[obol] Curry Chestnut-sided Warbler et al.

  • From: Tim Rodenkirk <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: OBOL <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2013 19:23:30 -0700 (PDT)

I ventured south on Thursday and spent Friday and today mostly at Pistol River, 
Curry.  The highlight of the trip was an incredible movement of dragonflies, 
the most I have ever seen.  On Friday afternoon thousands were seen streaming 
along Hwy 101 in DOWNTOWN Brookings.  This morning at Pistol River I saw many 
tens of thousands near the river mouth (east of bridge).  I say 10s of 
thousands because when I looked in my bins, they sky was just covered with them 
as high up as I could look down to ground level, truly amazing!  They streamed 
by all morning. Reminded me of what I have heard about the Sooty Shearwater 
migration up near the Columbia. I think they may have been mostly meadowhawks, 
but I did see a few Blue Darners so am not really sure.  When I drove north of 
Pistol River I hardly saw any (in comparison).

Highlights:
Thursday the 3rd:
1- LAPLAND LONGSPUR at Floras Lake with KnuteAndersson.

Friday:
one 1st fall female CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER at Pistol River which gave me great 
looks at it.  I saw Richard Smith there early on (before the CSWA) showed up.  
He mentioned seeing a N. GOSHAWK on Thursday at AZ Beach SP *(ust south of Port 
Orford; this is a great Curry bird).  He also saw a rare Oregon vagrant there, 
one David Fix (who also saw the Gos).

Also present were:
1- WESTERN FLY (another or the same there today)
1- HAMMOND'S FLY
12- TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS
2- BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER
many yellowthroats
10+ YELLOW WARBLERS
3- ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
1- WILSON'S WARBLER
1- WARBLING VIREO

1- WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (both days)
scads of mostly MYRTLE WARBLERS

mid-afternoon, Winchuck River mouth:
only one new species, a WESTERN TANAGER

On Friday morning I heard a few SWAINSON'S THRUSHES calling before sunrise in 
the forest east of Gold Beach (where I camped). None this morning.

At the mouth of the Rogue there were 0 ELEGANT TERNS (on my way down and on my 
way back up), in Brookings I found only 14 at the mouth of the Chetco- 
interesting to hear there are so many still up north.  I also saw a POM JAEGER 
off the jetty there (Brookings).

I checked hard for Tropical K's, but no luck, surprising Dave and Shawneen 
found one up north?! No Palm Warblers in some of the usual spots either.

Today there was no CS Warbler to be found, new species included:
1- SWAMP SPARROW (first of the fall for me)
200- VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS (over near the Pistol River bridge where the 
dragonflies were)
1- LAPLAND LONGSPUR (fly-over calling)

Also one BONAPARTE'S GULL at the Gold Beach jetties today.

The weather was tremendous both days with little or no wind and temps in the 
70's, I wore shorts most of the time and a tee-shirt.

Merry migration!
Tim R
Coos Bay

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