[obol] Madras BBS route results

From: <towhee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "cobol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <cobol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,OBOL < Obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 14:55:31 -0700
Greeting COBOLers and OBOLers:

Last summer I was looking to add another breeding bird survey, when Paul 
Sullivan announced his retirement from a route near my home.  Today I ran the 
Madras BBS for the first time (18th consecutive year this route has been 
surveyed.)

The route begins 4 miles east of Madras near the  Deer Ridge correctional 
facility (no jail birds observed).  It travels south primarily through the 
Crooked River National Grassland.  Paul didn't let on what a beautiful route 
this is.  Cascade peaks from Mt. Jefferson to Mt. Bachelor are almost always 
within view.  Route travels down a few narrow canyons, some juniper scrub, some 
sagebrush scrub, and ends in some irrigated ag fields.  The first 40 stops are 
mostly quiet, save for a couple stops near Hwy 97.

Weather conditions were ideal for the count--winds under 3 mph all morning 
long.  Raptors, bluebirds, Brewer's, and Vespers sparrows were especially 
abundant.  I observed 49 species (route high is 52 from 2011; route average is 
45.9) and 711 individuals (well above route average of 464; but far below the 
route high of 1264 from 1997).   A few highlights:
Stop 1 -- a pair of Great Horned Owls calling to each other 
Stop 5 -- a pair of Prairie Falcons cavorting in a narrow canyon
Stop 27 -- a pair of Northern Harrier hunting a cattail marsh.

And now the details:
California Quail        8       
Turkey Vulture  1       
Northern Harrier        3       
Swainson's Hawk 1       
Red-tailed Hawk 12      (route high)
American Kestrel        15      (route high)
Prairie Falcon  2       (route high)
Eurasian Collared-Dove  2       
Mourning Dove     41    
Great Horned Owl        2       (route high)
Common Nighthawk        5       
(Red-shafted Flicker) Northern Flicker  15              
Gray Flycatcher 35      
Dusky Flycatcher         4      
Say's Phoebe    2       
Ash-throated Flycatcher 33      
Western Kingbird        6       
Loggerhead Shrike       3       (route high)
Black-billed Magpie     22      
Common Raven    93      (route high)
Horned Lark      6      
Violet-green Swallow    9       
Cliff Swallow   9       
Mountain Chickadee      3       
Bushtit 10      
Rock Wren       3       
Canyon Wren     4       
House Wren      8       
Mountain Bluebird       18      
American Robin  19      
Sage Thrasher   13      
European Starling       7       
Green-tailed Towhee     3       
Spotted Towhee  10      
Chipping Sparrow        10      
Brewer's Sparrow        60      (route high)
Vesper Sparrow  57      (route high)
Lark Sparrow    1       
Sage Sparrow    2       
Savannah Sparrow        0       (uhhg, only the third miss in 18 surveys)
(Oregon Junco) Dark-eyed Junco  8                       
Lazuli Bunting  3       
Red-winged Blackbird    19      
Western Meadowlark      63      
Brewer's Blackbird      36      
Brown-headed Cowbird    5       
Bullock's Oriole        0        (first miss in 18 surveys--Paul might revoke 
my invitation to do this route)
House Finch       8     
Lesser Goldfinch         1      
American Goldfinch      7       
House Sparrow   4       
Total Species   49      high 52 in 2011 (average 45.9)
Total individuals       711     high 1264 in 1997 (average 464)


Good birding, 

Mark





Mark A Gonzalez
Bend, Oregon


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[obol] Madras BBS route results

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