Alas maties, not everything is on eBird and even if it was- would you ever
find it?
So some south coast updates:
GYRFALCON- seen by Diane Bilderback in Bandon today. On the beach south
end of town. She has killer photos of one there a little earlier last
year. Chances are one is overwintering again between about Langlois and
Bandon. Many good food items available particularly in the New River
bottoms area of Coos/Curry. Floras Lake area would be a good area to look
(I always do when I am there),but you may have to settle for Say's Phoebes
and Palm Warblers instead (the latter being in short supply this winter).
In Curry, Terry Wahl reports three SAY'S PHOEBES overwintering on their two
ranches- two on the upper ranch east of Langlois, and one on the lower
ranch near Cape Blanco. Seems like they are overwintering everywhere down
here now (in appropriate habitat).
Terry says the overwintering N MOCKER is still around in the Sixes River
Bottom right along Hwy 101 (a window bird). It is in the big open flat just
north of where the Sixes River crosses Hwy 101. Look for the holly trees
on the east side of the Hwy he says as you blast by.
The ROCK WREN Terry found at the quarry at the upper ranch in October is
still around? Pretty unusual.
He said he saw a flock of PINE SISKINS that was like 500 birds, the most he
has ever seen. They are everywhere here on the south coast now- a banner
year. If we had a CBC or three going, we may have record numbers.
I walked the Coquille neighborhoods and found 5 more OC WARBLERS
yesterday. That makes 19 in the CV CBC area for me in the last week or so.
Hope we have some nice weather on count day so we can break the Eugene
record of 15. We need some good neighborhood birders to help- I think that
would be a fun record to have (given we don't get pouring rain!).
TREE SWALLOWS at Myrtle Point Marsh and at Johnson Mill Pond yesterday-
we'll see how long they try and overwinter. One BARN SWALLOW also. What
is the swallow situation elsewhere in Oregon, to hard to figure it out
scouring through eBird or the 300 WhatsApp Counties in the PNW?!!! OBOL
could provide a nice summary???
Happy December CBCing and general birding all,
Tim Rodenkirk
on the beautiful south coast
