This morning at 9:30 while doing my regular birding route through Gabriel Park
in SW Portland I encountered a PYGMY NUTHATCH. I saw and heard it very well;
there is no doubt. Very intriguing! -- this follows in the wake of the
Mountain Chickadee invasion, and I assume must likely be caused by the same
factors.
As far as I can tell, this is the first county record of Pygmy Nuthatch for
Multnomah County.
I had encountered a good mixed flock of juncos, chickadees, & kinglets, and
thought I heard a Mountain Chickadee call, so I spent a little extra time with
the flock. I never found a Mtn Chickadee, but eventually heard a series of high
piping notes. "Hey, that sounded like a Pygmy Nuthatch," I thought,
disbelievingly. A bird flew in to a pine, I got on it, and sure enough, it was
a Pygmy Nuthatch! I viewed it well for about 3 more minutes, and will enter a
full description in my eBird list later today.
The location, for any county-chasers interested, was as follows:
First, go here:
https://friendsofgabrielpark.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/gabriel-park-color-cmp.jpg
Right where the number "4" is on the map, there is a loose line of pines and
other trees that straggles off to the SE from a triangular patch of ash
woodland and proceeds E along the south end of the outfield of one of the
baseball fields. The Pygmy was with the flock in the westernmost pine trees,
and may have later moved east through the line of them a bit.
I did not have my phone with me and was near the far point of my route, so this
is the earliest I could post.
This is a popular and well-used park, so if you go in midday it will be quite
busy, though this may not affect the birds in this particular spot. Your best
chance for good bird activity and minimal human activity might be Sunday
morning. There is not enough pine habitat to hold this bird for long, but
perhaps enough to hold it for a few days. Additional pine trees are in the
northeast corner of the park among the open recreational areas, and a few along
the east edge of the N part of the park along 37th Ave.
An exciting day in "my patch"!
Jay Withgott
Portland
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