Gearing up for the ABA Convention: Birdfinding in Eugene, Oregon by Noah K. Strycker NOAH K. STRYCKER 146 Birding • April 2003 pring rain in Eugene, Oregon, falls ical migrants; Baskett Slough NWR, in gossamer sheets on the deep- Ankeny NWR, and William L. Finley Sgreen needles of evergreens, the NWR, originally created to protect yellow-green buds of deciduous plants “Dusky” Canada Geese in the and trees, and the velvety-green grass of Willamette Valley but also magnets for lawns and fields. This warm rain is noth- other waterfowl and shorebirds; and ing like the dark, heavy rain of winter or coastal Bandon Marsh NWR, where the blustery, fitful rain of fall, for it sig- incredible concentrations of shorebirds nals new life, the coming of summer, gather during migration. and some of the best birding in the Because of the wide variety of habitats country. surrounding Eugene, it is possible to see As a native Oregonian, I admit I don’t 100 bird species close to town during always think of our “liquid sunshine” in spring migration or early summer. poetic terms. But, like most of the hardy Habitats include fields and pastures, birders in the northern rainforest, I have lakes and reservoirs, ponds and wet- made my peace with the rain, all 43 lands, open oak savannas, and thick annual inches of it. It’s a small price to forests dominated by Douglas-fir. Some pay for the birds, which abound in the common species include Rufous maritime climate, lush plant life, and Hummingbird, Hutton’s Vireo, Violet- diverse topography. green Swallow, Bushtit, Wrentit, Black- Eugene lies in the Willamette Valley of throated Gray Warbler, and Lesser west-central Oregon at the heart of Lane Goldfinch. County, just an hour’s drive from the In the mountains to the east, different Pacific Coast to the west and the species of birds are attracted by the vary- Cascade Mountains to the east. Whether ing landscape, ranging from Douglas-fir you come here for the 2–8 June 2003 and western hemlock forests to lodge- American Birding Association conven- pole and ponderosa pine stands. tion or on your own, you’ll find plenty Sparkling streams, fed by snow melt, of birds, including western specialties plunge into clear mountain lakes. These such as Black Oystercatcher, Western mountains are home to Northern Gull, Marbled Murrelet, Northern Goshawk, Calliope Hummingbird, Spotted Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Williamson’s Sapsucker, White-headed Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Hammond’s Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, 35995 East Wills Road Flycatcher, American Dipper, Western Pygmy Nuthatch, American Dipper, Creswell OR 97426 Bluebird, Townsend’s Warbler, Hermit Mountain Bluebird, and Hermit Warbler. [email protected] Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, and The rugged Oregon coast provides a Black-headed Grosbeak. You might also spectacular setting for viewing many Seventeen-year-old NKS is a high school senior who lives miss the rain. Local weather data for the seabirds resting or nesting on sandy near rural Creswell, Oregon. He has been a serious birder for past 45 years show that rain has fallen beaches, jutting headlands, calm estuar- about seven years. His bird articles, photographs, drawings, only a third of the time on 2 June, typi- ies, rocky areas, and towering cliffs. and paintings have appeared in a variety of local, regional, cal of the rainfall pattern for that week. Attracted to these sites are Pacific Loon, and national publications, including A Bird’s-Eye View, the Eugene is conveniently situated near Pelagic and Brandt’s Cormorants, Snowy American Birding Association’s newsletter for young bird- several national wildlife refuges (NWRs) Plover, Heermann’s Gull, Common ers. He works part-time conducting bird surveys and com- offering excellent birding opportunities. Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, and pleting other field assignments for the Willamette Valley These include: Malheur NWR, an oasis Rhinoceros Auklet. According to the projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. in the desert for waterbirds and neotrop- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, more Northern Pygmy-Owls are often encountered on Spencer Butte, where this one was photographed in November 2002. Snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains are visible on clear days. www.americanbirding.org 147 Birdfinding in Eugene garden plots that have attracted about 150 species of birds. To get to the park by vehicle, go north from downtown across the Ferry Street Bridge, turn right onto Centennial Boulevard, right again at the first light, and then left at the park entrance sign. Walk upriver on the paved path along the riparian fringe where songbirds are plentiful, stop at the pond near the center of the park to look for waterfowl and herons in the secluded backwaters, and check out the canoe canal for flycatchers, jays, swallows, and warblers. Species found in Alton Baker Park in spring include Green Heron, Warbling Vireo, Western Scrub-Jay, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, and Spotted Towhee. In winter, look for flocks of sparrows in the brushy areas, including Golden- crowned, “Sooty” Fox and Lincoln’s NOAH K. STRYCKER Sparrows, and Western Meadowlark in “Sooty” Fox Sparrows are common in brushy habitats around Eugene in winter. This one was photographed in December the grass. Plan on a couple of hours of 2001 near Eugene. birding time, best in morning but also productive in the afternoon. seabirds nest along the Oregon coast Birding Sites No trip to Eugene would be complete than along the coastlines of California without a hike up 2,054-foot Spencer and Washington combined. Eugene Butte, the largest hill in the south hills of From the coast to the mountains, 264 Known as “The Emerald City” Eugene. About 5 minutes south of species occur regularly in Lane because of its naturally green landscape, Eugene on Willamette Street, the butte is County—the richest collection of avifau- Eugene is Oregon’s second largest city contained within a 310-acre city park na in Oregon—plus another 125 rare with a population of about 130,000. The with trails ranging in length from 0.5 species and vagrants. The mild climate city sits at an elevation of about 400 feet mile to 2 miles. The 1.5-mile trail to the permits good birding year-round, with on the scenic Willamette and McKenzie top offers spectacular views of the city, ample seasonal variety. Rivers, and offers big-city services with a valley, and waterways, as well as possible Birders visiting the Eugene area from small-town atmosphere. With many sightings of Blue Grouse, Northern September to June should come miles of bike paths and jogging trails Pygmy-Owl, Vaux’s Swift, Pacific-slope equipped with waterproof boots and around the city, several beautiful parks, Flycatcher, Hammond’s Flycatcher, jackets. Several practical guides are avail- the University of Oregon’s shady cam- Hutton’s Vireo, Steller’s Jay, Chestnut- able to enhance the experience, includ- pus, and nearby mountains and buttes, backed Chickadee, Varied Thrush, ing The Birder’s Guide to Oregon by Eugene provides many opportunities for Hermit Warbler, and Western Tanager. Joseph E. Evanich, Jr. (published by the birding. The local bus system will take Mountain Quail may be heard but is Portland Audubon Society in 1990 and you close to some of these locations, but hard to see (best in morning). Spencer available in bookstores). Also, Northwest a private vehicle is more convenient. Butte can be birded in a couple of hours. Birds in Winter by Alan Contreras (list Alton Baker Park, between Eugene Skinner Butte, named after the city’s price $17.95; ABA Sales price $16.95) and its sister city, Springfield, sits on the founder, Eugene Skinner, sits to the and Birds of Lane County, Oregon: A Willamette River and is easily reached by north of downtown along the Willamette Seasonal Checklist ($2.50) can be pur- foot, bicycle, car, or bus from down- River. The summit, accessible from chased from Oregon Field Ornithologists town. The park includes a network of Third Avenue East via a 0.75-mile road (OFO, P.O. Box 10373, Eugene OR wetlands, riparian areas, ponds, a canoe on the south edge or a mile-long switch- 97440; <www.oregonbirds.org>). canal, brushy spots, and old orchard and back dirt/woodchip trail on the northern 148 Birding • April 2003 edge, provides a panoramic view of consists of 19 square miles of lake, agement area consists of a large network Eugene and good birding. You can find marsh, riparian habitat, native wet of dikes, marshes, croplands, grasslands, Vaux’s Swift, Rufous Hummingbird, prairie, ash and willow stands, Douglas- and brushy spots, which invites some Western Scrub-Jay, Chestnut-backed fir and oak groves, shallow ponds, potentially spectacular birding. As you Chickadee, Winter Wren, Townsend’s brushy fields, and parklands. It offers go out West Eleventh Avenue from Warbler, Western Tanager, and Lesser some of the best birding in the downtown, turn right onto Fisher Road Goldfinch among the Douglas-fir and Willamette Valley. Tens of thousands of and after 1 mile turn left onto Royal open areas. During spring migration, waterfowl winter here, and many remain Avenue. Just west of the junction, stop sorting through mixed flocks of vireos, to nest. Raptors, shorebirds, gulls, and park on the shoulder next to the chickadees, nuthatches, and warblers, neotropical migrants, and sparrows are oak grove. Here is the only reliable place especially in trees around the grassy area present in large numbers in the appro- to find Acorn Woodpeckers in the at the top of the butte, can be a reward- priate seasons. Fern Ridge is also a Eugene area—they should appear within ing experience.