MEGON BIRDS
T.J Volume 15 Number 4, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS is a quarterly publication of Oregon Field Ornithol• ogists. Oregon Birds is printed at the University of Oregon Press. Member• ship in Oregon Field Ornithologists is on an annual basis and includes a sub• 1989 OREGON LISTING Ufe Year 1989 scription to Oregon Birds. ISSN 0890-2313 REPORT FORM Baker Editor Owen Schmidt RETURN BY Benton Assistant Editor Sharon K. Blair Associate Editor Jim Johnson 15 FEBRUARY1990 Clackamas Clatsop
Columbia OREGON FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS Your Name President Bill Stotz, Florence (1990)) Coot Secretary Donna J. Lusthoff, Beaverton (1990)) Crook Treasurer Kit Larsen, Eugene (1990) /our Address Curry Past President Larry Thornburgh, North Bend Deschutes State Zip Directors David A. Anderson, Portland (1988-90) Douglas David Irons, Beaverton (1989-91) Gilliam Tom Mickel, Eugene (1988-90) /our Telephone Tim Shelmerdine, Lake Oswego (1989-91) Grant Harney OREGON BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE Hood River Secretary Tom Staudt, Portland (1990) I. OREGON STATE LIST Jackson Members Tom Crabtree, Bend (1989-91) Jefferson Oregon Life list .fHirtsM(lk300) Jeff Gilligan, Portland (1987-89) Josephine
Steve Heinl, Eugene (1989-91) 1989 Oregon Year lit JthrtsMdhlSOl Klamath David Irons, Beaverton (1987-89) Lake Jim Johnson, Portland (1987-89) Lane Larry McQueen, Eugene 1988-90) 2.1989 OREGON COUNTY LISTS Harry Nehls, Portland (1988-90) Lincoln Owen Schmidt, Portland (1988-90) Unn Fill in the blanks In the next column, right. Steve Summers, Klamath Falls (1989-91) Malheur Alternates Jim Carlson, Eugene (1989) Note: threshold for County Ufe totals Is 100, forMario n Bob O'Brien, Clackamas (1989) County Year totals Is ISO. Morrow Alan McGie, Corvallis (1989) Multnomah Tom Staudt, Portland (1989) Linda Weiland, Portland (1989) Polk 3. COMPLETE AND RETURN BY Sherman Tillamook OREGON BIRDS 15 FEBRUARY 1990 Umatilla Send completed form to OREGON BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE Union © 1989 Wallowa Steve Summers OREGON FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS Wasco 1400-A Arthur Street P.O. Box 10373 Washington Klamath Falls, OR 97603 Eugene, OR 97440 Wheeler 1 1989 OREGON LISTING re Year 1989 OB 15(4), Winter 1989 REPORT FORM Baker OREGON RARE BIRD PHONE NETWORK RETURN 8Y Benton Clackamas Astoria 15 FEBRUARY 1990 Mike Patter: Clatsop 325-1$65 Columbia four Name Coot Crook /our Address Curry Deschutes City State Zip Douglas Gilliam /our Telephone Grant Harney Hood River Florei Pat Mi I. OREGON STATE LIST Jackson 26811 Jefferson Bill S&Jz, 997-8978 Oregon LHV List .fHnOoUkSOOl Josephine
1989 Oregon Yew List .Hktsbd Polk Rules for a network are simple: rare birds only (no east/west or west/east Oregon birds); birders who get calls have to make calls (this means long distance 3. COMPLETE AND RETURN 8Y Sherman tolls); and once on the network, keep it going by keeping your address and phone Tillamook number(s) current. Minimum information on a rare bird call should include species, 15 FEBRUARY 1990 Umatilla age and sex (if not known, say so), number of birds, who found it (them), and who to call for more information, if anyone. Send completed form to Union Birders who would like to represent their local birding areas should write to Wallowa Steve Summers Wasco The Editor, Oregon Birds 1400-A Arthur Street Washington 3007 N.E. 32nd Avenue Portland, OR 97212 Klamath Falls, OR 97603 Wheeler Yamhill Please feel free to send ideas and suggestions, tool OREGON RARE BIRD PHONE NETWORK OB 15(4), Winter 1989 • Ashland OREGON BIRDS Marjorie Moore, 357 Taylor Street, Ashland, OR 97520, (H)482-1303,776-7294 B. June Babcock, 17297 Antioch Road, White City, OR 97503, (H)826-7011 Volume 15 Number 4, Winter 1989 • Astoria Mike Patterson, 324 38th Street, Astoria, OR 97103, (H)325-1365 • Bend Tom Crabtree, 1667 N.W. Iowa, Bend, OR 97701, (H)388-2462 (W)389-7723,1-800-762- News and Notes 221 6616 • Canyon City Information Wanted on Oregon's Birds 234 Tom Winters, P.O. Box 111, Canyon City, OR 97820, (U)575-2833 (W)575-l 637 • Coos Bay/North Bend/Coquille Color-marked Birds in Oregon 235 Ben Fawver, 793 Johnson, Coos Bay, OR 97420, (H)267-6485 Lyn Topits, 888 Telegraph, Coos Bay, OR 97420, (H)267-7208 (W)888-4762 Barbara Griffin, 1691 Grant Street, North Bend OR 97459, (H)756-5688 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS Larry Thornburgh, 2058 Cedar Court, North Bend, OR 97459, (H)756-4281 The 90th Christmas Bird Count 240 • Corvallis/Philomath Jim Johnson Elzy & Elsie Eltzroth, 6980 N.W. Cardinal, Corvallis, OR 97330, (H)745-7806 Jan & Rick Krabbe, 24461 Columbine Drive, Philomath, OR 97370, (H) 929-5941 (W- Jan)928-2361 x410 (W-Rick)967-5821 The Future of Oregon Christmas Bird Counts 244 • Eugene Alan Contreras Jim Carlson, 1560 Chasa St., Eugene, OR 97401, (H) 485-4491 (W) 687^1436 (leave message with receptionist) A Short History of Early Oregon Christmas Bird Counts 249 Barb Combs, 1466 Elkay Drive, Eugene, OR 97404, (H)689-6660, (W)378-6190 George Jobanek Kit Larsen, 2162 Kincaid Street, Eugene, OR 97405, (H)344-9574 (W) 686-4394 Tom Mickel, 5259 Overbrook Lane, Eugene, OR 97405, (H)485-7112, (W) 935-2283 Clarice Watson, 3787 Wilshire Lane, Eugene, OR 97405, (H)485-6137 HOOK REVIEW: Atlas of Wintering North American Birds 250 • Florence Alan Contreras Pat Moynahan, 88518 Fourth Avenue, Florence, OR 97439, (H)997-2691 Bill Stotz, 1305 Laurel, Florence, OR 97439, (H)997-8978 i '-orrelating Winter Abundance With CBC Data 252 • Klamath Fails Steve Summers, 1400-A Arthur Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97603, (H)884-1938 Greg Gillson • Pendleton Paul Sullivan, 1513 S.E. Court Place #7, Pendleton, OR 97801, (H)276-5087 (Christmas Bird Count Data Reveals Patterns in Winter Gull • Portland Distribution in Oregon 255 Jeff Gilligan, 26 N.E. 32nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97232, (H)234-5961 (W)326-3057 Greg Gillson Harry Nehls, 2736 S.E. 20th, Portland, OR 97202, Qi)233-3976 Owen Schmidt, 3007 N.E. 32nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97212, {H)282-9403 (Wl)230^t201 (W2)230-4148 FEATURES • Port Orford Report of the Oregon Bird Records Committee 1988-89 .263 Jim Rogers & Carrie Osborne, 95187 Elk River Rd., Port Orford, OR 97465, (H)332-2555 Tom Staudt, OBRC Secretary • Roseburg Martha M. Sawyer, 11 N. River Drive, Roseburg, OR 97470, $1)672-6249 Fred & Alice Parker, 313 W. Hickory St., Roseburg, OR 97470, (H)672-1549 Malheur County - •A Year's List 272 Meredith Jones, 1394 Fisher Rd. N.W., Roseburg, OR 97470, (H)672-6367 Craig Corder • Salem Barb Bellin, 4730 Elizabeth N.W., Salem, OR 97303, (H)393-0243 County Listing 276 Bob Lucas, 392 Holder Lane S.E., Salem, OR 97306, (H)363-9710 Eleanor A. Pugh • Umatilla/Hermiston Marion Corder, Rt. 1 Bx. 210, Umatilla, OR 97882, (H)922-3653 Craig Corder, P.O. Box 1174, Hermiston, OR 97838, (H)567-8360 (W)567-6414 Phone number in italics means you may reach an answering machine. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 219, Winter 1989 Are "Small" Crows along the Oregon Coast Necessarily Northwestern Crows?...... 277 Range D. Bayer News and Notes Northwestern Crow Distinction? • 279 • Unless you send in your 1990 dues. A conven• This is lan Paulsen (reprint) ient tear sheet is bound into the front of this issue of OB. OB 16(1)—the first issue under your new dues your last —is scheduled to be an oversized issue by Tom Love issue of Measurements of Possible Northwestern Crows from Oregon 281 on Oregon's birds in the neotropics. You will not OB Range D. Bayer want to miss this spectacular issue of OB! Because OFO prints only enough copies of OB to go around to Northwestern Crow Distinction? Maybe Not 285 subscribers, you may not get a copy of this first issue Dennis Paulson (reprint) if your dues are late. Everyone involved with keep• ing the books and producing Oregon Birds thanks SITE GUIDE: Battle Mountain State Park, Umatilla Co., you for sending in your dues before 15 February 1990! Oregon 288 Mike Denny • Your 1989 Oregon listing results are due by 15 1989 lists February 1990. A convenient tear sheet is bound FIELDNOTES 290 into the front of this issue of OB. This year, we will take more time to gather reports, put them together, FIELDNOTES: Eastern Oregon, Spring 1989 291 proof the reports before printing them, and print them in the second issue of the year rather than the David A. Anderson first. Reports received later than 15 February can• FIELDNOTES: Western Oregon, Spring 1989 298 not be tallied. Send your numbers to Steve Sum• Steve Heinl mers, 1400-A Arthur Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97603. • OFOs 1990 annual meeting has been set for 1990 OFO Corrections 233 June 1990 in Hood River. Target birds include annual Black-backed Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, meeting and Calliope Hummingbird. There will be field trips Announcements to various places, including the Columbia River Portland Audubon Society 239 Gorge, and speakers on a variety of topics. The next Malheur Field Station •••••••• .-262 issue of Oregon Birds will have more information. O.I.C. • 308 Annual meeting organizer is David A Anderson, 6203 S.E. 92nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97266, (503)775-5963. Cover Tufted Duck, Kerby, Josephine Co., 12 March 1989, OBRC Record • That is the International Standard Book OF^O ^ is^ Number 149.1-89-1IB. See page 299 of this issue. Photo I Jim Number for OFO as publisher. Each of OFO's TG|>T>T I Special Publications has been assigned an ISBN 10Diy A"e/ 'osw Johnson. number, as listed below. Future revisions of each of these publications will have the ISBN number in a prominent location. Future Special Publications OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 220, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 221, Winter 1989 will include the ISBN number at the outset. OFO publications have by now been entered into the Stern found 32 rails at 7 sites in Oregon in 1989, world's book databases according to these new compared to 29 at 6 sites in 1988, including the first numbers. recent records outside the Fort Klamath area. "There are at least two Yellow Rails at the Conservancy's OFO Special Publication No. 1 ISBN 1-877693-10-3 BMography of Oregon Ornithology: An Updatingforthe Years 1971- 23,000 acre Sycan Marsh Preserve in Lake County." 1977, With a Revised Cross-Referenced List oi the Birds of Oregon. Mark This item appeared in TNC's Oregon Chapter News• Egger, 76 pp., November 1980. letter, summer 1989. For more information, write to OFO Special Publication No. 2 ISBN 1-877693-12-X The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Chapter, 1205 Field Checklist of the Birds of Oregon. Steven C. Gordon, 16 pp., N.W 25th Avenue, Portland, OR 97210. April 1981. OFO Special Publication No. 3 ISBN 1 -877693-14-6 • Up to 8 Acorn Woodpeckers have settled in at Acorn Index to Oregon Bird Reports in Audubon Field Notes and American Lyle, Washington, just above the Klickitat River Woodpecker Birds 1947-1981. Clarice Watson, 79 pp., February 1982. mouth. This is only the fourth record for Acorn range OFO Special Publication No. 4 ISBN 1-877693-16-2 Woodpeckers in Washington. Local residents say extension? A Bibliography of Bird Identification Articles in Five Journals, with that the birds have been there 1 or 2 years. Oregon Cross-References to a List of Over 580 Species. Clarice Watson, 44 pp., birders may find this to be the best time to look for January 1987. Acorn Woodpeckers in nearby Hood River and Wasco OFO Special Publication No. 5 ISBN 1-877693-18-9 Counties, where there are no recent records. Rare Birds of Oregon. Owen Schmidt, Editor, 190 pp., January 1989. • Volunteers with the central region of the Flammulated Thanks! • Contributors to the Oregon Bird Records Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife found 16 Committee annual fund drive were Siskiyou Audubon Flammulated Owls in Deschutes National Forest in Owls in Society, Umpqua Audubon Society, Salem Audubon 1988. There were no previous records. Source: Deschutes Society, Portland Audubon Society, Cape Arago Oregon Wildlife 45(3-5): 26, October 1989. See also County Audubon Society, and Grant County Bird Club. David Fix, "Flammulated Owls in the Western Contributions are used to defray the expenses of the Oregon Cascades," OB 13(1): 38-40, Spring 1987. OBRC, which are primarily the costs of duplicating and storing bird reports and photographs. • The venerable Roger Tory Peterson wrote that Wrentit the Wrentit "is almost exclusively an endemic of range First Oregon • Mark Stern, zoologist with The Nature Con• California, scarcely crossing the borders into Ore• Yellow Rail servancy, Oregon Chapter, found the first docu• gon and Baja California," in Bird Watcher's Digest mented breeding record for Yellow Rail in Oregon 11(6): 20, July/August1989. Be mindful that RTP is nest in 63 since 1926. The discovery was made during summer years about to publish a revised Field Guide to Western 1989 field work funded by the Oregon Department of Birds, which is likely to have the same type of range Fish and Wildlife's Nongame Program. "The high• maps as his revised eastern field guide. Oregon light of the work for me was the day Ginny Rosen• birder and OFO Secretary Donna J. Lusthoff wrote berg and I found the nest. We were looking inten• a letter to theBWD editor, setting the record straight sively in an area where I had heard as many as eight that "We Oregonians are able to hear, and see, this rails calling the previous night. By chance (or by little bird all along our coast, from the California to Jove!) we found five Yellow Rail eggs at the base of the Washington borders." BWD 12(2): 4, November/ a willow tree in a flooded sedge meadow. The eggs December 1989. Let's hope that RTP gets the word had been pecked out by an avian predator, perhaps before his Wrentit range map goes to press! a blackbird. Nonetheless, they were intact so we Upland could measure them and match their patterning." • Beginning 1 January 1990, upland game bird game bird hunters must have the new $5 upland game bird stamp OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 222, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 223, Winter 1989 stamp. Revenues from stamp sales, estimated at $250,000 annually, will be used for enhancement it if Oregon birders would go through their field and management of upland game birds—pheasant, notes and and send me this information as soon as turkey, grouse, and quail. The stamp is expected to possible. S. Kim Nelson, Oregon Cooperative Wild• be popular among stamp collectors. Source: Oregon life Research Unit, O.S.U., 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Wildlife 45(3-5): 10, October1989. Improved upland OR 97331-3803, (503)737-4531. game bird habitat can only help other bird species. • The Oregon Ocean Resources Management Ocean Sage Grouse • 21-22 October was Sage Grouse hunting sea• Plan is presently being drafted. Issues include Resources hunted son throughout its range in Oregon. The Oregon marine gardens, parks, and offshore oil and gas Fish and Wildlife Commission apparently decided development. One issue of concern to birders is Management that there are enough Sage Grouse to sustain a whether to provide a buffer around offshore rocks Plan harvest of up to 2000. This item appeared in The and islands. A 500-foot buffer would keep boaters Sage Advisor, a publication about the public lands of away far enough to prevent most harassment of the Oregon desert country. For more information, breeding and resting birds and mammals. Public write to Ellen Mendoza, 4005 S.E. Grant Court, meetings were held in November, and written com• Portland, OR 97214. ments are due by 15 December. Write to Eldon Hout, Program Manager, Oregon Ocean Resources Man• Sensitive • A "sensitive species" is one that is not listed as agement Task Force, 320 S.W. Stark, Room 525, endangered or threatened, but could become so if Portland, OR 97204, (503)229-6068. species conditions deteriorate or new information comes to light. Dave Marshall is preparing short accounts of • George Constantino, Refuge Manager at the status of 100 species of Oregon vertebrates Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for the past sev• Malheur under a contract with the nongame program of the eral years, has taken a new position as Associate NWR Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Manager for Refuges and Wildlife at the U.S. Fish manager Portland Audubon Society. Unpublished informa• and Wildlife Service regional office in Anchorage, tion is needed on the status of the following bird Alaska. This item appeared in the newsletter of the species: Horned Grebe (breeding population); Least Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society. For more Bittern, Harlequin Duck (breeding population); information on this organization, write Oregon Spruce Grouse; Barn Owl (in northeastern Oregon); Chapter The Wildlife Society, Oregon State Univer• Horned Lark (in the Willamette Valley); Bank sity, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3803. Swallow (breeding population); Western Bluebird (populations outside those using nesting boxes); • "During the 1986-88 nesting seasons 852 coyotes, 39 Malheur raccoons, and an estimated 273 ravens were removed from Grasshopper Sparrow; Bobolink; Tricolored Black• NWR bird (breeding colonies); and Western Meadowlark the Malheur Refuge area. * * * Despite drought-related setbacks in 1987 and 1988 the predator control efforts (in the Willamette Valley). Credit will be given for predator were considered successful. If this effort is not continued, control information used. David B. Marshall, 4265 S.W. declines in the breedingpopulations... of greater sandhill Chesapeake Avenue, Portland, OR 97201, (503)244- cranes would continue and the population could be listed 3837. as threatened' under the Endangered Species Act of1973. * * * The proposed action would reduce coyote, raven, and raccoon numbers on land adjacent to the Malheur NWR, • For a publication to be titled "The Status of the Marbled but would not have a great effect on overall predator Murrelet Marbled Murrelet in Oregon" — which will be pub• populations over a wider area (e.g., county, state, or sightings lished in Proceedings of the Foundation of Verte• region). Control efforts would not eliminate raccoons, brate Zoology — I need inland, beach, and at-sea ravens, or coyotes from Malheur NWR, but would reduce sightings of Marbled Murrelets. I would appreciate their abundance on the refuge and adjacent area during OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 224, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 225, Winter 1989 the critical crane nesting seasons so that production objec• tives can be met on a sustained basis. It is anticipated that • Two items in the Summer1989 Nature Sounds 200 coyotes, 15 raccoons, and 75 ravens would be removed Say what? Society Newsletter may be of interest to birders annually during the 1989-93 period. Non target mortali• worried about hearing loss. American males 45 ties are estimated to be 2-3 badgers, and 2-3 porcupines annually." This language taken from the executive years and older tend to have more hearing loss in summary of an environmental assessment titled their left ears, while those in Britain tend to more in Alternatives to Enhance the Production of Greater their right ears. The correlation is that automobile Sandhill Cranes on Malheur National Wildlife Ref• drivers tend to open car windows on their respective uge, Oregon, dated 21 March 1989. For more infor• sides.... The second item pertains to diet. Hearing mation on predator control at Malheur NWR, write loss has been attributed to blockage of small blood Refuge Manager, Malheur National Wildlife Ref• vessels supplying the inner ear, similar to blockage uge, HC 72 Box 245, Princeton, Oregon 97721. of coronary vessels causing a heart attack. Fatty de• posits are the culprit. A strict no-fat, no-cholesterol diet may halt and even reverse this type of hearing Desert • I am seeking information that would aid in assessing the impact of European Starlings on the loss. For membership information in the Nature Starlings avifauna of a desert riparian community, and assist Sounds Society, write to NSS Membership, c/o Natu• in the development of a control plan. Jeffrey Cooper, ral Sciences Department, Oakland Museum, The Nature Conservancy, Hassadyampa River Pre• Oakland, CA 94607. serve, Box 1162, Wickenburg, Arizona 85358. • What was the most abundant bird at North Project Oiled loons • No one knows for sure, but some estimates American feeders last winter? ProjectFeederWatch FeederWatch hold Yellow-billed Loon mortality in Prince William has the answer to this and many more questions Sound resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill at about our Continent's bird life. "FeederWatchers one-third the entire population. 1200 to 7600 loons are now embarking on a new season, and you are may have died. Summer 1989 loon nesting surveys invited to join. You need not be an expert bird in Alaska were inconclusive. "Unfortunately, breed• watcher to participate, but you must be able to ing areas of loons that winter in Prince William identify birds that commonly visit your feeder. All Sound are not known." This item appeared in the you have to do is watch the birds at your feeders on summer1989 issue of The Loon Call, the publication one or two days every two weeks throughout the of the North American Loon Fund, High Street, winter, and record the numbers you see on simple Meredith, New Hampshire 03253. computer-readable forms. In return for your partici• pation you'll receive 2 issues of FeederWatch News, featuring helpful information about feeding birds and analyses of the abundance and distribution of feeder birds in your region and across North America." House Sparrow was the most abundant bird, with an average of 10 birds per feeder throughout the winter. To join Project FeederWatch, or for more information, write to Cornell Laboratory of Orni• thology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850,(607)586-2909. • Eleven percent of the world's birds are threat• Birds to ened with extinction. Birds to watch: the ICBP watch world checklist of threatened birds, published in 1988, lists 1029 of the world's 9000 bird species. This OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 226, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 227, Winter 1989 information also appears in the popular book Rare birds of the world, by Guy Mountfort. For more in• formation on the International Council for Bird Preservation, write to them at 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge, CB3 OP J, United Kingdom. Bird • Royalties from the sale of Animals at risk, a calendar 1990 calendar, will go to 30 conservation organiza• tions including the International Council for Bird Preservation. The price is £5.99, post free. Oakroyd Press, 9 Oakroyd Avenue, Potters Bar, Herts, EN6 2EG.U.K Oregon • Oregon birders enjoying the birds of the Great Natural Basin should know about this new organization. Desert "We are interested in protection of and education about the natural features of our high desert envi• Association ronment." Projects include working with the Bu• reau of Land Management on protecting wilderness study areas, and writing new desert wilderness legislation. Membership is $12 per year. Write to ONDA, P.O. Box 1005, Bend, OR 97709. Bouncing • Audubon's painting of Painted Buntings is buntings reproduced in full color on checks from the National Audubon Society. "The checks are compatible with all banks, savings & loans and credit unions in the U.S." For every order or re-order of checks, $1.00 goes to NAS. For more information, write to MessagelCheck Corporation, 911 East Pike, Suite 231, P.O. Box 3206 Audubon-96, Seattle, WA 98114, (206)324-7792. Bird posters • "Hummingbirds of North America and Can• ada" is a 2-foot by 3-foot "biologically exact" poster illustrated by Eugene, Oregon, wildlife artist Larry McQueen. It is now available without The Nature Company logo. Other bird posters now available in• clude ducks and quail. A series of 6 posters "concern• ing birds of the backyard" from all regions of the United States has been announced. Larry McQueen will also be the illustrator for this series. Write to Windsor Publications, Inc., 1425 Oak, Eugene, OR 97401. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 228, Winter 1989 Bird Brain "Birders with Macintosh computers take heart! Ideaform Inc. has announced the re• requests, I anticipate sending out the first newslet• lease of Bird Brain, a new data base for ter in January 1990." Bruce Eichhorst, Department keeping track of your birding observa• of Biology, Box 8238, University of North Dakota, tions and notes on your Mac. Bird Brain is Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202. suitable for scientific observers who keep exten• sive notes and who need to access those notes • But it doesn't just happen. Oregon Birds is put happens easily. It's also appropriate for the lister who likes together with the help of quite a few birders. For to pore over records of birds spotted in a particular example, Jim Johnson gives a considerable amount state, county, or locality, or seen in a given year or ofhis time to each issue typingin manuscripts. Then other time period." The program lists for $125, he helps with the proofing, and assists with final comes with a 55-page manual, and allows the user to layout, and does almost all the paste-up. He puts in add to the AOU checklist and change the taxonomic more time on each issue than anyone else, except order as the AOU makes changes. Ideaform Inc., perhaps for one other person. Jim "offloads" the P.O. Box 1540, 612 West Kirkwood, Fairfield, IA Editor to a very large extent. This in addition to his 52556,(515)472-7256. regular duties as field notes editor for western Oregon's winter and summer seasons. And the • If you have a Macintosh computer, and access special assignments he takes on willingly and Bird lists on adroitly. Thanks, Jim. Oregon Birds is better your Mac to the spreadsheet Microsoft Excel, you may be interested in "very preliminary versions of bird because of your energy. listing & record keeping software being developed for the Mac." Communication and cooperation with • Running tally of the birds of the Oregon rare Rare birds birders working on similar projects is invited. Send bird phone network (and a few we learned about too a Macintosh-formatted 800k disk and 450 postage to late for the phone network): Gerry Rising, 295 Robinhill Drive, Williamsville, - Rufous-necked Stint, 15 August 1989, "post-breed• NY 14221. ing plumage" (adult), on the beach at the south jetty of the Columbia River, Clatsop Co., by Mike Patterson; Owl tapes • If you purchased Voices of the New World Owls - Prairie Warbler, 24 August 1989, adult, freshwater from ARA Productions, and if you haven't already ond near the south jetty at Bandon, Coos County, by heard, you should know that example 1 of Otus E•avid Fix; sanctaecaterinae is actually Otus atricapillus, the - Ruff, 24-30 August 1989, juvenile, Racetrack Lake, Black-capped Screech-Owl. Until this discovery on Sauvie Island, Columbia Co., by Jim Johnson; 18 August 1989, the voice of atricapillus was not -Ruff, 26 Augustl989, juvenile, Bandon Marsh, Coos known to science. Both species are members of a 6- Co., by Jim Johnson and Steve Heinl; owl superspeciesfrom tropical forests, found mostly - Ruff, 30 August 1989, south jetty of the Columbia in Brazil. ARA Productions, P.O. Box 12347, River, Clatsop Co., by Harry Nehls; Gainesville, FL 32604-0347. - Ruff, 31 August1989, female, Sturgeon Lake, Sauvie Island, Columbia Co., by Jeff Gilligan, Nick Lethaby, and Grebe group • "I would appreciate hearing from anyone who Harry Nehls, again on 1 September 1989 by Jim Johnson gathers is interested in contributing to and/or receiving a and Tom Staudt; newsletter devoted to members of the Podiciped- - Elegant Tern, 31 August 1989,2 birds at the mouth iformes. What would you like to see in such a of the Chetco River, Curry County, by Mike Denny; newsletter? Can you suggest a unique name or logo? - Elegant Tern, 9 September1989, mouth of the Rogue Would you be willing to contribute an article or a River, Curry Co., by Richard Erickson; drawing? If there are enough positive responses and - Chestnut-collared Longspur, 13 September 1989, Diamond Lake sewage ponds, Douglas Co., by David Fix; OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 230, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 231, Winter 1989 - Yellow-billed Loon, 17 September 1989, Bullard's Beach State Park, Coquille River, Coos County, by Otis •15 December 1990 - 2 January 1991, inclusive, 91 st Swisher; Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society, 950 - Rusty Blackbird, 17 September 1989, south jetty of Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. the Coquille River west of Bandon, Coos County, by Paul • 24-30 November 1991, Neotropical Ornithology Sullivan; Congress, Quito, Ecuador. Nancy Hilgert de Benavides, -Wood Thrush, 14 October 1989, Fields Station, Har• Secretary, Organization Committee, IVNeotropical Orni• ney County, by Jim Carlson and Steve Summers; thology Congress, Casilla 9068 S-7, Quito, Ecuador. - Xantus' Murrelet, 24 October 1989, at Boiler Bay, • 14 December 1991 - 2 January 1992, inclusive, 92nd Lincoln Co., by Harry Nehls; Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society, 950 - Thick-billed Murre, 24 October 1989, at Yaquina Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Bay, Lincoln Co., by Harry Nehls; and • 17 December 1992 - 3 January 1993, inclusive, 93rd - Canada Warbler, 29 October 1989, in fall plumage, Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society, 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. at Seaside, Clatsop Co., by David Irons. 0 Meetings • 7-9 December 1989, Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Migrant Landbirds, a symposium. The pur• & events pose is to update knowledge since the 1977 Smithsonian symposium. John M. Hagan, Manomet Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 936, Manomet, MA 02345, (508)224-6521. • 16 December 1989 - 3 January 1990, inclusive, 90th Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society, 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. • 15 February 1990, dues for 1990 and listing report for 1989 should be mailed in by this date. Late dues may mean you won't get OB 16(1), a special issue on Oregon's birds in the neotropics. • 21-24 February 1990, Pacific Seabird Group, 16th annual meeting, Royal British Columbia Museum, Victo• Corrections ria, B.C. The meeting will feature a symposium titled "The Status, Ecology and Conservation of Marine Birds of the Temperate North Pacific." • The photo of the Dickcissel printed at Oregon Birds 15(3): 195, Fall • 25 June - 1 July 1990, American Ornithologists' 1989, should have been attributed to Dan Fay. The Editor apologizes for Union and Cooper Ornithological Society joint meeting in the error. The bird spent the last 2 weeks of its Astoria stay in Dan's back Los Angeles, CA. yard. "Dickcissel. Photo IDan Fay." •21-27 November 1990,20th World Conference of the International Council for Bird Preservation, Hamilton, • Paradise Park is in Clackamas County, not Hood River County, as New Zealand. stated at OB 15(3): 214, Fall 1989. This is in reference to a sidebar by • 2-9 December 1990, XX International Ornitho• David B. Marshall, on 3 summer records of American (Water) Pipits logical Congress in Christchurch, New Zealand. "This found on Mt. Hood, Oregon. The error was made by the Editor, not the important scientific occasion will provide the focus for a author. wide range of international events celebrating aspects of The World of Birds -— a Southern Perspective.'" Dr. Ben D. Bell, Secretary-General, XX International Ornithologi• 0 cal Congress, Department of Zoology, Victoria University, Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 232, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 233, Winter 1989 Information Wanted on Tricolored Blackbirds. In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I am summarizing the published literature and unpub• Oregon's Birds lished information on the historical and current status and distribution of Tricolored Blackbirds. If you have unpublished field notes on histori• cal or recent colonies, please contact me. [OB 15(2)] Edward C. Beedy, Note to OB readers: OB publishes information requests that may Jones & Stokes Associates, Inc., 1725 23rd Street, Sacramento, CA be of interest to Oregon's birders. The ending notation in brackets shows 95816, (916)444-5638. the first issue of OB in which the request appeared. Bald Eagles in Lincoln County. If you see Bald Eagles in Lincoln RECENT ENTRIES: County — especially any at Devils Lake or any away from Siletz Bay, Sensitive species. I am preparing short accounts of the status of Yaquina Bay, or Alsea Bay—please note the age of the eagle, the date, 100 sensitive species of Oregon vertebrates under a contract with the the bird's activity, and the location of the sighting. [OB 15(1)] Gloria nongame program of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Sullivan, 3121 N.E. 30th Drive, Lincoln City, OR 97367, (H) 994-3759. the Portland Audubon Society. Unpublished information is needed on the status of the following bird species: Horned Grebe (breeding popula• tion); Least Bittern, Harlequin Duck (breeding population); Spruce 0 Grouse; Barn Owl (in northeastern Oregon); Horned Lark (in the Willamette Valley); Bank Swallow (breeding population); Western Bluebird (populations outside those using nesting boxes); Grasshopper Sparrow; Bobolink; Tricolored Blackbird (breeding colonies); and West• ern Meadowlark (in the Willamette Valley). Credit will be given for Color-marked Birds in information used. [OB 15(4)] David B. Marshall, 4265S.W. Chesapeake Avenue, Portland, OR 97201, (503)244-3837. Oregon Marbled Murrelet sightings. I need information on inland and at- Note to OB readers: OB keeps a running tab of color-marked birds sea records of Marbled Murrelets in Oregon. Recent and dated observa• that may be seen by Oregon's birders. The ending notation in brackets tions are needed of murrelets along rivers or creeks, in forested areas, in shows the first issue of OB in which the notice appeared. Any banded or bays, at river mouths, on beaches, and off shore. Details should include color-marked bird, including those with the standard aluminum U.S. date, time of day, specific location, number of birds, age, plumage, and Fish & Wildlife Service band, may be reported directly to the Bird behavior. [OB 15(4)] S. Kim Nelson, Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Banding Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20708. Research Unit, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-3803, (503)737-4531. Mark A. Stern, Oregon Natural Heritage RECENT ENTRIES: DataBase, 1205N.W. 25th Avenue, Portland, OR97210, (503)229-5078. Snowy Plovers. In 1987-88, in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Nongame Program, we color-marked Roof-nesting gulls. I would like to know of any instance of a gull 372 Snowy Plovers at Abert Lake, Lake Co., Oregon. Each plover has 2 nesting on the roof of a house or other building in Oregon. [OB 15(3)] bands on each leg, which may include either 3 colored bands and an alu• Range D. Bayer, P.O. Box 1467, Newport, OR 97365. minum Federal band, or 4 colored bands. Band colors include white, yellow, red, dark blue, lime, and the aluminum Federal band. White-headed Woodpeckers. I am conducting a research project Banded plovers have been resighted at Abert Lake, and may likely occur on White-headed Woodpeckers on the east slope of the Cascades. The at other alkaline lakes in Lake and Harney Cos. These banded plovers project is funded by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the have been resighted frequently along the California and Baja California Klamath Tribes. Please contact me if you have any information on nest coasts during fall/winter, and should be watched for along the Oregon sightings. [OB 15(2)] Pam Matthews, Oregon Department of Fish and coast during both the fall/winter and spring/summer seasons. [OB 15(4)] Wildlife, 61374 Parrell Road, Bend, OR 97702, (503)388-6363. Mark Stern, Oregon Natural Heritage Program, 1205 N.W. 25th, Port• land, OR 97210, (503)229-5078. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 234, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 235, Winter 1989 Greater Sandhill Cranes. Since 1983, The Nature Conservancy has color-marked approximately 90 Greater Sandhill Cranes at Sycan California Gulls. San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has been Marsh and surrounding breeding sites in Lake Co., Oregon. All marked color banding California Gull chicks in a colony near San Francisco. We cranes have a 3-inch tall orange band with a 1/2-inch wide piece of would appreciate any information on sightings. Reports should include white tape wrapped around the middle. Often this tall orange band is name and address of observer, date and location of sighting, and color reported as "orange/white/orange." Additional bands are 1-1/2 inches band order (right leg, yellow over green, etc.). Reports will aid in our tall and are colored yellow, white, blue, red, and green. Typically, continuing study of the colony, especially movements outside the breed• each crane has a tall orange band on one leg and 2 smaller colored bands ing season. [OB 15(2)] Don Starks, Executive Director, San Francisco on the other. All bands occur on the upper leg. Banded cranes have been Bay Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 247, Alviso, CA 95002, (408)946-6548. reported from Langell Valley east of Klamath Falls, Camas Prairie, Summer Lake Wildlife Management Area, Paulina Marsh, Chewaucan Redheads. In a cooperative study of the ecology of wintering Marsh, and near Greaser Reservoir in the Warner Basin. [OB 15(4)] Redheads in south Texas, Redheads have been banded with U.S. FWS Mark Stern, Oregon Natural Heritage Program, 1205 N.W. 25th, Port• aluminum bands and nasal discs. Yellow, white, red, blue, and green land, OR 97210, (503)228-9561. discs were used. Discs attached in 1987-88 were blank, while those attached in 1988-89 are alpha-numerically coded. "Please report loca• Loggerhead Shrikes. Loggerhead Shrikes in east central Alberta tion, date, sex, nasal disc color, alpha-numeric code, and condition of have been color banded in 1989 with white split plastic rings. It is observed birds. [OB 15(2)] Joe Moore, Department of Wildlife and expected that banding will continue at least the next several years. [OB Fisheries Sciences, 302 Nagle Hall, Texas A&M University, College 15(4)] Doug Collister, 3426Lane Crescent S.W., Clagary, Alberta, T3E Station, TX 77843-2258. 5X2, Canada. Canada Geese. Wildlife agencies in Washington and Oregon have Common Ravens. Duringthe spring of1989,75juvenile Common marked a segment of the Canada Goose population along the lower Ravens were marked in Douglas County, Washington. A bright yellow Columbia River with light gray neck collars. Black alphanumeric codes marker with a number was placed on each wing of nestlings. Informa• on the collars begin with 2 numbers followed by 2 letters (for example, tion from returns will be used to determine timing, route, and rapidity 01 CA). Please record the following information: collar code, exact of migration, and wintering habitat. Please note date of sighting, location, and date and time of sighting. Include your name, address, and number of ravens seen, number on wing tags if possible, and your name, phone number. [OB 15(2)] Pat Miller, Washington Department of address, and phone number. [OB 15(4)] George Brady, Washington De• Wildlife, 5405N.E. Hazel Dell, Vancouver, WA 98663, (206)696-6211, or partment of Wildlife, Box 535, Pateros, Washington 98846, (509)923- Don Kraege, Washington Department of Wildlife, 600 N. Capitol Way, 2326. Olympia, WA 98504, (206)753-5728. Pacific Golden-Plovers. As part of a study on their wintering Common Redpolls. Redpolls were color banded in the Canadian biology, Pacific Golden-Plovers have been banded on Oahu, Hawaii, and arctic in the summer of1988. Each bird has an individual combination near Nome, Alaska. Each bird wears a Fish & Wildlife Service band on of 3 plastic color bands plus a standard FWS metal band. Please report one leg and 1 or more color bands on the other. Color band combinations the exact band combination (note light or dark for blue). [OB 15(1)] Giles are 2 of the same color, 2 of different colors, 3 of 2 colors, and 3 of 3 colors. Seutin, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Please note which leg is color banded and the exact sequence of colors. K7L 3N6, Canada. "It is important that we know which leg carries the particular color(s) and, where used together, whether the color band is above or below the Bristle-thighed Curlews. Bristle-thighed Curlews were color metal band." Pre-migrants will be color marked in Hawaii in April 1989 banded in Alaska and on the northwest Hawaiian Islands as part of a with yellow dye on white areas of breeding plumage. [OB 15(2)] Oscar study of their breeding and population ecology. All birds were banded on W. Johnson, Department of Biology, Moorhead State University, the tibia and some on the metatarsus with a stainless steel band and Moorhead, MN 56560, (218)236-2360. either 1 light blue band or 4 colored plastic bands in combinations of red, green, light blue, yellow, orange, and mauve. Note the colors, sequence and position (above or below the ankle joint) of bands on each leg. [OB OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 236, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 237, Winter 1989 15(1)] Brian McCaffery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 346, Bethel, AK 99559 (907)543-3151; Robert Gill, U.S. Fish and Wildlife (combinations of red, light blue, dark blue, silver, gold, and green). These Service, 1011E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503 (907)786-3514. birds are part of a study concerned with diet choice and information on where they are seen feeding is of particular interest. Please note the Semipalmated Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, andHudsonian following: band colors (in their order down the leg), where the band is Godwits. The Canadian Wildlife Service banded 700 Semipalmated seen, if the bird is feeding (what on), and the date and time of sighting. Sandpipers, 500 Stilt Sandpipers, and 100 Hudsonian Godwits on Little [OB 15(1)] RexSallabanks, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Quill Lake, Saskatchewan, during the 1988 southbound migration. Eugene, OR 97403. These were the first Hudsonian Godwits ever banded in prairie Canada. [OB 15(1)] Send observations to H. honey Dickson, Wildlife Biologist, Brown Pelicans. Brown Pelicans have been color-marked by re• Canadian Wildlife Service, Second Floor, 4999 98th Avenue, Edmonton, searchers at the University of California, Davis. The tags vary from Alberta, T6B 2X3, Canada. plain aluminum bands to bands plus plastic leg markers of various colors. Each configuration has a meaning, so good accurate descriptions Pacific Black Brant. If you see a Black Brant with a color leg band, are needed. You may see a green, yellow, or orange plastic tag hanging please note the color of the band, which leg the band was on, and the off a green leg band. Note the date and location, the color configuration, lettering on the band. Note the color of the band, the color of the lettering numbers (if possible), and include any other comments about the on the band, letter code (2 or 3 letters or numerals), and whether read situation or condition of the bird. [OB 15(1)] Pelican Research Project, from body to foot or vice versa. Also note date and locality, and look to Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, University of California, Davis, CA see whether a whip antenna is hanging down from the Brant's tail, 95616, or Roy Lowe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Science because some have been fitted with radio transmitters. 2,000 Brant Center, Newport, OR 97365,867-3011 ext. 270 from the Yukon Deltahave yellow leg bands, 500 from Canadahave blue bands and some of those have yellow wing streamers, and about 400 0 Brant from the North Slope of Alaska have white and orange nasal saddles. [OB15(D] Call(503)867-3011,extension270;ifRoyLoweisnot available, leave a message. Roy Lowe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365,867-3011 ext. 270. Sanderlings and Western Sandpipers. The Sanderling Project has mist-netted and color-banded Sanderlings along the West Coast. The only colors used were green, orange, red, yellow, and white. No blue. Some juvenile Sanderlings have been transplanted to other parts of the coast in an attempt to determine how a young bird selects a given Pelagic Trip site along the coast as its winter home. Each transplanted bird carries a color combination of bands, and a green flag on its right leg. Please Portland Audubon Society announces a pelagic trip out try to record the complete color combination. Western Sandpipers have also been color banded. For both species, note which leg the aluminum ofGaribaldi,TillamookCo.,l3Januargl989.Costis*35for FWS band is on. [OB 15(1)] The Sanderling Project, P.O. Box 247, Portland Audubon members, and $40 for non-members. Bodega Bay, CA 94923, or Roy Lowe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365,867-3011 ext. 270. Reports Hoped-for species include Lagsan Albatross! For details, of banded Sanderlings can be sent to Barbara Kus, Department of contact Portland Audubon at (503)292-6855. Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, or Suzanne Fellows, Bodega Marine Lab, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 American Robins. Robins have been marked with the standard aluminum U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands plus colored bands OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 238, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 239, Winter 1989 The 90th Christmas Bird 16 December 1989 • Tillamook Bay (2) Owen Schmidt 282-9403 Count Meet at the Shilo Inn at 7:00 am on Hwy. 101 north of downtown Tillamook. Tillamook Bay had 150 and 147 species the last 2 years. A good turnout of CBC- Jim Johnson, 3244 N.E. Brazee Street, Portland, OR 97212 ers could top the state all-time record of 151 species! • Roseburg (17) RonMaertz 496-3847 Home after 5. We will be official again this year. •Bend(23) TomCrabtree 388-2462 16 DECEMBER 1989 — 3 JANUARY 1990 Meet at Pioneer Park in Bend at 7:45 am. • John Day (26) Tom Winters 575-2833 Meet at Mother Load Restaurant, 241 West Main, John Day. Pot luck afterwards. • Medford(19) Debbi Sharp 773-8904 • Malheur NWR Sharon Freshman 493-2612 Call between 7:00 am and 3:30 pm. Meet at 7:30 am, at "P"Ranch. • Union County (34) MarkHenjum 963-0472 Meet at the PNW Forest Service Range and Wildlife Lab on Gekler Lane at 8:00 am. 17 December 1989 • Columbia Estuary (1) Mike Patterson 325-1365 Meet at Pig 'n Pancake at 7:00 am. Overnight arrangements for those arriving Saturday evening can be made upon request. • Coos Bay (5) Larry Thornburgh 756-4281 Always a good count, Coos Bay has the all-time record of 151 species. • Upper Nestucca (10) Larry Scofield 787-3833 Meet at Hi Spot Restaurant, Willamina, 7:00 am; evening crew is needed 8-10 pm. • Wallowa County (33) Frank Conley 432-9685 18 December 1989 • Sodhouse(31) Sharon Freshman 493-2612 Here is a listing of Oregon CBCs, their dates, and contact persons — Call between 7:00 am and 3:30 pm. Meet at 7:30 am, at Malheur NWR made known to Oregon Birds: headquarters. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 240, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 241, Winter 1989 19 December 1989 1 January 1990 • Summer Lake (28) Marty St. Louis 943-3152 Home number is 943-3180. •Cowlitz-Columbia(37) BobReistroffer (206)636-5125 • Corvallis (14) RickKrabbe 929-5941 23 December 1989 These CBCs were held in 1988-89, but no firm date had • Salem (12) Steve Dowlan (H)581-2086 been received at press time. You may wish to contact (W)364-6339 the compiler. CBC sectors pre-assigned. Call for details. Countdown follows at 5:20 pm. • Sauvie Island (7) Jim Johnson 284-0041 • Adel, Lake Co. (30) Bill Pyle, Ken Voget (W)947-3315 Meet at parking area at east end of Sauvie Island bridge at 7:15 am. • Florence (4) Jim Carlson 485-4491 27 December 1989 • Forest Grove (9) NO COUNT •Dallas(11) BarbBellin 393-0243 RoyGerig 623-6884 • Grants Pass (18) Robert Carton 479-0542 Meet at 7:00 am at Farrol's Village Inn in Rickreall, just south of the Polk Co. Fairgrounds. The '88 count netted an amazing 108 species. Come and help us • Hart Mtn., Lake Co. (29) Ken Voget (W)947-3315 score again in '89." • Klamath Falls (27) George Peden 882-9405 30 December 1989 • Port Orford (6) Jim Rogers 332-2555 •Portland(8) JohnBiewener 645-0368 For details, call Portland Audubon House, 292-6855 Compilers could not be contacted for these counts, so • Yaquina Bay (3) Paul Reed 265-7386 Call in advance. names and numbers may not be current. • Silverton (13) Roger Freeman 873-3742 • Alma (15) Frank Wagner • Umatilla County (24) Aaron Skirvin 566-3634 •Antelope (21) Bruce Hansen (W)754-4597 31 December 1989 • Baker Co.-Salisbury (35) Laura Hayse 523-5708 •Hood River (20) David A Anderson 775-5963 Meet at The Inn at Hood River, 7:00 am. • Baker (Valley) (36) Laura Hayse 523-5708 •Eugene(16) HerbWisner 344-3634 • Ruggs-Hardman (25) Stephen Brownfield 676-9138 •Utopia (22) Bruce Hansen (W)754-4597 0 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 242, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 243, Winter 1989 The Future of Oregon instead of "2" for the Florence count. To make matters worse, I was compiler of that count, and most embarrassing of all, I was the observer who found both owls. So even people intimately familiar with count data Christmas Bird Counts need to be careful to review published records. Likewise, reports that are published and then discovered to have Alan Contreras, 101 Amador #29, Jefferson City, MO 65109 been incorrect need to be corrected in future issues of the appropriate publication. For another personal example, on the 1976 Coos Bay CBC I reported a Thick-billed Murre, which is what I thought the bird was at Oregon once again produced plenty of CBCs in 1988-89, and by and the time. The count compiler, the American Birds regional editor and the large, they were well-run and produced useful results. There are some Oregon Bird Records Committee all accepted the record based on my issues worth discussing, however, about what the CBC is now and what drawing and notes. In 1987, however, the OBRC reviewed the record in it may be in the future. These issues fall into some general categories, light of new information on murre identification and decided that it was perhaps best described as accuracy, accessibility, and support. I will an immature Common Murre. This correction and any others like it need discuss each of these, and I would enjoy hearing from readers or seeing to be published so that the written record is accurate. further discussion in these pages about the future of Oregon Christmas If counts are to have any use to anyone other than as a field trip for Bird Counts. local observers, they must be published. Ongoing disagreements about Count Usefulness the count fee notwithstanding, compilers need to arrange to publish counts somewhere so that researchers can find them. An abstracted Counts are useful only to the extent that they are accurate. The first journal such as American Birds or Oregon Birds is obviously the best level of accuracy is whether birds reported by field teams are correctly choice, as the data then becomes available nationwide, even worldwide. identified. To a large extent this question is unresolvable because no one I have had requests for articles I wrote for Oregon Birds from East watches the counters, and indeed, who would evaluate the evaluators? Germany, Australia, Iceland, Great Britain, Czechoslovakia and Japan, Fortunately, most counters are interested in correctly identifying birds as well as from many U.S. locations. or they would not be counting, and the potential problem of misidentified Compilers who operate "unofficial" counts that are nonetheless birds is minimal in most cases. There are enough exceptions, however, conducted within the standard format should arrange for them to be that some caution must be used in using CBC data. published. Some counts are run "unofficially" for a while before publish• For example, older counts on the coast tended to over-report Herring ing, and the older data just flaps away into the night. Compilers of such Gulls, as less experienced observers using early field guides misidenti• counts should gather the older data and make it available through state fied the paler (and usually non-illustrated) northern form of Western journals such as Oregon Birds or Washington Birds. Gull and Western Gull X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid. There is also a blurry edge between reports of Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks and Count Creation, Termination, and Alternation some other species. Really rare birds are usually axed by compilers (the Oregon has conducted Christmas Bird Counts since 1912, when second level of accuracy review) or regional editors (the third level of Eugene, Corvallis, and Mulino conducted counts. Counts come and go, review), unless accompanied by sufficient details, but review standards and circles get wiggled around from time to time, but in general the trend and processes vary substantially between different compilers and edi• is toward more counts. When should a count be started? When should tors. Some tend to leave in most questionable birds with notes saying one be terminated? "poor details" or the like; others are more likely to simply excise such Counts are started because people want to attend them. For the species. most part, counts are terminated when interest wanes to the point where A related matter is correction of erroneous published count reports. the compiler can no longer drum up enough bodies to get the job done. Typographical or editing errors can cause numbers and species names to Counts are rarely snuffed on purpose while they seem healthy. The change, but many compilers never proof published records against tendency to start new counts without killing old ones is fine as long as copies of their original counts. To provide an illustration, I prepared a there are enough observers to go around, because the end result is more report of 5 counts that appeared in Oregon Birds Vol. 13 No. 4, and yet birds being counted in more places by more people. failed to notice until publication that I had entered "1 Saw-whet Owl" A problem arises, however, when new counts are started in an area and have the effect of drawing observers out of established counts that OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 244, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 245, Winter 1989 nonetheless attempt to stay active. This can produce 2 marginal counts straining to cover their areas instead of 1 thoroughly covered area. This can sometimes be found here. is not a major problem in some areas, e.g. parts of eastern Oregon, Improved Coverage Needed because counts are far enough apart and have enough local base to face Improved coverage is needed in most places, of course, but there are less date competition. Western Oregon and Washington, however, now logistical problems with getting more observers to, say, Hart Mountain. contain a large number of counts and the observer base is becoming And it is inherently difficult to attract observers to such counts as Upper stretched. Nestucca, that have little species variety. There are, however, a few One possible way to accommodate more counts than the observer counts that have lots of birds, are worth continuing, seem to have birders base can handle is to alternate certain counts from year to year. This nearby, and need more help. My candidates for Most Deserving of More would allow counts to have more observers and cover their areas more Support are: thoroughly, but would mean, of course, that the data stream for a given 1. Port Orford. This count is the most under-attended and under• count would be broken up. appreciated on the coast. It gets only marginal observer support most Anyone contemplating starting a new count or continuing a mar• years. It contains 2 species near the edge of their regular range in Oregon ginal one should consider whether the area is important to census (Black Phoebe and Red-shouldered Hawk) and a great variety of species. relative to other areas. My sense of the order of importance of CBC areas Check the 1981 results for an idea of what is possible here with a good is as follows. turnout of experienced observers. That year there were 136 species, 1. Areas with large concentrations of birds, e.g. waterfowl, raptors. including Brown Pelican, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, 2 2. Areas in regions or habitats not adequately covered. Soras, a jaeger, 4 flavors of alcid, a Selasphorus hummingbird, 2 Black 3. Areas with special-interest species, e.g. Spotted Owl, Red-shoul• and 2 Say's Phoebes, a Northern Mockingbird, and 2 Lapland Long- dered Hawk. spurs. In 1 year! More Coos Bay and southern interior birders need to 4. Areas covered by local observers. support this count, our only functioning south coast count. There is no reason to discontinue a count in category 4 unless it 2. Forest Grove. This count covers some of the nicer parts of the simply runs out of people and can no longer cover its area. Note that I northern Willamette Valley but remains under-attended, probably do not mention the availability of observers for the first 3 categories. because Portland area birders are trying to support 6 counts, which is too That is the hidden variable driving any consideration of the above many to be done thoroughly. This count should either be better priorities. New counts should be started when they can be supported, supported, terminated gracefully, or alternated year by year with but some thought should go into whether existing counts in the same another Portland-supported count such as Columbia Estuary or Hood region are adequately supported. For some specific ideas about the River. process of starting new counts, see my delightful article "The Art of the 3. Columbia Estuary. All right, the weather is usually awful, but Christmas Bird Count" in Oregon Birds 12(3): 192-202, Fall 1986. what's new? This count suffers from being lower on most birders' lists New Counts Needed than Tillamook or Sauvie Island, but it really needs more help to be done A glance at the Oregon CBC map shows that the state is apparently as thoroughly as it deserves to be. Again, it should be better supported, very well covered by counts. There are counts in every major vegetation terminated or alternated. zone of the state except the high Cascades and high elevation areas in 4. Hood River. This is one of the most little-known birding areas in eastern Oregon, where winter access is difficult. Some areas, however, Oregon, and would likely have remained even less known except for the need either new CBCs or improved coverage. The Oregon areas most in admirable efforts of David A. Anderson, Donna J. Lusthoff, and others need of new or improved CBC coverage are as follows, in order of priority to glue another CBC onto the schedule of Portland birders. It's a more based on my assessment of the status of CBC coverage in Oregon: important count to maintain than Forest Grove because of its special 1. Coquille Valley from Bandon to Coquille. This area contains location, but might be considered an alternating partner. This count perhaps the largest concentration of waterfowl, raptors, and shorebirds should not be terminated. not censused in the state. Counts to Restart 2. Ontario-Vale-Nyssa area. This is a good waterfowl, raptor, and 1. Lincoln City. This is an excellent location for a count, and the 1 gallinaceous bird area with open water all winter. Large numbers of published count found piles of birds (137 species) with few observers. goldeneyes, Water Pipits, American Tree Sparrows, and other species Birders in nearby areas, especially Yaquina Bay, should consider sup- OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 246, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 247, Winter 1989 porting this count if observer availability allows. 2. Gold Beach. This count found a lot ofbirds for several years, and A Short History of Early as Curry County birders increase in numbers, consideration should be given to restarting it. Oregon Christmas Bird Counts to Let Lie Three additional Oregon counts have quietly faded in the past dozen Counts years—Prineville, Cottage Grove and Oakridge. All were conducted for enough years to establish a solid data base for anyone interested in the George Jobanek, 2730Alder, Eugene, OR 97405 areas, and observer interest is unlikely to pick up any time soon, at least for the 2 Lane County counts. Central Oregon seems to be producing Oregon's first Christmas bird counts were the Corvallis, Eugene, more than its share of birders these days, so perhaps there will someday and Mulino counts in December 1912 — 12 years after Frank M. be an interest in restarting Prineville. Chapman started the annual winter census. On Christmas day, Harriet W. Thomson found 15 species and 377 individuals in 2 hours at Eugene. Christmas Counts provide one of the best sources of quantitative The next day, A J. Stover counted 17 species and 699 individuals at information on Oregon's birds, and every effort should be made to Corvallis. On a cold, foggy day at Mulino, Alex Walker, just having conduct them carefully and with an eye toward the importance of good moved to Oregon from South Dakota, and Erich J. Dietrich, listed 22 coverage and new opportunities. species and 441 individuals. They reported hearing 1 Pine Grosbeak. The 1912 count was the last count at Eugene until 1942, and at • 0 Corvallis until 1962, but Alex Walker repeated his Mulino count the next year (with Donald E. Brown), then counted at Tillamook in 1915 and at Netarts in 1920. Other early counts published in Bird-Lore include Forest Grove (1913, then not again until 1983), Salem (1916, then not again until 1963), Multnomah (1917-1918), Sodaville (1918), Monmouth (1921-1923), Medford (1932, then not again until 1953), Klamath Falls (1935, then not again until 1948), Ashland (1939-1940), Malheur Na• tional Wildlife Refuge (first count 1939, with many years missed in the 1940s and 1950s), La Grande (1941), and Klamath Basin (1944). Alex Walker repeated his Netarts count in 1935 and counted there with his son Kenneth in 1936 and 1938. Alex, Kenneth, and Peter Walker repeated the Tillamook count in 1939. The grande dame of Oregon Christmas bird counts is the Portland count. On 27 December 1915, Tom McCamant, Jack Dougherty, and William Brewster, Jr., found 17 species and 432 individuals on the first Portland census. From then to the present, there have been only 3 years Continued from next page. (1924,1925, and 1932) when no Portland count was published (the 1928- Willard A. Elliot, author of the 1923 book, Birds of the Pacific Coast, Earl 31 counts were published not in the Christmas count section, but "The A Marshall, and Harold S. Gilbert seem to have been the principal Season" section of Bird-Lore). In some early years there was more than compilers. Participants on early Portland bird counts included H.T. one count in the Portland area. A young girl, Mary Raker, made several Bohlman, Leo Simon, Arlie Seaman, Francis Twining, Clyde Keller, Ira early counts, sometimes accompanied by her father, William S. Raker, N. Gabrielson, J.C. Braly, Ed Averill, William H. Crowell, H.M. Du Bois, active in the Portland Girl Scout movement, and her friends. The B.A. Thaxter, Stanley G. Jewett, many of them prominent as officers of number of count participants increased markedly when the very active the Audubon Society. Oregon (later Portland) Audubon Society became the count's sponsor. Continued on previous page. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 248, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 249, Winter 1989 accompanying text. In other cases she seems to believe what the maps tell BOOK REVIEW: Atlas of Iter and issues unfortunate statements, e.g. the Williamson's Sapsucker's wi nter range is "scattered throughout the regions west of the Cascades near Kugene, Oregon," based most likely on some quirk of the software and an Wintering North old vagrant on the Eugene CBC, and "the Northwestern Crow can be found in the mountains along the Pacific Coast from slightly north of Eugene, American Birds Oregon Bear in mind that the latter creative range extension is most likely based on a couple of old records from the Tillamook Bay CBC, and note Alan Contreras, 101 Amador #29, Jefferson City, MO 65109 the author's conversion of Northwestern Crow from a fishpecker to a mountain dweller. I see no excuse for such lack of text review even if the maps can't be made more accurate. Atlas of Wintering North American Birds; An Analysis of Christmas There are other oddities, such as an attempt to tie range to elevation by stuffing contour data into the program. This results is such statements as Bird Count Data, by Terry Root. University of Chicago Press, 11030 South the Common Raven "basically occurs only in areas at least 5000 feet above Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL 60628, 1988, softcover $35.00, hardcover Hea level." The House Wren and Sedge Wren map and text include disjunct $60.00. wintering populations in the Columbia basin and elsewhere in the west. I feel about Terry Root's Atlas the same way I felt after seeing the movie Although the author admits that CBC data is not always reliable, no version of Frank Herbert's masterpiece, Dune. The effort is heroic and the attempt seems to have been made to ask regional birders whether mapped special effects occasionally wonderful, but the outcome ranges from barely ranges were even close to correct. Admittedly, part of the problem is due to usable to quite bad, and the overall package is therefore a very questionable lax count editing, but that's a problem only for rarities, not for Common buy. Yet I'm glad to have it because there is really nothing else like it. The Ravens. book consists of maps and text for most species found on U.S. and southern The maps are produced in 2 formats, contour and fishnet. The contour Canadian CBCs, and comes with plastic overlay maps showing count maps are more or less readable, the fishnet maps are hard to use. They are locations, political boundaries, latitude and longitude, elevation, vegeta• intended to be "relief maps, and look like fishnet dropped over a sand tion class, average minimum January temperature and frost-free period, castle, thus showing higher abundance areas. Unfortunately, the peaks are mean annual precipitation, humidity and National Wildlife Refuge loca• necessarily offset in order to be visible, and thus all seem to lean northward, tions. overshadowing whatever is behind them. The author admits in her introduction that the attempt to publish The mapping software also could not correct for irruptive peaks or very computer-drawn maps of winter bird ranges is imperfect, and even de• Hmall or large numbers of individuals, so these maps (for 96 species!) are put scribes in useful detail some of the problems and how she attempted to deal i n an appendix. Since the author warned us about the problems, and maps with them. This disclaimer makes the maps at least an honest attempt at could have been labeled somehow, they should have been left with the showing early-winter bird distribution. Also, the text is full of often others. fascinating tidbits from Bent or other sources. Unfortunately, there are too So let the buyer beware. I find myself fascinated at the ranges of species many glitches to make the book what it wants to be, and the idea of it being about which I know little, then mentally scrambling back to reality by used as a research tool and cited in purportedly legitimate studies gives me saying to myself "if the data is this peculiar in areas I know, it's probably The Fear. that way everywhere," and then wondering what purpose the book can The book includes only CBC data available from the data entry project serve. I have come to the reluctant conclusion that it will be mainly a run by Carl Bock of the University of Colorado. That data is only from conversation piece, although it probably maps the ranges of common counts conducted from 1962 through 1971, so it does not include, for Hpedes reasonably well. Twenty years from now birders may look on each example, data from any Oregon coastal count except Tillamook Bay, with other's bookshelves and say "Oh, you have an old Root atlas. Fascinating consequent gaps in wintering patterns of Black-crowned Night-Heron, thing, too bad I can't use it for anything." Willet, Marbled Godwit, Black Phoebe and other species found more My final reactions to the book are that I have made the right choice in regularly on more southerly CBCs. It likewise shows a woefully outdated l>eing a picky CBC editor, and that CBC data should not be used loosely range for Black-shouldered Kite. without oversight by someone familiar with the regions to be covered. The mapping software produced odd range expansions and distortions for many species, and in some cases the author makes note of this in the OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 250, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 251, Winter 1989 Status Birds per hour Extremely Common >100 Very Common 10-99 Common 1-9 Correlating Winter Uncommon .1-.9 Occasional .01-.09 Abundance With CBC Rare .001-.009 Very Rare .0001-.0009 Data Extremely Rare <.00009 Greg Gillson, 1884 N.E. 10th, Hillsboro, OR 97124 If a "day" is defined as 10 hours, then Uncommon ranges from .10 to .99 birds per hour (bph), or 1 to 9 birds per day. Common starts at 1.0 bph, or 10 per day. Some checklists define Very Common as 50 or more I have always thought it would be great to have a book on Oregon birds per day. But if Very Common is defined as 100 or more birds per birds which would map out summer and winter range and abundance. day, Common becomes 1.0 to 9.9 bph. To find a particular species, look at the map and pick out the area where These convenient orders of magnitude actually work very well into it is most abundant, go there and try to find it. If you found a species you the labels of status we have been using for years. Occasional can be .01 thought was unusual for the area, look at the map and see if it is expected to .09 bph. Rare can be .001 to .009 bph. One checklist defines Rare as there. 5 or fewer birds per season. We can stretch out a season to 100 days of There are several factors prohibiting such a project. The foremost is 10 hours each, and the above definition becomes .005 bph, which fits that we still don't know enough about the status of species in many of the right into the middle of the numeric definition of Rare. more remote areas, i.e., areas removed from centers of the birding The following chart summarizes the relationships: community. Few breeding bird censuses have been conducted in Oregon, and, as a rule, most counties lack an official checklist. Birds/ Birds/ Birds/ Birds/ Birds/ With a dedicated effort by a majority of Oregon's birders, though, it would be possible to create preliminary county lists. Combining per• Century Decade Season Day Hour sonal county lists with a check of the literature and the checklists of refuges and parks, a good start could be made in determining range. Extremely Common >1000 >100 The current local and state lists don't even agree on what to call the various divisions of abundance, or what the defining boundaries are. Very Common 100-999 10-99 What is "Common," what is "Rare"? Is Occasional more, or less common than Rare? Some lists base status on average species numbers, while Common 10-99 1-9 other checklists give the status as the highest number of individuals ever encountered. Until these units are standardized, we get only a rough Uncommon 1-9 idea of what a particular status really means. By using birds per party hour as a means of normalizing Christmas Occasional 10-99 Bird Count (CBC) data, winter abundance of birds becomes numerical instead of semantic. The challenge is correlating these labels that we use. Fortunately a start has been made. Most of the abundance status Rare 1-9 definitions agree on a numerical definition of Uncommon: "0-9 birds per day," "1-10 birds per day," or "present, but not certain to be seen." Very Rare 1-9 Common starts at 10 or more birds per day. Extremely Rare 1-9 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 252, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 253, Winter 1989 In order to provide accuracy for the less abundant species, more I am now close to realizing half of my dream book. Entering the data party hours are needed. At least 100 hours are needed for Rare, 1000 from the CBCs recorded in American Birds into my personal computer, hours for Very Rare, and 10,000 hours of data to determine Extremely mid using software I have written, I can produce maps and print Rare. For instance, 1 bird in 95 hours is .010 bph which is Occasional. abundance data of Oregon's CBCs. It is also possible to note changes in But 1 bird in 105 hours is .009 bph which is Rare. By averaging the abundance over time. Using counts which have long histories, I can number of individuals seen per party hour over a number of years, a compare birds per hour of earlier years with more recent years. The fairly accurate picture of abundance emerges. computer doesn't mind staying up all night gathering information from What is the minimum number of counts and party hours necessary years' worth of CBCs, performing the math of dividing total individuals to provide an accurate accounting? Obviously the more counts, the more into total party hours, and writing it all down for me. It can give me a accurate the average. But based on the data I have collected so far, most list of all species that have increased or decreased. But I need "more averages do not change much after 3 years and a minimum of200 hours i nput," more count data from past and recent years. Thus far I have the of data. To really separate Rare from Very Rare, about 2000 hours are years 1976-1983, excluding1980, entered. Even with only 7 years of data needed. Counts average about 50 party hours, so 40 years of data would there are interesting results from having data "graphed" out in the form be needed to distinguish the really rare species. But 10 years of data will of a map. The following article is an example of what can be learned from give good results to even poorly attended counts, while counts like CBC data. Eugene may have more than 1400 hours in 10 years. Does this mean that new counts with less than 3 years of data, or 0 counts with less than the desired 200 minimum hours are useless? No, but care must be used in reaching conclusions based on those counts. These counts can be used to establish a winter range, but abundance may not be as accurate as one would like. A common objection to using CBC data is the chance for misidenti- Christmas Bird Count fication of some species. If the count compiler questions the identifica• tion, or simply puts "[no details—ED]," one might be tempted to delete Data Reveals Patterns in those from consideration. But "[good details]" doesn't mean a species was correctly identified, either. And what about similar species which Winter Gull Distribution are both present? Herring Gull identified as Western Gull, or Sharp- shinned Hawk counted as Cooper's Hawk can be problems. Not only does in Oregon the birds per hour get averaged over time, but so does the expertise of the birders. Some editing of the data must be done, but realize that CBCs Greg Gillson, 1884 N.E. 10th, Hillsboro, OR 97124 are only a tool to get a basic census. One must understand that using the average birds per hour does not account for owling time, or feeder watching, vagaries of weather, or cyclic irruptions of some species. One of the mysteries of bird distribution that has puzzled me for Rather than indicating absolute abundance, the average birds per years is that of inland winter gull distribution in Oregon. I started hour indicate the chances of detecting a species under CBC conditions— birding in the Albany/Corvallis area. The only gull which could be namely, visiting all habitats in the count circle, not concentrating on any considered as common was the Ring-billed Gull. Any other gull was a one species. If you were to look for a particular species, then you would noteworthy sighting. But visits to Portland in the winter showed me a select the proper habitat to search and correct time of day. You would different picture. In Portland, while Ring-billed Gull was also common, probably find that your birds per hour would be better than those of Glaucous-winged, California, and Mew Gulls were even more common. average CBCs. For these above reasons I have elected to include count week species as 1 individual. In counts with more years and hours of I had guessed that these gulls were coming upriver from the coast data, count week species makes little difference. But in counts with and there were more gulls in Portland than in Corvallis because lesser amounts of data, count week species can help keep up the average Portland is closer to the coast by means of the Columbia River. But this during the early years of a count, until more data helps determine the explanation, while perhaps satisfactory for overall gull numbers, does actual status. not explain the change in species ratio and species composition between OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 254, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 255, Winter 1989 the north valley and the south valley. Columbia to Portland and then spread out, except for a couple of curious By carefully examining several years of Christmas Bird Count factors. First, the Columbia Estuary CBC records fewer of these gulls (CBC) data, a pattern of gull distribution emerges which provides than anywhere else on the coast. Second, Salem records more of these insight into the change in species composition. By mapping the abun• pulls than Portland and Sauvie Island. This could indicate a primary dance, it is easier to see the relationships, but new questions are posed migration route over the Cascades from Klamath, Lake, and Harney which couldn't be asked before this pattern was discerned. counties. Perhaps there are enough band returns to indicate the primary The following chart shows abundance of gulls in decreasing order for breeding location of these wintering gulls. If most bred in Klamath various locations in the Willamette Valley based on birds per party hour. marshes, then an over-Cascade route would seem likely, but if a signifi• cant portion come from eastern Washington, then the Columbia River Portland/Sauvie Is. Salem Eugene route would make the most sense. Gl-w 18.1 = VC Cal 14.7 = VC R-b 5.6 = C I had been warned that some south-coastal counts may have West• Cal 5.7 = C R-b 14.4 = VC Cal 1.1 = C ern Gulls misidentified as Herring Gulls. Indeed the data I have collected does show Herring Gull to be more common on the south coast Mew 3.8 = C Gl-w 5.6 = C Gl-w 1.0 = C than on the north coast. Of course, the northern Willamette Valley has R-b 2.7 = C Herr 2.0 = C Herr .26 = U Herring Gull as Common also. But the fact that Western Gull is Very Thay .073 = 0 Herr 1.8 = C Mew 1.4 = C Common on the north coast, but drops to Common on the south coast, Thay 1.5 = C Thay .94 = U Mew .020 = 0 could indicate misidentification. West .086 = 0 West .011 = 0 West .011 = 0 Glauc .020 = 0 Glauc .0061 = R Glauc .0032 = R 0 A pattern of winter distribution is apparent, as the maps show. And the pattern is closely tied to the breeding range. The northern and arctic nesting gulls (Mew, Herring, Thayer's, and Glaucous) are most prevalent on the coast and Willamette River from the A Columbia Estuary R Oakridge Columbia south to Salem. Counts in the Willamette Valley away from B Tillamook Bay S Roseburg-Sutherlin the Willamette River south of Salem rarely record these gulls. Eugene C Yaquina Bay T Grants Pass has afew, but there are no CBC records for the Umpqua or Rogue valleys D Florence U Medford and most of eastern Oregon. Interestingly, all 4 of these gulls occur E Coos Bay V Utopia regularly at Klamath. F PortOrford w Antelope The Oregon coastal nesting species (Western and Glaucous-winged) G Gold Beach X Bend are very common on the coast and are found from Portland to Eugene. H Sauvie Island Y Klamath Falls These gulls evidently follow the Columbia River to the Willamette. The I Portland Z Hart Mountain Western Gull is restricted to this pattern as are the majority of Glaucous- J Forest Grove a Ruggs-Hardman winged Gulls, becoming more uncommon on the Willamette toward K Upper Nestucca b John Day Eugene. However, Glaucous-winged is found in the Willamette Valley L also away from the river, and in the Umpqua and Rogue Valleys, and at Dallas c Sod House Klamath. This may indicate a secondary movement following smaller M Salem d Malheur N.W.R. streams through the coast range. N Corvallis e Union County The third group, which is California and Ring-billed Gulls, nest in 0 Alma-Upper Siuslaw I Wallowa County eastern Oregon (and farther east and northeast). CBC data shows their P Eugene g Baker center of abundance in winter to be in Salem. They are also common on Q Cottage Grove h Baker County the coast and occur from time to time on most eastern Oregon counts. This might seem to indicate that perhaps they migrate down the OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 256, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 257, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 258, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 259, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 260, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 261, Winter 1989 Report of the Oregon Bird Records Committee —1988-89 Tom Staudt, Secretary, Oregon Bird Records Committee, 2223 N.E. 9th Avenue, Portland OR 97215 Editor's Note: Clarice Watson's last report as Secretary of the OBRC appeared at OB 14(4): 337-46,1988. Tom Staudt was appointed OBRC's third Secretary on 8 April 1989. This report was started and updated by Clarice until Tom became Secretary. From October 1988 to October 1989, the Oregon Bird Records Committee (OBRC) completed reviews of 96 reports submitted by 43 observers of 40 species. Of these, 83 percent were accepted. Last year, 79 records were submitted of which 86 percent were accepted. Interest• ingly, 45 percent of the reports during this reporting period came from Harney County. Most records this year were from single reporters, although more observers often were present. Twenty reports had more than 1 reporter. Birdathon for Malheur Field Station Two species were added to the Oregon checklist — Garganey was Through the years most 0F0 members have had the opportunity to stay at Malheur Held accepted as verified and Sprague's Pipit was accepted as a multiple Station In the heart of Malheur N.W.R. For many of us our visits to Malheur are a focal point report sighting. Boreal Owl was accepted for the first time as verified. of the birding year. Butthe Station, private since July1988, is having short-term difficulties Two accepted reports of Short-tailed Albatross, 1 from 1963 off Lincoln meeting operating costs. To help, Mark Smith is conducting a Birdathon for Malheur while Co. and 1 from 1978 off Clatsop Co., puts this species back on the state he is in Costa Rica, 11-21 December1989. Many of Malheur's birds winter in Costa Rica. OFO list after its removal last year. members wishing to sponsor Mark can write him with a pledge. He expects to see about 300 Information presented below for each species includes location of birds. Ten cents per bird would be about #30, etc Donations are tax-deductible. When he returns to Oregon, he will send sponsors a report about his effort. Pledges and checks (made sighting, number of birds, sex and age if known, special information out to 'Malheur Field Station") should be sent to Mark Smith, Malheur Birdathon, 2421 N.W. (such as collection and museum number), and date(s), initials of Quimby, Portland, OR 97210. observer(s) submitting written or other evidence for accepted records (italics indicates discovery of the bird), the OBRC record file number, Let's join in helping Mark keep Malheur Field and a notation for the first verified Oregon record. The OBRC record file Station open for years to come!! number reads as follows: the first 3 digits are the AOU number for the species, the second 2 are the year in which the record was observed, and the last numbers are the consecutive numbers for the records as they are accessioned by the OBRC. Many observers are indicated by "m.ob." and OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 262, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 263, Winter 1989 several by "et al." The members of the OBRC for 1989 are Tom Crabtree, Jeff Gilligan, Garganey Steve Heinl, David Irons, Jim Johnson, Larry McQueen, Harry Nehls, 139.2-88-01 Nehalem sewage ponds, Tillamook Co., 1 in basic plum• Owen Schmidt, and Steve Summers. The alternates are Jim Carlson, age 17-19 September 1988 (photos by J Jo, SH, m.ob.). Alan McGie, Bob O'Brien, Linda Weiland, and Tom Staudt. First verified state record. The OBRC thanks the following organizations for having made financial contributions in the past year to help with expenses: Cape Tufted Duck Arago Audubon Society, Lane County Audubon Society, Portland 149.1-88-07 Lake Meares, Bayocean Spit, Tillamook Co., 1 adult Audubon Society, Grande Ronde Bird Club, Klamath Basin Audubon male from 6 February to 19+ March 1988 (JE, JJo, Society, Salem Audubon Society, Umpqua Valley Audubon, Corvallis m.ob.). Audubon Society, Central Oregon Audubon, Southern Willamette Orni• 149.1-88-08 Warrenton Sewage Ponds, Clatsop Co., 1 adult male on thological Club, and Florence Audubon Society. 6 February 1988 (MP, et al.). I would like to thank past OBRC Secretary Clarice Watson and 149.1-89-09 TwilightMarsh, Clatsop Co., 1 maleon28 Januaryl989 OBRC member Jim Johnson for their information and advice. (MP). RECORDS ACCEPTED Mountain Plover 281-88-04 On the beach near Tahkenitch Creek, Douglas Co., 1 in Yellow-billed Loon winter plumage on 23 January 1988 (RM). 008-86-18 Siletz Bay, Lincoln Co., 1 in winter plumage on 16 January 1986 (PP). Hudsonian Godwit 251-88-09 South Jetty of the Columbia River, Clatsop Co., 1 juve• Short-tailed Albatross nile on 31 August 1988 (MP et al.). 082-61-03 Pelagic trip 32 miles west of Yachats, Lincoln Co., 1 immature on 11 December 1961 (BW). In: Condor 65: 163, March 1963. Bar-tailed Godwit 082-78-04 20 miles southwest of the Columbia River Bar, Clatsop 250-87-10 Bandon, Coos Co., 1 adult female from 27-30 August Co., 1 immature in June 1978 (CSc, fide PM). 1987 (SH, DI, DHw, photos by JJo, m.ob.); previously published (OB 14(4): 339; add "DHw" after "DI."). Mottled Petrel 250-88-11 Bandon, Coos Co., 4 in basic plumage on 14 May 1988 099-87-06 Boiler Bay, Lincoln Co., 1 on 10 December 1987 {JJo et (DF, et al.). al.). Little Stint Magnificent Frigatebird 242.3-86-02 Bandon, Coos Co., 1 juvenile on 12 September 1986 128-87-05 Newport, Lincoln Co., 1 adult male on 18 August 1987 (photos by JG, et.al.). (M&MD). 128-87-06 Portland, Multnomah Co., 1 immature on 4 June 1987 Costa's Hummingbird (JG). 430-88-17 Silver Lake, Lake Co., 1 adult male on 22 May 1988 (PrS). Barred Owl 368-88-09 Umatilla National Forest, Wallowa Co., 1 on 29 October 1988 (TWet al.). OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 264, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 265, Winter 1989 368-88-10 Umatilla National Forest, Wallowa Co., 1 on 29 October 1988 (JJo, TW, m.ob.). Located 10 miles from 368-88-09. 648-88-14 Andrews, Harney Co., 1 on4 June 1988 (photos by DBa). Chestnut-sided Warbler Boreal Owl 659-88-19 Indian Ford Campground, Deschutes Co., 1 adult male 371-88-01 Umatilla National Forest (T6N, R39E, SEC28), Wal• on 17 June 1988 (RL). lowa Co., 1 on 17 October 1988 (sound recording by DH). 659-88-20 Benson Pond, Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 on 10 371-88-02 Umatilla National Forest (T6N, R39E, SEC16/21), June 1988 (photos by AMc). Wallowa Co., 1 on 29 October 1988 (PSu, photo by TW). 659- 88-21 Frenchglen, Harney Co., 1 in basic plumage 29 Septem• First verified state record. ber to 2 October 1988 (photos by DH, JJo & TW, m.ob.). Least Flycatcher Magnolia Warbler 467-87-12 Fields, Harney Co., 1 singing bird on 25 May 1987 (HN, 657-87-10 Benson Pond, Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 immature JE). Previously published at OB 14(4): 341 and Rare on 25 and 27 September 1987 (photos by JJo et al.). Birds of Oregon 80; add "JE" after "HN." 657-88-12 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 adult on 467-87-13 Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 on 25 May 1987 (JG, 28 and 29 May 1988 (SH, HN, photos by DBa, m.ob.). photos by TC, m.ob.). Black-throated Blue Warbler Brown Thrasher 654-88-16 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 male 12- 705-88-11 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 adulton8 16 October 1988 (AC, JJo, AMi, TMi, photos by SS). June 1988 (photos by DBa, m.ob.). 654-88-17 Fields, Harney Co., 1 male on 27 September 1988 (pho• tos by DH, et al.). Northern Wheatear 654-88-18 Frenchglen, Harney Co., 1 male on 29 September 1988 765-88-03 Finley N.W.R., Benton Co., 1 on 1 October 1988 (HGH). (photos by DH, et al.). 654-89-19 Powers, Coos Co., 1 male from 20-29January1989(DSh, ME, m.ob.). Sprague's Pipit 700-88-02 Double O Ranch Road, Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 Black-throated Green Warbler on 4 June 1988 (GL, RRo, TSt). First accepted Oregon 667-86-06 Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., a male on 15 June 1986 record. (PP). Virginia's Warbler 644-88-07 Fields, Harney Co., 1 immature on 17 September 1988 Blackburnian Warbler (SH). 662-88-04 Benson Pond, Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 adult male on 29 May 1988 (HN, et al.). Northern Parula 648-88-11 Frenchglen, Harney Co., 1 adult male on 29 May 1988 Bay-breasted Warbler (SH, photos by JJo & DBa, m.ob.). 660- 88-07 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 on 648-88-12 Fields, Harney Co., 1 male on 28 and 29 May 1988 (JJo, 17 September 1988 (SH). HN, m.ob.). 648-88-13 Fields, Harney Co., 1 female on 12 and 13 June 1988 Blackpoll Warbler (AMc, et al., photos by HN). 661- 88-20 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 immature on 4 September 1988 (photos by JJo, m.ob.). OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 266, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 267, Winter 1989 661-88-21 Fern Ridge Reservoir, Lane Co., 1 on 15 September 1988 CONTRIBUTORS (SH). 661-88-22 Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 female on 7 June 1988 David Bailey Ron Maertz (RM) ** (photos by DBa). Alan Contreras PhD Mattocks (PM) Tom Crabtree Alan McGie Rose-breasted Grosbeak Merry Lynn & Mike Denny Allison & Tom Mickel 595-88-14 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 male on 4 (M&MD) Jeff Moffett (JMo) June 1988 (TSt, m.ob.). M.S. Eltzroth Harry Nehls 595-76-15 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 female on Joe Evanich Mike Patterson 29 May 1976 (SS). David Fix Phil Pickering Jeff Gilligan Robert Rodgers (RRo) ** Indigo Bunting Barbara Griffin CarlSchilt(CSc) 598-88-10 Malheur N.W.R. headquarters, Harney Co., 1 on29May Steve Heinl Dave Shea (DSh) 1988 (photos by DBa & JJo, m.ob.). Hendrick G. Herlyn (HGH) Tom Staudt (TSt)** David Herr Priscilla Summers Dickcissel David Holway (DHw) ** Steve Summers 604-88-04 North Bend, Coos Co., 1 adultmalefroml9Marchtol8 David Irons Tom Winters (TW) April 1988 (BG, photos by JJo, m.ob.). Kamal Islam (KI) ** Bruce Wyatt (BW) ** 604-89-06 Manzanita, Tillamook Co., 1 male on 19 February 1989 Jim Johnson (JJo, m.ob.). Gerard Lillie (GL) ** ** New on all-time master Robert Lucas contributor's list Rusty Blackbird 509-87-07 Sauvie Island, Multnomah Co., 2 winter-plumaged females 17 - 23 December 1987 (photos by HN and JJo, m.ob.). RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED Common Grackle Yellow-billed Loon 511-88-06 Page Springs Campground, Harney Co., 1 male on 21 008-87-15 South jetty of the Columbia River, Clatsop Co., 1 on 9 May 1988 (photos by KI, m.ob.). May 1987. Not accepted because an insufficient descrip• tion was obtained on a bird seen only in flight. Orchard Oriole 008-88-19 Loon Lake, Douglas Co., 3 birds on 14 February 1988. 506-88-03 Toketee Ranger Station, Douglas Co., 1 female 8-10 May Photos are inconclusive and written details do not elimi• 1988 (DF, photos by JMo). nate immature Double-crested Cormorant. Magnificent Frigatebird 128-63-07 Coquille Point, Coos Co., 1 on 26 July 1963. Not enough details provided. King Eider 162-87-04 South jetty of the Siuslaw River, Lane Co., 1 on 1 July 1987. Not accepted because there was insufficient infor- OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 268, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 269, Winter 1989 mation to eliminate Common Eider, Surf Scoter, or White-winged Scoter. Sparrow. Japanese Quail Chestnut-collared Longspur 288.6-88-01 Three Creek Meadows, Deschutes Co., 1 inAugustl986. 538-87-05 South jetty of the Columbia River, Clatsop Co., 1 on 6 Photos showed a juvenile Varied Thrush. October 1987. Not accepted because the description did not eliminate McCown's Longspur. Rufous-necked Stint 242.2-81-03 Bayocean spit, Tillamook Co., 1 on 19 and 23 August Rusty Blackbird 1981. This previously-deferred record was not accepted 509-88-08 Sauvie Island, Multnomah Co., 1 adult on 7 January because of insufficient details. 1988. Not accepted because the description did not 242.2-81-04 Bayocean spit, Tillamook Co., 1 on 27 September 1981. eliminate Brewer's Blackbird. This previously-deferred record was not accepted be• 509-88-09 Commonwealth Lake, Washington Co., 1 adult female cause of insufficient details. on 13 March 1988. Not accepted because the description did not eliminate Brewer's Blackbird. Magnificent Hummingbird 426-72-01 Saunders Lake, Coos Co., 1 all-white bird from 2-15 Orchard Oriole September 1972. This previously-deferred record was 506-87-02 South Beach, Lincoln Co., 1 on 11 November 1987. The not accepted because the motion pictures of this bird did description of this female did not eliminate the similar not provide sufficient information for accurate identifi• Hooded Oriole. cation. OTHER ACTION ON RECORDS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 402-87-06 Catherine Creek State Park, Union Co., 1 on 4 June Hudsonian Godwit 1987. Not accepted because details were not sufficient, 251-87-08 Summer Lake Wildlife Area, Lake Co., 1 juvenile from considering the variation in plumage of the closely- 22 August to 17 September 1987 (SS, REk, CM, m.ob.). related sapsucker species. The photographs were not accepted but this did not 402-83-07 Frenchglen, Harney Co., 1 on 30 September 1983. Not change the report of the record as listed in Rare Birds of accepted because details were not sufficient, considering Oregon 51. the variation in plumage of the closely-related sap• sucker species. Xantus' Murrelet 025-87-05 Boiler Bay State Wayside, Lincoln Co., 1 from 7-8 No• Cape May Warbler vember 1987 (PM, LW, JJo, m.ob.). The photographs 650-67-03 Malheur N.W.R., Harney Co., 1 on 9 June 1967. In Auk were not accepted but this did not change the report as 90: 682. This previously-deferred record was not ac• listed in Rare Birds of Oregon 71. cepted because a description of the bird was not included in the publication and could not be obtained. Phainopepla 620-61 -01 Medford, Jackson Co., 1 on 15 March 1961. In Murrelet Clay-colored Sparrow 47: 76, 1966. Reconsideration was requested but re• 561-87-20 Harbor, Curry Co., 1 on 25 October 1987. Not accepted jected; no change in status as a record not accepted. because the description did not eliminate Chipping 0 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 270, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 271, Winter 1989 Malheur County — A input from other birders except for an Oregon Birds article by Jeff Gilligan and Mark Smith on their 16 June 1978 trip to Mahogany Mountains (cf. OB 6(2): 64-67,1980). I found my only Black-throated Year's List Gray Warblers there but could not find a Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Surprisingly, the top of Mahogany Mountains is private property and Craig Corder, P.O. Box 1174, Hermiston, OR 97838 now has No Trespassing signs. I would not recommend trespassing in this county because very irresponsible hunters have caused most land• owners to become very protective. There is a lot of open BLM land. After a forgettable year of listing Wasco County in 1986,1 decided to Detailed maps are sold Mon-Fri at the BLM headquarters in Vale. Since treat myself to a year of exploring Malheur County in 1987. Since it is most dirt roads do not have signs, maps are necessary. east of Harney County's Malheur NWR, I figured it would be dripping The following list shows the degree of difficulty it was for me to locate with eastern warblers. One or 2 new state records seemed assured. each species during 1987. It is far from a perfect representation of the I know now that what Malheur County lacks in forest it makes up for county's birds, but it will give other compulsive listers some idea of what with sagebrush. Iftherewasaspringmigration.Imissedit. Itwentfrom to expect. My total was 211 species, all of which could have been located Cold to Hot very fast and the birds were suddenly at their nest sites. much easier in Harney County. I found a few migrant shorebirds in late August but no warbler migration in the fall except for 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers in a single EASY Hard to miss. tree! My favorite sighting was an adult Peregrine Falcon that came very FESY Fairly Easy. May take some effort and/or skill. close while stooping through a mountain canyon at over 100 mph. FAIR Not Hard, Not Easy. May require effort, skill and luck. May be Other noteworthy observations included: apparently-nesting Black- local. Could miss. throated and Grasshopper Sparrows north of the Succor Creek Camp• FHRD Fairly Hard. Extra effort, skill and luck required. Could easily ground; a Scrub Jay in Vale 16 November 1987; a flock of over 50 Rosy miss. Finches near Ironside Mountain 12 April 1987; and an adult Glaucous- Hard Only 1 or 2 sightings. winged Gull on the Snake River at Farewell Bend 16 November 1987. I birded 28 days on the following dates: Common Loon FESY 14-16 February Canvasback FAIR Pied-billed Grebe EASY Redhead EASY 9-12 April Horned Grebe FESY Ring-necked Duck EASY 16-18 May Eared Grebe EASY Greater Scaup HARD 24- 31 May Western Grebe EASY Lesser Scaup EASY Clark's Grebe FAIR Common Goldeneye EASY 13- 14 June American White Pelican FHRD Barrow's Goldeneye FAIR 28-30 August Double-crested Cormorant FESY Bufflehead EASY 25- 26 September Great Blue Heron EASY Hooded Merganser FHRD Great Egret FAIR 14- 16 November Common Merganser EASY B-crowned Night-Heron FHRD Ruddy Duck EASY White-faced Ibis FHRD TurkeyVulture EASY Tony Greager went with me on the February trip and my mother, Tundra Swan EASY Osprey HARD Marion Corder, joined me on the rest. All my sightings were confirmed Trumpeter Swan HARD Bald Eagle FHRD Gr. White-fronted Goose FESY except for a male Lesser Goldfinch that could not be relocated. Northern Harrier EASY Snow Goose FAIR Sharp-shinned Hawk FESY The dirt roads were only passable when dry or frozen. If frozen, be Canada Goose EASY Cooper's Hawk FAIR careful that it doesn't thaw before you get out or you may spend the night Wood Duck HARD Northern Goshawk HARD Green-wingedTeal EASY in the road waiting for it to refreeze. During Memorial Day week I Swainson'sHawk FESY Mallard EASY Red-tailed Hawk EASY camped in my trailer at Succor Creek. One day it rained almost an inch. Northern Pintail EASY Ferruginous Hawk FHRD The roads were impassable for the next 2 dry days. I have a 4-wheel drive Blue-wingedTeal EASY Rough-legged Hawk EASY pickup and will never take a car birding in Malheur County. CinnamonTeal EASY Golden Eagle EASY Northern Shoveler EASY American Kestrel EASY I had almost no previous experience with the county and received no Gadwall EASY Merlin HARD American Wigeon EASY Peregrine Falcon HARD OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 272, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 273, Winter 1989 Prairie Falcon FESY Downy Woodpecker EASY Gray Partridge FAIR Hairy Woodpecker FHRD Chukar EASY Northern Flicker EASY YellowWarbler EASY Ring-necked Pheasant EASY Olive-sided Flycatcher HARD Yellow-rumped Warbler EASY Blue Grouse HARD Western Wood-Pe wee FESY Blk-throated Gray Warbler FAIR Sage Grouse FHRD Willow Flycatcher FHRD Townsend's Warbler FAIR California Quail EASY Hammond's Flycatcher FAIR MacGillivray's Warbler FAIR Virginia Rail FESY Dusky Flycatcher FESY Common Yellowthroat FESY Sora FESY Gray Flycatcher FESY Wilson's Warbler FESY Yellow-breasted Chat FESY American Coot EASY Say's Phoebe EASY Sandhill Crane FESY Ash-throated Flycatcher FHRD WesternTanager FESY Black-headed Grosbeak FESY Semipalmated Plover HARD Western Kingbird EASY Lazuli Bunting EASY Killdeer EASY Eastern Kingbird FESY Black-necked Stilt FHRD Horned Lark EASY Green-tailedTowhee EASY Rufous-sidedTowhee EASY American Avocet EASY Tree Swallow EASY American Tree Sparrow HARD GreaterYellowlegs FESY Violet-green Swallow EASY Chipping Sparrow EASY Lesser Yellowlegs FESY Rough-winged Swallow EASY Brewer's Sparrow EASY Solitary Sandpiper HARD Bank Swallow EASY VesperSparrow EASY Willet EASY CliffSwallow EASY Lark Sparrow EASY Spotted Sandpiper EASY Barn Swallow EASY Black-throated Sparrow HARD Long-billed Curlew FESY StellerWay FESY Sage Sparrow HARD Sanderling HARD Scrub Jay HARD Savannah Sparrow EASY Semipalmated Sandpiper FAIR Clark's Nutcracker HARD Grasshopper Sparrow HARD Western Sandpiper EASY Black-billed Magpie EASY Fox Sparrow HARD Least Sandpiper EASY American Crow EASY Song Sparrow EASY Baird's Sandpiper EASY Common Raven EASY Lincoln's Sparrow FAIR Pectoral Sandpiper FAIR Black-capped Chickadee EASY White-crowned Sparrow EASY Long-billed Dowitcher FESY Mountain Chickadee EASY Dark-eyed Junco EASY Common Snipe EASY Bushtit FESY Bobolink HARD Wilson's Phalarope EASY Red-breasted Nuthatch FESY Red-winged Blackbird EASY Red-necked Phalarope FAIR White-breasted Nuthatch HARD Western Meadowlark EASY Bonaparte's Gull FAIR Pygmy Nuthatch HARD Yellow-headedBlackbird EASY Ring-billed Gull EASY Brown Creeper FHRD Brewer's Blackbird EASY California Gull EASY Rock Wren FESY Brown-headed Cowbird EASY Glaucous-winged Gull HARD Canyon Wren EASY Northern Oriole EASY Caspian Tern EASY House Wren EASY Rosy Finch HARD Forster*8Tern FAIR Winter Wren FHRD Cassin's Finch FESY Black Tern FAIR Marsh Wren EASY House Finch EASY Rock Dove EASY American Dipper FAIR Red Crossbill HARD Mourning Dove EASY Golden-crowned Kinglet FAIR Pine Siskin FAIR FlammulatedOwl FAIR Ruby-crowned Kinglet FESY Lesser Goldfinch HARD Western Screech-Owl FAIR Western Bluebird FESY American Goldfinch EASY Great Horned Owl EASY Mountain Bluebird FESY Evening Grosbeak FESY Northern Pygmy-Owl HARD Townsend's Solitaire EASY House Sparrow EASY Burrowing Owl FAIR HermitThrush FHRD Long-eared Owl FHRD American Robin EASY Short-eared Owl FESY VariedThrush FHRD Northern Saw-whet Owl HARD Sage Thrasher EASY Common Nighthawk EASY Water Pipit FAIR Common Poorwill FESY Bohemian Waxwing HARD White-throated Swift EASY CedarWaxwing FESY Blk-chnd Hummingbird FAIR Northern Shrike EASY Calliope Hummingbird FAIR Loggerhead Shrike EASY Rufous Hummingbird FESY European Starling EASY Belted Kingfisher EASY SolitaryVireo FESY Lewis'Woodpecker FAIR WarblingVireo FESY Red-naped Sapsucker FESY Orange-crowned Warbler FESY Williamson's Sapsucker HARD Nashville Warbler FAIR OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 274, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 275, Winter 1989 County Listing Are "Small" Crows along Eleanor A. Pugh, 3050 Coyote Creek Road, Wolf Creek, OR 97497 the Oregon Coast I've been watching with interest the county listing of Oregon birds, Necessarily as published in Oregon Birds — and wondering how this kind of birding could become more meaningful. Northwestern Crows? There has been a lot of good birding, fun, and information gained from county listing. I think it's great that our expert birders have poked into the lesser-known nooks and corners of our varied and still-rich Range D. Bayer, P.O. Box 1467, Newport, OR 97365 environment to find birds, when and where they can be found. But there is little intrinsic information made available to other users as these results are now being published (see, for example, Summers 1989). There are probably about a half-dozen reports each year of North• If those who go afield in such a variety of areas would cooperate and western Crows (Corvus caurinus) along the Oregon Coast. Birders who pool their records, put their results together in some sort of ecological or have made these reports say that they saw crows that seemed smaller regional checklist, much more would be gained. Past records, by now, than other crows. Since Northwestern Crows are noted as being smaller should provide quite a pool of information to draw from. These results than American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos) in field guides, birders have need to be printed with more information than just a list from the assumed that the "small" crows they saw must have been North- westerns. political boundaries of counties. I particularly like the bar graph checklist used by Sawyer and Unfortunately, the field guides do not indicate that the size of crows Hunter (1988) for Douglas County. McCaskie et al. (1979) have done this can depend on sex, age, or variation among individuals. For example, for northern California. Some National Parks and National Wildlife adult female crows are usually smaller than adult males with the Refuges now put these out. It is a very useful form at any time of the year, smallest females having measurements 13-22 percent smaller than the and gives an incentive to continue to gather more such information. largest males (Table 1). Hicks and Dambach (1935) found that the Also, I understand that a guide to birding in the state of Washington is weights of female American Crows averaged about 9 percent lighter than under preparation, with bar graph occurrence charts. males. First-year crows are also usually smaller than adults (Johnston 1961). There may be other useful ways to publish bird records, but Oregon does not have much information published in such a useful format—so TABLE 1. Average and range in measurements (in millimeters) of far. adult crows collected in Oregon. These data are from Johnston (1961). LITERATURE CITED Wing Tail Tarsus Bill Adult Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range McCaskie, Guy, Paul DeBenedictis, Richard Erickson & Joseph Morlan. 1979. Birds of Northern California. 84 pages. Golden Gate Audubon Males 306 297-323 168 160-180 55 53-60 34 31-37 Society, Berkeley. Females 290 281-305 159 151-168 53 51-57 32 29-35 Sawyer, Martha, & Matthew Hunter. 1988. Checklist: Douglas County Coast. Oregon Birds 14(1): 93-106. Other characteristics that have been suggested to be helpful in Summers, Steve. 1989. 1988 Oregon Listing Results. Oregon Birds separating Northwestern from American Crows include: calls, habitat, 15(1): 20-32. tameness, and behavior. Unfortunately, the usefulness of each of these is controversial (e.g., Johnston 1961, Rea 1986, Parkes 1988:600, Rea 1988, pers. comm.). 0 According to Parkes (1988), Meinertzhagen (1926) pointed out that the Northwestern Crow is separable from all races of the American Crow OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 276, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 277, Winter 1989 by its configuration of nasal bristles. However, I have read Meinertzhagen's article very carefully, and it appears that he (his p. 88) Johnston, D. W. 1961. The biosystematics of American crows. Univ. of unambiguously separated the Northwestern Crow (which he considered Washington Press, Seattle. a subspecies of the American Crow) from today's American Crow only on Meinertzhagen, R. 1926. Introduction to a review of the genus Corvus. the basis of size. Nowhere does Meinertzhagen write explicitly that the Novitates Zoologicae 33:57-121. configuration of nasal bristles separates the Northwestern Crow from Parkes, K C. 1988. [Book Review.] Auk 105: 598-601. today's American Crow that occurs in the Pacific Northwest. Paulsen, 1.1988. Northwestern Crow distinction? Washington Ornitho• Meinertzhagen's Plate VI does show the nasal bristles of the Northwest• logical Society Newsletter 1(1): 3. (Reprinted in this issue of Oregon ern Crow meeting along the culmen and the bristles for the subspecies Birds.) of American Crow that occurs in eastern North America (C. b. bra- Rea, A R. 1986. Corvus caurinus. P. 70 in A. R. Phillips, The Known chyrhynchos) to lie principally along the sides of the culmen, as Parkes Birds of North and Middle America, Part I. Museum of Natural states. However, Meinertzhagen does not show or write about the History, Denver, Colorado. positioning of the subspecies of American Crow that occurs in the Pacific Northwest (C. b. hesperis) or indicate that the bristle configuration of 0 hesperis differs from the Northwestern Crow. Thus, the configuration of nasal bristles is presently a speculative— not a diagnostic — characteristic to separate these 2 crows. Parkes Northwestern Crow (1988) and the Editor in Paulsen (1988) acknowledge that this charac• teristic was difficult to evaluate in some museum specimens. Further, Distinction? Amadeo Rea (pers. comm.) found some specimens with the Northwest• ern Crow nasal bristle configuration that had been collected in San Ian Paulsen, 9501 Moran RoadN.E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 Diego, California, which is a long way from where the Northwestern Crow is supposed to occur. Since the configuration of nasal bristles is The search for a reliable character to separate Northwestern Crows currently an ambiguous characteristic for crows "in the hand," birders (Corvuscaurinus)from American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos)has turned are warned that using it for crows "in the bush" is conjecture. Hopefully, to the literature of yesteryear. Kenneth Parkes, in his review (Auk 105: someone will undertake a detailed study using fresh specimens from 598-601,1988) of Identification Guide to North American Passerines by several geographical areas to determine if nasal bristle configuration is Peter Pyle, Steve Howell, Robert Yunick and David DeSante (1987, Slate of any use in separating Northwestern from American Crows. Creek Press, Bolinas, California), states: "In a review of the genus In conclusion, a birder cannot safely assume that a "small" crow seen Corvus that seems to have been overlooked by most recent authors, along the Oregon Coast is necessarily a Northwestern Crow. It may be Meinertzhagen pointed out many years ago (1926, Novit. Zool. 33: 57- an immature or adult female American Crow. Further, there do not 121) that the Northwestern Crow ... differs from all races of the appear to be any other ways for a birder to be confident in making an American Crow ... in the configuration of its nasal bristles. As clearly accurate sight record of a Northwestern Crow along the Oregon Coast shown in Meinertzhagen's Plate VT, the nasal bristles of caurinus meet that will be acceptable to all experts. along the culmen, whereas those of brachyrhynchos lie principally along I am grateful to Harry Nehls, Clarice Watson, and Amadeo Rea for the sides of the bill. Meinertzhagen sampled 11 specimens of caurinus their constructive comments on earlier drafts of this paper. I also thank and 84 of brachyrhynchos. A smaller series in the Carnegie Museum of Susan Gilmont of the OSU Marine Science Center Library for graciously Natural History collection confirmed this character, although displace• obtaining Meinertzhagen's paper. ment of the nasal bristles in some museum specimens can make indi• viduals difficult to evaluate. This character should be restudied in living crows." LITERATURE CITED How about it, crow enthusiasts? Anyone for close-range study and photography? Hicks, L. E. and C. A. Dambach. 1935. Sex ratios and weights in Editor's Note: This characteristic is indeed difficult to determine in wintering crows. Bird-Banding 6:65-66. museum specimens, but scrutiny of the bill from directly in front should provide the best opportunity for checking it. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 278, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 279, Winter 1989 OB EDITOR'S NOTE: Thepreceeding item is reprinted wjthpermis- sion from Washington Ornithological Society Newsletter 1:3 1988tor Measurements of Possible Zre information on the Washington Ornithological Society, wnte to P.O. Box 85786, Seattle, WA 98145. Northwestern Crows from Oregon Range D. Bayer, P.O. Box 1467, Newport, OR 97365 Field guides and many references (e.g., Godfrey 1986) indicate that Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) are smaller than American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos). Tables 1 and 2 summarize records of small post-hatch year male and female crows collected in Oregon that have been labeled as Northwest• ern Crows. Except for Specimens #3 and #6, these crows have smaller tarsal measurements than given in Johnston (1961) for crows collected in Oregon. Johnston (1961) did not believe that Northwestern Crows occurred in Oregon, but he may not have been aware of Specimens #1, #2, #4, and #5. From these measurements, it is apparent that some Oregon speci• mens are as small as some crows collected along the British Columbia coast, where crows are considered to be Northwesterns. However, it is also apparent from Table 1 that some Oregon crows are similar in size to crows collected in California. Further, length measurements of some crows from California fall within the range of crows collected in British Columbia. Are some small California crows also Northwestern Crows? Some of the measurements for Oregon crows in Table 1 are puzzling. Specifically, the reason why the wing chords of some of these specimens are smaller than crows from British Columbia or California is not clear. Perhaps, the crows were molting when they were collected. There may be other specimens of possible Northwestern Crows collected in Oregon that are not included in these Tables. For example, 1 female crow collected on 19 March 1930 by Alex Walker at Netarts (formerly Museum No. 19972 at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History), was traded to the Peabody Museum at Yale University and American Crow, above, andNorthwestern Crow. may also be small enough to be a Northwestern. Further, Walker may have believed that Northwestern Crows nested in Tillamook County as several hatch year birds collected in June 1931 are listed as Northwest• ern Crows at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (Museum Nos. 19976-19980). Do the records in these Tables prove that these Oregon crows are Northwestern Crows? I don't know. The whole question of separating Northwestern from American Crows along the coasts of Alaska, British OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 280, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 281, Winter 1989 o 33 m TABLE 1. Measurements of post-hatch year male or femal ecrows. Crows collected in Oregon are possible Northwestern Crows. All o o measurements are in mm. Except for numbered Oregon specimens, measurements are the rang ien lengths for more than 1 crow. z BC=British Columbia; coastal BC crows are considered to be Northwester Crowsn . Approximate measurement. Additiona linformation go about each Oregon specimen is in Table 2. 33 D After Hatch Year Males 0) Exposed Wing Chord Tail Tarsus Cuknen Reference Northwestern Crows 275-293 152-171 46.0-53.0 43.5-49.0 Godfrey (1986) Coastal BC crows 265-303 145-167 45.3-53.0 Johnston (1961) Oregon crow #1 238 160 50.5 48.4 Table 2 #2 248 170 50.0 47.9 Table 2 #3 276 150f 53.4 41 Table 2 #4 252 ? 52.9 ? Table 2 California crows 275-323 153-177 50.9-60.5 ? Johnston (1961) American Crows 303-328 170-200 58.0-63.0 46.0-52.0 Godfrey (1986) Table 1 (continued) After Hatch Year or Second Year Females Exposed Wing Chord Tail Tarsus Cuknen Reference Northwestern Crows 257-285 145-163 45.0-51.0 41.5-47.5 Godfrey (1986) Coastal BC crows 257-283 136-158 41.7-50.8 ? Johnston (1961) Oregon crow #5 255 157 50.1 40.2 Table 2 #6 230 150 51.4 43.8 Table 2 o California crows 277-303 148-166 51.9-57.3 ? Johnston (1961) 33 American Crows 300-322 Godfrey (1986) m ? ? o o z w TABLE 2. Information about specimens listed in Table 1. AHY=after hatch year (year of hatching unknown bu birt d hatched in a prior 33 calendar year), SY=second yea r(bird hatched in previous calendar year). Collection locations are given in footnotes. Collections are the o Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Denver Museum of Natural History, or Oregon State Universit yDepartment of Fisheries and J5 Wildlife. Collection Collection N> CO Specimen Age Date Collection Location Collection Number W #1 AHY 3-19-1930 Netarts (Tillamook Co.) Cleveland 19971 #2 AHY 5-23-1931 Netarts (Tillamook Co.) Cleveland 19974 3 #3 SY 5-10-1908 Portland (Multnomah Co.) Denver 10253 0 [OB Editor's note: This note is reprinted with permission of the author. It was first published in Washington Ornithological Society Newsletter No. 3, October 1989, page 5. For more information on WOS, write to WOS, P.O. Box 85786, Seattle, WA 98145.J OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 284, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 285, Winter 1989 r "I suspect that the nasal bristle character is not a useful method of separating Corvus brachyrhynchos hesperis, the form of American Crow breeding in western Oregon, from C. caurinus, the Northwestern Crow. "Most of the road-killed crows I have examined have nasal bristles extendinghalf way down the culmen, as described by Meinertzhagen for Northwestern Crow, but do not have any of the accompanying measure• ments generally assigned to caurinus. I have included photos of 2 American Crows (C. 6. hesperis), a first-year male (top) and an adult female in each photo, showing the bristles half way down the culmen. A photograph by W. Finley in Dawson's Birds of Washington — labeled "western crow (hesperis) taken in Oregon" — clearly shows this feature on a living specimen." Rufous-sided Towhee. Sketch /Diana Bradshaw. Photos I Mike Patterson, 324 38th Street, Astoria, OR 97103 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 286, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 287, Winter 1989 SITE GUIDE: Battle Mountain State Park, Umatilla Co., Oregon Mike Denny, 401N. College Avenue, College Place, WA 99324 Look over there, Merry-Lynn! A White-headed Woodpecker trying to get a cool drink of water from the fountain. Cassin's Finch and Red Crossbills near the fireplace. Williamson's Sapsucker and a Hairy Woodpecker in this 1 pine. Brown Creeper. Listen to the Ruffed Grouse — there it goes. And so it goes at Battle Mountain State Park. My wife and I are here, again, in this beautiful State Park 34 miles south of Pendleton, Oregon, in Umatilla County on Highway 395. This State Park and the surround• ing area are home to many birds found in the drier ponderosa/larch forests of the Blue Mountains. The Park is situated on the southern edge of the great wheat country that surrounds Pendleton. Due to its transitional location between the grasslands to the north and the old-growth forests to the south, this State Park attracts some very nice birds. Northern Pygmy-Owl, Flammulated Owl (summer only—at least that is the only time this species is heard), Northern Goshawk, Black-backed Woodpecker and 8 species of warblers are present. The sun is down now and a few American Robins are calling a last farewell to daylight. Merry-Lynn points to some Common Nighthawks that are dipping and diving over this now quiet Park. We must go. But we will return to bird here in this soul-filling area soon! As should you! 0 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 289, Winter 1989 FIELDNOTES: Eastern FIELDNOTES Oregon, Spring 1989 Oregon Birds and American Birds have synchronized reporting areas, periods, and deadlines. Field reports for eastern and western Oregon David A Anderson, 6203 S.E. 92nd, Portland, OR 97266 are due to the OB Regional Editor and All Regional Editor at the same time. Season Months Due date Abbreviations used: Fall August—November 10 December MNWR Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Winter December—February 10 March Spring March—May 10 June N.F. National Forest Summer T"T~\y 10 August SLWMA Summer Lake Wildlife Management Area UNWR Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge The latest regional Common Loon this year was reported 23 May at The Narrows, MNWR (fide GI). Horned Grebes were rare in the Harney Basin this spring. A single bird was noted 2 miles south of Burns 28 May and a pair was in the northern Blitzen Valley 29 May (fide GI). Hood River Co's. first spring Red-necked Grebes were seen at Cascade Locks and at the mouth of Hood River 4 Apr. (DAA, JE). A Red-necked Grebe was also noted At Rowena on 2 Apr. (DL). Single Clark's Grebes were re• ported at Summer L. 1 Apr. (FZ) and at Six Mile Island, MORR 6 May (LW, PM). The season's first American White Pelicans at MNWR were noted 18 Mar. Three colonies estimated at 1600 pairs were established in Harney Oregon Birds Regional Editors Basin (GI). Green-backed Herons are not frequently noted in Hood River Western Oregon Eastern Oregon Co. in the spring. Therefore 2 on 22 Apr. at Cascade Locks was a surprise Steve Heinl (Spring/Tall) David A. Anderson (DAA, DL). Another Green-backed Heron was at Mosier, WASC on 23 356 West 8th 6203 S.E. 92nd Ave. Eugene, OR 97401 Portland, OR 97266 Apr. (DL). The season's first Black-crowned Night-Herons at MNWR were seen 11 Apr. (GI). A juve• Jim Johnson (Winter/Summer) nile bird was noted 13 May at 3244 N.E. Brazee Street Three Mile Canyon, MORR (JS). Portland, OR 97212 White-faced Ibis returned ear• lier than normal to MNWR, on American Birds Regional Editors 16 Apr., and established 4 nest• Western Oregon Eastern Oregon Bill Tweit Thomas H. Rogers ing colonies with a record num• P.O. Box 1271 E. 10820 Maxwell ber of 3500 nesting pairs (GI). A 01ympia,WA 98507 Spokane, WA 99206 small colony was also noted at SLWMA (MStL). American Birds Sub-Regional Editor Five migrant Tundra Swans Tom Crabtree were at Ochoco Lake 16 Mar. 1667 N.W.Iowa (EE 4/89). Trumpeter Swans Tundra Swan, north ofUkiah,UmatillaCo., 19 Bend, OR 97701 have been declining at MNWR May 1989. Photo IMerry Lynn Denny. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 290, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 291, Winter 1989 in recent years. Only 19 birds were found this spring on the refuge with in low numbers. Two were noted at both the north end of Lake Abert only 2 active nests. Five pairs nested (MA) and near Boardman (JS) in April, but the largest number reported there inl988. Seven Greater White- this year was about 250 at SLWMA 27 Apr. (FZ). Ten were noted at the fronted Geese near Odell, 4-22 Apr. Boardman sewage ponds 12 Apr. (JS). Eight American Avocets were at (DAA, JE) were the most noted in the Boardman sewage ponds on the 12th as well (JS). A Greater Hood River Co. The last north bound Yellowlegs at SLWMA 1 Apr. (FZ) was early. Seven Lessers were there migrants were noted at MNWR until 4 Mar. (M&AA). A Solitary Sandpiper was near Weston, UMAT 6 May 29 Apr. (GI). A late Snow Goose was (MD). The season's first Willets in the John Day area were noted 23 Apr. (US 5/89). Deschutes Co's. first Willet was noted at Hatfield L. on 16 May at SLWMA 31 May (MA). Single Harlequin Ducks (pair). Hood River, (TC). Nine Upland Sandpipers were back in Bear Valley 6 May (US 6/ Wood Ducks were at SLWMA 28 Hood River Co., 22 April 1989. Photo/ 89). A peak count of 24 Whimbrel were noted west of MNWR-hq 21 May May (FZ) and at The Narrows, David A. Anderson. (fide GI). Long-billed Curlews were noted as early as 26 Mar. (US 4/89); MNWR 2 May (fide GI). Reports of migratory Blue-winged Teal included 110 were noted east of Heppner 1 Apr. (JS). Marbled Godwits were at 1 at Boardman sewage ponds, MORR (JS) and 2 at The Dalles 21 May SLWMA 27 Apr. (CM) and another was south of Burns 3 May (GI). No (DL, DAA). At least 7 Eurasian Wigeon were noted in the region in reports of Ruddy Turnstones were received this season. A Red Knot was March:l at Boardman sewage ponds on the 11th (LW,PM);1 near Baker at SLWMA 27 Apr. (CM) and a Sanderling was there 4 May (fide GI). on the 25th (PS, TW); and 5 separate males south of Burns on the 25th Over 6000 Least Sandpipers at the north end of Lake Abert 27 Apr. (MA) (GI). A Greater Scaup was on Ana Res., LAKE 25 Mar. (fide GI), and were the most reported this season. Two Leasts noted near Odell 30 Apr. another was on the Boardman sewage ponds 11 Mar. (LW, PM); 2 males (DAA) were a rare spring record for Hood River Co. Ten Baird's and 3 females were at SLWMA 25 Feb.-4 Mar. (SS, M&AA). A male Sandpipers were at MNWR 22 Apr. (CM). Dunlin were reported in the Barrow's Goldeneye was at UNWR 7 Mar. (JS). A pair of Harlequin region in late April by several observers. Ducks were on Hood River at the Dee lumber mill 22 Apr. (DAA, DL). A female Common Merganser on the Lakeview sewage ponds 25 Apr. may A Franklin's Gull was at the Lakeview sewage ponds 25 Apr. and be the first record for that area (MA). Following January's report of Red- another was at Pelican L. 12 May, and 8 were at the south end of Lake breasted Merganser at the mouth of Hood River were 4 there on 2 Apr. Abert 27 Apr. (MA). Bonaparte's Gulls were noted in the region after 22 (DL). Apair of Ruddy Ducks visited the Boardman sewage ponds 29 Mar. Apr. when 1 was noted at Gascade Locks (DAA). The most reported was (JS). 50 at the Lakeview sewage ponds on 25 Apr. (MA). Afew remained there until 19 May. A Mew Gull was at the mouth of the Deschutes R. 4 Mar. The earliest Turkey Vulture reported was 21 Mar. at Sisters (EE 4/ (AW 4/89). A Herring Gull noted At SLWMA 25 Feb. was last reported 89). Numbers of migrant Bald Eagles in the Harney Basin peaked at 160 on 20-21 Mar. (GI). The usual scattered reports of Northern Goshawk 4 Mar. (MA). A Thayer's Gull was at the mouth of Hood R. 4 Apr. (DAA, included 2-3 on Winter Ridge, Fremont N.F. 2 Apr. (FZ). Swainson's JE) where they are irregularly reported. A Western Gull seen at the mouth of Hood R. 20 May (DAA, DL) was the third county record. The Hawks returned to the region by 17 Mar. when they were noted at season's first Caspian Tern report was from the mouth of the Deschutes Klamath Falls (EE 4/89). A Ferruginous Hawk was noted near Nye R.9Apr. (LW.PM). Junction, UMAT 1 Apr. (JS). There were 3 reports of Rough-legged Hawks extending their winter visits to April. The latest report was on Band-tailed Pigeons were frequently noted in Hood River Co., in 16 Apr. near John Day (US 6/89). May. Northern Saw-whet Owls were noted at Bear Valley 23 Mar. and The only Spruce Grouse report was on Pine Crk., BAKE 12 May (US along the Anthony Lakes Rd. 25 Mar. (US 4/89). 6/89). Ruffed Grouse are unusual in Jefferson Co. sol at Camp Sherman One White-throated Swift was reported at Elgin Rim 2 Apr. (FZ), 23 Mar. is interesting (EE 4/89). A small lek of about 3 male Sage Grouse which was the first seasonal report. By the end of the month they were was found in Bear Valley 24 Mar. (PS). A single Sora was noted at common there. White-throated Swifts were also reported at Home Crk. SLWMA 1 Apr. but by the end of the month they were common (FZ). 5 May (fide GI), and at Barry Ranch east of Adel, 30 May (MA). Black-bellied Plovers are not frequent migrants in the region. This A COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD was noted along Cottonwood Crk., season the only reports were from SLWMA with 1 on 9 Apr. (fide GI) and Pueblo Mts. 20 May (fide GI). Rufous Hummingbirds returned to the 4 on 27 Apr. (CM). Semipalmated Plovers are regular migrants usually John Day area by 14 Apr. (US 5/89). Two migrating Lewis' Woodpeckers were noted southeast of Parkdale, HOOD. They are now infrequently OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 292, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 293, Winter 1989 noted in Hood River Co. Another was at Fort Rock 25 Apr. (CM). An After being unusually abundant in December, Varied Thrushes Acorn Woodpecker at the Summer L. rest area 27-28 May (fide GI, RM) remained in the Bend area into March (EE 4/89). The only reported was most unusual. The first seasonal report of Red-naped Sapsuckers Northern Mockingbird was near Frenchglen 2 7 May (LW, PM). Migrant was 1 at Winter Ridge, Fremont N.F. 2 Apr. (FZ). American Pipits were observed at Haystack Res. 19 Mar. (TC). No First seasonal reports of flycatchers are as follows: reports of Bohemian Waxwings lingering in the region were received. Olive-sided 12 May Goose Lake S.P. (MA) Two lingering Northern Shrikes were noted 18 Mar. in northern Wasco Western Wood-Pewee 18 May MNWR (LW) Co. and near the town of Wasco (LW, PM). The season's first reported Willow 18 May MNWR (LW) Solitary Vireo was noted southwest of Mitchell 29 Apr. (LW, PM). The Hammond's 23 Apr. Sawyer Park, Bend (TC) first Warbling Vireo was reported along Indian Crk. 4 May (US 6/89). Dusky 29 Apr. nr. Mitchell (LW, PM) Two Tennessee Warblers were noted at Benson Pond on 28 May and Gray 20 Apr. Bend (fide TC) along the east canal, MNWR (fide GI). Four Orange-crowned Warblers "Western" 7 May Vance Crk., GRANT (TW) were in Lakeview 4 May (MA). The season's first Yellow-rumped Warbler in the John Day area was noted 4 Apr. (US 5/89). Black- A LEAST FLYCATCHER throated Gray Warblers were noted visited Benson Pond, MNWR 29 along the South Fork John Day R. May (HN, JE). Migrant Say's on 7 May (US 5/89); on the west Phoebes included singles at: slope of Hart Mt. 26-26 May (MA) Ochoco L. (EE 4/89); Mt. Vernon, and at Page Springs 21 May (fide GRANT 5 Mar. (US 4/89); nr. Nye GI). A Townsend's Warbler was Junction, UMAT 1 Apr. (JS); and noted along Vance Crk. GRANT 7 at the mouth of Hood R. 4 Apr. May(US6/89). A Palm Warbler was (DAAJE). Three were at SLWMA noted in late May near the northern 1 Apr. (FZ). A Western Kingbird end of Lake Abert (MA). At least 1 at Boardman 17 Apr. (JS) was the Black-and-white Warbler was noted first seasonal report. at MNWR-hq 7-13 May (GI, MD) Purple Martins were again and another near Hart L. 28 (MA). noted at Government Cove, east of D. i iLjf *' .i . An American Redstart was at Hart Purple Martin, northwest of Milton-Free- T OQ »» A Cascade Locks, HOOD this sea• water, UmatillaCo.,29April 1989. Photo/ ** M May vMA)- son (DAA). A Scrub Jay was at Merry Lynn Denny. A female Rose-breasted Gros• The Dalles 21 May (DAA) where beak was at MNWR-hq 28 May (JE, HN). Black-headed Grosbeaks were they occur in small numbers. A noted at MNWR on 13 May (fide GI). Lazuli Buntings returned by 25 flock of 10 Pinyon Jays was at Apr. when 1 was noted in Warner Valley (CM). A female INDIGO BUN• Picture Rock Pass 1 Apr. (FZ). A TING was at MNWR-hq 29 May (TC). A Rufous-sided Towhee was near Plain Titmouse was on the west Frenchglen 28 May (fide GI). A male LARK BUNTING seen briefly 12 slope Of Hart Mt. 28 May (MA). Weslern Screech-Owl, Dyer Wayside, Gilliam miles east of MNWR-hq 28 May, was noted by many and reported by few This species is rarely reported in Co., May 1989. Photo/Phil Pickering. (fide GI). The first seasonal Savannah Sparrow in the John Day area was this region. noted 15 Apr. (US). Two Black-throated Sparrows were found east of The small group of Bewick's Wrens found last August west of Hart L. 26-27 May (MA). Two Grasshopper Sparrows were on a ridge Sherar's Bridge, WASC was noted again 21 May with 2-3 singing males south of Cayuse, UMAT 22 May (JS). A Lincoln's Sparrow was at the present (DL, DAA). Several were also noted along 8 Mile Rd. south of The mouth of the Deschutes R., SHER 18 Mar. (LW, PM). A late White- Dalles 4 Mar. Several migrant Golden-crowned Kinglets were in the throated Sparrow was found at Benson Pond 20 May (CM). A Golden- Boardman area 6 Apr. (JS). A migrant Townsend's Solitaire was noted crowned Sparrow was at SLWMA 11 Apr. (fide GI). Harris' Sparrows 10 miles east of Arlington 11 Mar. (PM, LW). A Swainson's Thrush was were noted into March at Bend (EE 4/89) and along 8 Mile Rd., WASC at Barry Ranch east of Adel 30 May (MA). (AW 4/89). OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 294, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 295, Winter 1989 Observers/Sources: David A Anderson Anne Archie Merle Archie Tom Crabtree Mike Denny Joe Evanich Gary Ivey Donna Lusthoff Ron Maertz Craig Miller Pat Muller Harry Nehls Marty St. Louis Jamie Simmons Paul Sullivan Steve Summers Linda Weiland Tom Winters Fred Zeillemaker Lor* Bunting, 12.5 miles east ofMalheurN.W.R., Harney Co., 28 May 1989, OBRC Record Audubon Warbler (Harry Nehls, ed.) Numbers 605-89-09B (right) and 605-8909A. Photos /Jim Johnson. Eagle Eye (Tom Crabtree, ed.) Bobolinks returned to their Prairie City colony by 18 May (US 6/89) Upland Sandpiper (formerly Duck Soup; Tom Winters, ed.) and were also noted near Plush 28 May (MA) and west ofJuntura , MALH on 25 May (LW, PM). A most exciting find was that of a colony of 12-15 0 Tricolored Blackbirds south of Hermiston 25 Apr.-6 May (JS, LW, PM). Migrant Yellow-headed Blackbirds were noted at Whitney 21 Mar. (US 4/89); 3 at Boardman 6 Apr. (JS); at the mouth of the Deschutes R. 9 Apr. and 4 at Wasco, SHER on 9 Apr. (LW, PM). The first seasonal report of Northern Oriole was 30 Apr. at MNWR (US). Over 15 Rosy Finches were on Winter Ridge, Fremont N.F., 1 Apr. (FZ). A lone Red Crossbill wandered through Fields 27 May (fide GI). Beginning with this seasonal report I am citing the source of the observation. Even though the sources from which I obtain most of my information list those who found or sighted these birds I will limit my , credits to the source from which I received my information. This is being done to simplify my record keeping which at best is tedious. If anyone feels slighted for not seeing their name after a rare bird which they found I would then suggest that they report it in the future. I will also say, "Don't take it personally." OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 296, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 297, Winter 1989 of the season, with small numbers present along the coast by periods end. FIELDNOTES: Western On 1 Apr. 106 Great Egrets were found congregated in the semi-flooded Coquille Valley, for one of the highest single location counts in western Oregon, Spring 1989 Oregon (DFi, SH, SG). These birds had dispersed by 16 Apr. and 1 at Yaquina Bay 30 Apr. was the only sighting north of Coos Bay through the Steve Heinl, 356 W. 8th, Eugene, OR 97401 end of the period (fide DF). Returning Green-backed Herons were noted in Eugene 13 Apr. (SH) and in the Rogue Valley 18 Apr. (MM). Two Black-crowned Night-Herons at FNWR 17 May could indicate possible Abbreviations used: breeding there (KM). Most southern Willamette Valley records are of ANWR Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge post-breeding birds in late summer/fall. BSNWR Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge Waterfowl - Cranes FNWR Finley National Wildlife Refuge A Trumpeter Swan was with Tundras on Sauvie 1.4 Mar. (GL) and MSP Monmouth sewage ponds 2 imm. birds were seen at BSNWR through 14 Mar. (DP et al.). Greater R.D. Ranger District White-fronted Goose migration was underway 17 Apr. when 700 flew Ranger Station R.S. over Toketee R.S. (DFi), and was still strong into early May as 800 were s.p. sewage ponds seen at the SJCR 9 May (HN). A Snow Goose was late at McGilchrist SJCR South Jetty of the Columbia R. Pond 15 May (GL). Two of the Coos Bay area wintering Emperor Geese WMA Wildlife Management Area lingered to 9 Apr. at Charleston (m.ob.). A female Northern Shoveler with 10 chicks at Fort Stevens S.P. Loons - Herons (Clatsop) 3 May was noteworthy as this species is at best a very rare The latest of several Red-throated Loons wintering on the Columbia breeder west of the Cascades (HN). I know of no nesting records offhand. R. was 8 Mar. (HN). A Pacific Loon at Henry Hagg L. (Washington) 30 Two pairs of Redhead lingered at the Kirtland R. s.p. to 18 May (MM). Apr. was most likely one of the birds that had wintered there (VT, DL). An adult male TUFTED DUCK was discovered at a tiny pond in Kerby Migration was still strong off the coast into late May, with 300+ passing (Josephine) 11 Mar. and was enjoyed by many for at least a couple weeks the Siuslaw R. jetties in one-half hour 20 May (SH). A YELLOW- thereafter (NL et al.). This was the twelfth state record and the third this BILLED LOON was in a transitional plumage at Yaquina Bay 18-23 year. A Common Goldeneye lingered at Netarts Bay 17 May for the May (DFi,MSe* al). The 2 Red-necked Grebes at Henry Hagg L. 30 Apr. latest report (HN). A female Barrow's Goldeneye was sufficiently were unusual inland, but like the Pacific Loon above, had probably described at the MSP 12 May (RG). This species was previously wintered there (DL, VT). Both these species have been virtually unreported away from the Cascade slope after March. unreported as inland vagrants in the spring. Red-necked Grebes Several late Feb and Mar sightings of Turkey Vulture were followed lingered along the coast into early May with 1 at Bandon 13 May the by a major push into the state the last few days of March. Several latest noted (MS et al.). A Clark's Grebe was at Diamond L. 24 May+ hundred were in the Rogue Valley 28 March (m.ob.), and 200+ were in (DFi). the Coquille/Umpqua Valleys 1 Apr. (DFi, SH, SG). Progression north Unfortunately no pelagic trips were run this spring. Oregon birders of there did not occur until after 10 Apr. (HN). An Osprey at Fern Ridge would do well to establish some regular spring pelagic trips. Forty Black- Res. 11 Mar. set an early arrival date there by 1 day (DFi, SH). They were footed Albatrosses were seen 20 mi. off Heceta Head 8 Apr. and 2 Fork- widely reported by 20 Mar. Apair of Black-shouldered Kites near Talent tailed Storm-Petrels were seen in the vicinity 16 Apr. (TT). Highly was seen mating and collecting nesting material on 24 Apr. but the unusual was a Leach's Storm-Petrel inland at McGilchrist Pond near outcome, or even if the birds stuck around, is not known (O. Swisher). Salem 26 May which was thought to have been blown in by storm-related Other reports of possible nesting were of a pair at Denman WMA 27 May winds during that time (GLi, m.ob.). A Leach's Storm-Petrel in down• (MM), and 2 at the Nehalem meadows to the end of the period (m.ob.). A town Portland 30 June 1987 is the only other inland report known not Northern Goshawk at Henry Hagg L. 20 May (Greg Gillson) and 2 near related to severed Oct-Nov storms. Powers 13 May (fide LT) were the only sightings away from the Cas• Five Brown Pelicans at Yaquina Bay 19 Apr. (fide DF) were the first cades. Single Red-shouldered Hawks were at Mapleton (Lane) 11 Mar. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 298, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 299, Winter 1989 (DFi, SH) and at FNWR 25 May (K Islam, HH), the latter being outside the 18 July-13 Apr. timing for this species north of Coos Co. Last sightings for Rough-legged Hawk were singles at Fern Ridge Res. 15 Apr. (D. Schrouder) and at Carlton (Yamhill) 16 Apr. (JJ). Golden Eagles were found near the coast in Lincoln Co. 1 Apr. (DF) and near Powers 6 RedKnots, Kirtland Road sewage ponds, May (LT). A Prairie Falcon was at Bald Peak S.P. near Newberg 9 Apr., Jackson Co., 25 slightly late for the Willamette Valley (DI). April 1989. Photo/ A lone Sandhill Crane over the N. Umpqua R.D. 27 Feb. (DFi) and Howard Sands. 275 flying north over Aumsville 7 Mar. (GLi) were the only reports away from Sauvie I. where they were last noted 6 May (HN). Shorebirds - Alcids Like many shorebirds this season, Black-bellied Plovers appeared to be in smaller numbers than typical along the coast (HN et al.). The 17 at the Kirtland Rd. s.p. 27 Apr. was a large number inland (MM). Lesser Golden-Plovers made an average turnout with 3 in the Tillamook area 4 May (CR) and 1 at Yaquina Bay 13 May (fide DF). Smaller than typical numbers of Semipalmated Plovers were found, with only 250 at Til• recorded inland at the Kirtland Rd. s.p. for the second spring in a row lamook Bay 6-17 May the largest group noted (JG, HN). Once again with 3 there 25 Apr. (HS). There are now 4 records at this location - all Black-necked Stilts made a poor showing with 2 at the Kirtland Rd. s.p. 21 Apr.-11 May. The peak of Western Sandpiper migration in late April 20 Apr. the only sighting (RS). Single American Avocets were at the saw thousands passing north off Heceta Beach 21-22 Apr. (SH) and Kirtland Rd. s.p. 24 Apr.+ (MM) and in N. Portland 6 May (DL). brought 15,000 to Bandon 28 Apr. (DFi). Peak totals for Tillamook Bay were surprisingly low with 800 there 10 May the largest group noted The 100 Greater Yellowlegs at FNWR 6 Apr. (RG) and 50 at the (HN). The 2 Pectoral Sandpiper reports were an average snowing. Kirtland Rd. s.p. 25 Apr. (MM) were the largest groups noted. This Singles were at FNWR 15 Apr. (R&JK) and at the SJCR 8 May (MP). species was also felt to be in low numbers, however reporting on this and Baird's Sandpiper, which also averages about 2 records each spring, other shorebirds was rather sporadic. Only 6 Lesser Yellowleg reports went undetected. The 200 Short-billed Dowitchers at Bandon 28 Apr. were received 14 Apr.-16 May - thus this species was only one-half as (DFi) and 90 at the SJCR 9 May (HN) were by far the largest groups common as Solitary Sandpiper which was found in typical numbers with reported, all coastal. Seven reports of Wilson's Phalarope 28 Apr.+ 14 reports 14 Apr.-20 May. Five were at ANWR (fide BB) and 4 were at represented quite a drop in numbers compared to the last 3 springs. In FNWR (R&JK), both 15 Apr. sharp contrast, Red-necked Phalaropes appeared along the coast in Unlike some shorebirds this spring, Whimbrel seemed to be in abundance during May. Over 300 were at the Warrenton s.p. 8-20 May average or above-average numbers. Up to 350 were at the Wilson R. loop (MP), 300 were at the Bay City s.p. and 500+ were at the Nehalem s.p. near Tillamook 5 May+ (CR) and 200 were at Yaquina Bay 6 May (SJ). 14 May (TS, GL), and on 16 May 200+ were at Florence with over 500 In addition, 1 inland on Sauvie 1.21 May was probably the first Colum• seen flying north over the ocean there within 45 minutes (SH). Despite bia Co. record (JJ). Four Long-billed Curlew reports were an average this heavy onshore movement, only typical small numbers were reported showing. All were found during April, with 1 at Glide 5 Apr. the only inland. One in alternate plumage at Yaquina Bay 11 Mar. (BB) was inland sighting (RM). Marbled Godwits were surprisingly only reported surprisingly early and may have wintered. The previous early arrival from favored Bandon, with the apparent "peak" there 13 May of only 4 record was of 1 in Washington Co. 31 Mar. 1984 [OB 10(3&4): 88]. A Red birds (DFi et al.). Surely they were found elsewhere. Only small Phalarope at BSNWR with 2000Dunlin 10 Mar. was unexpected and the numbers of Ruddy Turnstones were found away from Bandon 1 Apr.+ for only onshore report (RG). A group of 100 was seen 20 mi. off Heceta Head a below-par spring. A couple of Black Turnstones at Bandon 13 May 4 May (TT). were on the late side (DFi et al.). The 2 Red Knots at Bayocean sandspit 6 May+ were the only birds There were several onshore jaeger sightings at the favored SJCR found coastally away from Bandon (m.ob.). Red Knots were, however, during May, including 2 each of Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger (PP, HN, GL, TS). Groups of500 Bonaparte's Gulls were seen moving north 20 mi. OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 300, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 301, Winter 1989 off Heceta Head 16 Apr. (TT) and at the SJCR 16 May (PP). Otherwise HUMMTNGBHtD frequented a feeder near Roseburg 27 Apr. and had they were noted in fair numbers. A first-winter Glaucous Gull at the established a territory by the end of the period (G. Black, m.ob.). Another Yaquina Bay herring run 11 Mar. was the only report (DF, BB). Caspian male was found in the brushy dunes at Nehalem S.P. 28 May (B. Terns at Yaquina Bay 26 Mar. (J. Corbett), and Coos Bay 31 Mar. (BG), Shelmerdine). This species has steadily increased as a vagrant to the were right on time. There were only 2 reports of small terns. Twelve state. There were previously 11 records for W. Oregon, and the yearly Common Terns were at the SJCR 16 May (PP) and 3 Forster's Terns were average for the state has been nearly 3 since 1984. A Calliope Humming• at Fern Ridge Res. 16 May (SH). There were no reports of Black Terns bird was slightly early at Ashland 8 Apr. (RS) and another at Yachats 17 this spring. The Haystack Rock Tufted Puffin colony was active by 1 Apr. Apr. was the only one reported outside their breeding range (W. Bell, F. (HN). Bell). The first inland sightings of Rufous Hummingbird were 3 Mar. at Owls - Hummingbirds Corvallis and Portland (AM, HN). A very noticeable peak of migration occurred in the Willamette Valley the first week of April (HN, SH, m.ob.). Five Northern Pygmy-Owls at the top of Mary's Peak 29 Apr. Up to 75 were at Skinner's Butte Park in Eugene 5-7 Apr. but by 11 Apr. illustrates how common this species can sometimes be in the right only 5 could be found (SH). This pattern has been observed in previous habitat — stands of old growth or very large second growth timber (GL, springs as well. Two to 3 were seen daily during this period in residential JJ, TS). A Burrowing Owl at Tenmile Crk. (Lincoln) 10 Apr. (fide DF) N.E. Portland where this species is very rarely seen (JJ). was only the second coastal report in the last 5+ years. Sadly one of the Eugene airport Burrowing Owls was found dead in late April (FS). The Woodpeckers - Flycatchers cause of death was not determined. A calling Barred Owl along Larch A Lewis' Woodpecker near Eugene 29 Apr. was the only report away Mt. Rd. in the Columbia R. Gorge 8 May was a Multnomah Co. first (DI, from the Rogue Valley (D. Gleason). Gabrielson & Jewett called this an PP). Long-eared Owls were only reported from their 2 long-established "abundant" species statewide, and later, in reference to the Willamette sites at E.E. Wilson WMA and Scoggin's Valley Park at Henry Hagg L. Valley, Gullion called this species a common winter visitor with fall (m.ob.). A Short-eared Owl at the Salem airport 12 Apr. was the only one peaks of up to 70 birds the first week of September and spring peaks in reported after March (T. DeSousa). late April-early May with flocks of up to 30 birds (Gullion, Birds of the Coastal reports of Common Nighthawk as early as 16 Apr. and 4 May Southern Willamette Valley, Oregon, Condor53:129,1951). Thisshould are worthy of mention as the possibility that these were instead Lesser illustrate the drastic decline this species has experienced in the last 3 Nighthawks is quite high. Common Nighthawks typically arrive the last decades. week of May with the main influx occurring in June. The earliest arrival Mary's Peak in Benton Co. is the highest point in the Oregon Coast date for the entire state of California is 22 May and in a recent American Range and is well-known for several interesting bird records like its Birds, reports of "nighthawk sp." in n. California 26 Apr.-13 May were small flocko f wintering Rosy Finches. This spring it was host to several thought to "certainly" be Lesser Nighthawks [AB 41(3): 484 and see also migrants, typically east-of-the-Cascades sapsuckers beginning with a AB 40(3):520]. Any nighthawk seen April to early May should be female Williamson's Sapsucker near the top 23 Mar.+ (RG). That bird carefully studied, seen as well as heard, as there are no Lesser Night- was followed by a male Williamson's Sapsucker 8 Apr. (AM) and 2 Red- hawk records for Oregon. A Common Nighthawk at Diamond L. 29 May naped Sapsuckers 8-9 Apr. (RG). All of these birds were seen by many was the first report (DFi). Common Poorwills were first noted in Jackson people on the same tree, or group of trees, riddled with sapsucker holes. Co. 19 Apr. in the Salt Crk. area (HS). Very unusual were 2 reports of A very odd and intriguing occurrence. Common Poorwills flushed off residential roads at night north of their An Olive-sided Flycatcher at L. Selmac 30 Apr. (SH) was followed by normal range. Two were in Eugene 30 Apr. (B. Bender) and 1 was on many sightings the first week of May. A Willow Flycatcher in Coos Co. Council Crest in Portland 6 May (O. Schmidt). None of these birds could 6 May (LT) was early, with 1 near the California border 21 May a more be relocated. A Vaux's Swift in Corvallis 8 Apr. (D. MacManiman) was typical arrival time (MM). The main influx generally takes place the last the first reported but the main movement seemed to arrive a few days week of May to the first week of June. The earliest Hammond's later than usual 16-17 Apr. A WHITE-THROATED SWIFT at Cape Flycatchers were on time in Eugene 14 Apr. (TM) and Portland 15 Apr. Meares 20 May was extraordinary, there having been few reports ever (JJ). The only reports of Dusky Flycatcher away from breeding areas forW. Oregon (TS). were of 5 near Eugene 2 May (SH) and 1 in Coos Co. 6 May (LT). For the An adult male Black-chinned Hummingbird was well documented at fifth year in a row Gray Flycatcher appeared west of the Cascades with a Corvallis feeder 20 May (E. MacDonald). An adult male COSTA'S an early one at Ashland 13 Apr. (MM). The first "Western" Flycatcher OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 302, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 303, Winter 1989 was noted in Portland 11 Apr. (JJ) followed by many sightings 14 Apr. Lower Table Rock 7 Apr. (HS), followed elsewhere in the Valley by As in 1987, Say's Phoebes were found in double their usual numbers. sightings 11-15 Apr. This is typical timing for this species. A Western Seven were in the Rogue Valley through 20 Mar. (m .ob.) and singles were Bluebird at Beaverton 7 May (DL) was unusual as there have been few at Toketee R.S. 24 Feb. and 4 Apr. (DFi), Eugene 7-18 Mar. (PS, BC), records of this species in the Portland metropolitan area in the last 20 Portland 18 Mar. (fide HN) and Yaquina Bay 9 Apr. (fide DF). In years. Mountain Bluebirds are always an excellent find away from the contrast, Western Kingbirds made a poor showing compared to past upper elevations of the Cascades. One was on Sauvie 1.4 Mar. (JJ, NL), years with 8 in the Salem area 3-18 May the only sightings in the another was near Florence 7 Apr. (M. Brunson et al.), and a female was northern Willamette Valley, and 1 at Nehalem 6 May the only report on Mary's Peak 8 Apr. (RG). Townsend's Solitaires occur in lowland from the coast (JG). Several in the Sutherlin area 16 Apr. (DFi, DI) were areas early each spring and this year was no exception with 5 reported the first arrivals noted. through 16 Apr. An early Swainson's Thrush in Coos Co. 22 Apr. (LT) was followed by singles in Lincoln Co. 5 May (DF) and at ANWR 7 May Lark - Wrens (BB). Hundreds were heard calling as they migrated overhead in the A Horned Lark was heard flying over the Diamond L. R.D. 22 Mar. pre-dawn hours of 9 May (SH), and in the Cascades to 26 May (DFi). (DFi) and possible breeders were 2 at BSNWR 6 May (fide BB) and a Single Northern Mockingbirds were found near Bethel (Polk) 2 Apr. (S. singing bird near Silverton 13 May (BB, FS). Modern agriculture has Ominski) and the SJCR 15 May (D. Kapan). A pair on E. Gregory Rd. greatly decreased this species as a breeder in W. Oregon. A Northern (Jackson) 19 May+ (N. Barrett) failed to provide a first nesting record for Rough-winged Swallow at Toketee R.S. 12 Mar. (DFi) eclipsed the the state. One was at Yaquina Head 22 Mar. (K Liska) and another was earliest record for the state by 5 days and another at the Willamina s.p. at the Diamond L. s.p. 8 May (DFi) for the latest spring sighting ever. (Polk) 17 Mar. tied it (RG) (see OB 10(3&4): 94). This species typically A Solitary Vireo near Applegate 20 Mar. (E. Abott) was very early shows up at the end of March. Two Bank Swallows at FNWR 6 May were and established a new early arrival date by 6 days. They were widely a rare find but represent the third year in a row this species has been reported the first week of April. Also early were Warbling Vireos in found in early to mid-May (SJ). Avery early Cliff Swallow was reported Eugene 14 Apr. (TM) and Portland 15 Apr. (GL). The 2 Red-eyed Vireos at Yamhill 8 Mar. (fide BB) and another near Hill sboro 16 Mar. was also in North Bend 27 May provided a first for Coos Co. and the only report early (Skip Russell). Otherwise they arrived on time in Portland 27 Mar. (B. Fawver). (fide HN) and Sauvie 1.29 Mar. (HN). Single Barn Swallows at the MSP The 2 Nashville Warblers at Eagle Point 6 Apr. (JB) preceded 1 at 25 Mar. (DL) and Sauvie 1.29 Mar. were followed by widespread arrival Eugene 9 Apr. (SH). A male Yellow Warbler in Eugene 18 Mar. was at the beginning of April. unexpected (BC). It seems more likely that this was a wintering bird While a Scrub Jay near Myrtle Point 16 Apr. was outside of its rather than an exceptionally early migrant. The first migrants were typically interior range, it is thought that they could be regular there as noted in the Rogue Valley 30 Apr. (SH) and good numbers were in the the habitat of much of the Coquille Valley has a "generally interior-valley Astoria area by 8 May (MP). A late movement of Yellow Warblers was flavor" (DFi). Two Black-billed Magpies were at Boring (Clackamas) 30 recorded 25 May when 30-50 birds appeared at Toketee R.S. (DFi). This Apr. (D. Fagner). Unusual records of migrant Rock Wrens were singles is a high total for any location in W. Oregon. None were seen there 31 near Eugene 2 May (SH) and at Corvallis 5 May (ME). Canyon Wrens May. An adult male CHESTNUT-SD3ED WARBLER in Portland 17 were again recorded in Douglas Co. Singles were singing at Toketee R.S. May was the seventh to have been found in W. Oregon, the the fourth in in early March and 6 Apr. where they have been heard occasionally since spring(J. Evanich). The first arriving Black-throated Gray Warbler was March 1986 (fide DFi). Another was at Pine Beach in the Umpqua N.F. detected in Eugene 1 Apr. (J. Carlson). Three Townsend's Warbler 20 May (RM) and yet another was at Lower Fish Crk. off Hwy. 138 in for• sightings in the Diamond L. area included singing males 24 & 25 May, ested, broken basalt cliff habitat 31 May (DFi). Since the first Douglas and could indicate a future southward extension of this species' breeding Co. record in 1985 [OB 11(4): 179] this species has proven to be regular range in the Cascades (DFi). Their present southern range limit is S.E. in tiny numbers in the eastern portion of the county which is rich in Lane Co. and adjacent N.W. Klamath Co. where small numbers regu• massive basalt outcroppings. A House Wren at Eagle Point 9 Apr. (HS) larly breed above 4500 feet. Hermit Warblers at Eagle Point (HS) and preceded widespread arrivals 13 Apr.+. Portland (fide HN) on 14 Apr. were the first arrivals, and several were Gnatcatcher - Warblers at Henry Hagg L. 16 Apr. (DL, VT). A late movement of Hermit and Townsend's Warblers was noted in S.E. Portland 20-25 May (GL). A Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were first reported in the Rogue Valley at YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER in North Bend 26 May was only OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 304, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 305, Winter 1989 the second ever to be found in Oregon (BG, J. Thomas). It could not be aboard a ship 20 miles off Heceta Head 5 May (TT). A Harris' Sparrow relocated the next day. The Black-and-white Warbler found in Eugene appeared at a Portland feeder 26 Mar. for the only report (fide HN). 26 Feb. by New Mexico birder Bruce Ostyn was last seen 8 Apr. when it Rare in spring, a Lapland Longspur was at the mouth of the Rogue had assumed full adult male plumage (m.ob.). This was the second R. 28 Apr. (fide J. Rogers), while 1 on the northern Lane Co. coast 24 May record for Lane Co. Another male Black-and-white Warbler was singing was also exceptionally late (R. Warren). A Snow Bunting apparently at Thornton Crk. 24 May for a first Lincoln Co. record (DF). Single seen in flight with a flock of Rosy Finches on Mt. Hood 7 May was late MacGillivray's Warblers in Portland (fide HN) and Eugene (SH) on 11 and 1 of few ever seen in the Oregon Cascades (GL, TS). A male Apr. were the first arrivals detected as were Common Yellowthroats at Tricolored Blackbird appeared at the old St. John's landfill nest site in Denman WMA 29 Mar. (JM) and Roseburg 31 Mar. (DFi). A Wilson's N. Portland 1 Apr. where the habitat has largely been removed (NL). A Warbler at Grant's Pass 22 Mar. (JM) was about 2 weeks early. Singles new colony appeared at a marsh elsewhere in n. Portland this spring 29 were noted on time at Coos Bay 9 Apr. (fide LT) and in Lincoln Co. 10 Apr. Apr.+, with up to 12 males present (JG, NL, GL et al.). In the Rogue (DF). A marked influx of Wilson's Warblers in the Astoria area 30 Apr. Valleyl was found at the Ashland airport 11 Mar. (TS) and 2 small flocks (MP) represented the usual peak timing for this species while a late were near the Jackson Cc/California border 21 May (MM). Although movement was noted on the Diamond L. RD. 24-25 May (DFi). A Yellow- they are regular in the Rogue Valley they are notoriously hard to pin breasted Chat in Portland 17 Apr. (HN) was very early and an uncom• down. Migrant Western Meadowlarks first appeared at Toketee R.S. 15 mon find in the n. Willamette Valley. Many were reported the last few Mar. where they normally perch in the tops of pine trees during their days of April. brief visits (DFi). Two Yellow-headed Blackbirds on Sauvie 1.4 Apr. led all reports (HN). Stragglers away from breeding areas were a male at Tanager - End Yaquina Bay 22 Apr. (fide DF) and 3 at Santiam Flats in the western Single Western Tanagers in Eugene 28 Apr. (SH) and in Washington Cascades 9 May (BB). Brown-headed Cowbirds appeared on time the Co. 30 Apr. (DL, VT) were the only April sightings. A late wave of second week of April (m.ob.). Early Northern Orioles were noted atEagle migrants was noted 20-25 May in Portland and on the Diamond L. R.D. Point 16-17 Apr. (MM, HS). A singing male "Baltimore" Northern Oriole (GL, DFi). The arrival of Black-headed Grosbeaks proceeded south-to- was at Woodburn 29 May+ (BB). One Rosy Finch lingered at the top of north with singles at Ashland 18 Apr. and Eagle Point 20 Apr. (HS), Mary's Peak until 16 Apr. (AM). Roseburg 28 Apr. (DFi), and Eugene and ANWR 30 Apr. (TM, BB). Early Lazuli Buntings turned up at feeders on 13 Apr. at Toketee R.S. (DFi) Observers: and in Astoria (MP). The latter sighting was rare for the north coast JB - June Babcock GLi - Glen Lindeman though this same feeder has attracted Lazuli Bunting for the last several BB - Barb Bellin DL - Donna Lusthoff springs. BC - Barb Combs RM - Ron Maertz A Chipping Sparrow at Minto I. near Salem 3 Apr. (D. Peder son) was ME - Merin Eltzroth AM - Al McGie followed by many reports by 10 Apr. The Clay-colored Sparrow winter• DF - Darrel Faxon MM - Marjorie Moore ing at a North Bend feeder lingered to 9 May, a remarkably late date DFi - David Fix KM - Kathy Merrifield (BG). Arrival of Vesper Sparrows in our region is always very close to RG - Roy Gerig JM - Jim Miller that of Chipping Sparrows and singles were noted 1 Apr. at Rooster Rock JG - Jeff Gilligan PM-PatMuller S.P. (JJ) and at Fern Ridge Res. (PS). The Rooster Rock bird was SG - Sue Gordy HN-Harry Nehls especially noteworthy since this species is very rarely encountered in BG - Barb Griffin MP - Mike Patterson Multnomah Co. Lark Sparrows are always a very rare find outside the SH - Steve Heinl PP - Phil Pickering Rogue and Umpqua Valleys. One at Newton Hill 21 May was a second HH - Hendrik Herlyn CR - Craig Roberts Lincoln Co. record (J. Lamberson), and another was at FNWR 28 May DI - David Irons DR - Dennis Rogers (KM). Rare anywhere in W. Oregon, a Sage Sparrow was nicely SJ - Steve Jaggers HS - Howard Sands described near Ashland 31 Mar. (MM). This species hasn't quite aver• JJ - Jim Johnson MS - Martha Sawyer aged 1 a year in W. Oregon. The Eagle Point Grasshopper Sparrow R&JK - Rick & Jan Krabbe FS - Floyd Schrock colony was active for the third spring in a row with 6 birds present 5 NL - Nick Lethaby TS - Tim Shelmerdine May+ (HS). First returning Fox Sparrows of the breeding race were GL - Gerard Lillie PS - Paul Sherrell found near Lemolo L. 17 Apr. (DFi). A Golden-crowned Sparrow came OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 306, Winter 1989 OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 307, Winter 1989 RS - Ray Skibby TS - Tom Staudt OREGON BIRDS VT-VerdaTeale The quarterly journal of Oregon Field Ornithologists TT - Terry Thompson LT - Larry Thornburgh Oregon Birds is looking for material in these categories: LW-Linda Weiland News Briefs on things of temporal importance, such as meetings, birding trips, announcements, news items, etc. 0 Articles are longer contributions dealing with identification, distribution, ecology, management, conservation, taxonomy, behavior, biology, and historical aspects of ornithology and birding in Oregon. Articles cite references (if any) at the end of the text. Names and addresses of authors appear at the beginning of the text. Short Notes are shorter communications dealing with the same subjects as articles. Short Notes typically cite no references, or at most a few in parentheses in the text. Names and addresses of authors appear at the end of the text. T-Shirts forjhe Environmentally Aware Bird Finding Guides "where to find a in Oregon" (for some of the rarer birds) and "where to find birds in the area" (for some of Spotted the better spots). Owl T-shirts that1' Reviews for published material on Oregon birds or of interest to Oregon let the birders. world know you care. Tan, Photographs of birds, especially photos taken recently in Oregon. Color light blue, yel• low, and silver slide duplicates are preferred. Please label all photos with pho• in 100 percent tographer's name and address, bird identification, date and place the cotton. photo was taken. Photos will be returned; contact the Editor for more These shirts information. come in Child, Small, Medium, Large, and X- Deadline for the next issue of Oregon Birds—- OB 16(1) — is 26 January Large. The $10.50 price includes shipping and han• 1990. The next issue should get to you by the first week of March 1990. dling. Material can be submitted any time, and the sooner the better. Please send Send orders and information requests to O.B.I. materialsdirectlytothe Editor, 3007N.E. 32nd Avenue, Portland, OR97212 660 E. Street (503)282-9403. Springfield, OR 97477 Make checks payable to O.B .1. Orders should include sizes and colors wanted, and a phone number so we can reach you in case of questions. Oregon Birds Board of Editors: David A. Anderson, Range D. Every effort will be made for prompt delivery but please allow 6 weeks for Bayer, Charlie Bruce, Alan Contreras, Tom Crabtree, David delivery. Fix, Jeff Gilligan, Steven G. Herman, Mike Houck, George A. Jobanek, Jim Johnson, CD. Littlefield, Roy Lowe, David B. Marshall, Harry B. Nehls, Mark Stern, Paul Sullivan, Clarice Watson OREGON BIRDS 15(4): 308, Winter 1989 • • • •• • . . 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