Another
Fall Season is passing as we head towards winter. Our surveys on Green Ridge
for migrating raptors has just wrapped up while the winter raptor surveys are
just beginning. This is a great time to get involved, have fun and add to this
growing 5-year, State-wide dataset. The third
weekend in September saw another successful Fall Migration count, coordinated by
ECBC. Equally as important as the fieldwork, we are pleased to announce that we
have entered all the historic fall count data for this State-wide survey for the
last 15 years and will be making it available to the public and researchers to
analyze and look for long-term bird population trends. Despite
moving to Eugene in early September, Nicole Nielsen-Pincus is still firmly on
the Board of ECBC and helped to coordinate a local fall Vaux’s Swift survey.
While we don’t have quite the numbers that Eugene and Portland do, it is still a
spectacular site seeing a frenzied mass of swifts gathering in the evening
before they dive down a chimney to roost. You have to be quick to count
them. Our biggest news though is our upcoming Annual Meeting,
being held in Bend on 8th November. This is a great time to catch up on old
friends, people you met on field trips or projects … and to meet others with
similar interests. It’s also a chance to see what we have been doing over the
year, talk to the Board members, and give suggestions. We have a fantastic
guest speaker, wonderful live music, free food; Of course, we hope you take
this opportunity to bid on silent raffle items, renew memberships and general
support ECBC in whatever way you can.
| Music by .... (click
image for more information) |  |
ECBC in the News: Several
ECBC board members promoted ECBC and local conservation issues in the
media: Steve
Dougill was interviewed by Ethan Lidsey of Oregon Public Radio about the bird
spectacle at Abert lake… details Chuck
Gates was interviewed the local radio station KPOV in Bend. He talked about
ECBC and local bird conservation issues Chuck
Gates gave a talk to the Salem Audubon Society in August to encourage more
people on the “west-side” to participate in ECBC projects Devon
Batley had an article in the Bend Bulletin in the summer about
ECBC. Don
McCartney’s Kestrel project was featured in Birds and Bloom
Magazine.
Personality:James Davis - guest speaker at the annual
event James
grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and as a young lad enjoyed taking flowers apart,
chasing lizards and catching (and sometimes eating) large bugs. Obviously
destined for a career as a naturalist, James has continued to be fascinated with
living things and science. After an exciting and colorful time as an
undergraduate during the heydays of the ’60’s in California, he eventually
headed to Fort Collins, earning a masters degree in Zoology from Colorado State
University in 1975.
James
lived in California for several years teaching junior and senior high school
science classes and working in two zoos as "the Zoo Mobile Guy." He moved to
Portland, his mother's hometown, in 1981 and began working for the Audubon
Society, soon thereafter creating an education program and a job for himself as
Education Director. In 1990 he quit as full-time Education Director but kept
doing educational programs and birding tours for Audubon while teaching science
classes at Marylhurst University.
James was instrumental in starting Marylhurst University’s
“Head Start Summer Science Institute,” the only training program in science for
Head Start teachers in the nation, and taught in the program for its 10-year
lifespan.
His book, Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: Oregon,
Washington, and British Columbia was published in 1996. He is currently
rewriting the book for publication by Timber Press. He is a contributing author
of Wild in the City: A guide to Portland’s Natural Areas published in
2000.
James
has been a naturalist for Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces, the Portland
area’s region park system, since 1998. He is the naturalist for Smith and Bybee
Wetlands Natural Area and does a variety of other educational programs in
Metro’s new Greenspaces.
James lives in Portland with his wife Sally and has a grown
daughter living nearby. When not pursuing his natural history interests, James
plays guitar in rock and roll bands, although not nearly enough these
days. Summer Bird Notes: by Chuck Gates The
official summer season consists only of the months of June and July. Most of
the other birding seasons are 3 or 4 months long. Even though summer is shorter,
some really good birds made themselves known in Central Oregon this
year. Water
birding in the summer consists mostly of checking out local nesters and looking
for some early or late migrants at the beginning and the end of the season. A
late SNOW GOOSE was found in early June at Houston Lake and the resident
Trumpeter Swan at Gutierrez Ranch near Paulina persists without a mate for
another year. BLUE-WINGED TEAL made a good showing in the area with sightings
at Bend and Redmond Sewer Ponds. GREATER SCAUP made an unusual appearance in
mid-summer at Hatfield while CLARK’S GREBES were spotted from five different
locations around the area. Houston Lake continues to be a reliable place to
observe breeding AMERICAN BITTERNS. Crook County produced sightings of
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON from three different locations. BLACK-NECKED STILTS
were discovered at Hatfield and Houston Lakes and SOLITARY SANDPIPERS were
located at Hatfield and Redmond Sewer Ponds. The difficult to identify
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER was identified from 3 locations while the equally
difficult SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER was seen at Hatfield, Tumalo Res., and Redmond
Sewer Ponds. The first RED-NECKED PHALAROPES began their annual late summer
visitation on July 22 while BONAPARTE’S GULLS began arriving around the 12th of
July. BLACK TERNS and a single FORSTER’S TERN were the only terns reported this
summer. Many
raptors choose to summer in Central Oregon to take advantage of an abundance of
prey items, which they use to feed hungry young. Nesting OSPREY were abundant
throughout the region. One NORTHERN GOSHAWK was found in the Ochocos and a
juvenile RED-SHOULDERED HAWK hung out just east of Prineville for about a week.
Nesting FERRUGINOUS HAWKS were found east of Bend and near Paulina and a single
adult PEREGRINE FALCON was seen soaring over Crook County High School in
Prineville. The only owls reported for the season were PYGMY OWLS from many
forested regions and a single BARRED OWL found in the Ochoco Mnts. Gallinaceous (the chicken-like birds) and other game birds
are often best seen in summer because they will frequently have a brood of
precocial chicks in tow and these tend to slow the adults down and make them
more visible. CHUKARS were reported from the Crooked River and Deschutes River
Woods. DUSKY GROUSE were located in the Ochocos and their Cascades counterpart,
the SOOTY GROUSE, were seen near Sisters and at Trout Creek. MOUNTAIN QUAIL
made a showing south of Sisters in July with a pair of adults and 17 little
ones. EURASIAN COLLARED DOVES continue to invade our area in larger and larger
numbers.
Woodpeckers are
common nesters in Central Oregon. With the inaugural Woodpecker Wonderland
Festival, many eyes were out and about searching for nesting woodpeckers.
Although cooler temperatures seemed to delay the nesting season, most of the
choice woodpecker species were located for the festival and throughout the
summer. LEWIS’S WOODPECKERS continued to use the ECBC nest boxes in the Entrada
Burn SW of Bend. Several hybrid sapsuckers were located and served to highlight
our area as a major overlap region for the RED-NAPED and RED-BREASTED
SAPSUCKER. WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS showed their normal abundance and the
harder to find BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were seen in pretty good numbers due to
the large number of burned trees in the Cascades. It’s always hard to find the
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER but birders like Shunk, Dougill, Low, and Horvath were
able to locate several. PILEATED WOODPECKERS were located in places like the
Ochocos, Trout Creek, Grizzly Mnt, and Black Butte Ranch.
Some very interesting passerines graced us with their
presence this summer. The folks at the woodpecker festival found an ANNA’S
HUMMINGBIRD and a COSTA’S HUMMER stayed a while in Deschutes River Woods.
PACIFIC SLOPE seems to be the flavor of Western Flycatcher most often seen and
heard in the Cascades near Sisters. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were found scattered
around the region in dryer habitats. A CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE showed up at
the Metolius Preserve and a BEWICK’S WREN summered at Lower Bridge. A singing
VEERY spent the whole summer behind Gobbler’s Knob just south of Black Butte.
HERMIT WARBLERS were reported from several locations above Sisters and many
HERMIT x TOWNSEND’S WARBLERS illustrated the fragility of the term ‘species’ as
these two close relatives often hybridize. An OVENBIRD was around in Bend for a
few days in June and YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS were discovered in Deschutes and
Crook Counties. Probably the best bird of the summer was the aptly named SUMMER
TANAGER that gave a wonderful show to the woodpecker festival participants in
Camp Sherman. It’s hard to find WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS in Central Oregon in the
summer but several were located nesting at high elevations in the Cascades. A
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK found its way to the willows on the Crooked River east of
the Prineville Reservoir and a colony of nesting BOBOLINKS was seen east of
Paulina. PURPLE FINCHES rounded out the passerine report for Central
Oregon.
Some unusual birds: Central Oregon’s First Laughing Gull - By Chuck
Gates Every
Wednesday, a group of Central Oregon Birders meet and go birding somewhere in
the area. One such outing resulted in a first for Central Oregon birding. A
juvenile Laughing Gull was discovered at Wickiup Reservoir on September 24th.
This is the first record for this species in the area and only the third record
ever for the state of Oregon. The
group gathered to set the agenda for their day. Judy Meredith (who leads this
group), Peter Low, and Howard Horvath decided they would go out to Wickiup
Reservoir. Wickiup is about 10 miles west of LaPine and is pretty famous for
producing fall rarities (Hudsonian Godwit, Palm Warbler, Red-throated Pipit…).
On the way to Wickiup, there are many good birding stops and one of them is Cow
Meadow on Crane Prairie Reservoir. This is where the crew found the Laughing
Gull. Laughing Gulls normally are found along the east coast from
Texas to Maine. This gull is superficially similar to the Franklin’s Gull that
frequents the eastern half of our state. In their juvenile plumages, both birds
appear “dirty white” on the head and dusky brown on the back. The Laughing Gull
usually has less dark plumage on the head, more black in the wingtips, and a
broader black band on the tip of the tail. It takes a good eye to tell these
two apart and it’s hard to find 6 better eyes than those that first observed
this bird. As the
word got out, several local birders arrived and were able to view the Laughing
Gull. Viewing was sometimes difficult as there were about 1000 gulls in the
area and they would often swarm and move throughout the day. To make matters
even more difficult, there were several Franklin’s Gulls (a rarity in their own
rite) mixed in with the group for the sake of confusion. The bird stayed for
several days and then was not seen again. There
is an old rule in birding. Get boots on the ground at the right places, during
the right seasons, and you will find rare birds. This certainly held true in
this instance. If you would like to join the Wednesday birding crew, everyone
is welcome. All you have to do is go to the ECBC website (ecbcbirds.org) and
contact Judy Meredith. If you join them, you too could become part of Central
Oregon birding history. Three phone calls on the way to Abert, by Steve
Dougill
Who would stop at a
closed, run down café that is next to a busy highway, surrounded by trash and
derelict sheds on a cold and blustery day ….? Silly question when we are
talking birders here.
On the
19th September, Peter Lowe and myself were heading out early to Lake Abert for a
NAMC count the next day. The location described above is Hampton, east of Bend
on Hwy 20 in the middle of the sagebrush. But that’s the point: it has the only
trees for miles around and a Chestnut-sided Warbler found them. There are three
trees and in them were 6 other warblers and this eastern
vagrant. |  |
That
was the first of three phone calls to Bend birders in the next few
hours.  | Our next
stop was Chickahominy Reservoir, an isolated body of water just west of Riley.
Peter picked up on a mid-sized shorebird that was a tiny dot in the scope. You
could make absolutely no field marks out at all, except that it was tipping
forward to feed. Still, Peter called out Stilt Sandpiper immediately,
highlighting his quiet confidence and fantastic birding skills. We crept
closer, and sure enough we were rewarded with all the diagnostic plumage and
structural characteristics. The result was the second of three phone calls.
|
Two
stops; two very rare birds. What do you expect when you stop a few miles down
the road at a small pond surrounded by willows? | A sharp
“tick–tick-tick” and a Northern Waterthrush flashes by right next to a Hoary Bat
we had been watching roosting in the willows. Over the next hour we got
glimpses totaling less than a couple of seconds between the two of us. At one
point I was sitting quietly in the middle of a thicket and saw its reflection in
the water, but because the vegetation was so thick I couldn’t see the actual
bird! |  |
Moments
later the Waterthrush landed within a yard, bobbed and flew into the next bush.
Of course this resulted in the third phone call – Peter used his phone to report
a lot of rare birds this year and we are all extremely grateful. Two
Rarities Evade Most Local Birders - By Chuck Gates
Once you’ve been around the Central
Oregon birding scene for a while, you know we have a system. The plan is to get bird
information out as quickly as possible so that those that want to see them can
see rare birds. We
have a birding hotline.
If you see a rare bird, you can call Dean Hale (388-1770) and he will
spread the word to most of the birding community. We have COBOL (see ecbcbirds.org for info on how
to subscribe to COBOL).
Just post a message online and birders all over the area will get
messages in their email boxes immediately. With all this communication wizardry at our
disposal, you would think birds with brains the size of an M&M would be
outsmarted by us.
You would be wrong.
Twice this fall, very rare birds have
shown up at a location and were only seen by a very few observers. Black Phoebe and
Clay-colored Sparrows are about as uncommon a set of species as we have around
here. Birds that
are as rare as these will often cause an activity buzz in our local
birders. And this
did happen this year.
The only problem was…the birds didn’t cooperate. Both left the area
before most locals could get a look at them. The Black Phoebe appeared out of
nowhere as JoAnne Bernt was relaxing in her yard. Relaxing and JoAnne don’t really go together so
the sight of her taking a break in the yard was just as unusual as the
Phoebe. JoAnne
called me but I wasn’t home. Not realizing how unusual it was, she figured I
would call back if it was important so the word didn’t make it out until I got
home just before dark.
Luckily for me, the bird showed up again just at dusk and I got to see
it. It did not
appear again the next day so the rest of the birders around missed
out. Out in Sundance, east of Bend, you will
find two important birding areas. One is the almost hollowed ground that produced a
Northern Hawk Owl a couple of years back and the other is the home of Diane Kook
and Peter Low. If
you don’t know these two, they’re sort of the Bat Man – Cat Woman of Bend
birding. Diane is a
local expert and Peter is “out of this world good.” This fall, a
Clay-colored Sparrow visited them. They got the word out immediately but apparently
the bird didn’t get the message because it quickly moved off and was not seen
again. Clearly, we
have a system in place to inform birders when the really good birds come our
way. The only thing
we have to do now is figure out a way to communicate to the birds the importance
of staying in one place long enough to satiate our thirst for
rarities. Three Warbler Surprise - By Chuck
Gates Fall warbler
migration is a highlight of the year. Annually, swarms of migrant warblers pour
out of the boreal forests of Canada and head for a winter vacation in the
tropics. Many of these warblers take a migration route that bypasses Central
Oregon so we miss them on their journey south. However, sometimes they grace us
with their presence and we get a couple of good warbler sightings every fall.
This year was no exception. On September
18th, Kevin Smith decided to check out Birder’s Night at the Environmental
Center in Bend. Getting there a little early, he some time on his hands. Now,
if you know Kevin, you know that time on his hands equals photography. He
headed down to the Deschutes and began photographing migrants in the area. His
best find was an American Redstart. This bird normally nests in most of the
country except much of the far west. Central Oregon nesting records do exist
but it is far from common. Good find Kevin. On September
20th, Deschutes County held its fall migration count. People scattered to the
far corners of the county tallying birds both common and rare. Black and White
Warbler is another boreal nester but it usually migrates east of the Rocky
Mountains when it heads south. In Central Oregon, we usually get one or two per
migration season that seem to lose their way and pass through here. Two in a
season is good but two in one day is even better. That’s what happened this
year. Tom Crabtree found one along the Deschutes River and Bob Cooper found one
at his residence in western Bend.
What do you do if you spent a whole Saturday searching for
migrants in Deschutes County? Well, if you’re Tom Crabtree, you go out on
Sunday and look for some more. His efforts paid off on September 21st when he
found a Palm Warbler near the little berg of Brothers on Hwy 20. This bird,
like the others, likes to migrate on the east side of the Rockies. This one got
lost. This is only the second record for Deschutes County and Crabtree deserves
kudos for such a good find. ECBC Field Trips:by Steve Dougill Aug 17
– Summer Lake. This is the second year we have made a trip to Summer Lake in
the fall and it won’t be the last. What a fantastic place to go birding and it
is only a couple of hours away from Bend. About 20 people joined up for the
spectacle of the marsh birds, waterfowl and shorebirds. We found over 2000
Dowitchers, lots of Phalaropes and good numbers of Snowy Plovers. Several
Franklin’s Gulls graced us and we were treated to hundreds of Avocets and
Stilts. Add to that White Pelicans, Bitterns, Night Herons and Great White
Egrets with 1 Snowy Egret. Perhaps the most memorable site for me was over 40
Egrets, all in different poses hunting in the marsh. Sep 13
– Local spots. Howard Horvath and Steve Kornfeld led a small group around some
of the migrant spots along the Deschutes River in Bend before heading up to
Redmond. Lots of migrant warblers and flycatchers with the first sightings of
White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows of the fall. At the Redmond Sewage
Lagoons they re-found the Ruff and were treated to a variety of shorebirds
including Pectoral, Semi-palmated and Baird’s Sandpipers. Oct 4 –
High lakes. Unfortunately you can’t pick the weather, and it was cold and rainy
all day. Still Dean Hale and Howard Horvath took a few folks around Wickiup
Reservoir who managed to find some Common Loons (eerily calling through the
mist), plenty of White fronted Geese and two dozen Bald Eagles.
Summer / Fall Events: Recurring Events : The
third Thursday of selected months is Birder's Night at the Environmental Center
in Bend. For a schedule of talks and slide shows [see] for more info.
Dates: For more events see the ECBC web
site - 10/04 ECBC Field trip to Wickiup Reservoir.
This is one of the local hot spots and good for a variety of waterfowl and
forest birds…. [More info]
- 11/08 ECBC
Annual Meeting. Come join the social event of the year with free food,
entertainment and guest speaker. Help ECBC raise money the easy
way.
- 11/09 ECBC
Field trip to The High lakes of the Cascades. Another chance to see migrating
waterfowl and upland forest birds…. [More info]
ECBC Project Reports: During
this past spring and summer the LEWO nest box project has seen great success!
Out of our 26 boxes in our project area, 18 of those were used by LEWO’s for
nesting/breeding purposes. Out of those 18, 17 boxes were used for raising at
least 3-4 young per box. We only observe the nest boxes from a distance and do
not look inside so we can only estimate the number of young birds raised by each
pair of adults. Why do we only observe the nest boxes from a distance? We are
uncertain what harm looking into the nest box may cause, such as abandonment of
the nest and young, or? So, we chose to only watch from a distance and record
our data. This
past spring, 3 nest boxes were also placed outside of the project area, but
within close proximity, in subdivisions. All three were used by LEWO’s with 2
of these raising young. This provides good data that these birds are in need of
nesting cavities as they have chosen to nest right near homes! I just
received a report of a LEWO still coming to one of the homes for a visit to
their suet feeder. ( Oct. 6th) Amazing! In the
project area which is just off of Century Drive, just west of the Entrada Lodge,
an estimated 48 adult Lewis’s were present this breeding season. This area
which measures approximately ½ x 1mile is perfect habitat for the Lewis’s
Woodpecker. These birds prefer open canopy forests, (preferably that have been
burned) and low understory brush. An added feature is the Deschutes River which
runs along the southern border of the project area, and all the bugs that hatch
and live along its shores. With homes nearby and feeders present, these birds
are certainly set up for success! Lots of food for all! The
Lewis Woodpecker mainly forages for food by fly-catching from the tops of live
trees and snags. Watching this woodpecker performing its aerial acrobats while
fly-catching for food is quite spectacular! They are amazing fly-catchers! I
have often seen an adult bring back at least 12 bugs in its bill for feeding the
young in the nest box. Again, the project area is perfect for catching bugs, as
both the river and understory brush serve as bug breeding homes! Over
the years we have added bark to the front of our nest boxes, and we have found
this addition to be a great asset for the LEWO’s. The adults have been observed
flying directly to the nest box and landing vertically on the front of the nest
box by gripping onto the bark. This has aided the woodpecker in feeding the
young, and enticing the young to fledge out of the nest box, as the adult sits
very close to the entrance hole. News of
our success has been spreading! The American Bird Conservancy is currently
working on putting together a similar project in Montana. Partner’s In Flight
invited me to speak at their international conference, this past Feb., in which
I presented ECBC’s LEWO NEST BOX PROJECT. It was a great success, and well
received by all present. Currently, an article about the PIF conference
proceedings is awaiting acceptance into The Condor magazine. This article was
written mainly by Jim Moodie with my input on the project, and we’ll be sure to
keep everyone posted about this outcome.
This year 16 volunteers gave their time and talents in
helping to monitor the success at the “Entrada” Project site. 251:40 hours of
time were given, as well as 1227 miles donated to help record nesting success
data. Could not have done this without their help, many of which have already
signed up for helping again next year!!
In the coming year,
there are plans to add two more project sites. It will be another exciting
spring, as we await the arrival of these wonderful woodpeckers once again!!
Start looking for these beauties in early April!! Report of Spring
North American Migration Count Twice per year (spring and fall),
Oregon does a migration count to get a snapshot of what bird migration looks
like in the state. It’s called the North American Migration Count because there
was, at one time, a movement to include all the 50 states and all the provinces
of Canada in this count. It no longer is a continent-wide effort but the
moniker remains. The 2008 Fall NAMC went off without a hitch and some very
interesting data was collected.
One of the problems that are associated with a statewide
project is the problem of collecting data from many people. Out of the 36
Oregon Counties, the project collected data from 27. That means 27 different
people have to find time in their busy schedules to collect the data, process
it, and send it in to the state coordinator (me). Inevitably, there are
conflicts and people are unable to send in their data. This makes a
comprehensive review of that data impossible until the data comes in.
Consequently, this will not be a comprehensive review of that data. Instead, I
intend to cover the highlights of the data that has been collected so far. For
a complete summary of the 2008 NAMC, look for an article in a future edition of
Oregon Birds Magazine. Said article will be submitted when all the counties
have reported their data. With just under half the counties
submitting data by the deadline for this article, it’s surprising that we had as
many good reports as we did. Trumpeter Swans were found in Harney County as
expected (it’s one of the few places in Oregon that they nest). A single
Harlequin Duck was found in Curry County, as were Surf and White-winged
Scoters. The only Barrow’s Goldeneyes were found in Linn County. Sage Grouse
was located in Crook County and Sooty Grouse were tallied in Jefferson.
Mountain Quail were discovered in Linn and Curry Counties. Pacific Loons were
present in the coastal counties and a single Snowy Egret report came in from
Malheur County. Two White-tailed Kites were seen in Benton County and Northern
Goshawk was found in Baker and Deschutes Counties. Red-shouldered Hawks were
found in four counties and Swainson’s Hawks were reported from some eastern
counties. A very early Rough-legged Hawk report came in from Harney County.
Peregrine Falcons were seen in six counties. A single Snowy Plover report came
from Harney County and three Marbled Godwits were seen in Curry County.
Sabine’s Gull was located in Harney County while Common Tern reports came in
from Baker. A Flammulated Owl was located in Deschutes and two Barred Owls were
heard in Curry County. Long-eared and Saw-whet Owls were also reported. The
only Western Kingbird came from Curry County and a single Northern Shrike was
seen in Deschutes County. Columbia produced the only report of Purple Martin.
Two Gray Catbirds were seen in Yamhill County and two Black and White Warblers
were found in Deschutes. Deschutes also produced a Chestnut-sided Warbler and
an American Redstart. A Blackpoll Warbler and a Northern Waterthrush were seen
in Harney County. The only Chat was seen in Benton County. An early
White-throated Sparrow was seen in Benton and Lapland Longspurs were found in
Curry County. A Black-headed Grosbeak was in Curry as well.
Undoubtedly, these results will
change as more county reports are submitted and more feathered gems are
discovered. Again, a full accounting will appear in Oregon Birds Magazine.
Hopefully, you will be able to join us for the Spring NAMC, which occurs on the
second weekend in May.
The
fifth winter of survey work for the East Cascade Bird Conservancy Winter Raptor
Survey Project will soon be underway. This project is a statewide effort during
the months of November through March to conduct surveys on established driving
routes around Oregon. Last winter saw the largest effort to date for the
project, with a total of 122 survey routes covering more than 8,000 miles and
involving the efforts of more than 80 primary volunteers that conducted the
surveys. During
the first four winters, a total of 29 different species of raptors have been
identified. The five most prominent species have been the Red-tailed Hawk,
American Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, and Rough-legged Hawk.
Together, they have comprised around 90% of all birds counted each winter, with
the Red-tailed Hawk and American Kestrel accounting for between 70 and 75%.
Interesting species documented the first four winters have been Snowy Owl,
Northern Hawk Owl, Great Gray Owl, Gyrfalcon, Swainson’s Hawk, and Long-eared
Owl. Crested Caracara has been observed but unfortunately not during formal
surveys.
New
participants are always welcome to join in on the surveying activities. There
are still areas around the state that are not being surveyed for lack of
participants. There are also established routes that go uncovered from time to
time when primary volunteers are unable to do survey work for any given month.
If you are interested in participating, please contact project coordinator Jeff
Fleischer at raptorrunner97321@yahoo.com and all effort will be made to include you in the
project survey effort! 2008
Summary by Kim Bodie
The ECBC Green Ridge Raptor Migration Count was scheduled
for the last two weekends of September and the first two weekends of October.
The first weekend, Sept. 9/20 & 21 we had pretty mild weather with slow
raptor movement. On Saturday we had 5 observers and counted 29 birds from 7
species. On Sunday, we had 8 observers for a count of 39 birds from 8
species.
The Thursday before the second count weekend the
Wizard Fire started in the Metolius Basin and burned up and over the top of the
ridge just south of our Hawkwatch site. They used the 600 Road that we use for
access as a fire line. The Forest Service closed access to the area for two
weeks, two of our count weekends. The area opened up in time for our last weekend.
Saturday, 10/11, wasn’t the nicest day in the world. The temperatures stayed in
the 30s and the winds were strong and cold out of the north. We had 7 cold
observers counting 54 raptors from 6 species. Sunday proved to be a much better
weather day and we had 5 observers and a count of 65 birds from 8 species. The one casualty of the project was Karen Sharple's
beautiful sign showing the start of the trail to the sight. At the end of the
first weekend it was stashed in a black plastic bag behind a log on the south
side of the road. When we went back the last weekend we did find the wire frame
and legs of the sign behind a burned out log.
For two
years, ECBC has organized ‘conservation workdays’ that give us an opportunity to
improve birding habitat. These workdays have ranged from half day projects to
all day projects and have focused on a few high quality areas: Camp Polk Meadow,
Hatfield Lake, Glaze Meadow, and two locations in the Ochocos. We have pulled
weeds, remved barbed wire, built fences to protect aspens, and posted ‘No
Hunting’ signs.
You might
wonder what happens at an ECBC conservation workday. Rest assured we don’t make
it all work and no play! We begin, of course, by birding. Taking advantage of
those morning hours to enjoy the area, we spread out and look for birds,
sometimes with the objective of doing a survey and sometimes just to enjoy the
birds. After an hour or two of birding, we take a break and organize for the
task at hand. ECBC provides snacks and juice, which seems welcome at this
point. Often, we will work till lunchtime and then eat lunch at the site before
heading off. If the task requires or the distance to the site is great, we are
likely to work for a bit in the afternoon as well. In no case, however, do we
turn the day into an ordeal nor does the work last all day. One
nice thing about these workdays is the chance to partner with other
organizations. The work is generally directed by a partner organization, such
as the Deschutes Land Trust or the Forest Service. In addition, we often work
alongside another group, whether the Boy Scouts, the J Bar J girls, or the
Ochoco fire crew. This adds a lot of fun to the occasion and has the advantage
of adding energetic young help to our efforts. Next
year we will take on some more conservation workdays, the number and location
depending on member interest. The Conservation Committee organizes these
workdays, but we need you ideas and suggestions. In fact, we are in need of new
members for 2009. If you have ideas about workday locations or you want to
participate in the committee please contact me. ECBC
Volunteers Assist in National Swift Survey Birders across the state and the country came out to watch
migrating swifts put on their end of summer show this September. During
migration, both Vauxs’ and chimney swifts (eastern species) congregate into
impressive flocks that dive into chimneys for their nightly roost. This
entertaining phenomenon is also a great way to gather population data.
Volunteers in Texas have created a program to link data across the country
called National Swift Night Out (http://www.concentric.net/~dwa/page56.html). Volunteers in Washington have organized a state
wide count and have asked Oregon and California birders to help link the data
along the West coast (http://vauxhappening.org). ECBC volunteers assisted in the count in Bend and found
a new roost location at 644 NW Harrington St. at a business called, Christmas
Presence. The homeowner reported that swifts have used the chimney both spring
and fall in the past and that she enjoys their presence.  | | After several nights
of scouting known locations used by the swifts in the past, Judy Meredith, Tom
Crabtree, Kim Boddie, and Dean Hale to name a few, found the swifts using the NW
Harrington St. location. Nightly counts reached over 250 birds and there was
suspicion that another roost location is also being used as some birds broke off
the flock and did not enter the chimney each
night. |
Although the site in Bend may not have numbers as
impressive as those documented at the well-known sites in the Willamette Valley,
no other site east of the Cascades reported more swifts. In fact, volunteers in
the La Grande area observed no birds at sites used in the past. Other historic
sites in Central Oregon, such as the hospital in Prineville, have since been
capped and are unavailable to swifts. The count for Oregon totaled over 17,000
birds. Volunteers in Washington’s swift count are also interested
in spring time data. The fall migration has always gathered the most attention
as numbers at these communal roosts are highest and most impressive, but little
is known about the northward migration and the opportunity exists to gather
population information in the spring as well. We hope to gather more data in
Oregon in the spring as well. The
Vaux’s swifts need large, hollow snags for roosting and nesting and depend on
mature and old growth forests in western North America. Population information
is not well documented and scientists suspect that the species may be in
decline. Although the swifts are likely limited by suitable forest habitat, the
chimneys used in migration play an important part for the species as well.
Chimneys built before World War II that are made with just bricks (as opposed to
cement lined, more modern chimneys) are best for the swifts to cling to. The
Swift Night Out project is a great opportunity to involve volunteers and
interested citizens in gathering useful, scientific data and stir up awareness
to keep them standing and open for the swifts to use. Don started the
Kestrel Nestbox survey in 1998 was because American Kestrel numbers were, and
still are, declining in North America. Don was concerned about this decline in
population and decided to put up Kestrel boxes. Kestrels have used Don’s
nestboxes every year since he began in 1998. Why is it
special?
The program is an aggregation of boxes that is
one of the largest (120 boxes today) and most successful on the North American
continent. Don has the only Kestrel Nestbox program in Oregon as far as he
knows. In 2005 a total of 196 falcons were fledged from 62 active boxes. Since
2005, there have been 50 to 60 active boxes each year including over 50 in
2008. To date over 1,000 American Kestrels have been produced on this
“trail”. How is it presently
operated?
In addition to the basic function of providing
suitable nest cavities for American Kestrels, the boxes are monitored to
generate nesting data for The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and to gauge the
progress of the nestlings for their eventual banding. Kestrel nestbox
volunteers first check the boxes around May 10th and recheck them 3 to 4 weeks
later to verify that eggs are present in the boxes. The presence and number of
eggs is used to determine when to re-check for nestlings and to determine
banding dates. Banding takes place from June 20 through about July 10th. Jim
Anderson and Don are in charge of the banding with Jim as the Master Bander. Don
and Jim have records of all the Kestrels banded. Also, summary results are sent
annually to Dr. David M. Bird of the Avian Science and Research Center at McGill
University in Montreal, as he is studying Kestrel population declines on parts
of the continent, notably the northeastern US. Where are the
boxes?
With the exception of the Skeleton Burn and
Millican areas, the boxes are basically located west of the Highway 97 with the
Crooked River Ranch on the North, the Delicious Burn to the west and Tumalo
Reservoir to the south. In addition to these burns, concentrations of boxes are
located on Wilt Road, Innes Market Road, Couch Market Road, Plainview Road and
Sisemore Road areas. How is it
successful?
The Kestrel program seems to be successful
because Central Oregon has the right habitat for the birds to successfully
breed. The future direction of the project is to maintain the current 120 boxes
with no plans for expansion for now. News from other Local groups: No
group works alone and we would like to introduce you to a range of other
conservation / wildlife groups in Central Oregon that are active and support out
mission. If you are active in a group not represented here and would like to
contribute a regular piece, please contact The
Nuthatch.
On August 18th ONDA
submitted comments and written testimony to the Harney County Planning
Commission objecting to applications for the construction of a 400 megawatt
industrial wind power project on North Steens Mountain. ONDA supports the
development of clean, renewable energy, including wind power, through a
thoughtful process that ensures a complete review of potential ecological and
economical impacts to the area. The project would
place hundreds of 250-foot tall wind turbines within view of the Steens Mountain
Loop Road and within the Steens Cooperative Management and Protection Area. The
developer, Columbia Energy Partners, has asked for land use permit approval
without conducting any studies on the potential effects of the development on
birds, including sage grouse, which depend on this area. The developer also has
not obtained necessary rights-of-way from the Bureau of Land Management and the
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to connect the proposed project to the regional
energy grid and has not fully disclosed the project's effects on the unspoiled
qualities of Steens Mountain. By breaking its project into four applications,
Columbia Energy Partners has attempted unlawfully to avoid the Oregon state
Energy Facility Siting Council environmental review process. ONDA Raises Awareness at First Wild Badlands
Day On September 20th
ONDA hosted the first ever Wild Badlands Day. Despite the cloudy skies and
threat of rain approximately 60 people turned out to enjoy the Badlands and
relax with a beer at Pine Mountain Sports. ONDA organized a number of groups for
morning outings into the Badlands WSA, including a birding walk, hosted by ECBC,
around Reynolds’s Pond. This pond provides a great place for bird watching,
especially during migration. A number of warbler species were seen flitting
among the willows as well as belted kingfisher, Great-blue heron, white-crowned
sparrows and Townsend’s solitaires. The after-party held
at Pine Mountain Sports was well attended and visitors enjoyed music by Bare
Roots, beer from Silver Moon Brewery and burritos from the Taco Stand.
The Badlands WSA is
currently awaiting action in Senate and hopefully will be designated wilderness
in 2008. See www.onda.org for more information.
Winterize your yard for the
birds! - Kevin Lair,
Wild Birds Unlimited As fall arrives in
Central Oregon, now is the time to assess your backyard bird habitat and make
sure it’s ready for winter. Here are some things to
consider:
Clean your feeders. Soak
them in a dilute bleach solution, then scrub with a brush. Rinse very well and
let them dry thoroughly before refilling.
Review the feeders you have
and make sure you have the variety you want. Consider feeders that give you the
flexibility to feed peanuts, fruit, suet, and seed.
Provide liquid water in the
winter. In addition to drinking, birds need to bathe to keep their feathers
clean and maximize their insulating ability.
Create brush piles from tree
and shrub trimmings. Birds will seek shelter from inclement weather and
predators in brush piles.
Clean out nesting boxes and
leave them up for birds to roost in during cold winter days and nights.
Provide a diverse backyard
habitat to encourage a great variety of birds to visit your yard this
winter.
Yard Bird Survey Data:
Yard Bird Survey Data 2007: The other finches- Jim
Moodie In the last
newsletter (Summer 2008), I reported on the annual abundance of the Carpodacus
finches, Purple, Cassin’s and House, based on yard bird survey data. For this
newsletter, I have prepared two graphs to explore what the yard bird surveys can
tell us about the abundance patterns of the other true finches: Red Crossbill,
Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch and Evening Grosbeak. For
this analysis, I used the data collected by five yards that reported their birds
throughout the year. Keep in mind that each time period is approximately 10
days long, and there are three time periods per month.
To save space and to make comparisons across species more
straightforward, I have plotted abundances for the five species on one graph.
First, I plotted the average number of birds seen for the five yards, even if
the yard had no birds for a time period (this would dampen the average number of
birds seen for that time period). I then reanalyzed the data using only time
periods where birds were reported during each time period. The second graph is
useful in determining average flock size, for instance. What patterns can be
detected?
American Goldfinches seem to
visit yards throughout the year, but are certainly in larger flocks during the
winter months. Looking at the second graph, American Goldfinch flock size
dropped from around 10-20 birds down to five or less when April rolled around.
This pattern suggests birds are ‘spreading out’ to breed. Larger flocks then
formed in mid-September and remained at those levels through the rest of the
year. Comparing the first and second plots, it is apparent that not everyone
reports American Goldfinches each time period, although all five yards did so at
some point during the year.
While American Goldfinches
are more widespread, Lesser Goldfinches seem to be restricted to the yards
located primarily in the Eastern parts of Central Oregon. And even for those
yards (all of which are rural), records for Lesser Goldfinches are spotty and
uneven. This species seems to be moving into the area and it will be
interesting to track Lesser Goldfinch population trends over time.
Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins
and Evening Grosbeaks, on the other hand, were reported more often by yards
located in the more Western, forested areas. All three species showed a similar
pattern, being more abundant during the spring months and dropping out or at
least dropping off during the summer. Pine Siskins, unlike the crossbills and
grosbeaks, then increased in numbers during the month of August, but those
numbers then drop until the birds are not to be found by the end of December.
For these three species, which seem to vary tremendously in their abundance due
to the timing and quantity of cone crops, it will be interesting to track their
yard numbers and timing of appearance for 2008 and beyond. Enjoy your backyard
birds everyone!
USFWS - News from Hart
Mountain National Antelope Refuge, October 2008 -by Marla Bennett Hart Mountain had
another good year for antelope. Forage and water were in good supply. The
annual July aerial pronghorn count indicated a minimum number of 2,021--just 30
less than in 2007. The ratio of pronghorn fawns to does was the highest ever,
at 48 fawns:100 does. The 30-year pronghorn population trend shows an increase
of over 74%. The bighorn sheep population is estimated to be 240. Pronghorn bow and
rifle hunting seasons have passed, resulting in 49 killed bucks, a 100% success
for hunters. Two deer bow seasons resulted in 8 dead deer, a harvest rate of
23%, reflecting the decline in the deer population that has been observed over
the last 10 years. Five bighorn sheep tags were awarded; 3 sheep were killed.
Two hunting seasons are yet to occur: deer muzzleloader and the 3rd late season
deer bow hunt. In October, staff
from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will visit Hart Mountain
to capture sage grouse for a joint effort to relocate sage grouse from Hart to
Washington State. This relocation is part of WDFW’s effort to restore a
population of sage grouse in Lincoln County, Washington in the Swanson Lakes
Wildlife Area. This will be the 2nd relocation of grouse from Hart Mountain to
Swanson Lakes. The grouse are fitted with radio collars so that their survival
can be monitored. In 2003, the Sisters Ranger District developed a
monitoring strategy under the Metolius Vegetation project to test the
effectiveness of forest thinning treatments in ponderosa pine stands for
improving white-headed woodpecker habitat. The Metolius project area has been a
stronghold for the white-headed woodpecker and has been the site of previous
studies by Frenzel and Dixon. The strategy was designed to answer two
questions: 1. Are we enhancing white-headed woodpecker habitat by
manipulating habitat?
2. Which are the most
beneficial treatments for achieving desired habitat conditions?
Six areas were selected, three treatment areas and
three controls. Pre and post-treatment monitoring was conducted. Protocols
were established for nest searches, snag surveys, and nest monitoring. In
addition, snag data collection and vegetation analyses around nest sites were
completed. Although we are still analyzing the data, initial findings show that
nests found, both pre and post-treatment, were associated with forested openings
ranging in size from ¼ to 1 acre. Some treatments are just being completed so
its too early to tell how effective they are. It is our hope to continue this
monitoring in the future in order to answer these important
questions. |