2008 Tour Narrative
In Brief: Despite the unusually cool and moist late spring (a continent-wide phenomenon, it seemed), this year’s Oregon in Spring tour was a list-filling, mind-expanding, memory-etching experience. Every day had multiple highlights, whether rarities or specialty species of the region; spectacles of tremendous numbers of birds; spectacular mammals, butterflies, or wildflowers; or simply intimate views of the more common species that one often tends to ignore. Examples of those last were a Western Meadowlark perched by the van for a feather-by-feather analysis (song blasting through the window), both Lesser and Greater Scaup males posing for perfect comparison, and a Wrentit approaching curiously to within feet of the group. In the “sought-after” category were Mountain Quail and Dusky Grouse making last-minute appearances, a Great Gray Owl flying towards us to land just a few yards away, and a successful yet unforgettable Flammulated Owl search, to mention just a few. Experiencing these in some of the most scenic and varied landscapes in the country make for a tour to what we expect will continue to be a popular destination.
In Detail: The one surprise on our first day at Fernhill Wetlands west of Portland was a lingering Cackling Goose, followed by several more, as lingering waterfowl turned out to be a theme for the tour. Vaux’s Swifts cooperated by skimming the water below eye level. At Cedar Canyon, we had Virginia Rails walk out of the marsh grass, followed by a failed attempt to see calling Sooty Grouse but a successful attraction of a Northern Pygmy-Owl and Gray Jay (of the dark-capped “Oregon” subspecies). Hermit Warblers were everywhere, and on one of the warmest days of the tour (there had been an unusually early heat wave), a gorgeous Bramble Hairstreak was a highlight. Once near the coast, we tallied late migrating Western Sandpipers and Red-necked Phalaropes, while dozens of subadult California Gulls staged an obvious migration north past the jetties (going where?, one wonders). We finished the day with several tooting but invisible Northern Saw-whet Owls at Cape Meares.
The lingering waterfowl on our two days at the coast included a flock of Brant, many Surf and even a few White-winged Scoters, and a surprising three Harlequin Ducks. But outstanding above anything else here was the experience of seeing hundreds of thousands of seabirds on the water and on the seastacks of Three Arch Rocks, Haystack Rock, and Yaquina Head. While scanning the countless Common Murres, we had one flyby Tufted Puffin, scoped out a nesting Peregrine, and watched a pair of Black Oystercatchers exchange incubation duties. Seawatching paid off with some distant but clearly identifiable Rhinoceros Auklets and Marbled Murrelets, beautiful Pacific Loons and numerous Common Loons, a few migrating Brown Pelicans, and two lingering Red-necked Grebes. Other tardy shorebirds included one Wandering Tattler and a small group of Marbled Godwits. Directing our attention upward and inland, we saw Bald Eagles at every turn. A White-crowned Sparrow nest with an egg, an Orange-crowned Warbler with a bright orange crown, close Swainson’s Thrushes, and a comically excited Winter Wren at our feet were at Heceta Head. Even farther inland, we rediscovered a Black Phoebe (possibly the northernmost individual in the world) at the same time that an unusually diurnal American Beaver appeared, while an ivy hedge alive with Cedar Waxwings made for a worthwhile detour. We enjoyed a field full of Whimbrels probing the grass, before finally connecting with a cooperative Dipper and a handsome male Varied Thrush. Other fun mammal sightings from the coast were Roosevelt Elks on a distant hillside and a young River Otter crossing the road.
As we worked our way inland to the Willamette Valley, tallying Wild Turkey and Acorn Woodpecker, we looked forward to warmer temperatures. Alas, they were not to be had, as another cool front pushed through. But the birding was great, at least soon as we departed the higher elevations of Mary’s Peak, a bit forlorn from the constant drizzle (and the deepest snowpack since 1955 had the top still closed, normally open by April 1). The day picked up, however, with gorgeous Lazuli Buntings, Bullock’s Orioles, a pair of Barn Owls in a barn, the extremely local and distinctive “Streaked” Horned Lark, a cooperative Wrentit, a late Townsend’s Warbler, a lifer Cassin’s Vireo for some, and handsome Western Bluebirds. We only heard Downy Woodpecker and Red-breasted Sapsucker. The pinnacle experience of the day was the walk through the flower-carpeted restored native prairie at Finley National Wildlife Refuge. One could have spent hours on knees keying out the flowers and especially the grasses, but we had a goal to reach. While serenaded by Western Meadowlarks and Savannah Sparrows, we connected with a lovely Grasshopper Sparrow, a welcome colonist to this new spot. Despite the cool weather, Western Tailed Blues and Common Ringlets were here as well. Also at Finley, we watched an American Bittern fly out of the marsh and rise to treetop height, saw another Cackling Goose, and watched a pair of Ospreys hunting over the marshes. We finished our night with a spectacular duet by a pair of Barred Owls north of Corvallis, the first ever on this tour.
One last mad dash up Mary’s Peak, even though the mountain was still hidden in an unpleasant drizzle, paid off with cooperative Mountain Quail and Sooty Grouse on the very same road that had been utterly vacant the day before. Relieved or elated (depending on where you sat in the car), we departed for the Cascade Mountains. A stop at Lost Lake had to be done from the shoulder of the highway, as the campground was still (unbelievably) buried under snow, but Hooded Mergansers and closer-than-ever Barrow’s Goldeneyes were easily seen. It was beautifully sunny in the pine forests near Sisters, so even in the cool air multitudes of California Tortoiseshells, a crisp Western Pine Elfin, and a Valley Garter Snake were active. We got studies of a female Williamson’s Sapsucker while adding all kinds of new birds such as Calliope Hummingbird, Cassin’s Finch, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Dusky and Hammond’s Flycatchers. After a fabulous meal, we began our owling with an amazing Great Gray Owl (the eleventh owl species added to the master list for the tour) that flew towards us in response to squeaking—and landed on a fence post only a few yards away. The heard-only Saw-whet and Flammulated after that were more up to our expectations.
Our morning birding in central Oregon was cut short by the arrival of yet another cold front, this one bringing rain that made looking for Green-tailed Towhee and Fox Sparrow unpleasant. By the time we got near Prineville, the weather was much improved. We got to spend time watching a colony of Tricolored Blackbirds, observing the differences between the sexes and between the tricolors and the more abundant Red-winged Blackbirds. We wasted little time moving eastward, making short stops for our first Ash-throated Flycatcher and Rock Wren in scenic Crooked River Canyon, pausing for great raptors—Swainson’s Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Prairie Falcon—and then arriving at the verdant marshes south of Burns. There we enjoyed the late afternoon watching a large variety of birds on display with no branches, no wind, and no mosquitoes. Some of the new ones were Canvasback, Sandhill Crane, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Sage Thrasher. We had time to visit Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, where a vagrant female Hooded Warbler was pleasing the crowds. On the way back to town we picked up a lingering Ross’s Goose, more than a month behind schedule, while nine Black-crowned Night-Herons up to their bellies in an open, flooded meadow seemed very out of place. It was a good day for mammals too, with Belding’s Ground Squirrel, Common Muskrat, Mountain Cottontail, Mule Deer, and Pronghorn new for the trip list.
Three full days in the fantastic but huge Harney Basin were barely enough. Our fist day was spent almost entirely on the refuge, where we tallied 101 species for the day, our birdiest of the tour. In the wetlands of Malheur we caught up with Trumpeter Swan and Redhead, but not before finding a very late Tundra Swan to round out a very impressive 29 species of waterfowl. The breeding colony of thousands of Franklin’s Gulls and White-faced Ibis was a boggling sight. Scattered throughout the refuge were Caspian, Black, and Forster’s Terns, while in meadows and hedgerows were Bobolink (singing from a willow perch just outside the van), Eastern Kingbird, countless Yellow Warblers, migrant Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks just about anywhere, a well-placed Willow Flycatcher (yes, in the willows), and a wonderful vagrant Common Grackle (appreciated only in places where it is rare). In the drier uplands we found several Loggerhead Shrikes, had great experiences with both Rock and Canyon Wrens, and visited an ancient and gigantic Golden Eagle eyrie, occupied again this year. One small dead willow overhanging Benson Pond provided the most spectacular assortment of six species of swallows: all but Purple Martin side by side and at close range. Mammals on the refuge this day were particularly notable: Yellow-bellied Marmot, Mink, and American Badger. As if that weren’t enough, an evening of owling turned into a successful but patience-testing search. But, yes, it was worth it in the end, as the adorable Flammulated Owl came down out of the canopy and perched out in the open only about 10 yards up in a Ponderosa Pine.
Our day in the rich forests of the Ochoco and Blue Mountains began with a stop at the same campground as last night’s owling, but this time we had very close views of a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers. In a high mountain valley Long-billed Curlews and Wilson’s Snipes sang overhead, while Vesper Sparrows, a confiding Swainson’s Hawk, and a distant Prairie Falcon utilized fence posts. In the forests we had great experiences with Lewis’s Woodpecker, a pair of mating Williamson’s Sapsuckers, and Lincoln’s Sparrow. A mob of little birds included many Mountain Chickadees, Dusky Flycatcher, and Red-breasted Nuthatch, while a White-breasted Nuthatch gave us excellent comparison, with its much longer bill and rapid-fire call notes, with the one we had seen four days earlier south of Corvallis. We also wandered among wildflowers such as Yellow Fritillary, Yellow Avalanche-Lily, White Mule-ears, and Brown’s Peony, while it warmed up enough at our picnic lunch for Mustard White, Sara Orangetip, and Juba Skipper to become active.
Our long, spectacularly scenic drive around the entire Steens Mountain complex was far from birdless. We began in mature Western Juniper woodland with Gray Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Lark Sparrow; continued to mature Big Sagebrush flats for Sage and Brewer’s Sparrows; paused at a brushy spring for Yellow-breasted Chat; and in a fruitless search for Chukar stumbled upon a pair of handsome Black-throated Sparrows. We later learned that the Great Basin population of Chukars had suffered high mortality the previous year, so there were very few around. In the oasis of Fields we saw a rare Black-and-white Warbler, watched a Say’s Phoebe go into a small abandoned shack that must have served as a nestbox, and found several migrants such as Western Tanager, MacGillivray’s Warbler, and Lazuli Bunting. In the open deserts, before the drive back to Burns, we stumbled onto a lone Burrowing Owl, our only one for the tour.
The drive back to Portland on the final day was no less scenic, and our most varied yet. Beginning with a gorgeous male Townsend’s Warbler, a bold Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, and Gray Jays (of the whiter headed “Canada” subspecies) mimicking Northern Goshawk, we then continued to the John Day River, where we finally saw Downy Woodpecker and found our second Black-capped Chickadee of the tour. A Columbian Ground Squirrel was at the southern edge of its range. The Fossil Beds National Monument provided a nice break in the drive, as did short stops where we had more Lazuli Buntings and Spotted Towhees, before a final stop to let a pair of Chukars just barely make it onto our bird list. A truly memorable dinner in sight of Multnomah Falls and the unforgettable vista from Crown Point was a fitting conclusion to a great trip.
- Rich Hoyer
Updated: September 2008