[obol] Re: Another Coos Ruff 8/1/2014
- From: "Wayne Hoffman" <whoffman@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <timrodenkirk@xxxxxxxxx>, <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 20:06:23 -0700
Hi, Tim –
I also went down to Baja Oregon for the weekend, and also did some tern
counting. My numbers were a bit different – not surprising with these
peripatetic birds.
Saturday Aug 30:
Gold Beach – 10:00 AM 0 seen
Brookings - 10:45 – 11:45 300+
Crescent City 1:20 14
Crescent City 7:00 PM 50
Sunday Aug 30
Crescent City 10 AM 45
Crescent City 7 PM 55
Monday, Sept. 1
Crescent City 10:30 AM 18
Brookings 11:30-12:30 300+
Gold Beach 1:30 60+
Bandon mid-afternoon 0
Winchester Bay jetties 4 PM 0
At Brookings most of the birds were roosting on the north side of the north
jetty tip. I could see birds coming and going, but had no idea of the numbers
until boats passed by close and flushed them. Quick counts and counts of
photos established the numbers.
At Gold Beach, I suspect roosting was mainly on the tip of the north jetty as
well. No roosting on the docks or bars inside as in the past.
At Crescent City the higher counts were from temporary roosts at the mouth of
Elk Creek downtown. The beach was very busy and they got disturbed a lot.
They must have had other roost sites that I did not find.
Other highlights:
Coastal Del Norte and northern Humboldt Cos. Seem to be overrun with semi-tame
elk. There were traffic jams of people stopping to take photos with cell
phones.
Over the weekend I saw over 300 animals, in 5 different areas, and saw lots of
highly stupid-dangerous human behavior. Too-close approaches, rock-throwing,
walking between herd bulls and their cows, etc.
2-3 Wandering Tattlers on Brookings jetties.
I found a wonderful land-birding area, at least for this season – I assume the
locals know it. Enderts Road and beach access just south of Crescent City.
This is the southern tip of the big flat area (uplifted marine terrace) that
extends from Brookings down through Crescent City. It is a mosaic of wetlands
and stands of brush and stunted trees, dominated by Cascara, small Sitka
Spruce, Crabapple, Hawthorns, and willows, with an understory of Himalayan
Blackberry, Red Elderberry, Salal, and other shrubbery. Quite a bit of
mixed-in exotics including shrubby fuschias. Fruit and berries were abundant.
In an hour or so each morning along the roadside south of the turnoff to the
beach access parking lot, songbird densities were amazing. Song Sparrows were
coming up out of the brush and sunning themselves. I do not think I have everv
seen as high a density of Song Sparrows. I did not find any rarities, but was
able to photograph 4 warbler species (Wilson’s, Orange-crowned, Townsend’s,
MacGillivray’s) and 2 vireos (Huttons, Warbling), as well as Song and
White-crowned Sparrows, Wrentits (spectacularly ratty plumage), and Cedar
Waxwings. Also seen: Lincoln’s Sparrows (2), a couple empids, Western
Tanagers, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Spotted Towhees, Amer.
Goldfinches, female-plumaged Selasphorus hummers (more likely Allen’s here?),
Red-shouldered hawks, Swainson’s Thrushes. I imagine I would have found more
if I had focused more on birding and less on photos.
Wayne
From: obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Tim Rodenkirk
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2014 6:40 PM
To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [obol] Another Coos Ruff 8/1/2014
Holly and I headed south to CA via the coast on Saturday AM. Stopped to do
some scouting for Elegant Terns in Gold Beach and we were skunked! I guess
they all headed north? In Brookings we saw 50 to 100 off the jetty in the
Harbor area.
I then heard from Peter Low that he had seen 200 ELEGANT TERNS in Bandon on
Sunday AM, I have never seen more than about 30 in the county and the record
for Bandon I knew of was 12 so that was amazing, plus the Ruff there- ouch.
Nice finds as usual Peter! I also heard from Tom Gaskill that on Sunday he saw
200 ELEGANT TERNS near Charleston in Coos Bay- so it sounds like the same
birds! Nice find Tom- hopefully these birds will be around for next weekends
Shorebird Festival.
Today (Monday) on our way back up we saw about 100 Elegant in Gold Beach and
another 100 between there and Euchre Creek. Who knows which birds are what and
how many are actually north in Oregon and WA now? In Bandon it was high tide
and I saw zero Elegants and couldn't check for shorebirds because there was no
mud exposed. Not knowing about the Coos Bay Elegants we headed home.
After unpacking I decided to check the north spit of Coos Bay, old Weyco pond
site, where I was pleasantly surprised to see a juvie RUFF on the little mud
patch on the NW end of the mudflats. Only a few peeps there besides the Ruff.
It's a few miles between there and Bandon so I suspect different birds?
Anyhow, things are "heating up" for the Shorebird Fest!
Merry migration,
Tim R
Coos Bay
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