[obol] Re: Coos Black Tern, Sandhill Cranes, etc. 5/5/2013
- From: "HARVEY W SCHUBOTHE " <ninerharv2@xxxxxxx>
- To: "Tim Rodenkirk " <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx>, "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx " <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 May 2013 23:57:38 +0000
We had the weather phenomenon Tim reported on doewn here at Bradley Lake in
Bandon. By eleven I checked the temperature after the dogless walk and it was
81.2. Went in to put the work clothes on, stepped out again, what gives! At
11:29 it dropped to 59.1 and the wind had shifted by to the west, northwest.
Unfortunately, the penalty I had to pay for going up to the Lincoln NAMC next
week was yardwork this weekend. So I did not get to scope out the area.
Tim has had Sandhills in Coos three times. I had a flyover once. A pair calling
away and flying low enough to provide a stunning look that I have only seen
better at Sauvies Island. Again, unfortunately, Tim's foursome appeared to have
no interest in watching my lawnmowing, weed wacking and dock maintenance. Only
our local pileated woodpecker, osprey and spotted sandpiper pair showed
interest.
Harv Schubothe
Bandon
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-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Rodenkirk <garbledmodwit@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 5 May 2013 22:24:25
To: <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Coos Black Tern, Sandhill Cranes, etc. 5/5/2013
What a day on the coast! Just talked to Kathy Castelein and she said they had
passerines coming off the ocean all day, I did to later in the AM and hit a
fallout or two. It was 68F at 5AM and in the 80's at noon when I was out on
the north spit, at 1220 it sounded like a tsunami was happening (the ocean had
been silent) and then suddenly it there was this huge crashing noise (Kathy
heard this also and thought the same thing), the wind shifted to the northwest
and a wall of fog could be seen heading toward the beach; it dropped 20 degrees
in a half hour.
I started the day driving up to Power in SE Coos, here are my highlights:
several SWAINSON'S THRUSHES
many WESTERN TANAGERS
6- YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS
3- YELLOW WARBLERS
numerous LAZULI BUNTINGS (I have never seen and heard so many, probably around
100- I hit the peak for sure)
1- BULLOCK'S ORIOLE
and my best bird 1- SOLITARY SANDPIPER (one I don't see every year in Coos)
I zipped home and was out on the north spit by 11AM in shorts and a
short-sleeve shirt, it was cooking, what beautiful weather! I was walking out
the north dike at the old Weyco pond site and saw a tern in the far SW corner
that was all dark. After watching it for about 15 minutes I realized that yes
indeed it was a BLACK TERN, only the 2nd Coos record (and a new bird for me in
Coos). I ignored the willows out there, they were crawling with passerines, but
nothing was singing and I was otherwise distracted.
I then decided to walk out and see the tern more closely. As I walked around
toward the very west end of the north dike a BANK SWALLOW flew over. As I
proceeded toward the tern on the west bank 4 SANDHILL CRANES came lumbering
right overhead and even called as they were right over me (only my third view
of them in Coos). I went down further south and had killer looks at the
breeding-plumaged Black Tern. I had been trying to call someone to come out
and finally got a hold of Barb Griffin. Five minutes after I called her the
wind shifted and up lifted many of the ducks (hundreds, many species), geese
(GWF Geese and Cacklers), and shorebirds (SB & LB Dows, G. Yellowlegs, 500+ RN
Phalaropes) out there and off they went. The tern disappeared also and within a
1/2 hour it was 60F with a 20+ mph wind out of the SW and a wall of fog
approaching. So much for Florida like weather on the south coast...
After I left Barb I drove down to the end of the road and didn't see much. As I
was turning around and getting ready to leave I noticed a lot of birds moving
across from the boat building plant out there in the shore pines lined by low
willow which were out of the SW winds. I got out and wow, there were birds
everywhere, a fallout for sure- here is what I saw:
WESTERN TANAGERS- at least 40 (I saw several fly in from the ocean while at the
Weyco pond also)
TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS- 15, all singing
WILSON'S WARBLERS- 15
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER- 15
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER- 10
WESTERN WOOD-PEEWEE- 2
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER- 2
WARBLING VIREO- 10
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE- 2 (rare on the coast)
WESTERN KINGBIRD- 1 (appeared across the road on a fenceline while I was
watching all the birds)
SWAINSON'S THRUSH- 1
HERMIT THRUSH- 1
Stunning!Merry migration,
Tim R
Coos Bay
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