OB 23.3 1997 Fall
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The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology Volume 23, Number 3, Fall 1997 Gabrielson and Jewett: Who Were They? 87 David B. Marshall The Records of the Oregon Bird Records Committee, 1996-1997 92 §§§§§. Harry Nehls In Search of a Smith's Longspur 97 Barrel Faxon Rogue River Ospreys 98 John C. Blithe Colin P. Dillingham Observation of a Red-tailed Hawk/Prairie Falcon Combat 102 James A. Hewkin IK VST *v /<•4 ^v; More Unusual Raptor Behavior Near A Nesting Site 102 m i Kathleen T. Martin W ^ WmZ > I Seasick Remedy IV 103 Greg Gillson NEWS AND NOTES OB 23(3) 103 FIELDNOTES 106 Eastern Oregon, Winter 1996-97 107 Ray Korpi Western Oregon, Winter 1996-97 HO Jim Johnson COVER PHOTO Snowy Owl, 7 December 1996, Bayocean sandspit, Tillamook Co. Photo/Skip Russell. CENTER OFO Membership form • OFO Bookcase • OFO Birding Weekends • Oregon Rare Bird Phone Network • Fall Shorebird Festival • Checklist of Oregon's birds Oregon Birds is looking for Oregon Birds material in these categories: News Briefs on things of temporal The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology importance, such as meetings, birding trips, announcements, news items, etc. OREGON BIRDS is a quarterly publication of Oregon FieldArticle s are longer contributions dealing Ornithologists, an Oregon not-for-profit corporation. Membership in with identification, distribution, ecology, Oregon Field Ornithologists includes a subscription to Oregon Birds. management, conservation, taxonomy, ISSN 0890-2313 behavior, biology, and historical aspects of ornithology and birding in Oregon. Articles Editor Owen Schmidt cite references (if any) at the end of the text. Assistant Editor Sharon K. Blair Names and addresses of authors typically Associate Editor Jim Johnson appear at the beginning of the text. Short Notes are shorter communications OREGON FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS dealing with the same subjects as articles. President Ray Korpi, Portland (1997-98) Short Notes typically cite no references, or at Secretary Cindy Lawes, Beaverton (1997-98) most a few in parentheses in the text. Names Treasurer Reid Freeman, Eugene (1997-98) and addresses of authors appear at the end of Past President Mike Patterson, Astoria the text. Directors Paul T. Sullivan, Beaverton (1996-98) Chuck Gates, Powell Butte (1997-98) Bird Finding Guides "where to find a Ted Ernst, Corvallis (1997-99 in Oregon" (for some of the rarer MaryAnne Sohlstrom, Hillsboro (1997-99) birds) and "where to find birds in the area" (for some of the better spots). Publications Ray Korpi Reviews for published material on Oregon Archivist Paul T. Sullivan birds or of interest to Oregon birders. OFO Bookcase Clarice Watson Photographs of birds, especially photos taken recently in Oregon. Color slide originals OREGON BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE are preferred. Please label all photos with Secretary Harry Nehls, Portland (1998) photographer's name and address, bird identification, date and place the photo was Members Tom Crabtree, Bend (1995-97) taken. .All photos will be returned; contact the Colin Dillingham, Brookings (1995-97) Editor for more information. Jeff Gilligan, Portland (1996-98) Jim Johnson, Vancouver, WA (1996-98) Deadline for the next issue of Oregon Birds — Gerard Lillie, Portland (1997-99) OB 23(4), Winter 1997 — is 20 October 1997. Larry McQueen, Eugene (1997-99) The next issue should get to you by the first week Craig Roberts, Tillamook (1996-98) of December 1997. .Material can be submitted Skip Russell, Beaverton (1995-97) any time, and the sooner the better. Please send Owen Schmidt, Portland (1997-99) materials directly to the Editor, 3007 N.E. 32nd Avenue. Portland, OR 97212, 503-282-9403. Alternates Craig Corder, Hermiston (1997) Steven Dowlan, Salem (1997) Oregon Birds Board of Editors: Kevin Spencer, Tulelake, CA (1997) David A. .Anderson. Range D. Bayer, Charlie Kamal Islam, Corvallis (1997) Bruce. Tom Crabtree, Stephen Dowlan, Jeff Gilligan. Steven G. Herman, Mike Houck, George A. Jobanek, Jim Johnson, CD. Littlefield. Roy Lowe, David B. Marshall, Harry Oregon Birds B. Nehls. Mark Stern, Paul Sullivan, Clarice Watson. OREGON BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE © 1997 OREGON FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS P.O. Box 10373 Printed on Recycled Paper Eugene, OR 97440 Soy-based Ink Oregon Birds 23(3): 86, Fall 1997 Gabrielson and Jewett: Who Were They? David B. Marshall, 4265 SW Chesapeake Ave., Portland, OR 97201 [email protected] erious Oregon birders are familiar I have broken it into 2 parts; Part I neous obituaries and other materials Swith the highly regarded Birds of is devoted to Gabrielson and Part II that Nesbitt put with the memoirs. Oregon (1940) or its reprint, errone• is planned for Jewett. Other information came from ously re-named Birds of the North• Gabrielson memoriams (Allen 1978, west (Gabrielson and Jewett 1970). PART I - IRA N. GABRIELSON Reeves and Marshall 1985),materials However, the books' authors, Ira N. assembled by Henry M. Reeves dur• Gabrielson (1889-1977) and Stanley More material is available on ing a visit to the Patuxent Wildlife G. Jewett (1885-1955), are relatively Gabrielson than Jewett because Research Center library and Wildlife unknown to current Or• Management Institute egon ornithologists and in 1985, and my own birders. Gabrielson and remembrances. Jewett played influential Formally, Gabrielson roles in my professional was named Ira Noel life as a wildlife biologist. Gabrielson. His family Jewett was second only to called him "Ira" while my father as a mentor in professional associates my youth. Gabrielson was jjt,''"S^(JBB| called him" Gabe" or" Dr. the most productive man Gabe." He did not think I ever knew. During my much of the "Dr." part. lifetime, he accomplished K' * To me he was just more than any other indi• "Gabe." vidual in government ser• My father liked to tell vice on behalf of wildlife. how Gabe held me on It seems appropriate to his knee as a 2-year old, describe Gabrielson and but I do not remember Jewett in terms of their this. However, I enjoyed personalities and accom• spending time with him plishments, not only be• during my employment cause I knew these men with the U.S. Fish and well, but also because Wildlife Service. One of they contributed so much these instances oc• to ornithology and wild• curred in the early life conservation. '"ML- 1960s when Pilot-Biolo• 1 Birds of Oregon re• gist Ray Glahn and I mains a classic among took Gabe, then Presi• state bird books. For Or- , - •-.-I dent of the Wildlife egon, nothing has Management Institute, emerged since that so on an aerial inspection comprehensively de- *t> jjpf of western Oregon na• tional wildlife refuges. scribes status, distribu- , \ -s tion, nesting, and other | The Institute is a quiet but influential Washing• lite history characteristics ; ::s^ and provides a full de- » IPS! ton, D.C. based conser• vation organization .The scription and behavioral ~MM^- anecdotes for each spe• trip meant a lot to me. cies. This is not to dis• Although Gabe was mum on the purpose of his visit, I credit Birds of Oregon: Status and Gabrielson wrote his memoirs strongly suspected it was to view for Distribution by Gilligan etal. (1994), through the year 1966 based on a himself the integrity of the newly es• which updates the status and distri• daily diary and field notes.The mem• tablished William L. Finley and Baskett bution material in the original Birds oirs have not been published. I have Slough national wildlife refuges. Both of Oregon. one of several copies in existence were under attack by the General The information that follows is a thanks to the kindness of a deceased Accounting Office because they combination of my personal recollec• son-in-law and admirer, Robert A. maintained we had no business pur• tions and experiences along with Nesbitt, who lived in GalvestonTexas. chasing uplands with Duck Stamp published and unpublished written I have made extensive use of the funds. Having nominated these areas material. memoirs here as well as miscella• Oregon Birds 23(3): 87, Fall 1997 for refuges and having played a key becoming a lawyer. However, his and F.E.Beal.His first field assignment role in boundary establishment, my mother was sympathetic and pur• came in 1916 when he was sent to credibility was at stake plus the fact I chased a camera for him. He started New England to study the effect of badly wanted the see the uplands photographing birds' nests, and re• European Starlings (Sturnus vul• made a part of the refuges for their ceived recognition when some of his garis) on agriculture and native birds. terrestrial animal and plant values. photographs were published. In high He began collecting birds for what Gabe's only response to my prying school Gabe received his first bird later became the U.S. Fish and Wild• to see if and what he was going to do book and began mounting birds. life Service collection at the Patuxent about the issue was a gruff, "to hell His father thought 16 was too Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, with them.'The issue quieted down. young to go to college, so Gabe be• Maryland (now housed at the U.S. I never found out what role Gabe came a farm worker. He did not mind National Museum at the Smithsonian might of played in preserving the 2 such work, and continued through Institution in Washington D.C). refuges because he acted behind the life to engage in all kinds of projects Gabe was an avid scientific collec• scenes, but I learned many years later that involved manual labor, including tor and prepared over 8,000 bird that John Gottschalk, then Director building, gardening and firewood cut• skins. If alive today he would not ap• of the Fish and Wildlife Service and ting with what he called the prove of the numerous sight records friend of Gabe's, refused to take ac• "armstrong saw." In 1908 at age 18 he of rare birds that we currently accept.