The berm was removed to create subtidal habitat as partial mitigation for
impacts to subtidal habitats resulting from dredging the Port of Newport did at
the international terminal last summer/fall. The berm was a man-made feature
associated with historic logging operations in the area.
Craig Tumer
Portland
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 16, 2015, at 6:13 PM, Alan Contreras <acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I spent today birding in Lincoln Co with Tristen Hynes. We started at Boiler
Bay in the hope of juicy seabirds but one of the first birds to offer itself
was a CHESTNUT-collared Longspur. I heard it chortle a few times amidst the
other noises and looked without success to find it north of the fence. Then
it suddenly flew directly in front of us (we were on the sandpile, it flew
north along the western fence) calling constantly and went straight north off
the point, climbing a bit and apparently focused on Dawn V’s yard, though I
suspect that it will be tempted by the intervening delights of Salishan Spit.
We had a poor view (stubby longspur in a hurry, tail closed) but the calls
are diagnostic and we reviewed recordings right afterward. I have seen and
heard them before.
More traditional Boiler Bay birds included (on the water) an Ancient
Murrelet, five or six Marbled, two guillemots, maybe 350 murres (mostly in a
big feeding swarm a bit offshore to the south) a few rhinos, all three loons,
some small grebes that were variously identified as Horned and Eared by us
and another party - I confess that I was not paying careful attention. A
feeding swarm offshore included about twenty B pelicans, 75 Heermann’s Gulls
and two Sooty Shearwaters, good scope views of which were obtained as they
paddled about with the murres and Heermann’s.
At least six hundred Western Grebes, maybe more, were on the water north of
the point. Maybe 200 right off the point and several hundred more about a
quarter-mile north-northwest. I can’t recall seeing so many in one place on
the coast before.
We then went to Devil’s Punch Bowl to see if we could find any other
migrants, especially TROPICAL K, and we found one as we were leaving. It
remained within a block or two of the restrooms for other observers, calling
often. As we watched the kingbird, THREE peregrines came idling over,
gliding in very close to each other like gulls, screeching at each other and
eventually interacting. One disappeared into the fog and the other two turned
around and went back north in no hurry. Kind of odd.
On the way to DPB we made a brief loop into the overlook with the big grassy
verge off Otter Crest loop - I can’t remember the name of it, something like
Nice Rocky Surfy View - and four Cackling Geese were grazing there.
After lunch we trawled the south jetty of Yaquina Bay (also checked the north
jetty area - no kingbirds). The estuary contained quite a few loons, mostly
Common. A walk behind the Marine Science Center after 2 pm was very slow,
though we did encounter a rather dull White-throated Sparrow feeding with
other sparrows right below the Osprey platform by the pond north of the
Aquarium.
That’s it.
By the way, when and why was the long berm that mostly enclosed the cove just
east of the Aquarium pond removed? Weird to see it gone and that area all
open. I don’t get there that often.
Alan Contreras
acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
