Wanted to get that off quickly, here's a little more ...
I should have noted, the Great Black-backed Gull looked like a 3rd-cycle bird.
Other gulls in the flock besides Glaucous-winged x Western Gulls included a few
fairly "pure" Glaucous-winged, a few candidates for "Thayers" (Iceland) and
maybe a Western too, plus Ring-billed and California. No doubt some Herrings in
there too if someone wanted to spend time on the flock.
Coffin Butte itself was very quiet up top, just a few Varied Thrush, Steller's
Jays, flickers and ravens. Back in the parking area, two White-throated
Sparrows (an adult tan morph and a first-winter bird) were foraging in the
gravel with the Golden-crowned Sparrows and Song Sparrows.
Access to the Coffin Butte Trail, like the rest of E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area,
requires an ODFW parking permit if you go there by car (either an annual
parking permit which also works for Summer Lake, Denman etc. or a day pass
which you can get from the headquarters when it's staffed).
This site has gotten some attention from big-game hunters this fall so it's a
good idea to wear orange while hiking there.
The parking area is on the west side of Hwy 99W just north of the landfill
(midway between Monmouth and Corvallis). You'll see an ODFW signboard when you
pull in. The "best" view of the landfill dumping area is reached by walking
straight in along the gravel road from the parking area until you pass an old
quarry (cliff-face) on your right, where the trail makes a switchback. Keep
walking straight west from this point, until you get to a rock cairn/"rockjack"
that with a sign marks the wildlife area boundary.
From: "clearwater" <clearwater@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Midvalley Birding Midvalley" <birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Oregon Birders OnLine" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 2:38:52 PM
Subject: Great Black-backed Gull at Coffin Butte Landfill north of Corvallis
Just back from a walk up the Coffin Butte Trail (annex on on the west side of
E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area). On my way up the hill I noticed about 500 gulls
swirling around in the dumping area of the adjacent landfill, so I went out to
the boundary of the wildlife area and scanned the flock from there.
Looked like the usual winter mix (I'll add more later) but one resting on the
geotextile-covered slope jumped out as me as about 15-20% longer in body length
compared with the nearby Western x Glaucous-winged mutts. Massive bill,
yellowish with black band across the tip. Angular head. Very dark on the mantle
but mottled brownish wings below that.
Didn't have my scope or camera along ... was trying to get some exercise so I
finished the hike up the hill quickly and came back. Only about 200 gulls left
when I came back down and I didn't see the big guy, but it could have still
been there (didn't look real hard). Another 50 or so gulls had moved off to the
upper treatment pond for landfill leachate, just off Coffin Butte Rd by the
landfill entrance. Others were flying around in the sky, probably starting to
head back to their nocturnal roost pretty soon here.
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
