We had 14 participants on the Port Orford CBC which I guess is more or less
normal for a fun low key south coast count. Thanks all who participated!
Weather was pretty nasty overnight and in the early AM shutting owling down
(we had one species- Barred). Nice weather breaks off and on between rain
showers later on made the day tolerable; much warmer than the Saturday
Coquille Valley count anyhow!
The early total is 132 but this does not include feeders or one of our
areas we don't have info on yet. Here are the highlights:
2- SNOW GEESE
14- BLACK SCOTERS
several EARED GREBES (12 in one pond!)
multiple reports of BROWN PELICANS ( I saw 11 offshore with gray whales and
gull flocks with plenty of kittiwakes)
AMERICAN BITTERN
count week TURKEY VULTURE
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER
SAY'S PHOEBE
ANERICAN DIPPER (actually regular, wish they were on the Coos County
counts- there are no records up yonder)
lotsa WESTERN BLUEBIRDS
4- LAPLAND LONGSPURS
11- PALM WARBLERS
1- SWAMP SPARROW
1- GLAUCOUS GULL
1- HARRIS'S SPARROW
1- NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
1- male BLUE-WINGED TEAL (I think a first for the count?)
The only alcids were C. Murres and there were no tubenoses I could find
offshore. Great numbers of gulls at the new mouth of Floras Creek including
30 Thayer's Gulls and 3 Ring-bills Gulls (and several other species), the
latter a fairly rare species in Curry (believe it or not).
I often wonder what this count would do if it had 20+ birders on it- maybe
break 150? That is Jim Rogers dream : )
Merry New Bird!
Tim Rodenkirk
Coos Bay
