This year's Wild Turkeys team has just wrapped up its annual 48-hour Gonzo Trip
for the Audubon Society of Portland's Birdathon. Twenty-three of us traveled
from Malheur NWR to Sisters to Fern Ridge, and then up the coast from Florence
to Yaquina Head, finding 208 species and raising over $45,000 for Portland
Audubon's conservation and education programs. Highlights are below, and full
lists will be entered into eBird.
The trip was chronicled here:
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wild-Turkeys-Birdathon-Team-Portland/208687749171050
and you can still make pledges to our team (or any other Birdathon team) here:
http://audubonportland.org/support/fundraising-events/birdathon/birdathon_2016 ;
A big THANK YOU to all of you out there who are supporting Portland Audubon's
vital work with your Birdathon pledges this year!
It had been 6 years since the Wild Turkeys included Malheur in our route. Our
last adventure there was featured on OPB's Oregon Field Guide:
www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/birdathon
Our return to Malheur this spring felt especially meaningful following the
events of this past winter -- and highly appropriate, given the key role that
Portland Audubon has played throughout Malheur's history. Leaders with
Portland Audubon helped establish the refuge a century ago (learn the history
here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGD2H1mRG4I ), and continue today to work
cooperatively with the refuge and the local community to plan and manage
conservation efforts. On this weekend's trip, refuge manager Chad Karges
kindly took time to meet with us, and we felt warmly welcomed by many good
people in Burns and Harney County.
We began our route on the afternoon of Friday the 13th at Roaring Springs Ranch
with WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS, then proceeded north to Frenchglen, where
highlights were a Gopher Snake and some adorable GREAT HORNED OWL fledglings
(well, maybe not so adorable from the snake's point of view). Page Springs was
a bit slow in the afternoon heat but produced several YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS and
a slew of butterfly species. With some spots like Knox Pond and Krumbo Pond
dry due to carp eradication efforts, our next stop was Benson Pond, which has
produced the best birding on the refuge this spring. We found many expected
waterbirds here (TRUMPETER SWAN, SORA, BLACK TERN, FRANKLIN'S GULL, etc.) plus
a number of passerine migrants, including a NASHVILLE WARBLER, a late
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and a late & unexpected WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.
Most winter waterfowl had cleared out of Krumbo Reservoir, but we spied a
distant PRAIRIE FALCON and enjoyed prolonged views of a cooperative, crisply
outfitted CHUKAR. Near the Malheur Field Station we had a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE,
some flyover BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS, and nice views of several SHORT-EARED
OWLS hunting. Headquarters is still closed, but we posed for a group photo at
the newly installed refuge sign, and picked up a few new species from the
roadside as the sun set gloriously in the west. After a fine dinner at Rhojos
in Burns, our Owling Contingent heard FLAMMULATED OWLS at Idlewild, but then
was cut short by the onset of a cold rain that would dog us for the rest of the
trip.
As Saturday morning the 14th dawned, we returned to the ponderosa pines of
Idlewild, finding species like WESTERN BLUEBIRD, HERMIT THRUSH, CASSIN'S VIREO,
and CASSIN'S FINCH. Activity was suppressed by the cold drizzle, though, so we
would need to rely on the Sisters area later in the day for the rest of our
pine species. We picked up GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE and CANYON WREN on the way back
downslope, and then began a sweep through the flooded fields around Burns and
Hines. As we surveyed one field chock full of 170 WHITE-FACED IBIS and 120
FRANKLIN'S GULLS, we got word from Joan Suther and Rick Vetter that a lingering
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was being seen south of Wright's Point. A quick mental
calculation of strategy and listing math led us to pull anchor and invest time
chasing the Rough-leg. Luckily it was still there and we had nice views, along
with FERRUGINOUS HAWK and BURROWING OWL, while we also cleaned up sage
passerines such as SAGE THRASHER and BREWER'S SPARROW. A bonus bird was an
unlucky TUNDRA SWAN that had failed to migrate north due to injury.
By 8:30 we were leaving the fabled land of STILTS, AVOCETS, and WILLETS and
heading west. Chickahominy Reservoir produced CLARK'S GREBE, MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRD, VESPER and LARK SPARROWS, and CASPIAN and FORSTER'S TERNS, while BALD
and GOLDEN EAGLES were further along Hwy 20. We found no Sage Grouse in late
morning at the Millican Lek, but Casey turned up a PIGMY SHORT-HORNED LIZARD.
Then at Hatfield Lakes near Bend we ran into Craig Miller and added 3
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, but dipped on Ash-throated Flycatcher.
As we reached Calliope Crossing, we were behind schedule and had missed some
birds we'd expected to get. We desperately needed to fill in a slew of gaps in
our list before cresting the Cascades and losing the eastern Oregon species for
good. But a cold rain had moved in, and the woods were deadeningly silent.
Dave briefly spied a CALLIOPE HUMMER, but we got little else at the crossing.
The rain had not been forecast, so the cold brooding overcast was a nasty
surprise, and it seemed that we were in danger of missing half the avifauna of
the region. We climbed back in the vans, wet and shivering, the clock ticking
relentlessly. Things were looking grim. Navigating the potholes of Pine St.
seeing or hearing nary a bird, we began to ponder the dismal prospect of
failing to reach the 200-species mark for the first time. The pending
humiliation was almost too horrifying to contemplate.
And then we were saved. Just as we prepared to leave the pines for good in
ignominious defeat, a WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER flew across the road in front of
Van One. We all piled out to view the woodpecker, and soon realized the woods
were full of PINYON JAYS -- including a number of fledglings (early for the
season?) flying around and begging noisily. The jays led us to a WILLIAMSON'S
SAPSUCKER, and while we celebrated, Anne and Eric noticed 2 CLARK'S NUTCRACKERS
flying overhead. Along with GRAY FLYCATCHER, RED CROSSBILL, and PYGMY
NUTHATCH, we were suddenly back on track to pass 200. It was clear: that
White-headed Woodpecker was the weekend's keystone bird, the fulcrum between
disaster and triumph, our divine messenger of salvation.
With relief and renewed confidence, we made a quick stop at Black Butte Ranch
and found a scouted RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER almost instantly, exactly where it was
supposed to be. Then Toll Station Rd. produced FOX SPARROW and MACGILLIVRAY'S
WARBLER, and we managed despite the miserable weather to squeeze out a
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at Hoodoo. Lost Lake had the expected BARROW'S
GOLDENEYES and 2 unexpected TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS. The lakeside grasses were
loaded down with large mayflies by the thousands -- they had apparently emerged
and then been knocked down by the unforeseen cold and rain. As adult mayflies
only survive a couple of days and need to swarm in the air to mate, there may
well be a catastrophic loss of mayflies here this year.
A few more stops on the west slope of the Cascades produced DIPPER, SOOTY
GROUSE (thanks, Diane), and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, and then we rolled through
Eugene to end the day at Fern Ridge Reservoir. The hour before dusk at Royal
Avenue was productive, as expected. We found GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and added a
diversity of wetland and oak-woodland species, including AM. BITTERN, CACKLING
GOOSE, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, HOODED MERGANSER, GREEN-W. TEAL, GR. YELLOWLEGS,
PURPLE MARTIN, and ACORN WOODPECKER, along with additional Red-necked
Phalaropes and a White-faced Ibis. After a delicious dinner at Jalisco's, the
Owling Contingent heard BARN OWL and an impressive nocturnal chorus of
migrating SWAINSON'S THRUSHES. In fact, this may have been the best single
night for Swainson's migration that I've experienced in Oregon in the spring;
the frequency of calls emanating from the sky was equal to the best nights in a
typical autumn season.
On Sunday morning the 16th, our early departure for the coast got a bit bogged
down. Looping through Cantrell Rd and the roads south of Veneta failed to
produce our namesake Wild Turkey or any other new species -- and accidentally
leaving Greg at the hotel and having to turn around to get him didn't help,
either.
Upon arrival at Florence, the North Jetty provided our first seabirds, as well
as a nice WRENTIT. The previous night's migration had deposited a WESTERN
WOOD-PEWEE near the base of the jetty. Despite looking out-of-place among the
rocks, sand, and driftwood, the bird was happily filling its belly with insects
flying up from the beach. Stopping at Heceta Head on the way north produced
HERRING GULL, RB MERGANSER, and a few new passerines. We then staged our main
seawatch at Yachats, accompanied by delicious coffee drinks and breakfast
goodies from the beloved and legendary Green Salmon. Aside from the reliably
numerous MARBLED MURRELETS at this location (25-30 this morning), there was
very little migration over the ocean. While we picked up RED-NECKED GREBES on
the water, WHIMBRELS overhead, 2 WANDERING TATTLERS on the rocks (thanks,
Eric), and BLACK OYSTERCATCHER flying in (well done, Nick), overall the
seawatch was underwhelming and we missed several species we often get.
We then waltzed into the worst weather of the trip. In retrospect it was
probably not the best use of time to drive all the way up into the hills above
Yachats in order to stand around in the fog and freezing drizzle listening to
absolutely nothing at all for an hour or so. Despite adding OLIVE-SIDED FLY
(barely) and HUTTON'S VIREO (even more barely), we were left with no Varied
Thrush, no RB Nuthatch, no Pygmy Owl, no Pileated .... the losses were
mounting.....
Seal Rock was merciful and gave us HARLEQUIN DUCK, and Beaver Creek supplied
American Goldfinch and Anna's Hummer while denying us Bushtit and Warbling
Vireo. Yaquina Bay at the HMSC had relatively few birds, but fortunately they
included 3 new species for us: GREATER SCAUP, BONAPARTE'S GULL, and MEW GULL.
We also were buoyed with a bit more hope for the future of the planet after
running into two delightful young and very keen birders from Corvallis who
pointed out the Bonaparte's to us.
With just half an hour on the clock, we were forced to choose between stopping
at a lake for Wood Duck and passerines or ending as we traditionally do at
majestic Yaquina Head. We opted for tradition and scenery, and for the
PEREGRINE FALCON nesting on Yaquina's cliffs. The eggs had just hatched and
some of us could glimpse a bit of feathery fluff beneath the sitting adult.
However, the fog was so thick that we could not see the water, so we bailed on
tradition and scenery and instead raced back to the Wood Duck spot. As the
final few minutes ticked away, we .... missed Wood Duck. Nor could we find
Warbling Vireo or Bushtit. And did I mention we never had a Lesser Goldfinch,
either? Well, you can't set a record every year....
But you CAN have a wonderful time with wonderful people raising lots of money
for a wonderful organization. So we were all smiles over beers and dinner at
Rogue Brewery on Yaquina Bay as we tallied the list.
We'd like to thank Rick Vetter, Joan Suther, Candace Larson, and Diane Pettey
for advice on target species and strategy. This year's team was once again led
by Ron Carley, Dave Ward, and Jennifer Devlin, and captained by the venerable
Mike Houck. The rest of the WILD TURKEYS roster included: Greg Baker, Casey
Cunningham, Andy Frank, Eric Gropp, Nick Hardigg, Charlie Hatcher, Tim Kurtz,
Debra Lippoldt, Alan Locklear, Madeleine Mader, Nicolas Navarro, Beth
Parmenter, Jim Rapp, Bob Sallinger, Peter Sallinger, Anne Sammis, Jay Saux,
Heather Wilson, and your faithful correspondent.
Here's looking forward to next time and wishing everyone a fantastic year of
birding across our marvelous state of Oregon,
Jay Withgott
Wild Turkeys '11–'16
