I made a long-planned overnight solo trip down to SW Oregon, now that the CALIF
THRASHER was back and the COMMON GALLINULE was still being seen. I interacted
with essentially nobody, state and federal parks were closed, towns were pretty
shut down, and the roads were pleasantly yet eerily vacant. Here are a few
notes (by county):
KLAMATH – cold! The C GALLINULE showed after 10 minutes; lots of GR
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and SNOW GEESE among a number of other interesting birds of
late.
JACKSON – CALIF THRASHER was cooperative but took maybe 20+ minutes. I heard it
singing behind the house, over toward the left in a line of blackberry parallel
to a red barn (this is E/SE of the house); it later flew up to the front of the
house. I spoke with the owner, she added some context that may be well known
but that I haven’t seen reported elsewhere. The birds have been here for five
years, this being the sixth. This year’s bird showed up on January 1st, and
since it has a different song she thinks it’s an offspring, perhaps. I mused
that perhaps the birds were resident, but she is sure they leave about July
(likely they just stop singing?).
JOSEPHINE – N SAW-WHET OWL well up toward Oregon Caves. LEWIS’S WOODPECKER
along 199 about a half mile north of the smokejumper base.
[DEL NORTE – dipped yet again on Ruffed Grouse along Patrick’s Creek Rd, this
maybe my third try there. Anyone have good directions on this species in NW
California?]
CURRY – An extremely early SWAINSON’S THRUSH at Chetco Pt. (ties the state
record according to BOGR). Curious lack of birds in bays and offshore
throughout.
DOUGLAS – in contrast to Curry, Winchester Bay had a lot going on: RED-BR
MERGANSER pair, 3 alternate plumaged HORNED GREBE, 1 basic-plumaged RED-N
GREBE, 1 GR SCAUP, 1 HOODED MERGANSER male (in salt water!). Buffleheads
everywhere (and in Curry).
LANE – The TRUMPETER SWAN pair and BLACK PHOEBE continue near Veneta. Also two
RUFFED GROUSE standing in the road on a quiet road just outside Veneta (wrong
state, but a nice consolation prize).
What a wonderful, beautiful state/region we live in!
Tom
