Kittiwake Pictures 11-30-16

Hi All,

On Tuesday, 11/30/16 Dave Irons found a Black-legged Kittiwake in northern Marion County.  This was great to find an ocean going gull inland.  This was on a typical work day for me, and I had to wait till today to chase it.  As my wife and I needed some items in Salem, and since it was reported this morning already,  we struck out with high hopes.  From Rt 218 I could not see any gulls on either side of the road for a minute, and then saw a flock of some 25 or so way to the west which settled down just out of sight, so I figured we had better back track toward the farm where we could get a better look.  So we headed west on Raybell then north on Champoeg Rd, and to our surprise the gull was in the middle of the road in a few hundred yards.   It looked to me like he was eating roadkill earthworms.  (Seems he could find quite a few near that large farm on Raybell.) 

So I pulled over as near him as I dared, snapped off a few pics of him, and then he flew around just behind me, and in short order I could see a vehicle coming down the road.  The gull was just off on the shoulder now, and the car flushed it.  Turns out it was Roy Gerig in the car.  He was looking out in the fields for the gull, and almost ran it over not knowing it was there.  We watched it off to the east near the highway, occasionally getting bombarded by a Peregrine.   Eventually he returned to where we were and appeared to want to land in the road again, but when he saw Roy he changed his mind and headed off to the west side of the road, and the last we saw, he was sailing around over that field.

On the way there we had both passed a large flock of gulls about 2 miles south of Mt Angel, so we met there to look them over.  Once there we noticed about a dozen black-bellied plovers and some dunlin among the gulls.  We did not find anything unusual in the gull flock.  The kittiwake was a new county bird for both of us.  Thanks Dave.

Black-legged Kittiwake - Marion County, Or 11/20/16

Black-legged Kittiwake - Marion County, Or 11/20/16

Black-legged Kittiwake - Marion County, Or 11/20/16

The PPP 11/23/16

Hi All,

After catching up on morning chores (yea, I break myself away from birding to do some, once in a while), I decided to head out birding and see if the rains last night downed anything interesting.  I decided to go to the PPP (Philomath Poo Ponds) first.  As soon as I got there the rain stepped it up a notch so I had to bird out the  truck window on the lee side of the wind so as not to get drenched.

This place is probably the best place around for a good variety of waterfowl, as well as good numbers of the same.  In the south pond I noted a few Canvasback, always nice to see since they are much less common to the north in Polk County.  In the middle pond there were many more of the same, and I estimated there must by at least 50 or 60 and decided I’d count a little later on when I had better (dryer) views of them.  There was one female Redhead in the middle pond also.  In the NW pond were 2 (Continuing?) Red Phalaropes and two Eared Grebes.  In the NE pond was one Western Grebe.  

Red Phalarope at the PPP

I returned to a the middle pond and slowly counted 80 Canvasback.   I then returned to the south pond and stopped at the SW corner as there was some small bird activity:  Brewer’s Blackbirds and Mourning Doves were attending the seed at the spool below, and Golden-crowned, Song and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Juncos, Towhees, Lesser Goldfinches were moving about in the brambles.  I remembered someone reporting a Swamp Sparrow here a week ago or so, so played the Swamper chip from my phone.  It seemed like I  was getting a response, at least to my ears.  So I walked some 20 yards to the east and occasionally would hear it again.  Then it dawned on me to put on my hearing aids, something that should be more of a habit by now, but I guess laziness seems to win out too often.  Having them in, I was more sure there was one around, and I kept getting glimpses of a skulker who I was all but sure must be the culprit.

Swamp Sparrow - I hope he does not sit down!

After about 15 minutes one finally came out in the open to see what the latest I-phones look like, long enough for me to snap a few pics.  Cool?  Finally I was able to add this Benton County nemesis bird to my list.  Driving a little further along, I decided to finish counting the rest of the Canvasbacks in the south pond.  First pass for such was 19 (+80 = 99).  Next pass was 18.  Next was 17.  For some warped reason that old song “Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall, Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer…..” started looping in my mind. I figured my first count was just OK, and then drove on out.  I was hoping 99 Canvasback would amount to a county record, but Doug Robinson said, “Nope.”  At least the rain let up when I was checking out the sparrows. 

A few of the Canvasbacks - The lighter ones in the back

More Canvasbacks

With a rainbow to boot, the PPP was the place to be!

When just about out, I took a few pics of 2 Bald Eagles.  Often one or two are around, and I think they get a kick from flushing the ducks off the ponds.  I suppose I’d get a little paranoid being a duck when one flew over as well.

2 Bald Eagles near the entrance

The rest of the birding today was not as good.  I drove along Bruce Rd in Finley NWR where about 50 Swans were at the north end of McFadden Marsh as well as a number of various ducks.  I was hoping to find a flock of Cacklers nearby to look for yesterday’s reported Brant, but I guess they headed farther afield.

Farther north there were only 3 Ruddy Ducks on Lucky 99 Pond.  I stopped at Monmouth Sewage Ponds, but at the time the rain was really coming down, so I picked up the gloves I left there last week, and headed to Baskett Slough NWR but there were only the common, expected ducks and what not, plus heavy rain.

The rain was patchy, some of which came in squalls.  By the time I was about done, the squalls were getting old, so I coined the term “oldsquall.” 

A Few More Inland Red Phalaropes

Hi All,

I decided to avoid some chores this morning and, of course, go birding.  First stop was the Monmouth Sewage Lagoons, where there were 13 Red Phalaropes.  I was quickly reminded of Roy Gerig’s success yesterday in finding these birds in 3 inland counties, so I thought I’d check a few other lakes, ponds, and marshes to see how many I could find.  

Next stop was the small farm pond on Talmidge Rd, just south of Independence where there were Common Mergansers and American Wigeon.  Next stop was a new pond about a mile south of Monmouth along Rt 99 where there were some 20 Hooded Mergansers.  Next stop was the Lucky 99 farm pond some 6-7 miles south of Monmouth on Rt 99 where there were Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon and Lesser Scaup.  Next stop was a farm pond 2 miles east of the junction of Hwys 22 & 99 where there were 3 Canvasback. Next stop was the Farmer Rd marsh where a few geese were flying around.  Next stop was BSNWR where there was plenty of waterfowl but no phalaropes.  Next stop was the farm pond on Meyer Rd where there were 2 American Wigeon.  Next stop was the farm pond a couple miles west of Perrydale where there was a nice assortment of ducks, but no phalaropes.  Next stop was just west of there in Worth Matthewson’s wetlands where there was one Red Phalarope who was sitting quite still on the water as a Cooper’s Hawk was sitting on a duck blind above him, just waiting for him to take off so he could nab him in mid air, but I was not going to wait around to find out.  I was already over extending my avoiding chores.  Next stop was the West Farm Pond along Enterprise Rd where there were some 50+ Green Winged Teal.  Next stop was Perrydale Rd some 3 miles north of Dallas where there was a nice assortment of ducks, but no phalaropes.

I then did some shopping at the lumber yard for parts to finish the new shower stall I recently put in.  While there the receptionist from MSP called me to relay I had left my gloves in the office.  Hmm, nice that they know me well enough there to help me out.  

Well, I guess I had better get to my chores now that I am home. 

Two Red Phalaropes at MSP

Cooper's Hawk eyeing a Red Phalarope

Common Scoter

Hi All,

On 11/13/16 a Common Scoter was reported from Siletz Bay, on the north Oregon coast.  This was only the second North American record, the first being just last year along the Northern California coast.  The species is quite far out of its normal range.  It winters along the western coast of Europe and North Africa, and breeds inland from Scandinavia to maybe half way across Russia.  One wonders how these two birds ended up here along the west coast of North America.  Either they took the trans-Atlantic journey across the Atlantic and then across North America, or, took a journey across Siberia, crossing the Bering Straight, down the coast of Alaska and BC to Oregon and California.

Unfortunately, I had to work the next day, and the next.  I was delighted when each of those days the bird was reported on Oregon Birders On Line.  And early today, Wednesday 11-16-16, it was still being seen, so my wife and I headed over to Lincoln City, and pulled over just beyond the Schooner Creek bridge pull-out where a few birders were lined up with scopes.  I figured it would be already waiting for me to view through someones scope, but alas, it had vanished.

My good friend Mitch Ratzlaff was there, assuring me he had seen it just a few minutes ago between the rocky island and the north bank of the bay.  He had then taken his dog for a short walk.  After 10-15 minutes I have to admit I started having some ill feelings in my gut.  Could it be that I missed it by a mere 10 minutes or so?  We walked southward to view more of the bay as well as in back of the rocky island, but did not see it.  

Mitch reminded me that the last time he saw it, it was headed toward the bridge, so that is where I went.  I told Chuck Philo where I was going and he tried to console me that there were Wood Ducks over there, but it did little to lift me up. As soon as I got to where I could look on the river side of the bridge, I saw it, almost right below me.  I motioned to Mitch that it was here.  Since it had dove, we moved to where we’d have good positions for taking pics, which we did.  Then he dove again, heading under the bridge so we crossed the road and got in another couple of photographic positions and started snapping pics as soon as he came up.  Here are some of the results.

Notice the small orange top of the bill and knob just above it?

The other birders there now had the guest of honor in full view and were able to see it at their leisure. Reports from the last few days told of it hanging around with a female Black Scoter.  I guess some chicks just dig those dudes with a British accent. But today he was by himself in the short time we saw him. (But the next day he was back with her)

This was indeed one of those days in a birders life when that feeling of ecstasy overflows, and heaven seems close to earth. 

After this, my wife and I headed over to the nature trail at Salishan, along the southern edge of the same bay.  We needed a walk.  The trail skirts a golf course, and as soon as I laid eyes on the first fairway, I could see a number of Red Phalaropes.  These are basically ocean going shorebirds which can float on the water.  And, it is only during a brief 2 months or so in June and July when they are in their breeding red color, the rest of the year they are grey.  The storms of late had blown these to shore and also some 75 miles inland to the Willamette Valley where I live.  I had seen some at a local sewage lagoon late last week, but it was great to see them again.  They let me approach them closely, and my best shot here was less than 10 feet away.  On this fairway I counted 18.  (If you are a golfer, you know that 18 birdies on a golf course is a great score, something even Tiger Woods has not reached yet.)  And the farther along we walked we saw more and more. Near the area where many saw the Yellow-throated Vireo earlier this fall, we flushed a raptor which I think was a Red-shouldered Hawk.  I just did not see him very well. Here are some shots of them:

After this, we decided to head south so as to return to the valley via Newport.  After reading of yesterday’s sea watch results by Phil Pickering, we just had to stop at Boiler Bay and see if anything was still flying past that wayside.   Well, Boiler Bay had simmered down.  I met John and Laura Sullivan there who briefed me on what they found, which was like a drop in the bucket compared to yesterday.  Shortly afterward I met Steve and Linda Jaggers.  I have read Steve’s reports on OBOL for many years, so it was great to finally put a face to the name.  There was also someone there from Texas who had seen a Leach’s Storm Petrel, so we were able to relocate a few of them.  Then 2  ladies arrived, one of which was Em S? who I knew to be the mother of the Hinkle twins, who needed the Leach’s for a life bird, so we were able to oblige her.  Not sure if the other lady ever saw one.  

Black Oystercatcher at Boiler Bay

The ocean was rough at Boiler Bay

Otherwise, in about an hours time I saw 1 Bonaparte’s Gull, 1 Northern Fulmar, and plenty of Red Phalaropes flying or resting on the water, as well as the expected loons, grebes, cormorants, and ducks.  We stopped at Subway in Newport and ate lunch.  We would have walked on the beach some, but it started raining, so headed home.