[obol] Curry Mt. Bluebirds et al. 7/19 & 7/20/2014

From: Tim Rodenkirk <timrodenkirk@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 15:35:18 -0700
Yesterday and today I did my annual backpack in to the Kalmiopsis
Wilderness east of Brookings.  I was up on the Chetco Rim trail.  It is
mostly around 4,000' and is also mostly treeless dating back to the 2002
Biscuit Fire- miles of snags now.  I hiked in about 6.5 miles and camped.
 The best birding is from Chetco Lake (about 4.5 miles in)  onwards.  At
about 5.5 miles one hits an area that wasn't burned and that is where I
found chickadees and several other forest species. Prior to the burn, one
had to search for views of the ocean.  Now the entire trail has good views
of the ocean. After 12 years I see trees coming back but they are only a
foot or two tall, it'll be many years before it looks like it did pre-burn.
 Still a very cool landscape. Although it gets about 140 inches of rain a
year it is like a desert up there this time of year, hot and dry- a nice
break from the chilly coast. Temps between 56 and 84.

Chetco Lake (pond) is a great swimming spot, water bottle fill up spot, and
a fun odonate location- I saw about 6 species of dragonflies and lots of
boreal/northern bluets. No live trees though.

This morning before sunrise while the nighthawks were overhead I had great
views of Mercury, a planet that is tough to see well most of the year.

The best birds were three MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS at Chetco Lake- an adult male
with two juvies. I couldn't find the female but she could have been around
and I missed her.  This is the third time in five years I have seen likely
breeding birds in mid-July.  I also had six different singing/calling ROCK
WRENS, lots of habitat for them!

It was very windy on Saturday but barely even breezy this morning, here is
the rest of my bird list:
1- TURKEY VULTURE
2- OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS
1- WESTERN WOOD-PEEWEE
5- DUSKY FLYCATCHERS
2- AMERICAN ROBINS
4- RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES
3- TOWNEND'S SOLITAIRES
1- HOUSE WREN
3- MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES
2- SELASPHORUS HUMMERS
10- STELLER'S JAYS
1- NORTHERN FLICKER (my only woodpecker!)
5- YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
1- BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER
1- ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
1- LAZULI BUNTING
10- SPOTTED TOWHEES
1- GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
2- SONG SPARROWS
40- DARK-EYED JUNCOES
1- PINE SISKIN

Oh, saw flocks of Mt. Quail on my way up to the trailhead and leaving
today- adults with young birds in tow.

No terns in either Brookings or Gold Beach, lots of fog in Brookings
though, most of the day- seen well from above.

Merry summertime!
Tim R
Coos Bay
[obol] Curry Mt. Bluebirds et al. 7/19 & 7/20/2014

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