First Reedsport Christmas Bird Count--Dec 30, 2015

The estuary of the largest coastal river between the Columbia and San Francisco now has a Christmas Bird Count. Why did this take so long? Perhaps because much of the estuary is not accessible except by boat. Perhaps because until recently there have not been many birders in Douglas County to tell of its wonders. Well, things are changing, and several features of this coastal area make it an attractive area for birdwatchers of all types, from the quaint Salmon Harbor to the wilderness-like Umpqua Estuary and North Spit.

Coastal Douglas County could use an economic boost. Having a Christmas Bird Count in the area will play a part in making known to others in Oregon and beyond that coastal Douglas County has some good things to offer. The CBC itself brought business to Reedsport and Winchester Bay in the way of motel stays, restaurant visits, fuel, and grocery store purchases.

Before getting to my summary of the count, I want to provide links to some individual accounts worth looking at:  1) Jim Scott's blog and eBird report (w/photos) on his and Jeanette's experience on the Oregon Dunes Loop Trail. 2) Bob Archer's blog w/photos on his experience on the North Spit. 3) Phil White's account w/photos of the Scholfield Road area.

This inaugural Reedsport CBC was conducted by 33 volunteers, predominantly from Eugene, Coos Bay, and Roseburg area, with a single local participant from Gardiner. I expect local participation will increase over time as the word gets out. These volunteers were grouped to form teams of 2-3 people covering 15 different areas (see map). The ocean and central estuary sections were not covered this year. Several private landowners were generous to allow participants to count birds on their land, including industrial sites, forested sites, tidal marshes, freshwater marshes, and pastures. These added tremendously to the diversity of habitats sampled in the area, and I extend a big THANK-YOU to these folks!

The first year of this count succeeded in detecting a total of 16,349 individual birds comprising 133 species. Tables detailing species found in each of the 15 surveyed areas are linked here: sorted by taxonomy, total number of each species, and number of areas in which each species was found. These tables can be interesting to look at. For example, you can answer the questions: What were the most numerous species on the count? How many species were found in all 15 Team Areas? What were they? Which species were found in only one area in the count circle? What species was found only by our one feeder counter?

How does the Reedsport CBC compare to other coastal counts? The table below shows average species counts for Oregon coastal CBCs (arranged north to south) from the 2005-06 to 2014-15 seasons (data obtained from www.christmasbirdcount.org). This year's Reedsport CBC seems to fall roughly in the middle of the average counts.

	CBC	Avg	Range	Yrs
	Columbia Estuary	124	117-131	10
	Tillamook	134	109-156	10
	Lincoln City	117	106-128	2
	Yaquina Bay	135	126-152	10
	Florence	124	97-136	10
	Reedsport	133	n/a	1
	Coos Bay	158	152-168	8
	Coquille Valley	149	142-155	7
	Port Orford	128	112-141	8

Some of the most exciting finds for the count were:

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD--found by Jack Williamson the day before the count and seen by Alan Contreras and crew and many others on the day of the count in E Reedsport.

Northern Mockingbird (Photo by Matt Hunter)

PALM WARBLER--found by Tristen Hynes and company at Champion Park in Reedsport.

Palm Warbler (Photo by Jimmy Billstine 3 days after count)

BLACK SCOTER--suprisingly scarce in Douglas County, spotted by Russ Namitz and Eric Clough off the tip of the N Jetty.

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER--in with Yellow-rumped Warblers at S end of N Spit, by Bob Archer.

SWAMP SPARROWS--total of 6 birds found in 4 different areas!

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT--calling in marsh near Matt Hunter while waiting for Short-eared Owls at Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS--expected, but always neat to see, 2 by Matt Hunter in Alan Contreras's area (score!), Champion Park.

Orange-crowned Warbler (blurry subspecies, by Matt Hunter)

CINNAMON TEAL--one male by Sally Hill and Vickie Buck along South Smith River Rd.

SNOWY PLOVER (45 birds total!)--An astonishing number of birds. Forty-three of these were on the upper beach in the Oregon Dunes Loop Trail covered by Jim and Jeannette Scott. Photos of some individuals can be seen in Jim Scott's eBird checklist. One is included below.

Snowy Plover (Photo by Jim Scott)

SORA--Single birds were detected in three different areas! One in the Dean Creek area by Tom Mickel, Jim Carlson, Jeanne Standley, et al.; one in some flooded dune marsh by Jim and Jeannette Scott; and one on some private property out Ranch Road by Tim Rodenkirk and Jack Williamson.

AMERICAN BITTERN--photographed by Phil White and Amrit Sidhu on Scholfield Creek.

American Bittern (Photo by Phil White and Amrit Sidhu)

CLARK'S GREBE--observed in Winchester Bay by Keith Phifer, Stephen and Judy Franzen.

Clark's Grebe, Winchester Bay (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

 
RED PHALAROPE--one by Russ Namitz and Eric Clough on the North Spit.

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE--while not super rare (4 were recorded for the count), they are not detected every year on coastal counts, and having one perched on a rock for a photo is a rare opportunity.

Black-legged Kittiwake (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

Night-time owling was tough for Tim Rodenkirk, Matt Hunter, Jimmy Billstine, Keith Phifer, Russ Namitz, and Eric Clough. Weather conditions were not bad, but the owls were not vocalizing much. We ended up with 1 Barred Owl, 4 Great Horned Owls, and 2 Western Screech-Owls. Crepuscular and daytime searches turned up 1 Barn Owl and 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl.

We did not find any species associated with rocky coastal habitats; for example, Harlequin Duck, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird. These are standard occurrences in other coastal counts, but coastal Douglas has no "native" rock habitat, only the jetties. Of the four species mentioned, only the Black Turnstone is somewhat regular on the jetties of coastal Douglas County.

A wonderful variety of birds was found during the count. The following photos will give you an idea of the variety we experienced. I hope you can join us next year: December 28, 2016!

Western Meadowlarks (Photo by Matt Hunter)

Townsend's Warbler (Photo by Matt Hunter)

Lesser Scaup (L) and Greater Scaup (R) (Photo by Matt Hunter)

Pelagic Cormorant (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

Common Loon (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

Western Grebe (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

Great Blue Heron (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

White-crowned Sparrow (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Photo by Stephen Franzen)

  For additional detail on Douglas County CBCs, see the Umpqua Birds CBC website.

Roseburg-Sutherlin Christmas Bird Count--Dec 19, 2015

After a series of heavy rains, we had a pleasant day of little or no precipitation for the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Fourteen teams totaling 31 people, and three feeders with 4 counters, counted a total of 19,696 birds comprising 116 species (ave 110 species, max 120). A google map of the count circle and team areas is here. Click on the following links to see bird species found on the count, sorted by taxonomy, total number of each species, or number of team areas in which each species was found. For additional information, see the Umpqua Birds CBC page.

Early morning owlers Keith Phifer, Cara Farr, and Matt Hunter worked hard to drum up just a few owls: 4 GREAT HORNED OWLS, 3 WESTERN-SCREECH-OWLS, and 1 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL. Two BARN OWLS were located during daylight hours this year in their namesake dwellings. BARRED OWL has yet to be recorded on the Roseburg-Sutherlin CBC!

No all-time new species were found for this count, which has been run for 42 consecutive winters, but several were found that previously had only been detected on the count 5 times or less, including: NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (1 previous record) found by Jim Hein and Sue Rummer in a neighborhood out Fisher Rd.; AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (2 previous records) found by Cara Farr and Matt Hunter at Ford's Pond, where it had been for several weeks; HERRING GULL (4 previous records, but now regular in Nov/Dec) at Stewart Park Wildlife Ponds by Keith Phifer, Mike Brinkley, and Claudia Lapham; and PACIFIC LOON (5 previous records) by Bob and Jeannie Pollock at Loosely's Pond off Old Del Rio Rd.

Northern Mockingbird the day after the CBC (Photo by Matt Hunter)

Northern Mockingbird the day after the CBC (Photo by Matt Hunter)

American White Pelican at Ford's Pond (Photo by Matt Hunter)

First-winter Herring Gull, Stewart Park Wildlife Ponds (Photo by Keith Phifer)

Juvenile Pacific Loon at Loosely Pond (Photo by Bob and Jeannie Pollock)

Other unusual finds on the count were LARK SPARROW (Jimmy Billstine in Winchester), both COMMON and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (Robin and Holly Hartmann on the North Umpqua River), MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE (Mikeal Jones and Jim Arneson at Plat I, and Jimmy Billstine at a feeder in Winchester), SAY'S PHOEBE (Matt Hunter and Cara Farr, stakeout bird on Ft. McKay Rd), and SWAMP SPARROW (Matt Hunter and Cara Farr at Ford's Pond).

Lark Sparrow at feeder along Page Road (Photo by Jimmy Billstine)

Barrow's (center) and Common (right) Goldeneyes on North Umpqua River (Photo by Robin Hartmann)

'Stakeout' Say's Phoebe a week or so before the CBC (Photo by Matt Hunter)

Record high numbers were recorded for 13 species: 553 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 298 RUDDY DUCKS, 11 VIRGINIA RAILS, 4 HERRING GULLS, 35 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, 131 ACORN WOODPECKERS, 7 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, 8 MERLIN, 36 BLACK PHOEBES, 281 WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, 21 WRENTITS, 563 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and 210 SPOTTED TOWHEES.

Record low numbers were recorded for one species: 14 LESSER SCAUP.

Species missed that have been recorded on at least 30 previous counts were: GREEN HERON, CEDAR WAXWING, and PURPLE FINCH.

We all had a great time seeking out and finding some of our wonderful more regular local birds. Look through the photos below contributed by several CBCers and you'll see why we look forward to doing this each year.

White-breasted Nuthatch (Photo by Liz Gayner)

Immature Sharp-shinned Hawk (Photo by Liz Gayner)

Male Red-winged Blackbird at feeder (Photo by Liz Gayner)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Photo by Liz Gayner)

Merlin (Photo by Liz Gayner)

Male Downy Woodpecker (Photo by Liz Gayner)

A view at North Bank Habitat Management Area (Photo by Robin Hartmann)

Common Raven 'escorting' a Golden Eagle through the air space (Photo by Robin Hartmann)

Pileated Woodpecker (Photo by Robin Hartmann)

Northern Flicker on pine (Photo by Robin Hartmann)

Pine Siskin on teasel (Photo by Robin Hartmann)

At the end of the day we enjoyed friends, warm food, beverages, and stories of the day. I hope you'll join us next year. Mark your calendar for next year's Roseburg-Sutherlin Christmas Bird Count: December 17, 2016!

Umpqua Estuary Boat Trip, December 6, 2015

Huge dunes on the north spit, from a 6 Sep 2013 canoe trip.

I have paddled my canoe or motored and rowed my little aluminum boat on the Umpqua Estuary a dozen times or more. It is a wonderful experience (see www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/albums). I have wanted to give others the opportunity to experience the estuary, but not many people are up for the adventure and occasional danger of paddling in these waters; a larger boat would make the estuary more accessible. I've also been looking for a charter to potentially get us out on the ocean from Winchester Bay when conditions are suitable. Well, I found both in Tim Abraham, Winchester Bay Charters (www.winchesterbaycharters.com). Tim has fished the Umpqua River and nearshore ocean since he was a boy, knows the area and the environment, and is willing to take us out looking for birds and exploring the estuary.

Salmon Harbor, ready to go: Joe, Bentley, Jimmy, Mark, and Matt.

 On Sunday, December 6, five of we explorers plus Captain Tim were treated to a phenomenal break in the weather at the coast. High winds and drenching rain preceded our trip Saturday night and the same was forecast for Sunday night, but we had no rain and tolerable wind for the 5 hours we were on the water. 

 Captain Tim has a 26-ft Alumaweld Columbia guide sled. The seats were fantastic and Capt Tim did a great job getting us around safely and providing opportunities for us enjoy the birds and scenery. 

Captain Tim: in his element (though he probably wanted to throw a line in the water).

Female White-winged Scoter.

We departed Salmon Harbor about 0830. There was a huge high tide in the morning, so following Capt'n Tim's suggestion, we decided to jet upstream so we didn't have to fight the very strong tide all the way up. By zipping upstream we could float down with the strong outgoing tide. It also had the advantage that if we did run into unpleasant weather, we would be on the way toward the harbor rather than away from it. On the way up we stopped briefly at a couple places. At our first stop we were intrigued by a bird that, given the distance and tossing of the boat, resembled a Harlequin Duck. However, upon better looks, and zoomed-in photos, turns out it was a White-winged Scoter.

 A little farther up we stopped next to a 23-acre parcel of land called Sparrow Memorial Park and identified as "surplus" by the Douglas County Parks Department (http://www.co.douglas.or.us/parks/masterplan/SurplusParkProfiles.pdf). It is a gorgeous piece of property next to the estuary and can be accessed from Sparrow Park Road off Hwy 101.

Twenty-three acre parcel of land owned by Douglas County Parks Department; considered "surplus."

Pair of adult Bald Eagles.

Overhead a pair of adult Bald Eagles watched our progress, then flew around in the wind above us.

Reedsport public docks.

 We continued our rapid pace upstream, spotting a White-tailed Kite on the island near Gardiner, but didn't stop, thinking we would have a better look on the way down. We did not see it again. We stopped for a restroom break at the public docks at Reedsport, near the Umpqua Discovery Center.

Area where once thousands of scaup congregated in winter.

  





 Many years ago thousands of Lesser and Greater Scaup wintered on the lower river. Many could be seen from near the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. Being so close, I decided to take a quick look. We quickly zipped up the river to near the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. The scaup were not there; I haven't seen them there for years. I don't know why they are no longer there.

  

  

We zipped back down to the railroad bridge and began our more leisurely trip downstream. Just as we approached the Hwy 101 bridge, we spotted an adult Peregrine Falcon perched on some structures below the bridge. It afforded us excellent views before taking off and circling up near Bolon Island.

Adult Peregrine Falcon near Hwy 101 bridge.

On our way down we saw 5 species of grebes: Western Grebes were most numerous, Red-necked, Eared, and Horned were most apparent in the lower bay, and one Pied-billed Grebe was a surprise (I rarely have them on the lower estuary). One Clark's Grebe (not seen on this trip) would have netted us all 6 of Oregon's grebes.

Western Grebe

Winter-plumaged Red-necked Grebe

Winter-plumaged Eared Grebe (note dark ear patch)

We saw all three regular loons: Common, Red-throated, and Pacific. At our very first stop we were treated to a Common Loon doing its tremolo call near us! A very cool sound!

Winter-plumaged adult Common Loon.

Juvenile Pacific Loon

Juvenile Red-throated Loon

Waterfowl was scarce on the estuary on this day, except for numerous Surf Scoters from about Gardiner and downstream, and Bufflehead scattered here and there, especially in some of the coves. The very high tide pushed some ducks to the edges over shallow waters where we could not go (due to ougoing tide, which leaves one stranded if you get stuck).

Adult male Surf Scoters with their crazy colors!

Along the way down were some gorgeous mosaics of deep green conifers and colorful broadleaf trees and shrubs.

Several small coves invited us in to look around. Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, and Belted Kingfisher were the typical avian inhabitants.

One of several coves we investigated.

Great Blue Herons were here and there along the shore, and occasionally flew over us.

I was impressed with all the colors in this photo. Look at the feet of this heron!

 We made a loop through Half Moon Bay, downstream from Salmon Harbor. There was one Brown Pelican on the crabbing pier, and one on a rock near shore (below).

 This Great Blue Heron guarded the entrance to the harbor and let us pass without incident in early afternoon. What a day!

My complete eBird list for the day is at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26162732.