[obol] Lincoln Co. Bird Notes Received During August 26-Sept. 22
- From: Range Bayer <range.bayer@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 10:35:20 -0700
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BIRD FIELD NOTES from the Sept. 2014 Sandpiper 35(7), published on
Sept. 30 for Observations Received During 8/26-9/22 by Range Bayer
The Sandpiper is a publication of Yaquina Birders and Naturalists, a
Lincoln County (Oregon) natural history group.
Comments in this column about abundance or seasonality refer to
LINCOLN COUNTY only.
There is room here for only some of the many Lincoln County sightings
posted to Oregon Birders On-Line (OBOL), eBird.org, Lincoln Co.
Birding & Nature Observing (LCBNO), and BirdNotes.net; or emailed,
telephoned, or mailed to me.
If you have any Lincoln County field notes, please share them with
Range (range.bayer@xxxxxxxxx; 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://yaquina.info/ybn/bird/bird.htm#recent
Abbreviations, terms, and some Lincoln Co. site locations (numbers
refer to site numbers in the Oregon Coast Birding Trail Guide
http://www.oregoncoastbirding.com/): BEAVER CREEK (#78, in part):
creek flowing through Ona Beach State Park (now known as Brian Booth
State Park) that includes Beaver Creek State Natural Area (SNA)
(http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_261.php), BOILER BAY STATE
WAYSIDE (#59): about 0.5 mi north of Depoe Bay, GRASS MOUNTAIN (E of
Tidewater and NW of Alsea; most [including the top] in Benton Co., but
part of north in Lincoln Co.; http://goo.gl/maps/2RQjB and
http://www.summitpost.org/grass-mountain/225586), HMSC (#75): OSU
Hatfield Marine Science Center, IDAHO FLATS: large embayment just east
of the HMSC, ONA BEACH STATE PARK (renamed as Brian Booth State Park
in 2013) (#77): State Park about 6.6 mi south of Yaquina Bay bridge
along HWY 101 at Beaver Creek, YBSJ (#71): Yaquina Bay South Jetty,
YAQUINA HEAD OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA (#65): headland north of Newport
(requires recreation pass or vehicle entrance fee).
PRELIMINARY LINCOLN COUNTY NO. AM. MIGRATION COUNT (LNAMC) ON SEPT.
20-21 RESULTS
Compiler Dawn Villaescusa writes "We had a fantastic count here in
Lincoln County this fall. I'm waiting to hear from a couple of folks
but most of the results are in. 125 species, 6 other taxa; 23 count
week species (4 from Golden Princess cruise [GPC]), 5 field parties (1
YB&N field trip, 1 Bird Guide Pelagic trip [BGPT]); 57 counters
(including all from both trips). 5 feeder/yard counters (2 also did
field
counting). Thanks to all of our volunteers!
"I am hoping we can get more involvement next spring, and again next
fall - bring in some more beginners, teaming them up with some more
experienced birders to really make this a special event. Thanks to
all who participated in all the counties!"
[Ed. Thanks to Dawn for organizing and compiling the LNAMC and the
NAMC in Tillamook Co, too! Some of the species seen during the LNAMC
are included below.]
GEESE-TEAL
Shortly before dark on 9/22 at Logsden, BLl observed about 50 large
noisy flock of geese flying over in vee's on a beeline between
Kernville and Mary's Peak. In late Sept. and early Oct., flocks of
unidentified geese or GR. WHITE-FRONTED GEESE have previously been
reported crossing the Lincoln Co. Coast Range, and CANADA GEESE have
also been observed to do so later in fall (Spring and fall migration
of geese across the Coast Range of Lincoln Co., Oregon. 1995. Oregon
Birds 21[1]:10-12 at
http://yaquina.info/ybn/bird/oregon-birds-1995-goose-migration.pdf).
We have had no BRANT since 7/27--they may arrive the last week of October.
2 GREEN-WINGED TEAL on 9/4 in Toledo (JL) appear to be the first of
the season and are the first since the 3 at Idaho Flats on 7/24. WHo
also found one at Yaquina Bay on 9/17.
MERGANSERS
There were several reports of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, but no details
were given about how they were distinguished from COMMON MERGANSERS,
which are much more to be expected here in August-September. Nor did
the reports indicate that the observer was aware that identifying
Red-breasted Mergansers this time of year is not as easy as in winter.
Common Mergansers nest here, but Red-breasted's do not (e.g., Oregon
Breeding Bird Atlas; p. 34 in Herlyn & Contreras' Handbook of Oregon
Birds). There is also a seasonal habitat shift for Commons--in summer
and early fall, rafts of them often appear in lower Yaquina, Siletz,
and Alsea Bays, where Red-breasteds almost exclusively occur from late
fall through spring.
Distinguishing Red-breasteds from Commons in winter is relatively
easy, but it is not as easy in summer and early fall. Female and
immature Commons in summer can look very similar to female
Red-breasteds and can only be safely told apart then by bill and head
shape and nostril position (Kaufman 1990 Am. Birds 44:1203-1205 at
http://sora.unm.edu/node/112985 and in his "A Field Guide to Advanced
Birding"). Sibley's "Guide to Birds" (p. 102) also indicates that
female Commons during July-October lack the sharply contrasting white
on the neck that easily distinguishes them from female Red-breasteds
in winter. In past years, but not this one, we have had a few summer
records of female Red-breasteds based on careful and detailed
observation of bill and head shape and nostril position.
So during July-early October, it is important to distinguish
females/immatures of these two species by other characteristics than
habitat or assuming that all summer birds that don't have distinctly
contrasting white on the neck are Red-breasteds.
ALBATROSS-SORA
A LAYSAN ALBATROSS and 75-120 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES were noted
offshore during the 9/20 BGPT and 9/22 GPC. A rare MURPHY'S PETREL
was also detected during the 9/22 GPC. The most uncommon shearwaters
offshore were 1-3 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS during the 9/20 BGPT and
9/22 GPC, and a BULLER'S SHEARWATER during the 9/20 BGPT. The 9/20
BGPT tallied 45 FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS.
This is also the time for southbound migrating DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS, and a flock of 5 flew over the shoreline in SW Newport on
9/14 (RB). It can be easy to miss that these are migrating flocks of
Double-crests because they can be mistaken for migrating geese that
are similarly large and which we expect to migrate now.
There were many BROWN PELICAN sightings with the high count of about
60 atop Colony Rock at Yaquina Head on 9/3 (KM).
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS have become scarcely reported, and RS found
one at the HMSC on 9/17, which is only the 2nd record since Nov. 2012
(FN).
BLl discovered a WHITE-TAILED KITE on 9/22 at Logsden, and WHe located
a NORTHERN GOSHAWK at Siletz on 9/5.
1-3 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were flying and calling at Yachats on 5 days
during 9/2-14 (BB), another was at the HMSC on 9/4 & 8 (MP; RL), and
singletons were also at Beaver Creek on 4 days during 9/3-22 (JS;
DHo).
For the reporting period through 9/22, the only AMERICAN KESTREL was
at Yaquina Head on 8/16 (BLM). The season's first MERLIN arrived at
the Beaver Creek State Natural Area on 9/17 (JS), and another was in
SW Newport the next day (RB). There were 8 records of 1-2 PEREGRINE
FALCONS (eBird).
On 8/31, RP & DHa found a juvenile SORA along Sturdevant Road in
Toledo, which is only our 4th record this year and the first since
mid-May. In 2013, we only had 1 Sora record (FN). They may be common
but overlooked because they are secretive and concealed in marshes.
SHOREBIRDS-ALCIDS
KM carefully studied an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER in nonbreeding plumage
at Nye Beach in Newport on 9/3. BB and SaL discerned the only
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, which was feeding on tiny black insects washed
up along the tide line at Beachside State Park, south of Waldport, on
9/7.
A RUDDY TURNSTONE was at Yaquina Head on 8/22 (BLM).
The high count of shorebirds was at least 500 mostly LEAST and WESTERN
SANDPIPERS on the beach near Gov. Patterson State Park, south of
Waldport, on 8/28 (SHi). 1-2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS were at the HMSC on
8/26 (WHe) and Ona Beach on 9/5 (JS), and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was
photographed at Yachats on 9/6 (GB).
CALIFORNIA GULLS continued to be numerous with young of the year being
about half of the 600 at Idaho Flats on 9/3 (KM). 2-3 first of the
season HERRING GULLS were at the HMSC on 9/4 (MBo & SP) and offshore
during the 9/20 BGPT.
WHe found 1 ELEGANT TERN at the HMSC on 8/26. The morning of 8/28, CP
could hear but not see Elegant Terns in the fog along the YBSJ, WHo
later found 3 there, and when the fog lifted CP counted 25.
1-3 SOUTH POLAR SKUAS and 1-2 POMARINE JAEGERS were offshore during
the 9/20 BGPT and 9/22 GPC, and 4 LONG-TAILED JAEGERS were also
surveyed during the 9/20 BGPT.
1-2 TUFTED PUFFINS were at Depoe Bay on 9/5 and Yaquina Head on 9/8 (eBird).
In August, BLo's beached bird team found 1 dead CASSIN'S AUKLET and 22
COMMON MURRES (17 adults and 5 young of the year) along 4.6 miles of
beach north of Ona Beach (L&VO, D&JD). This number of adult murres is
high and is tied for the 4th highest August total in the 37 years
since BLo's team survey began in 1978; August 2013 had the highest
number of adult murres with 58.
DOVES-PHOEBE
Because they have become so commonplace, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES may
be ho-hum to many, in spite of their recent arrival. Our first
records were during May-June 2006 (FN). In 2007, we had a smattering
of sightings in May and one record in August, and, in 2008, there were
some records during April-May (FN). In 2009, they became established
in Lincoln Co., with records each month since March (FN). Not only
have they become widely distributed, numbers are also increasing. RS
counted 29 at Yaquina Bay State Park on 9/17, and JS enumerated 15 at
the Alsea Bay Docks on 9/21.
A BARN OWL at Yaquina Head on 8/15 (BLM) is an uncommon record so
close to the coastline. 2 BARRED OWLS were at Hudson Loop between
Toledo and Siletz on 8/26 (JL), and there were 3 records in Sept. at
Toledo, Hudson Loop, and Beaver Creek. (DHa; JL; JS).
Through the end of the 9/22 reporting period, our only RED-BREASTED
SAPSUCKER was at Elkhorn Rd east of Beaver Cr. on 9/14, which was the
same date and location for our latest PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (DHo).
DE found an unseasonal WESTERN KINGBIRD near the HMSC Nature Trail on
9/12 that wasn't a Tropical Kingbird, and a BLACK PHOEBE was at
Yachats on 9/11 (JG & WHe).
LANDBIRDS OFFSHORE
Terrestrial birds are occasionally spotted offshore. The 9/20 BGPT
watched a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH "29 miles offshore, having a bad day
with two LTJA [Long-tailed Jaegers]", and others were a GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET 8.6 miles offshore and an AMERICAN PIPIT 18.6 miles offshore.
One possibility of how they got offshore is that they became
disoriented in fog and flew out over the ocean where they could not
see land and return. At 6:35 and 6:55 AM the morning of 9/20, the
weather station at the Newport Airport south of South Beach (which is
the only local weather station that I have found that records
visibility) reported fog with visibility of 0.5 mile, but the fog
lifted there and visibility increased up to 2.5 mile at 7:15 AM
(http://bit.ly/1yylyr6). However, the Airport is about 0.5 mile from
the coastline, and the fog could have been thicker and lasted longer
closer to the ocean or at different sites along the coastline, where
terrestrial birds may have become disoriented.
An excerpt from eBird's "Understanding birds & weather: Fall birding
basics" (boldface added)
(http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/fall-birding-basics/):
"One other general rule during migration (both spring and fall), is
that when a good migratory movement of birds encounters rain, low
overcast, or foggy conditions, spectacular fallouts can occur. Along
an abrupt line where the rain or fog starts, birds may be quite
literally dropping out of the sky along that frontal boundary. But
when this fog occurs along the coastline, a higher percentage of birds
may accidentally fly offshore and thus the return flight to the coast
will likely include more birds and make those birds more likely to
land right along the coast, since they are probably stressed from
disorientation in the fog or weakened from flying through rain. These
conditions can be dangerous for birds, but they can make for
spectacular birding with large numbers of birds often providing
excellent views."
For studies of the effect of fog on migrating waterfowl and
terrestrial birds, try an Internet search for something like "birds
offshore fog wind farm".
JAY-COWBIRD
WESTERN SCRUB-JAY distribution and frequency appears to be increasing.
Singletons in Newport were near NE 6th Street on 9/6 (SHa), near the
north end of the Yaquina Bay Bridge on 9/9 (DHo), and on SE 5th St.
near Embriceadero on 9/16 (SM fide PK). 2 others were found at Ona
Beach on 9/7 (CW) and in the south County during the 9/20-21 LNAMC (BF
fide DV).
Last reported dates include TREE SWALLOW on 9/3 at Hudson Loop between
Toledo and Siletz (JL), CLIFF SWALLOW on 9/5 at Yaquina Head (MBa),
PURPLE MARTIN on 9/7 in South Beach (EH), BARN SWALLOW on 9/18
(eBird), and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW on 9/20 (eBird).
In Sept., concentrations of swallows are often noted. For
Violet-green Swallows, on the Lincoln Co. side of Grass Mt. the first
week of Sept., CP noted their migration with a concentration of 20+;
on 9/12, DV saw about 30 flying in a flock north up the beach by
Nelscott in Lincoln City. For Barn Swallows, DHo saw 43 on 8/23 and
65 on 8/26 at north Beaver Creek, and JS counted 50 on 9/5 at Ona
Beach.
8 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS continued at a north Beaver Cr. clearcut on 9/14 (DHo).
On 9/1, WP found 1 GRAY CATBIRD lingering along the HMSC Nature Trail
where they nested this summer. On 9/5, EH still had 1 at SE 35th
Street in South Beach, about 0.5 mile south of the HMSC where he also
saw a catbird on 8/16.
The first of season AMERICAN PIPIT was recorded on 9/5 (eBird), and
since then there were many reports (eBird), including one offshore
during the 9/20 BGPT and also by other groups during the 9/20-21 LNAMC
(fide DV).
Other arrivals include 1 WESTERN MEADOWLARK on 9/17 at the HMSC (RS),
2 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS on 9/18 in Lincoln City (DV), and a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW at Beaver Creek State Natural Area on 9/19 (JS).
Departures comprise a BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD on 9/6 at Boiler Bay (MLK,
NM), WILSON'S WARBLER on 9/9 at Siletz Bay (JH), WESTERN TANAGER on
9/13 at Beaver Cr. (JS), and YELLOW WARBLER on 9/14 at north Beaver
Cr. (DHo).
A vagrant female or 1st winter male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was with a
Brewer's Blackbird flock in the parking lot at D River Wayside in
Lincoln City on 9/4 (MBo & SP). This is only the third report since
May 2011 (FN).
OBSERVERS/SOURCES: Betty Bahn, Mark Baldwin (MBa), Range Bayer, Gloria
Beerman, Birding Oregon (http://birdingoregon.info/), BirdNotes.net,
Bird Guide Pelagic Trip out of Newport (BGPT; info about pelagic trips
at http://thebirdguide.com/pelagics/; their eBird checklists are
listed for "Bird Guide pelagic" within 5 miles of the coastline and as
"TBG 9/20/14 Trawlers" further offshore), Mike Boyd (MBo), Bureau of
Land Management staff and volunteers at Yaquina Head Outstanding
Natural Area (BLM), Dave & Jean Dempster (D&JD), eBird.org (location
and observer not accessible in "View and Explore Data" for "All
Observations" but available through "Bar Charts"), Daniel Elbert,
Brian Fowler, fide ("as reported by" someone other than the observer),
Golden Princess cruise (GPC), Jessica Greer, Dawn Harris (DHa), Sandy
Hayden (SHa), William Hemstrom (WHe), Sally Hill (SHi), Wayne Hoffman
(WHo), Deb Holland (DHo), Eric Horvath, Jack Hurt, Penelope Kaczmarek,
Maureen Leong-Kee, Janet Lamberson, Lincoln Co. Birding & Nature
Observing (LCBNO) (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LCBNO/info),
Lincoln Co. No. Am. Migration Count (LNAMC) on 9/20-21 compiled by DV,
Bob Llewellyn (BLl), Sally Lockyear (SaL), Bob Loeffel (BLo) & Shirley
Loeffel (SLo), Roy Lowe, Nicholas Martens, Sue Martin, Kathy
Merrifield, Field Notes (FN; Lincoln County records from the Sandpiper
since 1992 are searchable in search box at
http://yaquina.info/ybn/bird/bird.htm#recent), Oregon Birders On-Line
(OBOL; recent postings at http://birdnews.aba.org/maillist/OR01),
Laimons & Vicki Osis, Ram Papish, Sebastian Pardo, Mike Patterson,
Chuck Philo, William Proebsting, Ryan Schain, Jim Scott, SemiL
(semimonthly Lincoln Co. bird records through 1992 for each species at
ScholarsArchive@OSU [http://hdl.handle.net/1957/8070]), Dawn
Villaescusa, Catherine Winans, Yaquina Birders & Naturalists
(http://yaquina.info/ybn/) Field Trip (YBNFT) led by LO.
-----------------------------
Range Bayer, Newport, Oregon
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