Correction: That was the summer of 1999, not 2000.
From: "clearwater" <clearwater@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Lars Norgren" <larspernorgren@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Oregon Birders OnLine" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2019 7:08:07 PM
Subject: Re: Nutcracker habitat choices
Lars & all,
Yes, I'm familiar with Clark's Nutcrackers roaming out of higher-elevation pine
forests.
For example, during the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas in the summer of 2000 I
encountered a loose flock of about 30 that were streaming over open pastures
with widely separated ponderosa pines, along the middle section of
Richmond-Sixshooter Rd. in Wheeler County north of Waterman. I never
encountered nutcrackers there again, in the course of many subsequent visits.
A quick check of eBird showed no winter records of Clark's Nutcrackers along
that stretch of US Hwy 97. So it seems unusual, though I'm not ready to
speculate as to cause.
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
