--one was
in the driveway at his Thiel Creek home on 4/17.

      JSh discovered a pair of LAPLAND LONGSPURS in breeding plumage along
the boulders of the YBSJ near the biggest parking area by the "Gull Puddle"
the morning of 4/28.  She quickly reported it, so JB was able to see them
that afternoon.  They were also seen there on 4/29 & 30, often in the
company of 1-2 Savannah Sparrows (JL; WH; BOl; CP).  Since 2000, we only
have had one record by 1-2 observers each fall in 2001, 2002, 2004, and
2007 (FN).  They have occurred in spring before, since we had 7 years of
records in April or May prior to 1993 (SemiL), but this was an exceptional
chance in recent years for many people to see them---and to see them in
spring breeding plumage!

      On 4/9, LO had a female GROSBEAK at his north Beaver Creek feeders,
but it flew away before he determined if it was a Black-headed or Rose-
breasted.  That would be unseasonally early for a Black-headed, but we have
had Rose-breasteds uncommonly in early spring.

      On 4/30, a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK showed up at J&KC's home about
4 miles east of Waldport at their home-made peanut log.  JC notes that "the
birds sure love it"; see her recipe along with a link about NOT using
hydrogenated peanut butter at
http://www.birdsamore.com/recipes/peanutbuttercake.htm

      3-5 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS lingered at the HMSC on 3/22 (JSi & others)
and 4/7 (JL).

      LESSER GOLDFINCHES remained at L&JM's Coquille Point home until 4/9.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES arrived and brightened many areas, with 20+ at BOu's
Newport home on 4/22.

      OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Cindy Ashy, Betty Bahn, Range Bayer, Kitty
Brigham, Bureau of Land Management staff at Yaquina Head (BLM), Judy Butts,
Jorrie & Ken Ciotti (http://www.birdsamore.com), Joel Colvin (JCo), Todd
Dunkirk, Mark Elliott, Darrel Faxon (some of DF's bird records are at
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/bird.htm#thornton_creek), Greg
Gillson, Dawn Grafe, Bill Hanshumaker (BHa), Adrian & Christopher Hinkle,
Wayne Hoffman, Eric Horvath, Bettye Hunt (BHu), Janet Lamberson, Bob
Llewellyn (BLl), Sally Lockyear (SaL), Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley Loeffel
(SLo), Roy Lowe, Linda & John MacKown, Barry McPherson, Russ Namitz, Cheryl
Norton, Field Notes (FN; Lincoln County records from the Sandpiper since
1992 are searchable at
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/lincoln/bird.htm#recent [all lower case
letters]), John Notis, Bob Olson (BOl), Oregon Birders On Line (OBOL;
recent postings at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html), Laimons
& Vicki Osis, Bette Ouderkirk (BOu), Chuck Philo, Phil Pickering, Fran
Recht, Paul Reed, Em Scattaregia, SemiL (semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird
records through 1992 for each species at ScholarsArchive at OSU
[http://hdl.handle.net/1957/8070]), Howard Shippey, Joline Shroyer (JSh),
Jamie Simmons (JSi), Keith Stratton, Stacy Strickland, Jessica Waddell
(JWa), Tom Wainwright, Jean Weakland (JWe), Yaquina Birders & Naturalists
(YBNFT Field Trip led by SaL & BB).