Oregon State University Bird Nerds – Deschutes, Lake, & Harney County Trip
Report
March 19th – 22nd 2016
This field trip was titled, Student Introduction to Birds in SE Oregon and
the Northern Great Basin. 8 student members of the OSU Bird Nerds and 2
Willamette University students took part in this four-day field trip to
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Steens Mountain, Hart Mountain National
Antelope Refuge, Chickahominy Reservoir, Silver Creek, Silvies Flood Plain,
and the surrounding region. It was made possible thanks to a generous grant
from the Oregon Birding Association’s Oregon Fund for Ornithology, as well
as a generous grant from the Audubon Society of Corvallis. OSU Bird Nerds
sincerely thanks both of these wonderful organizations for their support of
our students. We would also like to thank Duncan and Caryn at Malheur Field
Station for their hospitality and great information. What an amazing
facility!
This was the first time the majority of the students on this trip had
experienced Malheur NWR and the surrounding region. Students conducted
avian point count training and contributed to ongoing research in Oregon
2020 plots in the region. Students practiced techniques for identifying
species by song, visual ID, and call, as well as recording field data.
Students practiced identifying many previously unfamiliar species by field
marks, flight patterns, and vocalizations. Many life birds were found
during this trip and appreciations were founded for the places we visited
and the species found within them. We observed a total of 101 species
during these four days in March.
Our target bird for this trip was GREATER SAGE-GROUSE. We were unsuccessful
in locating birds at the Foster Flat lek (save 2 flying birds briefly seen
by one member). However we were successful at Hart Mountain National
Antelope Refuge, where we observed a lone male displaying right on the
roadway and later an active lek of 15 birds (males and females) just north
of the road very near to the refuge headquarters.
Some other highlights of this trip include:
SNOW GOOSE / ROSS’S GOOSE – We saw flocks of many thousands of each species
at the sewage pond in Burns, in agricultural fields between Burns and
Malheur NWR, and near Malheur Lake. We observed 2 blue-morph ROSS’S GOOSE
and 1 blue-morph SNOW GOOSE among one mixed flock.
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE – We picked 3 out among the large amount of waterfowl
present at Chickahominy Reservoir.
CHUKAR – We found 5 in rocky slopes along highways and in canyons.
AMERICAN WHITE-PELICAN – 5 were found on the shore of Mann Lake and 3 more
flying near the Alvord Desert on the east side of Steens Mountain.
SWAINSON’S HAWK – One diagnostic individual was observed on a utility pole
on Hwy 20 near Hampton, OR.
FERRUGINOUS HAWK – We identified 5 in various locations throughout the
region, 2 in association with nests.
GOLDEN EAGLE – We identified 8 in various locations throughout the region,
2 in association with one nest (1 on the nest) just west of the Narrows.
SANDHILL CRANE – We observed hundreds of birds distributed throughout the
region at Silver Creek north of Chickahominy, in agricultural fields south
of Burns, at Malheur NWR, and in the Warner Valley near Hart Lake.
AMERICAN AVOCET – 10 were observed in the shallows at Rock Creek Reservoir
on our way to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW – We found 3 vocalizing and flying at Silver Creek north
of Chickahominy Reservoir.
GREAT HORNED OWL – 2 were heard and seen on two of the nights during our
stay at Malheur Field Station.
SHORT-EARED OWL – 7 were observed hunting at dusk just south of Malheur
Field Station along the central patrol road.
PRAIRIE FALCON – We identified at least 3 flying among rocky slopes and in
uplands in places like Pike Creek on the east side of Steens Mountain and
near the Foster Flat lek.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE – 3 were identified in various locations throughout the
region.
NORTHERN SHRIKE – 1 was well seen near the Foster Flat lek.
SAGE THRASHER – 7 total individuals were either heard or seen throughout
the region on both sides of Steens Mountain and at Hart Mountain.
BANK SWALLOW – We observed at least 3 early arrival individuals flying over
a pond and perching on trees at Roaring Springs Ranch on OR Route
205/Catlow Valley Rd. late in the afternoon as we made our way back from a
day on the east side of Steens Mountain.
SAGEBRUSH SPARROW – 4 singing males were identified by auditory and visual
means near the Foster Flat lek and 2 more were heard at Hart Mountain NAR.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD – 2 were at Malheur Field Station and 1 south of
Burns among larger flocks of other blackbirds.
Here is a total list of species and numbers. We kept eBird checklists at
all of our stops and while we traveled.
*Species Name *19-Mar 20-Mar 21-Mar
22-Mar
Greater White-fronted Goose 9 15
-- --
Snow Goose 3 1,477
-- --
Ross's Goose -- 2,628
-- --
Canada Goose 318 90
73 11
Tundra Swan 6
3 28 6
Gadwall x
2 4 1
American Wigeon x
3 5 2
Mallard 24
129 145 48
Cinnamon Teal --
9 -- --
Northern Shoveler x
x 28 6
Northern Pintail 73
7 25 66
Green-winged Teal 2
4 2 13
Canvasback x
2 41 7
Redhead x
1 16 2
Ring-necked Duck x 11
27 11
Lesser Scaup x
-- 13 31
Bufflehead 26
29 18 45
Common Goldeneye 2 14 14
--
Barrow's Goldeneye 3 --
-- --
Hooded Merganser x
2 -- --
Common Merganser 2 --
14 18
Ruddy Duck x
2 7 67
California Quail --
-- 11 --
Chukar --
-- 3 2
Ring-necked Pheasant 5 2
2 --
Greater Sage-Grouse -- 2
-- 16
Pied-billed Grebe 3
1 1 --
Eared Grebe* --
-- -- 1
Western Grebe* --
-- -- 7
Double-crested Cormorant -- --
2 --
American White Pelican -- --
8 --
Great Blue Heron -- 1
-- --
Great Egret* --
-- -- 1
Turkey Vulture 8
2 2 5
Osprey* --
-- -- 1
Golden Eagle 5
3 1 --
Northern Harrier 11
10 5 4
Bald Eagle 11
2 1 6
Swainson's Hawk 1 --
-- --
Red-tailed Hawk 11
3 10 4
Rough-legged Hawk 13 6
-- --
Ferruginous Hawk
2 -- 1 2
American Coot 63
157 145 46
Sandhill Crane 191
69 2 --
American Avocet --
-- -- 10
Killdeer 34
12 5 5
Greater Yellowlegs --
1 -- --
Long-billed Curlew 3
-- -- --
Wilson's Snipe 2
-- -- --
Ring-billed Gull 6
24 -- --
California Gull 5
58 22 --
Rock Pigeon 5
6 6 --
Eurasian Collared-Dove 8 39
-- --
Mourning Dove 3
-- -- --
Barn Owl 2
-- -- 2
Great Horned Owl --
1 2 --
Short-eared Owl 7
-- -- --
Anna’s Hummingbird* --
-- -- 1
Belted Kingfisher --
1 -- --
Downy Woodpecker --
1 -- --
Northern Flicker 4
6 1 4
American Kestrel 2
1 4 --
Prairie Falcon 1
1 1 --
Peregrine Falcon --
-- -- 1
Say's Phoebe 3
1 5 --
Loggerhead Shrike 1
-- 2 --
Northern Shrike --
1 -- --
Western Scrub-Jay --
-- -- --
Black-billed Magpie 31
23 7 --
American Crow 5
15 -- 1
Common Raven 86 14
53 9
Horned Lark 13
30 1 16
Tree Swallow 7
30 -- --
Violet-green Swallow --
-- -- x
Bank Swallow --
-- 3 --
Black-capped Chickadee* --
-- -- 2
Mountain Chickadee 2
-- 1 --
Bushtit --
-- 6 --
Pygmy Nuthatch --
-- -- 19
Brown Creeper --
1 -- --
Marsh Wren --
18 1 --
Golden-crowned Kinglet --
-- 1 --
Western Bluebird --
2 -- 2
Mountain Bluebird 4
-- -- --
Townsend's Solitaire --
2 2 2
American Robin 9
10 2 27
Sage Thrasher --
3 3 1
European Starling 617
15 73 4
American Pipit 38
-- 2 --
Dark-eyed Junco 2
1 1 5
White-crowned Sparrow 1
-- -- 1
Sagebrush Sparrow --
4 -- 2
Song Sparrow 9
27 1 2
Spotted Towhee 4
2 -- 2
Red-winged Blackbird 219 273
51 44
Western Meadowlark 4
24 45 13
Yellow-headed Blackbird --
3 -- --
Brewer's Blackbird 1,468
8 8 --
Brown-headed Cowbird* --
-- -- 1
House Finch --
-- -- 1
House Sparrow 1
1 5 --
* Species observed on west side of Cascades (Linn County, Benton County)
- Jesse A. Laney
Corvallis, Oregon
