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The Quarterly Journal of Oregon Field Ornithology Volume 23, Number 2, Summer 1997

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The Quarterly Journal of Oregon Field Ornithology Volume 23, Number 2, Summer 1997 The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology Volume 23, Number 2, Summer 1997 Oregon's first White-Capped Shy Albatross (Diomedea cauta cauta) 35 Matthew G. Hunter David C. Bailey The future of Oregon's oceanic birding 40 Matthew G. Hunter Greg Gillson Let's Not Get Seasick 47 Jean Brandt Records of Oregon Coastal Birds Inland 48 Bill Tice Birding Oregon's Walla Walla River 53 Mike Denny OREGON BREEDING BIRD ATLAS PROJECT: Places Needing Visits, 1997 Field Season 54 PaulAdamm 1996 Oregon Listing Results 55 Jim Johnson ^ My 1996 Oregon Big Year .58 Tim Janzen 0F0 Birding Weekends January 60 Karen Viste-Sparkman February 60 Cindy Lawes March 61 AnyaAverill Celarier 15 I NEWS AND NOTES OB 23(2) 63 FIELDNOTES 68 Eastern Oregon, Fall 1996. .69 Paul T. Sullivan Western Oregon, Fall 1996 80 JeffGilligan COVER PHOTO Shy Albatross, 5 October 1996, Heceta Bank, Oregon. OBRC 82.3-96-01H. Photo/Tim Shelmerdine. CENTER 0F0 Membership form • 0F0 Bookcase • 0F0 Birding Weekends • OFO Annual Meeting registration form * Oregon Rare Bird Phone Network * Checklist of Oregon's birds Oregon Birds is looking for material in these categories: Oregon Birds News Briefs on things of temporal y The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology importance, such as meetings, birding trips, announcements, news items, etc. OREGON BIRDS is a quarterly publication of Oregon Field Articles are longer contributions dealing Ornithologists, an Oregon not-for-profit corporation. Membership in with identification, distribution, ecology, Oregon Field Ornithologists includes a subscription to Oregon Birds. management, conservation, taxonomy, ISSN 0890-2313 behavior, biology, and historical aspects of ornithology and birding in Oregon. Articles Editor Owen Schmidt cite references (if any) at the end of the text. Assistant Editor Sharon K. Blair Names and addresses of authors typically Associate Editor Jim Johnson appear at the beginning of the text. Short Notes are shorter communications OREGON FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS dealing with the same subjects as articles. President Mike Patterson, Astoria (1996-97) Short Notes typically cite no references, or at Secretary Cindy Lawes, Beaverton (1996-97) most a few in parentheses in the text. Names Treasurer Barbara Combs, Eugene (1996-97) and addresses of authors appear at the end of Past President George A. Jobanek, Eugene the text. Directors Ted Ernst, Corvallis (1995-97) Ray Korpi, Portland (1996-98) Bird Finding Guides "where to find a Paul T. Sullivan, Beaverton (1996-98) in Oregon" (for some of the rarer Sandy Bryce, Corvallis (1995-97) birds) and "where to find birds in the area" (for some of the better spots). Publications Ray Korpi Reviews for published material on Oregon Archivist Paul T. Sullivan birds or of interest to Oregon birders. OFO Bookcase Clarice Watson Photographs of birds, especially photos taken recently in Oregon. Color slide OREGON BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE duplicates are preferred. Please label all Secretary Harry Nehls, Portland (1997) photos with photographer's name and address, bird identification, date and place the Members Tom Crabtree, Bend (1995-97) photo was taken. Photos will be returned; Colin Dillingham, Brookings (1995-97) contact the Editor for more information. Jeff Gilligan, Portland (1996-98) Oregon Birds — Jim Johnson, Vancouver, WA (1996-98) Deadline for the next issue of Gerard Lillie, Portland (1997-99) OB 23(3), Fall 1997—is 20July 1997. The next Larry McQueen, Eugene (1997-99) issue should get to you by the first week of Craig Roberts, Tillamook (1996-98) September 1997. Material can be submitted any Skip Russell, Beaverton (1995-97) time, and the sooner the better. Please send Owen Schmidt, Portland (1997-99) materials directly to the Editor, 3007 N.E. 32nd Avenue, Portland. OR 97212, 503-282-9403. Alternates Craig Corder, Hermiston (1997) Steven Dowlan, Salem (1997) Oregon Birds Board of Editors: Kevin Spencer, Tulelake, CA (1997) David A. Anderson. Range D. Bayer. Charlie Kamal Islam, Corvallis (1997) Bruce. Tom Crabtree. Stephen Dowlan. Jeff Gilligan, Steven G. Herman. Mike Houck, George A. Jobanek, Jim Johnson, CD. Littlefield. Roy Lowe, David B. Marshall, Harry Oregon Birds B. Nehls, Mark Stern, Paul Sullivan, Clarice Watson. OREGON BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE ©1997 OREGON FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS P.O. Box 10373 Printed on Recycled Paper Eugene, OR 97440 Soy-based Ink Oregon Birds 23(2): 34, Summer 1997 (Diomedea cauta cauta) Oregon's first White-Capped Shy Albatross Matthew G.Hunter, 2670 SWPickford St. #77, Corvallis, OR 97333 [email protected] David C. Bailey, 2867NEHamblet St., Portland, OR 97212 [email protected] On 5 October 1996, 21 birders had the vicinity of the Bank. Michael's re• our knowledge been tried only once the rare privilege to observe the first port ignited a spark of excitement before in Oregon waters (by Rich verified record of Shy Albatross for that quickly exploded into a fire of Hoyer, 29 January 1994, out of New• Oregon.The circumstances surround• OBOL discussion on the probability port). ing the identification of this bird stray that these birds, Streaked Shearwater By the time we were about 3 5 miles from the straight-forward, and the les• in particular, might still be present in southwest of Depoe Bay (25 miles off sons learned bear repeating to a larger the area in which they were observed. shore, in 140 fathoms of water [1 audience so that other birders might Enthusiasm for a chase trip developed fathom is 6 feet—Ed.}~) we had at• benefit from our unforgettable expe• rapidly as the news was spread and tracted well over a hundred birds. rience.Therefore, this article is not so discussed by email and on local rare About this time Robert Kelsh spotted much about what the bird looked like, bird alerts. Prompted by the sudden what would become the first of 8 as the photos speak for themselves; demand for an offshore trip, Greg South Polar Skuas (Catharacta this article is about the story. Gillson, of The Bird Guide, Inc., resur• maccormicki) of the trip. The bird rected a previously canceled 5 Octo• came from behind, as did many spe• A chase at sea ... ber pelagic trip out of Depoe Bay, Lin• cies at that time. Not long after, an• A renewed excitement and desire coln County, Oregon.The former trip other skua was seen; the second be• for pelagic birding pulsed through the itinerary was discarded to make way ing distinguished from the first by an veins of numerous Oregon birders in for a chase trip to Heceta Bank. Even additional white patch (likely due to late September 1996 when Michael if we didn't find the target birds, we molt) on the upperwing coverts. In• Force posted a message to the seemed ensured of an enjoyable trip, cluded in the group of birds follow• internet group Oregon Birders On if only because of the numerous sea- ing the boat was a very light-colored Line (OBOL) with a report of some birds we expected to encounter Black-footed Albatross (Diomedea incredibly rare birds visiting Oregon there. nigripes). Its head and much of its nearshore waters. Michael reported We and 19 other birders boarded body were light beige, contrasting no• that while conducting marine bird the Hombre and left Depoe Bay with• ticeably with its more typically-plum- and mammal surveys aboard a re• out incident the morning of 5 Octo• aged dark upperwings, and with the search vessel off the coast of Oregon, ber 1996. Once we got out about 15 more commonly-plumaged Black- he observed a Streaked Shearwater miles, Greg Gillson began a slow but footed Albatross nearby. Some of us (Calonectris leucomelas) on 13 Sep• steady output of a chum mixture off dubbed this bird, "Grandad," since tember, and 4 days later, a basic-plum- the stern. His idea was to leave a trail advanced age is one common expla• aged Laughing Gull (JLarus atricilld), for birds to follow to the boat, as well nation for this plumage in Black in the area of Heceta Bank, located as to have an attendant flock of birds footedAlbatross (Harrison 1983). approximately 30 nautical miles west which might attract distant birds to of Heceta Head, Lane County. In addi• come closer to within our range of Shy Albatross, 5 October 1996, Heceta Bank, Oregon. tion to these rare birds, Michael noted view. The continuous aspect of this OBRC82.3-96-01G, Note extensive white underwing thousands of regularly-occurring chumming technique, while prac• with narrow black border and black axillary shearwaters (Family Procellariidae) in ticed for some time elsewhere, has to "thumb-mark." Photo/Tim Shelmerdine. Oregon Birds 23(2): 35, Summer 1997 Close encounters of a different whitish-gray bill and nice yellow tip was that the text for the White- kind (of albatross) ... definitely were not present on the capped Albatross (page 229) men• At approximately 11:30 am, Tim bird in question. Matt concluded that tioned a diagnostic "thumb-mark.'This Shelmerdine began remarking about if the bird was D. c. cauta, it would seemed hopeful (you know, the word a very light albatross coming up be• have to be a younger bird, like that "diagnostic"), but unfortunately the hind the boat. "I don't think that's illustrated in 48b. However, that bird, text did not explain what a thumb- Grandad," he said,"It's too light." Matt as illustrated on the same plate, has mark was. Matt guessed it might be then got a glimpse of the bird less an obvious dark gray nape extending that little black mark he had noted in than 100 yards behind the boat. He down to a thin gray collar, and notice• the wing-pits, but it seemed so small agreed, it was clearly a dark and light able contrast between the pale bill and insignificant.We've since figured albatross.
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