A Phenology of Fall Bird Records in the Columbia River Gorge
1 August through 30 November 2006
Abbreviations and Acronyms:
a.p. – alternate plumage
ASY – after second year, ie., fully adult
BBA – Breeding Bird Atlas
b.p. – basic plumage
BSI – Bingen School Inn, at ne. corner of N. Cedar and E. Humboldt streets in Bingen, WA
D.O.R. – dead on the road
GPNF – Gifford Pinchot National Forest
HY – hatching year bird: i.e., young of the year
IBA – Important Bird Area
KTC – Klickitat Trail Conservancy
L. – Lake
MP – milepost
NAMC – North American Migration Count
NAP – Natural Area Preserve
NF – National Forest
NWR – National Wildlife Refuge
OBOL – Oregon Birders Online
R. – River
RBA – Rare Bird Alert
SP – State Park
stt – steel transmission tower
SY – second year bird (bird in it’s second calendar year)
Tweeters – Washington bird chat online
WMA – Wildlife Management Area
WOS – Washington Ornithological Society
WTP – wastewater treatment pond / s
Records are from Klickitat Co., WA, unless otherwise indicated, with the exception of the well-known city of Hood River, located in Hood River County, OR.
For the purposes of this phenology project, the Columbia River Gorge extends from the Sandy River mouth Multnomah Co., OR, and from Steigerwald Lake NWR in Clark Co., WA, east to the Willow Cove WMA in nw. Morrow and ne. Gilliam counties., OR, and to the Whitcomb Island Unit of Umatilla NWR and Crow Butte SP in sw. Benton Co., WA. This includes all of Gilliam, Sherman, Wasco and Hood River counties, nw. Morrow Co. and e. Multnomah Co. in OR and all of Skamania and Klickitat counties and se. Clark and sw. Benton counties in WA.
Greater White-fronted Goose –
2 on 2 Oct., silent adults, flying downriver over the Columbia off Riverfront Park, The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR, at 16:33. Their flight is >3 times treetop height. Both have “speckled” bellies (SJ).
4 on 25 Oct., HY birds, grazing on the lawn above the beach at the e. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 13:15. When dogwalkers with their pets spooked the geese, they flew into adjacent shallow waters at the swim beach and waited them out (SJ).
5 on 3 Nov., an adult & 4 HY birds, in shallow waters at the mouth of the Hood R., at 12:10. An overflight by a helicopter spooked them, and they were later re-encountered sitting on the lawn across the road to e. of the Hood River Co. Historical Museum (SJ).
2 on 4 Nov., at Rock Cove, Stevenson, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK): Tweeters.
6 on 13 Nov., adult with 5 HY, grazing on the lawn across the road to e. of the Hood River Co. Historical Museum, just n. of I-84 along the Hood River waterfront, at 13:28 (SJ).
2 on 24 Nov., at Stevenson, Skamania Co., WA (AK, KK); gleaned from OBOL. Presumably at the Skamania Co. fairgrounds along Rock Cove, the usual spot.
Snow Goose –
1 on 25 Oct., adult, loafing and preening with a flock of gulls on the stony ne. margin of The Spit, at w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 13:15. Scoped: black “grin patch” easily observed on the not-stubby bill. This is the first one I’ve seen in The Gorge (SJ).
2 on 29 Nov., Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA: “The leucistic Cackling Goose was in a flock just east of Gibbons Creek and has been joined by an adult and a juvenile Snow Goose. Until it raises it's head it looks like a third Snow Goose” (WC); gleaned from Tweeters.
“Cackling”/ Canada Goose –
>75 on 20 Oct., calling flock, flying w. down the Columbia R., fairly high up, off the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at ~07:23 (PG, SJ).
40 on 29 Oct., small race Canada Geese, flying w. down the Columbia R. at Memaloose Is., Wasco Co., OR / Klickitat Co., WA, at 12:55 (SJ).
2 on 31 Oct., with 100+ normal-sized Canadas, grazing on the Hood River WTP lawn, along the Hood River waterfront, at 15:55. They’re tiny, have medium-dark brown, not pale, underparts (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., at Rock Cove, Stevenson, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK): Tweeters.
Mute Swan –
1 on 4 Sept., still there on the eastern lake at Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA, where it has been present since 6 Feb. 2006 (WC). Gleaned from Tweeters.
“The Mute Swan at Steigerwald hasn't been seen since Oct. 24 and may have left with a flock of Tundra Swans that were there at that time.” From a 27 Nov. posting to OBOL by WC.
?20 on 2 Nov., rafting in mid-river on the Columbia just to the e. of Wells Is., along the Hood River waterfront, in mid-afternoon. “Within 15 minutes they lifted for no apparent reason, changed flight direction a few times to gain [altitude], then flew determinedly straight down the middle of the river, west, at about the height of the Underwood bluff. Weather was cold, cloudy, dry, no wind, the usual, but I went down to The Hook with some anticipation because we had just had hard rain and that means good birding” (DS). Presumably tundras?, as Trumpeter Swans are less likely here, especially in such a big flock.
#? on 4 Nov., at Franz Lake NWR and at Spring Creek Hatchery, both in Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); gleaned from Tweeters.
30 on 5 Nov., on the “slough just south of the main park area, on the south side of I-84,” Rooster Rock State Park, Multnomah Co., OR (JHy fide AC); gleaned from OBOL.
Wood Duck –
11 on 30 Aug., eight on a log in Duncan Creek, 3 at Franz L., all in Skamania Co., WA (PW).
1 on 3 Sept., female, on Bingen Pond, along the Bingen riverfront, at ~17:45 (SJ).
4 on 7 Sept., flushed, flew a short ways further e. on South Prairie pond, at ~14:15 (SJ).
1 on 13 Sept., drake, along the shore of the Columbia R. backwater at the mouth of Chapman Creek, at Sundale, at 15:30 (BH, DL, SJ).
17 on 16 Sept., total counted in 5 of 10 sectors surveyed during the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC:
Trout Lake, 4; White Salmon, 1; Conboy Lake NWR, 2; Catherine Creek, 7 and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 3. None found in the other five.
49 on 3 Oct., at the nw. side of Rowland L., along Old Hwy. 8 and n. of hwy. 14, at 17:58 (SJ).
6 on 22 Oct., one male still had eclipse head pattern; they flushed from the little irrigation pond along Stonehenge Rd., just n.ne. of Maryhill, at 09:10. This is in the Columbia Hills IBA (SJ).
1 on 7 Nov., female, loafing on a log along the e. shore of Bingen’s marina, at 14:15 (SJ).
Gadwall –
35 on 3 Sept., HY & eclipse birds, loafing and foraging on Bingen Pond, along the Bingen riverfront, at 17:45 (SJ).
25 on 1 Nov., with coots and wigeon, along the Bingen riverfront, from The Lunch Grove w. to the V Cove, 17:00 to 17:15 (SJ).
7 on 21 Nov., four drakes, 3 hens, in Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 14:25 (SJ).
16 on 30 Nov., in the V Cove, along the n. side of the Columbia R. at Bingen, at 15:30 (SJ).
American Wigeon –
7 on 15 Sept., a.p. birds, at the mouth of the Klickitat R., with a N. Pintail, at 09:24 (BH, SJ).
3 on 15 Sept., a.p. birds, at the n. end of Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:30 (SJ).
10 on 25 Sept., in the V Cove along the Bingen riverfront, foraging with ten Canada Geese, 2 coots and a few other duck, at 17:40 (SJ).
1 on 25 Oct., drake, with raft of 33 diving ducks (Greater and Lesser scaup, Ring-necked Ducks) off the n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at ~17:50 (SJ).
6 on 31 Oct., paltry number, along with 175 coots, in Waucoma Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, at 16:15 (SJ).
~40 on 1 Nov., accompanying big rafts of coots, along the Bingen riverfront from The Lunch Grove w. to the V Cove, 17:00 to 17:15 (SJ).
125 on 3 Nov., total number: in Bingen’s marina (25), just e. of marina’s mouth (67), and to w. of marina’s mouth (32), 15:05 to 16:15 (SJ).
1 on 21 Nov., drake, sitting with head tucked on e.se. shore of the sandbar island off dike between the Hood R. mouth and the marina’s mouth, Hood River waterfront, at 15:53. It’s loafing with 16 gulls (SJ).
20 on 30 Nov., in the V Cove, n. side of the Columbia R. at Bingen, at 15:30 (SJ).
Eurasian Wigeon –
1 on 3 Nov., male, just e. of Bingen marina’s mouth, between rafted logs and shore, along with ~400 coots and 67 Am. Wigeon, at ~15:40. Looks like it is still undergoing some molt as there is white mottled in with the dull foxy-brown on the sides (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., Little White Salmon hatchery, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); Tweeters.
Northern Shoveler –
6 on 29 Aug., five loaf with gulls and Green-winged Teal on gravel bar at w. side of the Hood R. mouth, at The Spit, 08:15, and 1 near s. end of Boat Works Basin at 09:45. The former flew off downriver with the teal (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., HY or eclipse male (with gold eye), on Bingen Pond at ~17:45 (SJ).
4 on 4 Sept., one eclipse/HY male with gold eye, feeding at the s. end of Boat Works Basin, and 3 “female plumaged” ducks loafing with gulls and 2 Green-winged Teal at the Hood R. mouth, all four along the Hood River waterfront, ~09:00 & 09:30 (SJ).
1 on 7 Sept., flushed with 8 Ring-necked Ducks at South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:40. Ducks circled several times before dropping back down onto pond (SJ).
1 on 2 Oct., female, preening on little islet in settling pond (for the aluminum plant) at ne. corner of Klindt Dr. and River Rd. in The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
1 on 5 Oct., female-plumage, in the se. corner of Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront (SJ).
5 on 31 Oct., female-plumage, off nw. corner of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, 16:37 (SJ).
26 on 3 Nov., in Boat Works Basin along the Hood River waterfront, at 11:30. Two of these are easy to identify as males in nearly-full breeding plumage (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., male, Bingen’s marina, at 15:05 (SJ).
Northern Pintail –
1 on 15 Sept., a.p. bird, probable female, with 7 Am. Wigeon, at w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, at 09:24 (BH, SJ).
2 on 2 Oct., a.p., settling pond for the aluminum plant at ne. corner of Klindt Dr. and River Rd., The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
Green-winged Teal –
28 on 29 Aug., loafing with gulls on gravel bar at The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, at 08:15 (SJ).
3 on 30 Aug., loafing with gulls out at the tip of the spit on the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:35 (SJ).
2 on 3 Sept., female & eclipse male (it looks like) on Bingen Pond, at 17:50 (SJ).
2 on 4 Sept., “female plumage” birds, loafing with gulls at the Hood R. mouth along the Hood River waterfront, ~09:30 (SJ).
3 on 15 Sept., female-plumaged, foraging out of the wind along the e.ne. shore of Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:30 (SJ).
6 on 2 Oct., five loafing with gulls on the w. side sandbar (at 10:25) and 1 feeding close to the big coot flock off the w. shore of Lyle Point (at ~11:30), all at the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle (SJ).
14 on 2 Oct., two (semi-eclipse male, female) on settling pond for the aluminum plant at the ne. corner of Klindt Dr. and River Rd., at 14:00, and 12 on “billboard basin” at the mouth of Threemile Creek, Riverfront Park, at 16:50, all 14 teal in The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
14 on 9 Oct., loafing between the tip of The Spit and an offshore sandbar sliver at w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 17:11 (SJ).
6 on 22 Oct., foraging at the pond along hwy.14, at M.P.106.1, in the Columbia Hills IBA; no males in b.p. yet (SJ).
2 on 31 Oct., pair, at se. corner of Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, 15:50 (SJ).
20 on 3 Nov., foraging along e. shore of Bingen’s marina, at 15:05 (SJ).
7 on 17 Nov., near shore of a lagoon on the n. side of hwy.30, ~ two miles w. of Rufus, Sherman Co., OR (TA, SJ).
7 on 30 Nov., in the V Cove, n. side of the Columbia R. at Bingen, at 15:30 (SJ).
Canvasback –
9 on 3 Nov., two female, 4 male, diving off the e.-ese. shore of Wells Is., and two female, 1 male off the n. side of The Hook, all along the Hood River waterfront, 08:50 to 09:50 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., male, diving in Bingen’s marina, at 15:15 (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., above Bonneville Dam, Skamania Co., WA, mixed in with a raft of W. Grebes (WOS field trip, KK); from Tweeters.
#? on 4 Nov., Franz Lake NWR, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); Tweeters.
Redhead –
2 on 16 Sept., the only ones found for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC were in the Roosevelt – Alderdale sector, as follows: one eclipse male diving in an irrigation pond deep down in a draw at the jct. of hwy. 14 and Old Hwy. 8, immediately e. of M.P. 131, at times consorting with 4 ring-necks; and one female diving in waters at the n. side of the Columbia R. just out from Roosevelt Ferry Rd., accompanying 51 coots and 4 ring-necks (SJ).
2 on 31 Oct., males, diving with scaup and ring-necks, off the w. end of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at 16:22. Males are not yet in full breeding plumage (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., male, with scaup, ring-necks and coots, diving off the e.-ese. shore of Wells Is., along the Hood River waterfront, at 09:25 (SJ).
Ring-necked Duck –
8 on 7 Sept., on South Prairie pond, along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 66, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:40. This is probably a breeding site (SJ).
15 on 13 Sept., loafing on the Columbia R. backwater at the mouth of Chapman Creek, at Sundale, at 15:30 (BH, DL, SJ).
5 on 15 Sept., diving and loafing on Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:30. Three hens, 2 drakes, one of which is in nearly-full b.p., the other still in eclipse (SJ).
19 on 2 Oct., loafing on the settling pond for the aluminum plant in The Dalles, at the ne. corner of Klindt Dr. and River Rd., Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
13 on 25 Oct., off The Hook’s n. side, along the Hood River waterfront, at ~17:50 (SJ).
110 on 31 Oct., off the w. end of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, at 16:30 (SJ).
7 on 1 Nov., along the Bingen riverfront, from The Lunch Grove w. to the V Cove, 17:00 (SJ).
9 on 21 Nov., one pair in Waucoma Basin, at 14:25, and 7 males off the n. side of The Hook, at ~15:00 (SJ).
Greater Scaup –
1 on 2 Oct., eclipse male, loafing with ring-necks on the aluminum plant settling pond at the ne. corner of Klindt Dr. and River Rd., The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR; close scope views, good light (SJ).
12 on 25 Oct., six with 3 Lesser, just w. of the nw. corner of The Hook, and six with 14 Lesser and 13 Ring-necks, off n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, ~17:50 to 18:20 (SJ).
20 on 31 Oct., close enough to specifically I.D., off w. end of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, at 16:30. Rafts of 100+ more scaup, sp. are distant off the n. side of The Hook (SJ).
3 on 3 Nov., two hens, one HY or eclipse drake, Bingen’s riverfront, between the marina’s mouth and the crane, accompanying 72 Lessers, at ~16:00 (SJ).
2 on 21 Nov., single hens, along the Hood River waterfront, off the sw. corner and the n. side of The Hook, at 14:40 & 15:00 (SJ).
Lesser Scaup –
1 on 5 Sept., eclipse male, scoped at the e. side of “billboard basin,” at the e. end of the Riverfront Park nature trail in The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR, at 16:40. Basin is at the mouth of Threemile Creek. Drake has small, narrow black nail at tip of bill and there is a noticeable corner on the hind crown. Although feathers of crown are not very relaxed-looking, they are not slicked down like they are when scaup are diving. Head is dark, blackish-brown, breast and rear end are dull, dusky blackish, and back and sides are a dirty, smudgey grey-brown, sides perhaps a bit paler than back. Much of bill, the entire saddle, is slaty. Tucks head in loafing posture as I leave (SJ).
2 on 15 Sept., eclipse drakes, diving and loafing on Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:30. Good scope viewing (SJ).
17 on 25 Oct., off The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, ~17:50 to 18:20. Count 17 again on 21 Nov. off the n. side of The Hook, at ~14:55/15:00 (SJ).
73 on 3 Nov., along Bingen’s riverfront, from just e. of the marina’s mouth (1 drake) w. to the swim beach, e. of the riverfront crane (72), from 15:30 to 16:00 (SJ).
94 on 24 Nov., along the Bingen riverfront, from The Lunch Grove w. to the V Cove spit, at 16:20. Most were drakes, a few of these eclipse or imm. birds, but there were at least 6 hens (SJ).
18 on 30 Nov., along the Bingen riverfront, from The Lunch Grove w. to the V Cove, at 15:45. Three are hens (SJ).
scaup, sp. –
100+ on 30-31 Oct., out toward mid-river off the n. side of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, at ~16:45. Too distant to specifically I.D., and to count, in the choppy waters of the Columbia R. (SJ).
100 on 1 Nov., along the Bingen riverfront, just s.sw. of The Lunch Grove, at 17:00. Most look to be Lesser, but some Greater may be present; also half a dozen ring-necks (SJ).
Harlequin Duck –
1 on 4 Sept., eclipse male, at the s. end of Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, at ~09:00. It is swimming, a dark brown diving duck with a slightly darker head; a snowy white circle just back of and slightly below eye level; a dingier white paisley patch between eye and base of bill, with a smudge of dusky partially obscuring this patch directly in front of eye, leaving a small, whitish spot on either side of forehead; bill an unmarked pale, chalky bluish-grey and rather small, short in length. Close scrutiny reveals two very thin white crescents, each about 1.5 inches in length, one extending down toward top of breast from base of hind neck, and other lower down at sides of breast. When duck hops up onto concrete boat slip at the waters edge and preens for a bit, as well as when it flapped it’s wings once in the water, noted that right wing is either maimed or in such heavy molt that primaries seem to be lacking (or perhaps are just beginning to regenerate?); left wing looked normal. There appeared to be some white hidden in the wing, barely exposed, when duck was swimming, before it lopsidedly flapped it’s wings. When I passed by the basin again later, ~11:00, the harlequin was sitting on a rock at the sw. corner of this body of water, loafing, with head tucked at times. Head and breast sketched while first viewing duck (SJ).
Surf Scoter –
1 on 28 Oct., along the Bingen riverfront out from the binstacks, just beyond the dolphins and pilings, accompanying 10 Lesser Scaup. While preening, twice saw bird flap it’s wings: no white secondaries. This feature was also noted when a motorboat sped by flushing the ducks; they circled a couple times before resettling a little further upriver, just w.sw. of The Lunch Grove. Head and bill are Surf Scoter shape; belly (in flight) is pale, whitish-beige; breast looks very slightly paler than rest of upperparts, while back and cap / top of head look slightly darker. A dark brown duck with 2 white face patches—one between eye and base of bill is more vertical with a slight diagonal tilt, other is more horizontal, running back from the eye on upper part of the auricular patch. Observed from 17:06 to 17:58 (SJ).
Long-tailed Duck –
1 on 24-29 Nov., “Friday afternoon, Nov. 24, a quick stop at the Washougal Sewage Lagoons at milepost 17.8 on Highway 14 [in Clark Co., WA,] produced a female Long-tailed Duck and an Eared Grebe. The Long-tailed Duck is only the second county record that I am aware of, the birds were easily visible from the shoulder of the highway.” Still present in the morning on 25 Nov. And on 27th Nov.: “I checked the Washougal Sewage Lagoons from Highway 14 at milepost 17.6 and the female Long-tailed Duck was still on the pond closest to the road.” Still present 29 Nov.: “The Long-tailed Duck wasn't visible until a maintenance truck disturbed the flock of birds and they moved into the middle of the pond,” at 14:30 (all observations WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 24 Nov., “Got home [after a day spent birding in Skamania Co.] and turned around back to Washougal sewer ponds and saw the Long-tailed Duck before dark. Thanks to Wilson Cady for leaving me a message” (KK).
Bufflehead –
8 on 4 Sept., all HY or female-plumaged birds, flew in over Boat Works Basin, circled a couple times, then dropped in to centre of the basin, where they huddled, alert, eyeing the sky, ~10:50. These appear to be early, first-of-the-season, birds (SJ).
2 on 25 Oct., males in full (breeding) b.p., loafing at the centre of Waucoma Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, at 18:13 (SJ).
70 on 30 Oct., in rafts of scaup off the n. side of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, ~17:00 (SJ).
32 on 31 Oct., in Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 1610. Additionally, as there were yesterday evening, many Bufflehead are off the n. side of The Hook, accompanying the rafts of scaup, but are too distant this time to count in the choppy waters whipped up by chill e. winds (SJ).
3 on 1 Nov., male & 2 female-plumaged birds, in the V Cove along the Bingen riverfront, at 16:50 (SJ).
15 on 21 Nov., diving in Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 14:30 (SJ).
22 on 28 Nov., thirteen hens, 9 drakes, in Waucoma Basin, at 16:40 (SJ).
11 on 30 Nov., ten female plumage, 1 drake, along the Bingen riverfront, seven in the V Cove, at 15:30, and 4 a little further upriver, at 15:35-15:40 (SJ).
Common Goldeneye –
3 on 31 Oct., female plumage, off n.nw end of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, at 16:40. First autumn arrivals noted in The Gorge (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., female plumage, e. of the marina’s mouth, Bingen riverfront, at ~15:30 (SJ).
>10 on 9 Nov., along s. side of the Columbia R., between John Day Dam and Rufus, Sherman Co., OR, from 12:00 to 13:40 (BMcK, SJ).
3 on 13 Nov., two drakes, one hen, out in the Columbia R. to n.ne from the base of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at 15:45 (SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., drake, along the Bingen riverfront, between The Lunch Grove and the binstacks, accompanying Lesser Scaup rafts, at 16:20 (SJ).
Barrow’s Goldeneye –
>1 on 4 Nov., Little White Salmon hatchery, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); gleaned from Tweeters.
Hooded Merganser –
2 on 3 Nov., pair (male with crest erect) in Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 13:40. First of the season. Pair here again on 21 Nov. and 28 Nov. (SJ).
1 on 9 Nov., female-plumage, in little backwater next to the upstream boat launch site, n. side of The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, at 11:00 (BMcK, SJ).
3 on 14 Nov., drake and 2 hens, Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, 16:39 (SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., drake, along the Bingen riverfront just e. of the V Cove spit, loafing with it’s head tucked, at 16:29 (SJ).
2 on 27 Nov., on the Columbia R. to nw. of Memaloose Is. in Klickitat Co. waters; seen mostly in silhouette (one obviously male) at 16:45 (SJ).
Common Merganser –
16 on 30 Aug., Columbia R. near Reed Is., s. of Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
10 on 25 Sept., female plumage, diving in the shallow waters around sandbar slivers off the Hood R. mouth, and stopping to preen and loaf on one sandbar, along the Hood River waterfront, mid- to late morning (SJ).
3 on 30 Oct., out in the Columbia R. off n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront: These are the first males I’ve seen this fall that are molting in white plumage (SJ).
25 on 31 Oct., assembled at the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, as dusk descends (17:05) (SJ).
17 on 9 Nov., mostly female-plumaged birds, but including at least 2 easily recognisable males molting into their white breeding plumage (molt of one nearly completed), close to s. shore of the Columbia R., downstream several hundred m. from John Day Dam, Sherman Co., OR (BMcK, SJ).
50 on 13 Nov., off sandbar island at w. side of the Hood R. mouth, at 16:52, fading light (SJ).
Ruddy Duck –
1 on 16 Sept., female plumage, foraging close to the shore of the Roosevelt WTP, at 09:19 (SJ).
1 on 30 Oct., female plumage, with raft of Bufflehead and scaup, off n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, ~17:00 (SJ).
Chukar –
1 on 13 Sept., running through the sagebrush steppe along Sand Ridge Rd. ~2 mi. n. of the jct. with Peterson and Alder Creek roads, at ~12:45 (DL, BH, SJ).
6 on 22 Oct., one calling several minutes before the flock flushed, along hwy.14 at the Hartley Canon crossing, at 10:45. This is in the Columbia Hills IBA (SJ).
>2 on 11-12 Nov., noted on both days while running the n. and the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey routes (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
Grey Partridge –
8 on 16 Sept., Rock Creek s. to Newell Rd. and e. to Bickleton, then s. to Hale Rd., ie., in the Cleveland-Bickleton sector of the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC. These were the only ones found for the count (DL).
Ring-necked Pheasant –
1 on 15 Sept., hen, flushed between Spearfish L. and orchard to the n., flew sw. down to Russian olive at nw. end of the lake, at ~13:30 (SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., in w. half of Goldendale sector, Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (CH, TH).
2 on 17 Nov., cocks, flushed along Scott Canon Rd., 1.6 mi. to s. of the jct. with Herin Lane, Sherman Co., OR, at 10.25 (TA, SJ).
Ruffed Grouse –
1 on 15 Nov., along Larch Mountain Rd., Multnomah Co., OR (KT, AT); gleaned from OBOL.
Sooty Grouse –
2 on 15 Nov., along Larch Mountain Rd., Multnomah Co., OR; there was quite a bit of snow above MP11 (KT, AT). Gleaned from OBOL.
Wild Turkey –
27 on 4 Nov., noted while running the Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR; “a large flock of very plump-looking birds” (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
Pacific Loon –
1 on 9 Nov., preening, just s. of the small islands a little downstream from John Day Dam, Sherman Co., OR, at 12:50. Pattern of pale edgings to feathers on mantle suggests this may be a HY bird; well seen using big Celestron scope (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., “…at Wind River mouth just north of Hwy 14” in Skamania Co., WA (AK, KK).
Common Loon –
1 on 25 Sept., b.p. bird, first noted just beyond a distant sandbar sliver off the Hood R. mouth, at noon; later it slowly swam in to Boat Works Basin, where it began to preen, at 12:25 (SJ).
9 on 5 Nov., a total of 9 on the Columbia R. at Rooster Rock State Park, Multnomah Co., OR, along with “a few cormorants, a Horned Grebe, a few Com. Mergansers and Mallards”(JH); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 9 Nov., apparently a HY bird, above The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, at 10:30. Seen closeby just inside the mouth of the locks, using binoculars, and then a big Celestron scope to bring bird into closer view when it next surfaced further out, off the boat launch site. First things that caught my eye were the conspicuous, broad, buff edgings to feathers on the back (and scapulars?), suggesting the possibility of Yellow-billed Loon, but head colour looked no paler than back/mantle and bill’s culmen didn’t seem particularly straight; rather, both lower and upper surfaces of bill were slightly down- and up-curved, bill’s overall colour pale greyish, but dark/dusky along at least the basal half of the culmen (BMcK, SJ).
Pied-billed Grebe –
2 on 30 Aug., one at Franz L. and one at Duncan Creek pond, both in Skamania Co., WA (PW).
12 on 16 Sept., total number found on 5 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 3 (DS, KK); Conboy L. NWR, 1 (JH, RR); Catherine Creek, 1 (BH); Dallesport, 6 (MR, DCR, LW); Roosevelt-Alderdale, 1 (on the backwater at the mouth of Chapman Creek, Sundale) (SJ).
1 on 26 Sept., basic plumage, in confluence waters at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 15:35 (SJ).
7 on 5 Oct., in Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 14:20 (SJ).
3 on 25 Oct., singles, off The Hook, Hood River waterfront, 17:50 to 18:20 (SJ).
3 on 4 Nov., above The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, at 14:30 (SJ). Three again on 9 Nov., but this time 2 are at s. end of the dam, in Sherman Co., OR (BMcK, SJ).
4 on 30 Nov., in the V Cove, Bingen riverfront, at 15:30 (SJ).
Horned Grebe –
1 on 4 Sept., in rather pale and drab (very faded?) brownish-grey plumage, somewhere between alternate and basic plumage, along the w. side of Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, ~10:30. First of the fall season and on the early side? (SJ)
1 on 25 Sept., just off a sandbar sliver in the Columbia R. along the Hood River waterfront, out from the mouth of the Hood R., at 09:40 (SJ).
2 on 26 Sept., in basic plumage, close together in confluence waters at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 15:35. Two found at this same spot on 2 Oct. at ~09:40 (SJ).
3 on 5 Oct., b.p., in Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 11:23 (SJ).
2 on 9 Oct., around sandbar sliver off The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, at 17:15 (SJ).
27 on 25 Oct., a raft of 25 to n. off the base of The Hook and 2 further downriver off the nw. corner of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at 18:25 in fading light (SJ).
53 on 30 Oct., counted off n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at ~17:00 (SJ).
Red-necked Grebe –
1 on 15 Sept., diving in the confluence waters at the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle, at 08:15 (BH, SJ).
1 on 5 Oct., still showing some of the striped face of a HY bird, swims s. in to Boat Works Basin, on the Hood R. waterfront, at 11:23 (SJ).
1 on 29 Oct., above The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, along with 7 Western and 3 Horned grebes, at 16:55 (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., above The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, along with 27 Western and 3 Pied-billed grebes, at 14:30 (SJ). Probably the same bird still there on 9 Nov., at 10:30, rafted with 20 Westerns, loafing with bill tucked into breast feathers; viewed with Celestron scope (BMcK, SJ).
Eared Grebe –
1 on 16 Sept., on the small pond beside the entrance road to Spearfish Lake park; found while surveying for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (MR et al).
1 on 25 Oct., b.p., off the n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at ~17:50 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., just off the e.-ese. shore of Wells Is., along the Hood River waterfront, 09:26 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., along the e. side of Bingen’s marina, at 15:15. Forages by swimming in shoreline shallows, with head and neck submerged (SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., “…a quick stop at the Washougal Sewage Lagoons at milepost 17.8 on hwy. 14, [Clark Co.,] produced a female Long-tailed Duck and an Eared Grebe…the birds were easily visible from the shoulder of the highway” in the afternoon (WC); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 29 Nov., still present on the Washougal WTP this morning (AA); gleaned from OBOL.
Western Grebe –
1 on 18 Aug., sticking close to an alternate plumage Clark’s Grebe, both diving in the mouth of Boat Works Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, mid-morning. Are they a pair? (SJ)
1 on 15 Sept., diving in the confluence waters at the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle, at 08:15 (SJ).
1 on 26 Sept., again seen at the confluence of the Klickitat and Columbia rivers, at 15:35 (SJ).
42 on 5 Oct., loafing off the n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at 14:15 (SJ).
64 on 25 Oct., off The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, from ~17:50 to 18:20. Sixty-one were in a long, loose raft off the n. side, with 2 and a single a bit further up and down river (SJ).
63 on 30 Oct., off n. side of The Hook, Hood river waterfront, ~17:00 (SJ).
75 on 31 Oct., off n. side of The Hook, at 16:50 (SJ).
161 on 3 Nov., loafing to ne. off the base of The Hook, Hood River waterfront, at 09:40 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., in Bingen’s marina, at 15:05 (SJ).
27 on 4 Nov., loafing above The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, at 14:30 (SJ). Count 20 there on 9 Nov., at 10:30 (BMcK, SJ).
60 on 13 Nov., minimun total count, from nw. corner of The Hook e. to the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, 15:00 to 16:40 (SJ).
56 on 21 Nov., total count along the Hood River waterfront, from the Hood R. mouth downriver to include waters off The Hook; 53 in a close-in raft off the n. side of The Hook at 14:50, plus a few stragglers up- and downriver (SJ).
Clark’s Grebe –
1 on 18 Aug., closely associating with an adult Western Grebe, both diving in the mouth of Boat Works Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, mid-morning. Excellent close scope views of both. The Clark’s showed conspicuous white surrounding red eye, bright orange-yellow bill, black line down hindneck is narrower than adjacent Western, and upperparts are paler grey than Western, with more white mottling on the flanks (SJ).
Double-crested Cormorant –
1 on 25 Aug., flushed from n. side of the Columbia R. at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA. Bird looked all dark like an adult; no pale colour was noted on neck or breast (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., near St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
2 on 30 Aug., near Reed Is., out from Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
1 on 15 Sept., flew off Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam (SJ).
12 on 25 Sept., flying in a V past the Hood R. mouth, heading w., down river, at 11:22 (SJ).
355 on 29 Oct., roosting on 3 stt at the n. end of The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, at 17:00. This is a regular roost site, and birds were continuing to arrive as I left at 17:15. Earlier there were 76 loafing with gulls on the small rocky islets, and in adjacent waters, below the w. side of The Dalles bridge (hwy. 197) over the Columbia R., Wasco Co., OR, at ~16:00 (SJ).
14 on 9 Nov., loafing with hundreds of Canada Geese and gulls at the n. end of Columbia R. sandbars just downriver from the mouth of the Deschutes R., Wasco Co., OR, at 11:45 (SJ).
~80 on 9 Nov., loafing on little islands just downriver from John Day Dam, Sherman Co., OR, at 13:00 (BMcK, SJ).
American Bittern –
1 on 24 Aug., out in the open, but close to marsh vegetation, at a shrinking pool of water w. of the unpaved s. extension of Lake Rd., <0.5 mi. s. of “T” intersection with Hansen Rd., Conboy Lake NWR, at 11:30 (BMcK, SJ).
Great Blue Heron –
8 on 13 Nov., total number counted in a scope sweep of sandbars and islands at and off the Hood R. mouth, at ~15:10, more than usual for the Hood River waterfront this time of year, it seems (SJ).
3 on 17 Nov., noted along the 98.8 mile N. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23. One along the shore of a lagoon on the n. side of hwy. 30, ~ two miles w. of Rufus, at 09:24, and two along Grass Valley Creek: one on fence brace in the canon just downstream from Sandon Rd., at 13:32, and one further upstream at the Lone Rock Rd. bridge, at 14:24 (TA, SJ).
Great Egret –
1 on 24 Nov., “…50 feet up in a tree at Skamania Landing, [Skamania Co., WA,] with a Great Blue Heron below it in a small pond” (AK, KK).
Green Heron –
1 during the second week of Sept., at Conboy Lake NWR: “I have seen a Green Heron twice this week perching on a fence post and feeding in the irrigation canal.” [from an e.mail on 14 Sept.] (ML).
Black-crowned Night-Heron –
3 on 25 Sept., an adult, a HY bird, and one in very drab adult plumage, apparently a SY bird, roosting in riparian along the shore of Boat Works Basin, on the Hood River waterfront, 10:20 to 10:40. This is the same spot where 3 overwintered in 2005-06 (SJ).
4 on 13 Nov., one HY and 3 adults (one a dull-plumaged adult, maybe a SY bird), again roosting in riparian along the shores of Boat Works Basin, at 14:45. I have checked these shores for night-herons several times, unsuccessfully, in the weeks following the 25 Sept. record (SJ).
2 on 14 Nov., at least one HY and one dull adult, Boat Works Basin, at 16:17 & 16:44 (SJ).
4 on 21 Nov., one HY and 3 adults, roosting along the shore of Boat Works Basin, at 15:13 (SJ).
3 on 1 Dec., one HY, 2 adults, Boat Works Basin…looks like they’re here for the winter (SJ).
Turkey Vulture –
7 on 24 Aug., six along Holmes Creek: one circling over the Laurel vicinity and 5 adults roosting in a big dead conifer snag a little further upstream at ~09:45. And one adult in flight along Trout Lake Hwy., 1.4 mi. e.se of the jct. with Sunnyside Rd., at ~14:45 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., overhead at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
8 on 30 Aug., over Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
2 on 2 Sept., flying n.nw. over hwy. 14 at MP 30.85, Skamania Co., WA, at ~14:25 (CJF).
1 on 4 Sept., circling over Hood R. n. of the pedestrian bridge, Hood River waterfront, mid-morning (SJ).
2 on 5 Sept., one in flight over I-84 just n.nw. of the Discovery Centre, at 07:46, and one in flight over the mouth of Threemile Creek, at ~17:10, both in The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
3 on 13 Sept., one flying to se. along Bickleton Hwy. just sw. of the jct. with Naught Rd., between Cleveland and Bickleton, ~09:15, and 2 flying w. on the w. side of S. Columbus Ave., s. of Goldendale, 1.7 mi. n. of the jct. with hwy. 97, at ~16:50 (BH, DL, SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., in flight over Spearfish L., just ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:21 (SJ).
68 on 16 Sept., reported from 9 of 10 sectors surveying birds for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 3; White Salmon, 7; Conboy Lake NWR, 7; Catherine Creek, 8; Klickitat R.-Lyle, 3; Spearfish L. subsector, 4; Goldendale west, 11; Goldendale east, 13; Bickleton-Cleveland, count week (see 13 Sept. above); Rock Creek, 6; and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 6 (see below).
6 on 16 Sept., flying w. over Alderdale Rd. at the mouth of Alder Creek, at 15:00, coming over the hills s. of Golgotha Butte, then angling w-nw. over the backwater lagoon, dropping down in altitude to circle very low over the s-se. flank of Alder Ridge (just n. of the stt powerline); lead bird has molt in its outer primaries (SJ).
Osprey –
2 on 24 Aug., perching on the Acorn Woodpecker granary tree at the Sondino site w. of Lyle (CJF).
2 on 29 Aug., bathing in shallows at sandbars off The Spit, Hood River waterfront, at ~08:45 or 09:00 (SJ).
4 on 30 Aug., along the n. side of the Columbia R. in the lower Gorge: 2 over the Columbia at St. Cloud Recr. Area and one near Skamania, in Skamania Co., and one over the Columbia near Washougal, Clark Co., WA (PW).
2 on 30 Aug., one flying low into the w. wind at tip of the sandspit on the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, ~10:35, and one perching atop a small tree on crest of the Klickitat R. bank at the undeveloped park 0.85 mi. n. of Lyle, at about noon (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., on utility pole just w. of Tunnel #1 along hwy 14, Skamania Co., WA, ~17:20 (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., calling/begging like a HY bird, along the Bingen riverfront, on nest on the stt at mouth of the V Cove, at the se. corner of SDS’s timber stacks, ~17:35 (SJ).
1 on 4 Sept., in flight e. to w. over the Columbia R. out at the n. tip of The Spit, Hood R. mouth along the Hood River waterfront, about mid-morning (SJ).
2 on 5 Sept., one with fish prey perching on dead top of willow at the MP 79 willow riparian stretch, on the n. side of hwy. I-84 and along the s. shore of the Columbia R., < 2 mi. e-se. of Rowena, and one in flight past the mouth of Threemile Creek, at the e. end of the Riverfront Park nature trail in The Dalles, both in Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
2 on 13 Sept., one over hwy 14 at the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle, at 06:34 (BH, SJ), and one carrying a fish, flying w. into stiff winds, n. above hwy. 14 a mile w. of the jct. with Rock Creek Rd., at ~15:45 (BH, DL, SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., total number found in 3 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: White Salmon, 1 (BS, JM, DG, RG); Catherine Creek, 1 (BH); and Spearfish L.-The Dalles Dam subsector, 2 (LW, DCR, MR).
1 on 24 Sept., seen in flight along the n. shore of the Columbia R., suddenly dove vertically and was quickly lost to view, just downriver from Stevenson, Skamania Co., WA, at 14:22. Seen from the car as we were driving e. on hwy. 14, abreast of Ashes L. (CJF, SJ).
1 on 29 Oct., Trout Lake NAP, seen “flapping about” the marsh from the w. side trail (JE, PM).
1 on 6 Nov. “I was at Eagle Creek [in Multnomah Co., OR]…Nov. 6th, and heard and saw an osprey (not seen previous weeks there) in the pouring rain and above the swollen river” (CJF).
Bald Eagle –
1 on 24 Aug., adult, circling over the e. end of Glenwood Millpond at ~14:10 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 20 Oct., heard-only, calling “whinnying” notes several times from vicinity of the Osprey nest above the n. side of hwy. 14 at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at 08:37. This is just nw. of net #8 (SJ).
1 on 23 Oct., HY bird, circling around oaks (just above treetop level) on the n. side of Hoctor Rd., immediately w. of the jct. with Oak Flat Rd., at 14:21. It made several aborted attempts to fly in to the ground or the oaks along the powerline, eventually opting to perch atop a low juniper s. of Hoctor Rd. This is along the ridge of the Columbia Hills IBA. As there were 25 ravens assembled here, it seems likely there was a carcass that the eagle was trying to access (DG, SJ).
1 on ?Nov., adult, on a frequently-used perch e. of Doug’s Beach State Park (CJF, SF).
2 on 2 Nov., pair of adults at / near the mouth of Eagle Creek, Multnomah Co., OR (CJF).
#? on 3 Nov., surveyed along the Klickitat R. between Lyle and Klickitat (CJF)
1 on 4 Nov., age? Franz Lake NWR, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); from Tweeters.
1 on 4 Nov., imm., about 3 yr. old, noted along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 21 Nov., adult, perching at top of big cottonwood at the ne. tip of Wells Is., along the Hood River waterfront, at 14:47. This is a usual perch for the pair that built the nearby nest, but this is the first one I’ve seen here this fall-winter (SJ).
Northern Harrier –
1 on 24 Aug., hunting HY bird, spins and pounces unsuccessfully, apparently trying for a juv. Spotted Sandpiper, at the inlet end of Glenwood Millpond, at ~13:25 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 12 Sept., adult female, hunting low over Conboy Lake NWR, flying w-sw. over BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd. at the Camas Ditch crossing, at 08:12 (BMcK, SJ).
4 on 13 Sept., male, n. side of Bickleton Hwy. in the Pleasant Valley, 0.4 mi. w. of the jct. with Old Mountain Rd.; female plumage bird flying to s-sw. along Ferguson Rd., ne. of Bickleton, 0.5 mi. w. of the jct. with Matsen Rd.; HY bird along the e. side of Sand Ridge Rd., 0.3 mi. s. of Bluelight; and a HY bird along Sand Ridge Rd., 0.3 mi. n. of the jct. with Hale Rd., nw. of Alderdale. Noted during a 132 mile loop drive through e. Klickitat Co., 07:25-16:20 (DL, BH, SJ).
1 on 25 Sept., HY bird, hunting low over the marshy margins of Bingen Pond, at 17:47 (SJ).
1 on 26 Sept., HY, likely same bird as on 9/25, perched on a dead willow shrub at the outlet end (sw. corner) of Bingen Pond, at 17:50 (SJ).
7 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR; observations confined to the Tygh Ridge Rd. – Old Tygh Rd. (2 males), Center Ridge Rd. (1 male, 1 female), and Long Hollow Rd. stretches (2 HY, 1 male) (CJF, SF).
15 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
6 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route. No rain and partly sunny skies (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
8 on 12 Nov., noted while running the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route. The weather was overcast and quite windy (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
6 on 17 Nov., noted while running the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route: 3 female-plumaged birds along Medler Lane (2) and Oehman Rd. (1), and 3 males along Hay Canon Rd. (TA, SJ).
Sharp-shinned Hawk –
1 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 7 Sept., chasing, several times, both a N. Flicker (that calls raspy “being harassed” series of notes) and a Steller’s Jay, in lodgepole pine snags distant to e.ne. of the Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 crossing of the South Prairie bog outlet stream, in Skamania Co., WA, at 08:40. Scoped: body bulk of the Accipitre seems < flicker’s—certainly Accipitre looks no larger, heavier than flicker (SJ).
1 on 12 Sept., flew up from roadside brush and circled low over Conboy Lake NWR along Hansen Rd., 0.18 mi. w. of the jct. with BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd., at ~10:00 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 5 Nov., adult, along hwy. 35 between Woodworth and Tollbridge roads, in the vicinity of Mt. Hood (community): found during the 4 hour, 65 mile Hood River winter raptor survey route, Hood River Co., OR (CJF, SF).
1 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 24 Nov., “…at Sams - Walker Rec. Area, just west of Skamania Landing,” in Skamania Co., WA (AK, KK).
1 on 27 Nov., email
from Goldendale: “At about 1300…as I was walking e. on
Broadway, between Columbus and Les Schwab's tire store, an adult
Sharp-shinned Hawk (bright reddish belly against the overcast sky)
flew overhead, S>N, toward the [Ekone] park/Little Klickitat
[River], up less than 15m--flitting along, like a deadly butterfly”
(DL).
Cooper’s Hawk –
1 on 16 Aug., HY bird, flew off from the L net at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, where it had killed and partially eaten a Warbling Vireo that was caught in the net near the center pole (SJ).
1 on 24 Aug., adult, harassed by Am. Kestrel just before it perches atop a dead conifer to sw. of the pumphouse at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 29 Aug., HY bird, next to the Hood River WTP, at e. end of Waucoma Basin, at 11:35. Flies in from ne. to perch atop a brush pile in which a small flock of House Sparrows are sheltering, clambers around from perch to perch, peering down into tangle where the sparrows lurk. Eventually, it simply perches in one spot for several minutes, holding it’s body in a very vertical posture, looking more relaxed, before finally moving off to the w. into brush at the e.se. corner of Waucoma Basin (SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, in unsuccessful pursuit of a flicker (PW).
1 on 8 Sept., HY bird, flew w. just above treetop level of the willows at net B, at the fall bird banding site, St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at 12:02 (PG, SJ).
2 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27. One along Shadybrook Rd. and one along Long Hollow Rd. (CJF, SF).
1 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 17 Nov., adult, along Van Gilder Rd., 0.4 mi. to s. of the jct. with hwy. 206, at ~15:40. Noted while conducting the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route (TA, SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., “…at Underwood, [Skamania Co., WA], trying to dry out on top of an oak” (AK, KK).
Northern Goshawk –
1 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
Accipitre, species? –
1 on 14 Sept., briefly seen, distant, in regenerating, patchy second growth s.sw. of Kreps’ corral along Barnedt Rd., in the Jewett Creek watershed at the ne. edge of White Salmon, at ~11:45. A couple Steller’s Jays are there in the treetops with it; also heard once the flicker call-series of notes that they give when being chased, harassed by Accipitres. This one seemed small, possibly a Sharp-shinned Hawk (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
Red-shouldered Hawk –
2 on ~5 or 6 Sept., continuing through 14 Sept., at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters: “There have been two Red-shouldered Hawks hanging around the refuge headquarters for a little over a week. I'm not positive but they both appear to be adults.” [from an e.mail on 14 Sept] (ML)
Red-tailed Hawk –
1 on 13 Sept., HY bird, perched on a fence post out in a field along Simcoe Mountain Rd., 2.5 mi. to n. of Centerville (BH, SJ).
5 on 13 Sept., adults, total number noted (casual observation, not a census) during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co. while scouting for the upcoming NAMC: 3 along Bickleton Hwy., one along Sand Ridge Rd. and one along Roosevelt Grade Rd. One of these, perched atop a shrub along a shallow side draw e. above Rock Creek canon, was repeatedly dive-bombed by a Prairie Falcon; this was just a little e. of Bickleton Hwy. (DL, BH, SJ).
33 on 4 Nov., adults, along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27 (CJF, SF).
26 on 4 Nov., “including ~3 very dark birds,” noted along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
6 on 5 Nov., found along the 4 hour, 65 mile Hood River winter raptor survey route, Hood River Co., OR; rain began at 12:30 (CJF, SF).
17 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route. No rain and partly sunny skies (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
3 on 12 Nov., “only!” three noted while running the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route. “…the weather was overcast and quite windy, which kept the numbers down” (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
30 on 17 Nov., one HY bird, the rest adults or age unknown, along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23. One of a pair near a nest along Hay Canon Rd. was very pale on the underparts, with only sparse fine streaking on the lower breast (TA, SJ).
Rough-legged Hawk –
16 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27. One of 3 along the stretch of hwy. 197 between MP 18.6 & MP 33 was a dark morph bird; the double back Center Ridge Rd. stretch produced the greatest total number of rough-legs: eight (CJF, SF).
9 on 4 Nov., including “one very dark bird,” noted along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
8 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route. No rain and partly sunny skies (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
9 on 12 Nov., noted while running the s. Gilliam Co. raptor survey route. The weather was overcast and quite windy (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
6 on 17 Nov., along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23. One adult male, one dark morph, one distant fly-by, the rest females or HY birds (TA, SJ).
1 on 29 Nov., off to the e. of Bates Rd., w. above Major Creek canon (DG).
Buteo, species ? –
2 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 15 Nov., in a treetop along Bates Rd., in Fred House’s yard: either a dark Harlan’s or a dark morph-type Red-tail. Has some creamy streaking on breast, also some pale mottling, markings on the wing coverts or scapulars; rectrices have a dark band at the tip but the rest of the tail is cloudy greyish (DG).
3 on 17 Nov., along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23 (TA, SJ).
Golden Eagle –
1 on 5 Sept., HY bird, flying w-nw over the n. slope of Sevenmile Hill, above I-84 at MP 78, at ~08:10. This is <1 mi. e-se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., subadult, hunting very low over the e. side of Spearfish L., moving s. at 12:21. Basal 2/3 of tail whitish, with blackish at tip—roughly the distal third (SJ).
1 on 10 Oct., subadult, soaring along the s. rim of Burdoin Mountain, n-ne. above the jct. Pine St. and E. Franklin St., Bingen, at ~13:35. There is a slight e. wind; it’s warm and sunny (JA, SJ).
2 on 4 Nov., imm. birds, along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27. One along the stretch of hwy. 197 between MP 18.6 & MP 33 = hwy 216 E, and one along hwy. 216 E. between MP 0 & MP 4 = state park (CJF, SF).
1 on 12 Nov., noted while running the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
American Kestrel –
2 on 7 Sept., perching on utility cable/wires along hwy 141, where there are fields on both sides of the road, 0.22 and 0.52 mi. to north of MP 10, between Husum and BZ Corner, at ~17:33 (SJ).
7 on 12 Sept., noted in long loop drive from White Salmon to BZ Corner to Conboy Lake NWR and Glenwood Millpond back to White Salmon via the Trout Lake Valley, 08:15 to 14:15. One at 421 BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd. at the Kreps’ ranch, in the Gilmer Valley. And in the Conboy Lake NWR area, one distant to ne. of the BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd. crossing of Camas Ditch; a male & 2HY along Hansen Rd.; and 2 along Kreps Lane, a male and one sex/age? (BMcK, SJ).
20 on 13 Sept., twenty singles noted in casual observation during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co., scouting for the upcoming NAMC (DL, BH, SJ).
1 on 3 Oct., male, in dead treetops at the se. corner of Bingen Pond, at 10:50 (SJ).
17 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27 (CJF, SF).
6 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
7 on 5 Nov., six males, one unsexed, found along the 4 hour, 65 mile Hood River winter raptor survey route, Hood River Co., OR; rain began at 12:30 (CJF, SF).
4 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
13 on 12 Nov., noted while running the s. Gilliam Co. raptor survey route (CK, PS); OBOL.
15 on 17 Nov., noted along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23. Two female, 7 male and 6 sex unknown (TA, SJ).
Merlin –
1 on 25 Sept., flew by, along the Hood River waterfront, putting up shorebirds at the Hood R. mouth, at 09:45. It flew nw. out to and beyond the sandbar slivers, then circled briefly way out over the Columbia R. (where it was seen in direct comparison with a flock of crows: falcon was brown-dark brown, with a tinge of grey on the back, and it was conspicuously smaller than the crows) before returning s.sw. to the s. shore in the vicinity of the Luhr-Jensen plant, e. of the Event Site. At first I thought it was a peregrine! (SJ)
1 on 10 Oct., flying ne. over E. Humboldt St. between Cherry and Cedar streets in Bingen, continuing ne. over the nw. corner of BSI, heading upslope at the base of Burdoin Mountain, at mid-day (JA, SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 15 Nov., flew up to perch in a treetop near their house, along Bates Rd. (DG).
1 on 27 Nov., male, at Rivendell, a home along the Glenwood Hwy. near the jct. with Counts Rd. and opposite the Klickitat Wildlife Area, at ~15:45. The “first Merlin here at my place” (TA).
Gyrfalcon –
1 on 30 Sept., a light-phased bird, reported near Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood (Audubon Society of Portland weekly rare bird report, gleaned from OBOL (fide HN).
Peregrine Falcon –
1 on 16 Sept., the only one found for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC was observed in the Trout Lake sector (DS, KK).
1 on 5 Oct., adult, bathing alongside a sandbar sliver off The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth; then it run-hopped and fluttered a few m. to perch on a big branch washed up on the sandbar, where it proceeded to preen, 11:26 to 11:40. It had a tawny-buff wash over the breast (SJ).
1 on 5 Nov., along Alexander Rd., ~ 2 mi. n. of Parkdale: found during the 4 hour, 65 mile Hood River winter raptor survey route, Hood River Co., OR (CJF. SF).
2 on 26 Nov., pair perching atop the stt at the se. corner of the SDS timber stacks along the Bingen riverfront, at 13:11. Male atop peak of the tower, female on the ne. insulator arm. Earlier, about 12:25, saw one make an unsuccessful stoop—I think trying for a Varied Thrush—at the se. corner of the Remnant Wetland (just n.ne. of The Lunch Grove); it came from the w.sw., U-turned and headed back sw. toward the river. First became aware of this stoop when I heard a sudden loud rush of wings, looked up and there it was careening down just over my head, close enough to wonder that I didn’t feel the bird’s wake! Could easily see the pale tawny wash on falcon’s underparts. One bird was still perched on the ne. insulator arm at 14:57 (SJ).
1 on 28 Nov., perched up overhead on the Hood River toll bridge (DG).
Prairie Falcon –
1 on 13 Sept., divebombing an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched atop a big bush along Bickleton Hwy., ~2.4 mile to se. above the Rock Creek crossing, before mid-morning (DL, BH, SJ).
1 on 13 or 14 Sept., at Conboy Lake NWR (ML).
2 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27. One along hwy. 216 between MP 0 & MP 4 (= state park), and one along the Tygh Ridge Rd. – Old Tygh Rd. stretch (CJF, SF).
1 on 4 Nov., along the 5.5 hour, 76.5 mile Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
2 on 11-12 Nov., noted while running the n. and the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey routes, one falcon observed each day, each route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
2 on 17 Nov., along the almost-8-hour, 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route: one along Dehler Rd., 1.1 mi. e. of the jct. with Beacon Lane, at ~12:48, and one along Crites Rd. at the jct. with Fraser Rd., at 14:07, each on utility pole top or cross arm (TA, SJ).
hawk, sp. –
3 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27 (CJF, SF).
1 on 17 Nov., along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23 (TA, SJ).
eagle, sp. –
1 on 4 Nov., along the 105 mile The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co., OR, from 10:05 to 16:27 (CJF, SF).
small falcon, sp. –
1 on 17 Nov., on utility pole s. above Rufus, along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23. Probably a kestrel, but Merlin not ruled out (TA, SJ).
Virginia Rail –
1 on 26 Sept., calling both the “oinking” series of notes and a piercing, loud “skeew!” squeal, from the small island overgrown with Bidens cernua (Nodding Beggar Ticks) in a pond at the Sondino tract s. of Old Hwy 8, w. of Lyle, at ~11:20 (BH, SJ).
1 on 3 Oct., heard calling the “oinking” series of notes, along s. side of Bingen Pond, 10:45 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., heard calling “oinking” series, e. side of Bingen Pond, at 16:54 (SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., twice heard calling “oinking” series in the distance along the n. side of Bingen Pond; heard from my position along N. Harbour Dr. at the ne. corner of the pond, at 16:50 (SJ).
American Coot –
1 on 29 Aug., adult, quiet waters in the se. corner of Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, foraging with flock of Mallard, at 11:20. First returning fall migrant (SJ).
5 on 30 Aug., in Franz Lake, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
11 on 3 Sept., along the Bingen riverfront: one in Bingen’s marina (CJF, SF), and 10 on Bingen Pond, at 17:35 (SJ).
9 on 4 Sept., s. shore of Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, mid-morning; at least 2 are adults, others look like HY birds, some nearly identical to adults (SJ).
18 on 15 Sept., backwater at e. side of the vegetated sandbar on e. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, at ~09:50. This is just off the w. shore of Lyle Point (BH, SJ).
9 on 15 Sept., at the n. end of Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:30 (SJ).
148 on 2 Oct., in confluence waters at the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle, at ~09:45 (SJ).
3 on 2 Oct., settling pond for the aluminum plant at ne. corner of Klindt Dr. and River Rd., The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR , at ~14:10 (SJ).
500 on 5 Oct., counted in Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 14:20 (SJ).
115 on 25 Oct., off The Hook, Hood River waterfront, 17:50 to 18:20 (SJ).
1055 on 1 Nov., in big rafts (85, 95, 500 & 375) along the Bingen riverfront, from The Lunch Grove w. to the V Cove, from 17:00 to 17:10 (SJ).
415 on 3 Nov., along a portion of Bingen’s riverfront: 400 just e. of the marina’s mouth, at 15:25, and 14 to w. of the marina’s mouth and of the rock islet closeby there, at ~16:00 (SJ).
205 on 9 Nov., above The Dalles Dam: 65 at the n. end in Klickitat Co., 140 at the s. end in Wasco Co. (BMcK, SJ).
Sandhill Crane –
>1 on 24 Aug., heard-only, calling distant to s. of the manager’s house at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters, at ~10:20 (BMcK, SJ).
3 on 12 Sept., scoped in the distance to s. of the parking lot at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters, foraging together in grassland, at 12:18. May have been a pair with their adult-sized colt, apparently n. of Kreps Lane? (BMcK, SJ).
Semipalmated Plover –
1 on 5 Sept., on the small mudflat at the ne. shore of “billboard basin,” associating with 2 Killdeer, at 16:40. This basin is situated at the mouth of Threemile Creek and it’s at the e. end of the Riverfront Park nature trail in The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
Killdeer –
13 on 29 Aug., eight at The Spit and 5 at the WTP, along the Hood River waterfront (SJ).
14 on 25 Sept., at The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, mid- to late morning (SJ).
20 on 5 Oct., count 18 on The Spit, at 13:30, and 2 on the lawn at the Hood River WTP, at ~15:20, all along the Hood River waterfront (SJ).
30 on 9 Oct., stony ne. margin of The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, at 17:11 (SJ).
2 on 13 Nov., on the lawn at the Hood River WTP, at __:__. There is very little mud- and sandflat habitat available at the Hood R. mouth, due to very high water levels, so Killdeer may well have moved inland to avail themselves of the rain-soaked habitat provided by local pastures and fields. The big sandbar off The Spit is covered with much tree-debris washed downriver(SJ).
1 on 26 Nov., calling, in high flight over the vacant “industrial park” land between Bingen Pond and the marina, heading se., at 14:31. Perhaps on the move due to the first big snow of the winter in the uplands above the river valley; at least 1 ½ inches fell in Bingen last night (SJ).
Spotted Sandpiper –
2 on 25 Aug., along the n. shore of the Columbia R. at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PG, CJF, SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., along the WA side of the Columbia R. in the Dallesport vicinity; noted before passing navigation marker 64 while enroute downriver from The Dalles to Bingen (CJF, SF).
“peep” –
15 on 29 Aug., foraging on distant sandbar sliver off The Spit, at the Hood River mouth; this flock may include the 2 Western and 6 Leasts seen closerby a bit later (SJ).
3 on 30 Aug., flush from the spit at w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, ~10:30 (SJ).
32 on 4 Sept., along e. shore of sandbars at the Hood River mouth; fifteen of this flock crossed over mouth to forage along the w. shore, nearer me, and I identified them as Westerns and Leasts; see below (SJ).
?? 1 on 7 Sept., heard-only, calls that sounded like a “peep” in flight over South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at ~10:40. Did not sound like a Spotted Sandpiper. Nonetheless, this I.D. is questionable (SJ).
Semipalmated Sandpiper –
1 on 4 Sept., foraging with 4 Leasts and a Western, on the stony mudbar just downstream from the pedestrian bridge crossing the Hood R. at the Hood River County Historical Museum, in late morning, ~11:05. Bill about same length as head with blunt tip, legs dusky-slate; no rust on scapulars; lower, more squat foraging posture—Western looks longer-legged. Re-encountered downriver a little further, on mudbar below the n. end of fire lane, e. side of the river, 11:10 (SJ).
Western Sandpiper –
2 on 29 Aug., HY, w. side of the Hood River mouth at The Spit, 08:30 (SJ).
4 on 4 Sept., at the Hood River mouth, The Spit, early-mid-morning (SJ).
Least Sandpiper –
6 on 29 Aug., HY birds, Hood River mouth at The Spit, 08:30 (SJ).
11 on 4 Sept., on The Spit at the Hood R. mouth, early-mid-morning (SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., calling, flew in to the sandspit at the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, at Lyle, at 08:46 (BH, SJ).
3 on 25 Sept., on The Spit at the Hood R. mouth, mid-morning (SJ).
1 on 26 Sept., sandbar at w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, with a Killdeer, at 15:45 (SJ).
2 on 5 Oct., on The Spit, along the w. side of the Hood River mouth, at 13:00 (SJ).
1 on 9 Oct., along the stony e-ne. margin of The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, loosely associated with 30 Killdeer and a Dunlin, at 17:11 (SJ).
Baird’s Sandpiper –
1 on 15 Sept., HY bird, foraging along the sandspit at the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, at Lyle, at 08:44 (BH, SJ).
Dunlin –
1 on 9 Oct., b.p., foraging at stony ne. margin of The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, with 30 Killdeer and a Least, at 17:11 (SJ).
1 on 25 Oct., b.p., same spot as 9 Oct. bird aforementioned, with loafing gulls, at ~13:30 (SJ).
4 on 30 Oct., b.p., foraging at the same spot as 9 Oct., at 16:30 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., b.p., foraging on sandflat at The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along with a couple Killdeer and 54 pipits, at ~13:00 (SJ).
Wilson’s Snipe –
2 on 26 Nov., one flushed from the nw. corner of the Remnant Wetland, at 12:34, and one was seen flying in big circles over the ne. shore of Bingen Pond, at 14:09, both along the Bingen riverfront. At least 1 ½ inches of snow fell last night in Bingen, the first of the winter (SJ).
Bonaparte’s Gull –
1 on 9 Sept., below McNary Dam, Umatilla Co., OR (JW). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 13 Sept., b.p. adult, loafing on rocks just offshore the n. side of the Columbia R., scoped from Roosevelt Ferry Rd., s. of the Roosevelt WTP, at 15:05. Associating with half a dozen Ring-billed and 83 California gulls, at 15:05 (BH, DL, SJ).
1 on 2 Oct., b.p. adult, along the n. shore of the Columbia R. at the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle, at ~09:45 (SJ).
2 on 7 Oct., b.p. adults, along the n. shore of the Columbia R. at the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, Lyle, at 17:45 (SJ).
1 on 8 Oct, b.p. adult, methodically fishing (aerially) along the n. side of The Hook, Hood River waterfront (JA).
2 on 21 Oct., b.p. adults, same spot as the two seen on 7 Oct. (see above) at 17:15 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., b.p. adult, out on the shore of an offshore sandbar at The Spit, Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront; later it was swimming out further to the ne., dipping frequently to pick “prey” from the water surface, like a phalarope (but no spinning). Observed on and off over the course of an hour—12:15 to 13:15 (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., Columbia R. below Bonneville Dam, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK).
>15 on 9 Nov., on the Columbia R. below John Day Dam, Sherman Co., OR, at ~12:35. At least one, scoped with Celestron, was a HY bird (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 13 Nov., adult, at the mouth of Boat Works Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, loafing with a bunch of other gulls on small sand bars at the e. side of the mouth, at 14:55. Later saw it swimming way out in the Columbia R. to n. of the nw. corner of The Hook (SJ).
20 on 24 Nov., “…below Bonneville Dam (northmost dam),” Skamania Co., WA (AK, KK).
Heermann’s Gull –
1 on 14 Nov., adult in nonbreeding plumage, loafing with 50-60+ other gulls along the w. shore of the big sandbar on the e. side of the confluence channel at the Klickitat R. mouth. It was first noted at 13:10, at which point I jotted down the following field notes, scoping (22x wide angle) from the w. side of the channel, about 125 m. from the side lit bird; bright light, wan sun, no wind.
Overall, a sooty-slaty grey gull with a bright, blood red bill that has a black tip. Head, neck and underparts sooty grey. When head is held at certain angles, it looks like sides of head (auricular, eyeline and superciliary area) are slightly darker, but when facing toward the light, these areas look similar to rest of head; that said, nape, forehead and area on sides of neck below auricular look somewhat paler in certain light, possibly lighter than breast. White crescents conspicuous below and above eye. Mantle (back, scapulars and wing coverts) of standing bird slaty, conspicuously darker than head and underparts. Primaries very dark slaty, look blackish. Conspicuous wide white tips to secondaries form a vertical crescent on folded wing, between blackish primaries and the slaty mantle, plus there’s a conspicuous white spot higher up on the inner folded wing (scapular tip?). Cannot see tail well; it looks blackish. Legs black.
Bird looks dozey, so at 13:33 walk back up to the car and drive on up to see if Bob Hansen is able to come down for a look. We arrive at the rivermouth overlook at 14:00 and scope from there: gull’s still present. Walk out on the sandbar and again scope across the confluence channel. This time, when Heermann’s is standing closeby a Mew, note that the former looks equal to, or possibly slightly smaller than, size of the latter. Californias are definitely bulkier, larger. Attempts to digiscope gull failed. All at once, at 14:28, perhaps ¼ of the gulls suddenly flew up and off, including the Heermann’s. At this point I see that tail is black with conspicuous white tips to the rectrices. It flew sw. out toward the s. side of the river, possibly entering Wasco Co., OR, waters, and then headed downstream (BH, SJ).
Extremely gusty winds blew up the Columbia during the last storm, possibly delivering this coastal migrant to Klickitat Co. to become the second record; the first was a bird seen at Roosevelt about a decade ago.
Later in the afternoon, before completing an errand in Hood River, I stopped at both sides of the Hood R. mouth to check the gull flocks there for Heermann’s, but did not see one. Scanned flocks for half an hour, from 16:30 to 17:05, dusk (SJ).
Mew Gull –
1 on 26 Sept., adult, loafing with about 30 other gulls on the sandbar at the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, at 15:25 (SJ).
1 on 29 Oct., adult, loafing with 84 gulls at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 14:35 (SJ).
5 on 29 Oct., adults, loafing with 270 gulls on rocky islets below the w. side of The Dalles (hwy. 197) bridge over the Columbia R., Wasco Co., OR, at 16:30 (SJ).
4 on 3 Nov., adults, low water sandbar on the w. side of the Hood R. mouth, on The Spit, along the Hood River waterfront, at 12:40 (SJ).
2 on 4 Nov., an adult & a HY, atop the wall on s. side of the locks, upriver side of The Dalles Dam, Klickitat Co., WA, 14:40 to 15:30 (SJ).
8-12 on 13 Nov., along the Hood River waterfront: minimum number = 8, all counted on little sand bars at the e. side of the mouth of Boat Works Basin (one is a subadult bird), at 15:00. A little earlier, two adults were seen on the nearshore sandflat off the swim beach on the e. side of the Hood R. mouth, at 13:35, and 2 adults were foraging on the lawn e. of the Hood River Co. Historical Museum, with many ring-bills and several Californias, at 14:00 (SJ).
2 on 14 Nov., at least 2 at the Klickitat R. mouth, loafing with 50-60 gulls, at 13:10 (SJ), with at least one still present at 14:20 (BH, SJ).
4 on 14 Nov., on little sandbars at e. side of the mouth of Boat Works Basin at 16:30. Other/s were present at the s. shore of the sandbar island off The Spit, at the w. side of the Hood R. mouth, but I was intent on scanning for Heermann’s and losing light fast, so did not take the time to make a careful count. Yet more gulls on the sandbar island off the e. side of the rivermouth were too distant to pull out Mews. Altogether, there were 400 some gulls assembled at the Hood R. mouth by dusk.
5 on 21 Nov., one HY and 4 adults, on extensive mudflat at e.ne shore of Waucoma Basin along the Hood River waterfront, at 14:59. Very low water level exposed the mudflat; usually there is almost no mudflat here (SJ).
Ring-billed Gull –
29 on 29 Aug., including 3 HY birds, at The Spit (27) and on log raft off the Luhr Jensen plant (2), Hood River waterfront, ~09:30 to 10:00 (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., adults, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:35 (SJ).
2 on 4 Sept., adult and HY, at the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, mid-morning (SJ).
4 on 5 Sept., at the Klickitat R. mouth, scoped from car window at the overlook, 17:40 (SJ).
2 on 10 Sept., adults, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at se. tip of the w. side sandspit, at 17:30 (SJ).
6 on 13 Sept., on rocks just offshore the n. side of the Columbia R., scoped from Roosevelt Ferry Rd., Roosevelt, at 15:05 (BH. DL, SJ).
2 on 15 Sept., adults, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 09:00 (BH, SJ).
4 on 2 Oct., adults, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:25 (SJ).
6 on 5 Oct., one a HY bird, loafing at the Hood R. mouth, at 17:30 (SJ).
1 on 7 Oct., adult, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 17:45 (SJ).
18 on 9 Oct., including 5 HY birds, loafing at e. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 17:45 (SJ).
1 on 21 Oct., adult, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 17:15 (SJ).
30 on 25 Oct., including 2 HY, at the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, at ~13:30 (SJ).
5 on 29 Oct., including 1 HY & 1 SY, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 14:30 (SJ).
24 on 29 Oct., including 2 HY birds, on rocky islets below The Dalles (hwy. 197) bridge over the Columbia R., Wasco Co., OR, along with 254 other gulls, at 16:30 (SJ).
California Gull –
77 on 29 Aug., including 15 HY and 4 SY birds, at The Spit (72) and off the base of The Hook (5), Hood River waterfront, ~09:30 & ~11:20 (SJ).
63 on 30 Aug., including 2 HY and 12 SY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:35 (SJ).
52 on 4 Sept., including 11 HY, 1 SY birds, loafing on sandbar off e. side of the Hood R. mouth (43) and at e-ne. margin of sandbar on w. side of river mouth (9), at mid-morning (SJ).
35 on 5 Sept., at the Klickitat R. mouth, scoped from car window at the overlook, 17:40 (SJ).
35 on 10 Sept., including 4 HY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 17:30 (SJ).
83 on 13 Sept., on rocks just offshore the n. side of the Columbia R., scoped from Roosevelt Ferry Rd., Roosevelt, at 15:05 (BH, DL, SJ).
38 on 15 Sept., including at least 2 HY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 09:00 (BH, SJ).
44 on 2 Oct., including 7 HY and 2 SY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:25 (SJ).
34 on 5 Oct., including 2 HY, loafing at the Hood R. mouth, at 17:30 (SJ).
24 on 7 Oct., including at least 3 HY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, 17:45 (SJ).
42 on 9 Oct., including 2 HY, at the Hood R. mouth (e. side), Hood River waterfront, 17:45 (SJ).
26 on 25 Oct., no HY birds, at the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, at ~13:30 (SJ).
64 on 29 Oct., including 1 HY bird, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 14:30 (SJ).
230 on 29 Oct., including 3 HY, loafing on the rocky islets below the w. side of The Dalles (hwy. 197) bridge over the Columbia R., Wasco Co., OR, at 16:30 (SJ).
Thayer’s Gull –
1 on 4 Nov., adult, at the pier along the Stevenson waterfront, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); gleaned from Tweeters.
1 on 24 Nov., “one adult…below Bonneville Dam, [Skamania Co., WA] - may be the same bird I observed at Stevenson on Nov. 4” (AK, KK).
Herring Gull –
3 on 25 Oct., 2 adult, 1 HY, scoped on a sandbar at the e. side of the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, at ~13:30 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., adult, on The Spit, Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, 12:35 (SJ).
2 on 13 Nov., adults, on the nearshore sandflat just off the swim beach on the e. side of the Hood R. mouth, at 13:35 (SJ).
2 on 14 Nov., adults, at w. shore of the big sandbar on e. side of the confluence channel at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 13:20 (SJ).
2 on 21 Nov., adults, s.se. shore of the island off The Spit, at the Hood R. mouth, at 15:20 (SJ).
Western Gull –
1 on 10 Sept., SY bird?, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at se. tip of the w. side sandspit, at 17:30. It may be a 1st winter bird (SJ).
2 on 2 Oct., HY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, w. side sandbar, loafing with gull flock, at 10:25. It is possible that they might be Herring Gulls?? (SJ).
1 on 9 Oct., HY bird, at e. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 17:45. Might be a Herring?? (SJ).
Glaucous-winged Gull –
1 on 29 Aug., loafing at The Spit, Hood River waterfront, ~09:30 (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., adults, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:35 (SJ).
3 or 4 on 4 Sept., loafing with Calif. and Ring-billed gulls at the Hood R. mouth, ~ 09:45 (SJ).
>1 on 5 Sept., at the Klickitat R. mouth, scoped from car window at the overlook, at 17:40 (SJ).
1 on 10 Sept., HY bird flying off to sw. from Klickitat R. mouth, at ~17:10 (SJ).
2 on 15 Sept., adults, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 09:00 (BH, SJ).
20 on 5 Oct., loafing at the Hood R. mouth, at 17:30. Some are undoubtedly hybrids (SJ).
13 on 7 Oct., including some hybrids, loafing at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 17:45 (SJ).
19 on 9 Oct., loafing at the Hood R. mouth, at 17:45. All but 4 are out on distant sandbar sliver, scoped; the 4 are on the e. side with the smaller gulls (SJ).
23 on 25 Oct., including hybrids, at the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, 13:30 (SJ).
13 on 29 Oct., including hybrids, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 14:30 (SJ).
17 on 29 Oct., including hybrids, rocky islets and shelf below The Dalles (hwy.197) bridge over the Columbia R., Wasco Co., OR, at 16:15 (SJ).
42 on 30 Oct., including hybrids, at the Hood R. mouth, at 16:30 (SJ).
Caspian Tern –
2 on 29 Aug., adult & HY, at The Spit, Hood River waterfront, 09:30 (SJ).
4 on 30 Aug., two adults tending two HY birds, at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 10:30. The latter are not siblings; one has vivid markings on the mantle and short wings, while the other has more faded markings on the mantle and it’s wings are equal in length to the adults, a more mature HY bird (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., seen in flight along the Mosier riverfront, Wasco Co., OR, while boating on the Columbia R. (CJF, SF).
1 on 4 Sept., alternate plumage adult, loafing at the Hood River mouth, mid-morning (SJ).
1 on 5 Sept., heard-only, calling in flight along the MP 79 stretch of I-84, possibly over the lake on the s. side of the hwy.; heard twice in the course of the morning. This is >2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
Common Tern –
19 on 9 Sept., below McNary Dam, Umatilla Co., OR (JW); this is upriver beyond the e. boundary of the “Columbia River Gorge” for the purposes of this phenology. Gleaned from OBOL.
7 on 15 Sept., loafing together on the w. side sandbar at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 08:12. Three of these have white foreheads, one has a tiny bit of white there and the others still have entirely black crowns, alternate plumage (BH, SJ).
2 on 16 Sept., singles, along the n. shore of the Columbia R.: one HY flying close to shore off Roosevelt Ferry Rd., s. of the Roosevelt WTP, at ~09:30, and one HY further upstream, flying close to and perched on little rocks sticking up out of the atoll-like “lagoon” encircled by narrow, brushy islands at the East McCredie RR siding, with 10 cormorants and 2 Glaucous-winged Gulls, at ~14:30. These birds were 11.1 mi. apart (SJ).
Forster’s Tern –
1 on 9 Sept., below McNary Dam, Umatilla Co., OR (JW). Gleaned from OBOL. This is upriver a ways beyond the nw. corner of Morrow Co.—that is, beyond “the e. end of the Columbia Gorge” for the purposes of this phenology.
Band-tailed Pigeon –
4 on 26 Aug., two fly over high up, going s.; one flies over headed nw; and one heard-only, cooing, in canopy of big cottonwood in grove of the same. Courtship was noted in this same grove a month earlier, on 27 July, in Trout Lake NAP (SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., atop fir near Franz L., Skamania Co., WA (PW).
2 on 2 Sept., flew by net B, heading se., at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at ~13:05 (PG).
6 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 7 Sept., in high flight over the Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 crossing of the South Prairie bog outlet stream, Skamania Co., WA, heading sw. at ~09:00 (SJ).
21 on 16 Sept., found in 2 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 9 (DS, KK); White Salmon, 12 (BS, JM, DG, RG).
Eurasian Collared-Dove –
13 on 21 Aug., “…at and near the
grain silos in Goldendale, Klickitat County, WA, [in the] afternoon,
between 5 and 6 pm. Dan had first observed the species on March 8th,
2006...a Klickitat County first. He later observed a second
collared-dove and continued to hear and see them, including one
copulation, continuously for the past 5 months. I visited [Dan]
yesterday to photograph [the doves] as well as add them to my county
list.
We went to the tall, concrete, grain silos in
Goldendale and saw, within minutes, a pair of adults with an immature
bird. Then we began seeing them in a variety of places including on
the ground, on telephone wires and poles, in flight, and on the roof
top members of the silos. The most we saw at one time were 13. Some
of the photos I took…show the unusual tail feather pattern
observed on all the birds when in flight.” (DL, BH).
1 on 24 Aug., “...at the Goldendale grain elevators. It was feeding on the ground in the shade on the north side of the elevators, and flew up to a telephone pole, [at ~14:00]. After about a minute it flew off over the houses to the north. We searched for it or a roost for a few minutes with no luck.” (PMa) Gleaned from Tweeters.
1 on 11 Sept., “foraging on the edge of the lane, out back, at 13:00,” e. of N. Columbus Ave. between the Little Klickitat R. bridge and Broadway St./hwy. 142 in Goldendale (DL).
13 on 13 Sept., foraging together on the ground at the grain elevators between Brooks St. and Railroad Ave. in Goldendale, at 16:15 (DL, BH, SJ).
3 on 16 Sept., found in Goldendale for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (NW, GW).
1 on 6 Oct., along N. Columbus Ave. between the Little Klickitat R. bridge and hwy. 142, in Goldendale: “As the Fall season progresses, and White-crowned Sparrows, Oregon Juncos and Song Sparrows appear, I start putting out a seed and crushed corn mix strewn on the patio. This novelty usually also gets the attention of W. Scrub-Jays, after they've finished off the peanuts. As I was watching a scrub-jay peck away at the tiny seeds, an Eurasian Collared-Dove dropped from the roof, spooking the jay to take flight, and going to work on the seeds. Usually the scrub-jay causes the smaller birds to move off and takes the king-of-the-roost role.” (DL).
Mourning Dove –
2 on 5 Sept., fly by along the s. shore of the Columbia R. and the adjacent RR tracks, at MP 78.5 of hwy. I-84; this is ~1.75 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
100 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 9 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 2; White Salmon, 6; Conboy Lake NWR, 0; Catherine Creek, 1; Klickitat R.-Lyle, 5; Goldendale west, 2; Goldendale east, 1; Cleveland-Bickleton, 68 (DL); Rock Creek, 7; and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 8.
40 on 23 Oct., flush from trees at an abandoned homesite along Goodnoe Station Rd., 0.82 mi. s. of the jct. with Imrie Rd., in the Goodnoe Hills, at the e. end of the Columbia Hills IBA, at 13:22 (DG, SJ).
75 on 17 Nov., flushed from weedy roadside along Mud Hollow Rd., Sherman Co., OR, just n. of the big grain elevator; they flew s. along the road ahead of us; counted 75 in a tree at w. side of the road closeby a farmyard, at ~15:35. The only other Morning Dove we saw along the 98.8 mi. northern Sherman Co. raptor survey route was a single along old Hwy. 30 just w. of (0.7 mi.) the jct. with hwy 97 in Biggs Junction (TA, SJ).
Barn Owl –
1 on 28 Aug., in flight over the Bingen riverfront, at ~22:00 (CJF, SF).
1 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
Western Screech-Owl –
1 on 26 Nov., “…early Sunday morning the night the first snow fell (at 03:13, 26 Nov.’06) when a W. Screech-Owl awoke me calling outside of our w. bedroom window,” along NE Academy St., White Salmon (PM).
Great Horned Owl –
1 on 28 Aug., HY bird, calling, on Eighteenmile Island out in the Columbia R. in Wasco Co., OR, at __:__ (CJF, SF).
2 on 1 Sept., along Pine St. between E. Franklin and E. Humboldt streets, Bingen , at 20:00. One was calling the “shieek!” notes of a HY bird. Two were seen in flight, one half a minute after the other, going s. to perch in a big pine near the se. corner of Pine and E. Humboldt streets; moments after the second bird alights, one takes flight again, this time heading n-nw. over Pine St. moving on ito the oak-pine wood skirting the s. base of Burdoin Mountain (SJ).
1 on 2 Sept., HY bird, heard-only, calling over and over again in the big pine at the se. corner of E. Humboldt and Cedar streets, Bingen, at 04:55. Very likely this is the same HY bird that was active one block to the e. yesterday evening (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., heard-only, calling w. above Major Creek and just n. of Old Hwy 8, at 22:45. A bit later heard calling closerby, to e-ne. of Major Creek Rd. a little n. of Old Hwy 8 (MD, JD, CJF, SJ).
1 on 13 Sept., in flight s. from building at abandoned ranchyard along Sand Ridge Rd. just s. of the jct. with Van Horn Rd., in far eastern Klickitat Co., at 11:04 (BH, DL, SJ).
1 on 2 Nov., heard-only, calling from the s. slope of Burdoin Mountain, upslope to n.ne. of the BSI hostel bldg. and above E. Franklin St., Bingen, at 03:30 (SJ).
2 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 17 Nov., in the subcanopy of a good-sized grove of trees along the w. side of Van Gilder Rd., one mi. n. of the jct. with Foss Ln., at ~15:45, the only one noted during the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23 (TA, SJ).
Northern Pygmy-Owl –
1 on 15 Nov., “close to the top” of Larch Mountain, at / near the end of the road, Multnomah Co., OR; there was quite a bit of snow above MP 11 (KT, AT). Gleaned from OBOL.
Great Grey Owl –
1 on 2 Sept., “flushed…near the intersection of Hwy 26 & 35, above Sahalie Falls [on Mt. Hood]. Go about a mile up the trail (that starts at the falls); the owl was about 100' before the place where the trail reaches a T.” (IT). Gleaned from OBOL.
Short-eared Owl –
1 on 11 Nov., noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 27 Nov., “was working the fields at the Steigerwald Lake NWR, [Clark Co., WA,] when I delivered some plants there for a habitat restoration project. This bird would be visible from Highway 14 at milepost 18.8, there is a wide pull-off just past the railroad overpass” (WC); gleaned from OBOL.
Common Nighthawk –
15 on 3 Aug., at least 15 in flight over the pond at South Prairie, on the e. side of GPNF Rd. 66, Skamania Co., WA, at ~11:15. Several dip down to drink. One present at 12:10, with swallows, viewed from rutted rd. along n. side of the pond (BMcK, SJ).
8 on 5 Aug., circling briefly, moving se. over the Wigwam Woods trail, Bates Rd., at 09:45. A bit later see one fly over going e. to w. At 10:10 one calling “peent” notes flies over—heard “peent” call several times, possibly from more than one bird (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., along Cloud Cap Rd. on Mt. Hood, Hood River Co., OR (SF).
Black Swift –
4 on 30 Aug., “…overhead at St. Cloud Ranch [St. Cloud Recreation Area] hawking insects above 3 dozen Violet-green and a few Barn swallows…the best birds in Skamania Co. for us. We…started birding along SR 14 about 11 a.m. The weather was unsettled early, mixed clouds with sunbreaks, and periods of drizzle in the Columbia Gorge. The temperature varied from the upper-50s early to about 70 by mid-afternoon. In Skamania Co. we spent most of our time at two sites: St. Cloud Ranch at milepost 29.9, a birdy old apple orchard on the Columbia, and the Franz Lake Overlook on SR 14 at Milepost 31.5…” (PW). Gleaned from Tweeters.
Vaux’s Swift –
5 on 30 Aug., foraging at low altitude in 3 spots: one foraging at the viewpoint along Fisher Hill Rd. that overlooks the Klickitat R. canyon (and hwy. 142 between MP 6 and the mouth of Dillacort Canyon), at 13:05. Three over fields adjacent Pleasant Hill Cemetery, further n. along Fisher Hill Rd., at ~14:30. And 1 over meadow/field at 1036 Canyon Rd., at ~15:00 (SJ).
2 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
~30 on 3 Sept., circling over the downtown White Salmon area, n. of E. Jewett Blvd. between NE Wauna and NE Pioneer avenues, and at one point moving w-nw. to the vicinity of NW Garfield St., in late evening, pre-dusk; there is a roost in the church chimney along NE Pioneer (SF, CJF).
1 on 13 Sept., flying at eye level along the Bickleton Hwy. switchback grade, s. above the Rock Creek crossing, before mid-morning (DL, BH, SJ).
8 on 16 Sept., found in 4 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 2 (DS, KK); White Salmon, 4 (BS, JM, DG, RG); Catherine Creek, 1 (BH); Roosevelt-Alderdale, 1. The Roosevelt-Alderdale sector bird was seen in flight with swallows over the Sundale treaty fishing access site, at 08:13 (SJ).
Black-chinned Hummingbird –
1 on 3 Aug., female or imm., visiting flowers of Stachys cooleyae (Great Hedge-nettle) along GPNF Rd. 66, closeby the outlet from South Prairie bog, Skamania Co., WA , at ~11:45. Has white spot behind the eye, a clean white throat / gorget with no dark central spot, green back, and no rufous or buff in spread tail or on sides: Good close viewing (SJ).
Anna’s Hummingbird –
1 on 26 Sept., male, perched on feeder and later heard singing in a yard along Johnson Rd., Lyle, in the early afternoon; at one point 2 hummingbirds chased in this yard (PE, BH, SJ).
1 on 6 Oct., female plumaged bird with large triangle of magenta at base of gorget/throat, flecked with pale fringes, visiting salvia flowers in the courtyard garden, then moving sw. to salvia (annual and perennial) alongside the steps coming up from the parking lot at BSI, Bingen, 14:55 to 15:00 (SJ).
1 on 10 Oct., likely the same bird as on the 6th: same plumage, anyhow. Again visiting annual salvia blossoms in the rock garden alongside the steps at BSI, Bingen, at mid-day (JA, SJ).
2 on 24 Oct., calling, one chasing the other around the rock garden alongside the steps at BSI, Bingen, one apparently defending the abundance of blooming salvia from an interloper, at 14:35. Both were female or imm. birds; one visited a rose-coloured hollyhock blossom, sipping at several points around the base of the bloom and then took two stabs at magenta cleome blossoms before moving on to the preferred salvia (SJ).
1 on 8 Nov., female-plumaged bird, along the s. side of hwy. 141, just upslope from the jct. with Lois Lane (pvt.), Bingen, at ~14:40. Hummingbird investigating half a dozen scolding, mobbing scrub-jays that have responded to my pygmy-owl imitations (SJ).
2 on 11 Nov., visited feeders in a yard along Johnson Rd., Lyle, where Anna’s are regular visitors (PE).
Rufous Hummingbird –
3 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
hummingbird, sp. –
1 on 5 Sept., in mature willow riparian along the n. side of hwy. I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR, at ~ mid-morning (SJ).
1 on 14 Sept., arced up above second-growth trees w. of Kreps’ corral, along Barnedt Rd. in the Jewett Creek corridor at the ne. edge of White Salmon—probably an Anna’s, but too distant to be certain of I.D., at ~11:45 (SJ).
Lewis’s Woodpecker –
None on 24 Aug., at Rowena Dell, Wasco Co., OR, during acorn survey of the oaks there, usually a good spot for this species (CJF).
10 on 13 Sept., total number found during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co. while scouting for the upcoming NAMC. All (2, 1, 1, 4, 1, 1 = 10) were seen while driving Bickleton Hwy. between Goldendale and Bickleton early in the morning (DL, BH, SJ).
59 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 5 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: 17 in the Catherine Creek sector (BH, JM, et al), 8 in the Klickitat R. sector (RD, KP, TD), 15 in the Goldendale (west) sector (CH, TH), 14 in the Bickleton-Cleveland sector (DL), and 5 in the Rock Creek sector (DSt, JL).
1 on 22 Oct., along lower Hoctor Rd., in the Columbia Hills IBA, noted while covering the nw. sector for the Fall raptor survey (DL).
2 on 23 Oct., sallying out for insects from dead Lombardy poplars at the pond along Dalles Mountain Rd., at the abandoned Dalles Mountain Ranch yard, in the Columbia Hills IBA, at ~16:20 (DG, SJ).
2 on 23 Oct., on utility poles and oak tops along Oak Creek Rd., on the lower s. slope of the Columbia Hills IBA, at ~16:40 (DG, SJ).
5 or 6 on 3 Nov., along Dodson Rd., w. of Wamic and sw. of Pine Grove reservoir (after a right turn where Dodson Rd. turns to gravel, heading toward the game management area), in Wasco Co., OR, “flying among the oak trees” (LMcA, SB); gleaned from OBOL.
~50 on 4 Nov., noted while running the Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR, (DLu, CC). Gleaned from OBOL.
Acorn Woodpecker –
None on 24 Aug., at the traditional Sondino site, w. of Lyle, while conducting an acorn survey of the oaks there (CJF).
2 on 16 Sept., at the Sondino site, w. of Lyle, for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (BH, et al).
2 on 26 Sept., at the Sondino site, w. of Lyle. One seen in the granary tree and a second heard-only, simultaneously calling in nearby oaks, at 11:17 (BH, SJ).
Red-breasted Sapsucker –
4 on 16 Sept., counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 2 in the Trout Lake sector (DS, KK), 1 in the Conboy L. NWR sector (JH, RR), and 1 in the Catherine Creek sector (BH, et al).
1 on 26 Sept., in a locust tree in a yard along Johnson Rd., Lyle, at ~13:20 (PE, BH, SJ).
1 on 11 Nov., on a utility pole along the n.ne. side of hwy. 141 at the jct. with SE Oak St., White Salmon, calling peevish-sounding “mewing” notes. In a bit, sapsucker flies down to elm saplings across the hwy., one of which has seeping sap wells, at 14:16. This is just nw. of the Jewett Creek crossing (SJ).
Sapsucker, sp. –
1 on 7 Sept., probable HY Red-breasted, but head poorly seen, in lower branches of big cottonwood (with some sap wells) at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed, sw. of South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at ~13:20 (SJ).
1 on 24 Nov., heard-only calling in w. most big locust on the s. side of the BSI hostel, Bingen, at 15:27. Look for but do not see bird, very likely a Red-breasted Sapsucker (SJ).
Downy Woodpecker –
1 on 14 Sept., heard-only, calling in the vicinity of Kreps corral, along Barnedt Rd. and Jewett Creek, White Salmon, at 11:10 & 11:45 (SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., (the surprisingly small) total number counted in 3 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: White Salmon, count week; Conboy L. NWR, 1 (JH, RR); Catherine Creek, 1 (BH, JM); Bickleton-Cleveland, 2 (DL).
1 on 17 Nov., male, in small trees along the w.sw. side of Scott Canon Rd., just 0.2 mi. nw. of the jct. with Helms Lane, <3 miles se. of Rufus, at 10:06. Noted while running the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route (TA, SJ).
Hairy Woodpecker –
1 on 25 Aug., heard-only, calling along the creek se. of net #9 at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; this is bottomland forest (alder, cottonwood, ash), Columbia R. riparian (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., heard-only, calling in forest along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 580, above the Lost Creek swamp, ~3 mi. w-nw of Willard, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
2 on 7 Sept., a female working a big dead cottonwood at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed, at ~13:15, and one heard-only, calling along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the sw. corner of South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at ~14:30 (SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., in the Conboy L. NWR sector, the only one found for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (JH, RR). There was also a count week report from the Goldendale (east) sector.
White-headed Woodpecker –
4 on 16 Sept., counted in 2 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 3 in the White Salmon sector (BS, JM, DG, RG), and 1 in the Conboy L. NWR sector (JH, RR).
Northern Flicker –
1 on 30 Aug., pursued by a Cooper’s Hawk, unsuccessfully, at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
64 on 16 Sept., total number found in 9 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 0; White Salmon, 16; Conboy L. NWR, 4; Catherine Creek, 8; Klickitat R.-Dallesport, 2; Goldendale (west), 15; Goldendale (east), 7; Bickleton-Cleveland, 5; Rock Creek, 6; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 1.
1 on 27 Nov., email from Goldendale: “The N. Flicker hunkers immobile nearby, coming in [to the feeders] from time to time--it's winter, nothing to do but survive by day and hide by night” (DL). This is shortly after the first snowfall there on 25 Nov.
Pileated Woodpecker –
1 on 24 Aug., heard-only, calling w. of Laurel Rd. at Conboy Lake NWR, at ~09:25 (SJ).
1 on 25 Aug., heard-only, calling to e. of net #7, St. Cloud Recr. Area banding site, Skamania Co., WA, at 10:20 (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 26 Aug., calling, flew s. over trail at “Three Logs” in Trout Lake NAP, at ~09:15 (SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., heard repeatedly near Franz L., Skamania Co., WA (PW).
1 on 30 Aug., male, heard-only, one call, at first: I’m in the BSI office. Immediately go out to investigate, look up into the big dying tree in the row of locusts on s. side of the hostel bldg.: There it is! Bird preens briefly, scratching itself with one foot, looks about, calls one more time, all while perched vertically several hops below the treetop. Note symmetrical wing molt; it’s regenerating the 4th or 5th primaries. Moves up higher and, when the train whistle begins to blow a few blocks away, the racket sends the pileated off, flying n. over the hostel roof toward the belt of oak forest at the base of the s. slope of Burdoin Mountain, (above E. Franklin St., Bingen), at 18:30 to 18:35. There have been a few previous occasions when a Pileated Woodpecker has been heard and/or seen flying by or over BSI, but this is the first time I’ve seen one on the hostel grounds, in the big locusts (SJ).
1 on 14 Sept., heard-only, calling, from forest w. above Jewett Creek and w.sw. of Kreps’ corral along Barnedt Rd., at the ne. edge of White Salmon; heard at 11:09, 11:22, and again at 11:45 (SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., counted in 2 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 1 (DS, KK); and Catherine Creek, 3 (BH, JM, et al). Plus a count week bird in White Salmon (see above, 14 Sept.).
1 on 24 Sept., heard-only, calling from St. Cloud Recr. Area, in the morning (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 6 Oct., at the fall bird banding station, St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, one heard calling n. of net #7 at 10:47. An hour later, one, calling, flew n. from closeby the banding log. And finally, at 12:15, two were noted: one heard calling, flying over the woodland at or e. of net #2, while a second bird was observed closeby Goodbear/Archer Creek, sw. of net #2 (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 28 Oct., heard calling from the se. corner of Elm & E. Humboldt streets, Bingen, at 15:12. In a minute, see it fly nw. from trees at the aforesaid se. corner to perch in one of the big locusts on the s. side of the BSI (second tree e. of the entry sidewalk); then it flies n. over the hostel roof, crossing the street to trees n. of the house at 408 E. Franklin St. Bird calls from forest there, at the s. base of Burdoin Moutain, at 15:16. See 30 Aug. record above (SJ).
1 on 4 Nov., at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK): Tweeters.
1 on 24 Nov., along the Stevenson waterfront, Skamania Co., WA (AK, KK).
Olive-sided Flycatcher –
1 on 26 Aug., flycatching from dead spire atop a lone, good-sized cedar on the channel/creek bank, Trout Lake NAP, early to mid-afternoon (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., flycatching from dead spire atop Doug fir snag in recent clearcut on w. side of the Cook-Underwood Rd., 0.1 mi. to n. of jct. with Chenowith Rd., Skamania Co., WA, at 14:15 (SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., “…in the Trout Lake area and noted an Olive-sided Flycatcher which at first seemed to be chasing a yellow butterfly. This flycatcher would chase and catch a yellow leaf and take it back to his perch on a small tree left in a fresh clearcut. Then he would drop it and briefly look away, then dart out and recatch the leaf. This was repeated many times. It was just playing with the leaf ” (KK). Found while surveying for the Klickitat County fall migration count; gleaned from Tweeters.
Western Wood-Pewee –
1 on 24 Aug., heard-only, calling at the Sondino site, w. of Lyle and n. above hwy. 14 (CJF).
3 on 24 Aug., two calling at aspen copse, w. side of the unpaved Lake Rd. extension, ~0.5 mi. s. from jct. with Hansen Rd.; and 1 flycatching from top of dead Lodgepole Pine near inlet end of Glenwood Millpond (SJ).
3 on 26 Aug., singles encountered in Trout Lake NAP, mid-day to mid-afternoon; two flycatching from dead branches at tops of alders out in brushy meadow situations (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., one calling, briefly, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery along Fisher Hill Rd., ~14:10, and another (that also called once) at a small pond along Bill Moore Rd. at jct. with logging rd. H 1800, at ~16:20 (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 14 Sept., silent, along Barnedt Rd., w. above Jewett Creek, at the ne. edge of White Salmon; it came in to mob my pygmy-owl imitations with other little passerines, at 13:33 (SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Conboy L. NWR, 1 (JH, RR); Goldendale (west), 1 (CH, TH), and Rock Creek, 2 (DSt, JL).
Willow Flycatcher –
2 on 24 Aug., one seen well, second merely glimpsed and both heard calling “whit” notes in alders along irrigation canal, s. side of Hansen Rd. 0.5 mi. w. of jct. with BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd., at ~11:45 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 25 Aug., HY bird, caught in mistnet and banded at St. Cloud Recr. Area banding site, Skamania Co., WA; may have been the same individual seen earlier in the morning in brushy willow riparian just above the beach a little further west (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 26 Aug., HY bird (tawny-buff wingbars)in creekside red osier dogwood: fluttered up to pluck and eat a white berry. No eyering, pinkish-gold lower mandible with small darker smudge at tip; close viewing, at Trout Lake NAP (SJ).
2 on 2 Sept., HY birds, caught in net A and banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA (PG, CJF, SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., HY bird, caught in L net and banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at 10:05 (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., reported from the Rock Creek sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DSt, JL); no details.
Hammond’s Flycatcher –
2 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 16 Sept., reported from the Trout Lake sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DS, KK).
Pacific-slope Flycatcher –
2 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 8 Sept., HY bird, caught in net #4 and banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at ~08:15 (CJF, PG, SJ).
Empidonax, sp. –
2 on 30 Aug., at tiny, marshy pond along Bill Moore Rd. at the jct. with logging rd. H 1800, <1 mi. e. of Snowden; one very likely Pacific-slope, the other possibly Dusky? as bill seems a bit big for Hammond’s (SJ).
Say’s Phoebe –
7 on 13 Sept., singles, noted in a 132 mile loop drive through e. Klickitat Co., e. of hwy. 97, from 07:25 to 16:20. Going e. from Goldendale, three along Bickleton Hwy.; three s. from Bluelight along Sand Ridge Rd.; and one along Sixprong Rd. 1.3 mi. e. of the jct. with East Rd. (DL, BH, SJ).
7 on 16 Sept., counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Conboy L. NWR, 1 (JH, RR), Catherine Creek, 2 (BH, JM, et al), and Bickleton-Cleveland, 4 (DL).
Western Kingbird –
4 on 5 Aug., on utility wires along n. side of Bates Rd., between Lake Will-be-gone and the jct. with N. Major Creek Rd., at 15:50. At least two of these appear to be HY birds, with fresh-looking plumage, paler edgings on wing coverts and a noticeably smaller bill (SJ).
3 on 24 Aug., on utility cable along the n. side of Warner Rd., just w. of the jct. with E. and S. Sunnyside roads, at ~14:55; this is ~3.5 mi. se. of Trout Lake (BMcK, SJ).
Eastern Kingbird –
2 on 24 Aug., on fence extending n., perpendicular to Hansen Rd., 0.15 mi. e. of the jct. with Lake Rd., Conboy Lake NWR, at ~11:40 (BMcK, SJ).
Loggerhead Shrike –
1 on 13 Sept., along Sand Ridge Rd. in eastern Klickitat Co., 5.9 mi. s. of Bluelight, at 10:53. It was hugging the big sage along e. side of the road just n. of abandoned ranch driveway, then crossed to perch on fence beside a steel fencepost; strong winds blowing (BH, DL, SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Cleveland-Bickleton, 2 (DL); Rock Creek, 1 (DSt, JL); Roosevelt-Alderdale sector, 1 perched on a dead / burnt shrub (in a very recent burn) along Sixprong Rd., 1.16 mi. to e.ne. of the jct. with Whitmore Rd., along a (dry) w.sw. tributary of Sixprong Creek, at 17:10 (SJ).
8 on 11 Nov., along 123 miles of roads in n. Gilliam Co., OR, noted while running the raptor survey route there. This compares with 2 found last year, at this same time along the same route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
Northern Shrike –
1 on 20 Oct., perching on utility wires along Dallesport Rd., ~200 m. to w. of the jct. with hwy. 197, in late afternoon; barred breast observed. This is not far nw. of The Dalles Dam (BH).
1 on 21 Oct., along Cameron Rd., a little ways n. of the jct. with Rattlesnake Rd., in the Centerville Valley; this is in the Columbia Hills IBA (BS, JM, DG & RG).
1 on 21 Oct., HY bird, on util. wires along Centerville Hwy., 0.88 mi. w. of the jct. with the sw. end of the Struck Rd. loop, in the Columbia Hills IBA, at 15:10 (SJ).
1 on 22 Oct., at tops of two lombardy poplars, moving from one to another along Stonehenge Rd., between the monument and hwy. 14, at 08:46 (SJ).
1 on 23 Oct., adult, flew w.sw. across Dalles Mountain Rd. into a hawthorn thicket, then up to the top of a low utility pole, 0.45 mi. e. of the jct. with Woods Rd., in the Columbia Hills IBA a few mi. s.sw. of Centerville, in mid-afternoon (DG, SJ).
3 on 4 Nov., along The Dalles – Dufur raptor survey route B, Wasco Co. OR: two along the Tygh Ridge Rd – Old Tygh Rd. stretch; and one along the Center Ridge Rd. (double back) stretch. One, a HY bird, was “seen with what looked like a scorpion in its beak on Tygh Ridge Rd. near jct Hwy 197. Punctured prey item several times on barbed wire before ingesting.” (CJF, SF).
2 on 4 Nov., one HY, along the Dufur area raptor survey route C, Wasco Co., OR (DLu, CC); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 8 Nov., a HY bird, at 300 Bates Rd.; this bird was first observed there, once or twice, about a week ago (DG).
4 on 11 Nov., adults, along 123 miles of roads in n. Gilliam Co., OR, noted while running the raptor survey route there (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
3 on 12 Nov., one HY, 2 adults, “only 3” noted while running the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 15 Nov., adult, “…near the Women's Forum on the Old Columbia Scenic Hwy.” in Multnomah Co., OR (KT, AT). Gleaned from OBOL.
2 on 17 Nov., adults, one in a ranchyard along Scott Canon Rd., atop a Douglas fir, at 10:11, and one along Oehman Rd., perching on utility wires, at 11:17. Both noted while conducting the 98.8 mile N. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route (TA, SJ).
Shrike, sp. –
1 on 23 Oct., along Stringstreet Rd., midway between Eshelman and Cameron roads, about 2 mi. se. of Centerville, in the Columbia Hills IBA, mid-afternoon. Seen more or less in silhouette, but the possibility of Loggerhead was not ruled out (DG, SJ).
1 on 27 Oct., at home along Glenwood Hwy., opposite the Klickitat Wildlife Area and near the jct. with Counts Rd., at ~09:45 (TA).
1 on 17 Nov., along hwy. 206, perching on utility wires 0.7 mi. w.nw. of the jct. with Van Gilder Rd., at ~15:35. Noted while conducting the N. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route. It flew off to s. before it could be specifically identified (TA, SJ).
Cassin’s Vireo –
2 on 24 Aug., both heard-only singing, one along woods edge just w. of Lake Rd. and >100 m. to nw of jct. with Hansen Rd., closeby Conboy Lake NWR, at 11:08, and the second near the inlet end of Glenwood Millpond, at ~13:20 (SJ).
2 on 26 Aug., one heard-only, singing, other seen in mob responding to my pygmy-owl imitation (at AMRE gate), in Trout Lake NAP (SJ).
8 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 16 Sept., reported from the Rock Creek sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, the only one found (DSt, JL).
Hutton’s Vireo –
1 on 3 Aug., calling peevish, “mewing” scold notes in cedars and brush at the N. Rough-winged Swallow nest bank along the trail just se. from Elk Meadows RV park, Trout Lake NAP, in response to my pygmy-owl imitations, at 09:25 (BMcK, SJ).
3 on 26 Aug., one adult-sized HY bird in fresh-looking plumage has a few filoplumes on it’s nape (seen at eyelevel in hazelnut, good light and as close as 12-15 ft. with 8x binoc.); the other two call peevish-sounding “mewing” notes and male sings “zeeer” phrases and also “zuweee?” upslurred whistles several times: in quick response to my pygmy-owl imitations, at ~09:30, in a small opening dotted with hazelnut bushes, along a woodland trail at Trout Lake NAP, w. of the site where an adult with food accompanied an adult-sized HY bird a year or two ago (SJ).
1 on 14 Sept., responding to my pygmy-owl imitations by peering about silently, with chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches and an adult male Black-throated Grey Warbler, w. above Barnedt Rd. on the w. side of Jewett Creek (dry in this stretch, now), and at the ne. edge of White Salmon, at 13:34. This is very close to the site where a recently-fledged cowbird was being tended to by Hutton’s Vireo a few years ago—and is s. of the Kreps’ corral and the Datura-crowned brush pile nearby (SJ).
1 on 6 Oct., calling peevish-sounding “mewing” notes, near net #8 at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at 11:24. First heard calling at a distance, it responded to my pygmy-owl imitations and psh-ing by approaching to within 20 ft. of me; it was accompanying a feeding flock of Black-capped Chickadees and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Habitat a mix dominated by alder, but with some cottonwood, Oregon ash, oak, and Doulas fir (SJ). This is the second record for this site; Cathy Flick had one in the spring a number of years ago.
Warbling Vireo –
3 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
>2 on 25 Aug., at least 2 present at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at 08:25. One HY bird was caught in the L net and banded (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 7 Sept., calling “mewing” scold notes, along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the South Prairie bog outlet crossing, Skamania Co., WA. Vireo is up in a lodgepole pine (heard in young alders at first), responding to my pygmy-owl imitations, at ~08:50 (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., caught in L net at 11:47 and banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 1 (DS, KK), White Salmon, 2 (BS, JM, DG, RG), Roosevelt-Alderdale sector, 1 calling “mewing” scold notes (in response to my pygmy-owl imitations) in Russian olives along hwy. 14 at the one-time Petroglyph Park, 0.78 mi. to e. of the jct. with Roosevelt Grade Rd., at 13:00 (SJ).
1 on 24 Sept., banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, where caught in net D, set in brush (willow, false indigo and red osier dogwood, the latter with a good fruit crop) at the interface between maturing bottomland riparian (alder, cottonwood, ash) and the reed canary grass meadow at the n. shore of the Columbia R., at ~09:20 (CJF, PG, SJ).
Grey Jay –
~5 on 3 Sept., calling, in conifer forest canopy n. below Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 580 and s. above the Lost Creek swamp opening, >3 mi. w-wnw. of Willard, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., counted in 2 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 1 (DS, KK), and White Salmon, 3 (BS, JM, DG, RG).
~6 on 22 Oct., taking handouts from visitors to Ramona Falls along Ramona Creek, a tributary of the Sandy R. on the w. flank of Mt. Hood, at ~3500 ft. elevation in the Mt. Hood Wilderness below Yokum Ridge and roughly 3 miles w. of, downslope from, the summit, in Clackamas (???) Co., OR. At one point two at a time were perched on the observer’s hand eating bits of a Clif bar; photographed (DLe).
1 about the 3rd week of Nov., along hwy. 141 half a mile or more sw. of the jct. with GPNF Rd. 88 (Trout Lake Creek Rd.), 1.5 to 2 mi. w.sw. of the Trout Lake ranger station (LV).
Steller’s Jay –
55 on 16 Sept., counted in 5 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 15; White Salmon, 29; Conboy L. NWR, 3; Catherine Creek, 0; Klickitat R.-Dallesport, 0; Goldendale (west), 3; Goldendale (east), 5; Bickleton-Cleveland, Rock Creek, and Roosevelt-Alderdale, all 3 = 0.
Western Scrub-Jay –
1 on 24 Aug., perched atop blue spruce in the yard of the manager’s house at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters, at ~10:15 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 13 Sept., heard-only, calling along Bickleton Hwy. where it runs alongside N. Luna Creek, 1.3 mi. e. of the jct. with Fenton Lane, at ~07:40. This is 8 mi. e. of Goldendale (DL, BH, SJ).
79 on 16 Sept., counted in 7 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 4; White Salmon, 30; Conboy L. NWR, 0; Catherine Creek, 14; Klickitat R.-Dallesport, 19 + 2 = 21; Goldendale (west), 6; Goldendale (east), 2; Bickleton-Cleveland, 2 (DL); Rock Creek, 0; and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 0.
1 on 17 Nov., observed in either Biggs Jct. or Rufus, OR, mid-morning, while conducting the n. Sherman Co. raptor survey route (TA).
Clark’s Nutcracker –
1 on 17 Oct., calling, in flight above the treetops at the s.sw. end of Council L., Skamania Co., WA, at 16:20 (SJ).
Black-billed Magpie –
8 on 13 Sept., total number found (casual observation, not a census) during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co. while scouting for the upcoming NAMC. No big flocks: one just ne. of Bickleton, 4 (1, 2, 1) along Sand Ridge Rd. and 3 together along Sixprong Extension (DL, BH, SJ).
101 on 16 Sept., counted in 4 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Goldendale (west), 14 (CH, TH); Bickleton-Cleveland, 5 (DL); Rock Creek, 78 (DSt, JL); and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 4 (SJ).
21 on 17 Nov., noted while conducting the 98.8 mile N. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23, with 7 the maximum number seen at one time (TA, SJ).
American Crow –
250 on 13 Sept., foraging s. of hwy. 14 on distant, tilled-dirt agricultural fields, 1.6 mi. w. of the jct. with Roosevelt Ferry Rd., at ~15:20 (DL, BH, SJ).
321 on 16 Sept., counted in all but one of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 110; White Salmon, 30; Conboy L. NWR, 3; Catherine Creek, 52; Klickitat River-Dallesport, 13; Goldendale (west), 77; Goldendale (east), 5; Bickleton-Cleveland, 9; Rock Creek, 0; and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 22.
300 on 2 Oct., flying sw. over Riverfront Park from islets in the Columbia R., The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR, at 15:50 (SJ).
Common Raven –
20 on 24 Aug., flying e. to w. over Holmes Creek at Laurel, in the vicinity of Conboy Lake NWR, ~09:45 (SJ).
43 on 13 Sept., total number found (casual observation, not a census) during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co. while scouting for the upcoming NAMC. Thirteen circling on thermals along Sand Ridge Rd., ~0.3 mi. n. of the jct. with Peterson and Alder Creek roads, at 12:55, was the largest number seen together (DL, BH, SJ).
110 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 4; White Salmon, 19; Conboy L. NWR, 17; Catherine Creek, 3; Klickitat River-Dallesport, 12; Goldendale (west), 1; Goldendale (east), 20; Bickleton-Cleveland, 21; Rock Creek, 4; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 9.
25 on 23 Oct., assembled around oaks on the n. side of Hoctor Rd., immediately w. of the jct. with Oak Flat Rd., Columbia Hills IBA, at 14:21. Counted in flight as we left the area (DG, SJ).
22 on 17 Nov., counted while running the 98.8 mile N. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23. Three pairs were observed perching side-by-side, one pair atop cliffs, the other two on utility pole cross arms (TA, SJ).
Horned Lark –
100’s on 11 Nov., “…and a large flight of Horned Larks (100’s)” noted while running the n. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
2+ on 12 Nov., “At the Condon airport we saw Horned Larks which had NO yellow on their heads, throats -- all white.” They were noted while running the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey route (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
30+ on 17 Nov., singles or small flocks (15 max) heard and/or seen along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, over the agricultural fields sw. above the lower John Day R., along Herin and Biglow roads and Beacon Lane, late morning through mid-day (TA, SJ).
Purple Martin –
>3 on 3 Aug., one ASY male, 2 female/imm., at Goose L., GPNF, Skamania Co., WA, at 13:00. Saw male flutter close to fluttering female/imm. over the lake, at one point, apparently feeding fledged young aerially. Martins were not seen flying low in vicinity of the 4 visible, n. facing, flicker-made cavities in snags out in the water, where they have been documented nesting in previous summers (SJ).
2 on 3 Aug., calling, circling over the e. end of the BSI playfield, heading s. over E. Humboldt St. at Pine, in Bingen, at 18:30 (SJ).
5 on 29 Aug., female-plumaged birds, calling, aerially foraging over the Hood River WTP and Waucoma Basin at ~10:30. Two briefly perched in a birchtop along the WTP’s n. fence. Earlier, at ~08:15 martin/s were heard calling in flight over the Hood R. mouth, likely the same flock (SJ).
3 on 30 Aug., over the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
2 on 30 Aug., one adult and 1 juv., at Skamania marina, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
2 on 30 Aug., over the dike trail going e. from the Washougal waterfront park into Steigerwald Lake NWR, near the barns on n. side of the trail, in Clark Co., WA (PW).
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling in flight over riparian bottomland forest, at 09:46., at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding site, Skamania Co., WA. Sounded like the martin’s flight was from w. to e. (CJF, PG, SJ).
Violet-green Swallow –
1,835 on 24 Aug., total numbers counted / estimated on utility wires along roads traveled between BZ Corners, Glenwood and Trout Lake: ~125 near Kreps’ barn in the Gilmer Valley, 31 along Laurel Rd., 17 at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters, ~350 along Lake Rd. just n. of the jct. with Hansen Rd., 1275 along BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd. in the stretch just s. of Glenwood, 14 along Glenwood Hwy. nw. of the jct. with Lakeside Rd., 6 at Glenwood Millpond, and ~20 along E. Sunnyside Rd. a few miles se. of Trout Lake. Total number rounded off to 1835 (BMcK, SJ).
24 on 30 Aug., foraging over St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
12 on 30 Aug., foraging over the dike trail going e. from Washougal’s waterfront park into Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
>12 on 7 Sept., foraging over big cottonwood-lodgepole pine habitat sw. of South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed in Gifford Pinchot NF, at ~12:15 (SJ).
380 on 16 Sept., total number found in 7 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake, 100; White Salmon, 64; Conboy Lake NWR, 24; Catherine Creek, 170 (BH); Klickitat R.-Lyle, 1; Rock Creek, 1; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 20 (at Sundale).
Cliff Swallow –
4 on 30 Aug., at Franz Lake, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
Barn Swallow –
2 on 29 Aug., foraging low over the water at The Spit, w. side of the Hood River mouth, at ~09:15 (SJ).
12 on 30 Aug., overhead at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
>1 on 8 Sept., heard calling, flew by along the n. shore of the Columbia R. at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station in Skamania Co., WA, at ~07:27. About 10+ swallows, sp. flew past at that time, heading downriver, but were not closely observed (SJ).
3 on 10 Sept., calling, flying downriver over the w. side sandspit at the Klickitat R. mouth, along the n. side of the Columbia R. at Lyle, at 17:20 (SJ).
12 on 13 Sept., total number found (5, 1, 2, 2, 2 =12: casual observation, not a census) during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co. while scouting for the upcoming NAMC (DL, BH, SJ).
13 on 16 Sept., counted in 5 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Conboy Lake NWR, 2 (JH, RR); Catherine Creek, 1 (BH); Cleveland-Bickleton, 2 (DL); Rock Creek, 2 (DSt, JL); and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 6—two at Sundale and 4 at the mouth of Pine Creek (SJ).
Chestnut-backed Chickadee –
1 on 25 Aug., HY bird, caught in L net, banded at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; this is at the interface between bottomland hardwood forest (alder, cottonwood, ash) and brushy riparian (reed canary grass, false indigo and willow brush) just above the Columbia R. beach (CJF, PG, SJ).
Bushtit –
~12 on 26 Nov., in riparian brush along the s. shore of Bingen Pond, moving e. Later re-encountered over along N. Harbour Dr., at the intersection with the old road / trail along the e. side of the pond, at ~14:15 on a rainy-drizzly afternoon (1 ½ inches of snow fell last night); this is along the Bingen riverfront (SJ).
Red-breasted Nuthatch –
6 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
~6 on 20 Aug., “We had about six Red-breasted Nuthatches move through our property [on Mt. Pleasant, in sw. Skamania Co., WA] on Aug. 20. This was the second flock we noted here at the west end of the Gorge in the last two weeks. Our place is at 1,200' elevation in a mostly-hardwood forest.” (WC) Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 25 Aug., heard-only, calling n-ne. of net #5, e-ne. of #4 at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; none caught, banded (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., heard briefly near Franz Lake, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
1 on 2 Sept., heard-only, calling near net #8 when nets were opened at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA (CJF).
2 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 3 Sept., heard-only calling along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 580, ~3 mi. w-wnw. of Willard, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
1 on 5 Sept., calling in response to my pygmy-owl imitations, in mature willow riparian along the n. side of hwy. I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR, at ~08:30. Bird is a migrant as this is almost certainly not breeding habitat (SJ).
7 on 7 Sept., heard/seen in ones and twos, in the Gifford Pinchot NF at South Prairie, Skamania Co., WA, from ~09:00 to 14:10 (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling w. of net #7, from hardwood bottomland forest at the St. Cloud Recr. Area banding station, Skamania Co., WA, mid-morning (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 14 Sept., calling, maximum number seen at one time, along Jewett Creek and Barnedt Rd., at the ne. edge of White Salmon, at 13:13 (SJ).
45 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 7 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC; none were picked up in the 3 sectors e. of Rock Creek. Sector with the highest total was White Salmon with 12 (BS, JM, DG, RG).
>5 on 25 Nov., calling in conifer tops along forest rd. N1000, just up the road from the Y with N1500, on the upper s. slope of Nestor Peak in w. most Klickitat Co., at 15:21. They’re responding to my pygmy-owl imitations (SJ).
White-breasted Nuthatch –
2 on 24 Aug., at the Sondino site, w. of Lyle and n. above hwy 14 (CJF).
21 on 16 Sept., total number tallied in 7 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC. Totals by sector follow: Trout Lake, 0; White Salmon, 1 (BS, DG, JM, RG); Conboy L. NWR, 6 (JH, RR); Catherine Creek, 2 (BH, et al); Klickitat R. & Dallesport, 0; Goldendale (west), 4 (CH, TH); Goldendale (east), 6 (NW, GW); Bickleton-Cleveland, 1 (DL); Rock Creek, 1 (DSt, JL); Roosevelt-Alderdale, 0.
Brown Creeper –
2 on 3 Sept., heard-only, calling back and forth several times, along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 580, s. of the Lost Creek swamp and ~3 mi. to w-wnw. of Willard, Skamania Co., WA. There are two dead trees with loosened bark here, giving this site good breeding potential (SJ).
2 on 7 Sept., encountered singly, calling, at South Prairie in the Gifford Pinchot NF, Skamania Co., WA, in a big cottonwood, at 11:12, and in a lodgepole pine, at ~12:30 (SJ).
3 on 16 Sept., found only in one sector of the 10 that were surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: Trout Lake (DS, KK).
Rock Wren –
1 on 24 Aug., Rowena Dell/Tom McCall Preserve, cliffs below the overlook/viewpoint along old hwy 30 and s. above I-84, Wasco Co., OR (CJF).
1 on 3 Sept., seen or heard along the Dallesport shoreline while boating down the Columbia R. from The Dalles to Bingen (CJF).
1 on 13 Sept., migrant seen along fencerow with mature big sage (but habitat is not rocky here), Sand Ridge Rd., 6.3 mi. s. of Bluelight. First spotted when it flew down onto the gravel road, then back up to a fencepost, just beyond the se. corner of the ancient big sage tract (at an abandoned ranch) a short ways s. of the jct. with Van Horn Rd., at ~11:45 (DL. SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., the only one picked up in the 10 sectors that were surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC was in a rock quarry on the e. side of Alderdale Rd. at MP 2.95, at 15:58. Probably this same bird was heard calling in the distance to s. of the Alderdale carrot processing plant’s WTP about 5 min. earlier (SJ).
3 on 23 Oct., singles in the Columbia Hills IBA: one on RR bed rocks just n. of the primitive riverside rd., along the n. side of the Columbia R. between Maryhill and John Day Dam, one calling atop the fishing access sign for the North Shore Site, just n. of John Day Dam, at 12:28, and one calling from rock outcrops along Dalles Mountain Rd., 1.4 mi. ne. of the jct. with Oak Creek Rd., at ~16:25 (DG, SJ).
Canon Wren –
1 on 16 Sept., at the w. end of Hewett Lake, in the Catherine Creek sector (BH), the only one reported for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (Ten sectors were surveyed.)!
1 on 27 Sept., in house rafters & an outdoor lumber pile at 18 McConiga Rd., w. of Lyle (BH).
1 on 23 Nov., heard-only calling from low cliffs above the RR tracks at the beach access rut on the w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth, immediately w. of Lyle, at 16:30 (SJ).
Bewick’s Wren –
4 on 25 Aug., HY birds, banded at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; one each in nets #4, 5, & 9 and one in the “L” net. Singing wren/s heard ne. of #9 and twice in vicinity of the banding log (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 2 Sept., banded at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 5 Sept., at least 2 calling (one singing, at times) in close proximity to each other, in mature willow riparian along the n. side of hwy I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR, mid-morning. A possible 3rd was singing a bit further e. in late a.m./mid-day (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., HY bird, banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area banding station, Skamania Co., WA; caught in net #10 on the first net run. Later (~09:45) one was heard singing, thinly, e-ne. of net #7 (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 15 Sept., calling, in brushy riparian at the nw. end of Spearfish L., Dallesport, 12:40 (SJ).
9 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 4 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC. Totals by sector follow: Trout Lake, 0; White Salmon, 1; Conboy L. NWR, 0; Catherine Creek, 1; Klickitat R. & Dallesport, count week; Goldendale (west) and (east), both 0; Bickleton-Cleveland, 2; Rock Creek, 0; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 5.
1 on 17 Nov., in a blackberry tangle on the n. side of Scott Canon Rd., 1.4 mi. se. of the jct. with hwy. 30 in Rufus, at 10:01. Noted while running the n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, from 08:35 to 16:23 (TA, SJ).
House Wren –
2 on 24 Aug., one calling in brush at the pumphouse, Conboy Lake NWR headquarters, at ~10:15, and one calling at the inlet end of Glenwood Millpond, at ~13:30 (SJ).
5 on 26 Aug., one single, two duos, calling scolds, all but one seen, in Trout Lake NAP. Wrens, in fresh-looking plumage, appeared to be HY birds: two certainly were, still showing conspicuous, rather flabby yellow gape flanges (SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., heard-only, calling briefly, along Fisher Hill Rd. just nw. of Pleasant Hill Cemetery, at ~14:32 (SJ).
? 1 on 7 Sept., seen only in flight across a small (~5 foot) opening in the dense, low willow thicket out in the grazed prairie sw. of the South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA. Saw a little brown bird, smaller than a sparrow, fly across an opening, displaying a rather short, fanned, tawny tail, slightly rounded and finely barred with dark lines, at ~11:40. It was silent (SJ).
Winter Wren –
1 on 30 Aug., a just-fledged youngster, with ample tufts of down at sides of nape, big flabby yellow gape flanges and a tiny stub of a tail, repeatedly calling a penetrating, high “tsee” note that had a somewhat ventriloqual quality: “here I am” notice for absent parents. Calling closeby a tiny, marshy pond along Bill Moore Rd. at the jct. with logging rd. H 1800. There was no adult Winter Wren present, 15:37 to 16:35, while I was there, occasionally imitating a pygmy-owl and “psh-ing.” In the end, I crept up on fledgling and, to be certain of it’s identity, easily caught it by slowly reaching out to cup my hand over it, sitting in the grass under a small alder, dozing (at any rate with eyes closing much of the time) in dappled sunlight. Apparently it somehow became separated from it’s parents and siblings. Seems very late for Winter Wren young to be fledging (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling and singing, near net #9, first fall arrival at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA (CJF).
3 on 16 Sept., in the Trout Lake sector of the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DS, KK); the only other sector reporting this species (10 sectors were surveyed) follows…
1 on 16 Sept., calling from the n. facing bank of Pine Creek at it’s mouth, on the north side of hwy. 14 about 6.4 miles e. of Roosevelt, at ~13:50. This one definitely a migrant (SJ).
Marsh Wren –
1 on 3 Oct., calling, bulrushes at the se. corner of Bingen Pond, at ~13:10 (SJ).
1 on 22 Oct., in marshy riparian, s. side of hwy. 14 at the M.P. 109.2 wetlands, at 12:00. This is 2 mi. to n.ne. of John Day Dam in the Columbia Hills IBA (SJ).
?1 on 17 Nov., tentative I.D., heard-only calling “tet-tet” notes down in tall grass and forbs, brush along the creek in Spanish Hollow, immediately n. of, and heard from, the hwy. 30 bridge at Biggs Jct., at 08:55. Noted while running the n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route; didn’t have time to further pursue this bird (SJ).
American Dipper –
1 on 8 Sept., HY bird, along lower Goodbear/Archer Creek at the unset net #1 site in riparian bottomland forest at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station in Skamania Co., WA. This is at least the second record for this site, a rather unusual spot for this species in such close proximity to the Columbia River. Note that undertail coverts are conspicuously edged with tawny-buff; and that breast is just slightly paler grey than the slatier remainder of bird’s plumage, with a very fine tawny-buff fringe barring the breast feathers (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 15 Sept., seen from the trail along Oneonta Creek in the Oneonta Gorge, Multnomah Co., OR (PD & DD).
3 on 16 Sept., one in the Trout Lake sector (DS, KK) and 2 in the White Salmon sector (BS, JM, DG, RG), all in the White Salmon R. watershed. They were the only ones picked up for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC; none were detected in the Klickitat R. watershed. Ten sectors were surveyed.
1 on 4 Nov., at Willard, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK); gleaned from Tweeters.
1 on 6 Nov., heard calling at Eagle Creek, Multnomah Co., OR (CJF).
1 on 24 Nov., “…at the Wind River mouth, just north of Hwy. 14, [Skamania Co., WA] - never seen down along the Columbia River in this area before” (AK, KK).
Golden-crowned Kinglet –
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling to sw. of net #5, at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at ~11:42. First fall arrival, apparently (PG, SJ).
1 on 14 Sept., heard-only, along Barnedt Rd. above Jewett Creek, at the ne. edge of White Salmon, at 13:35. Mobbing my pygmy-owl imitations with chickadees, Hutton’s Vireo, et al (SJ).
41 on 16 Sept., total counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 36 (DS, KK), White Salmon, count week (see 14 Sept. above); Conboy L. NWR, 3 (JH, RR); Roosevelt-Alderdale, 2 (see next entry).
2 on 16 Sept., singles in the Roosevelt-Alderdale sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: one heard-only, calling in the false indigo thicket at the e. end of the Roosevelt marina, ~11:45, and one calling in Russian olives, etc. at the one-time Petroglyph Park, along hwy.14 just e. 0.78 mi. from the jct with Roosevelt Grade Rd., at ~12:45 (SJ).
1 on 10 Oct., heard-only, calling in the locusts on the s. side of the BSI hostel building, with Black-capped Chickadee/s and a ruby-crown, at mid-day (SJ).
2 on 23 Oct., singles, heard-only, in the Columbia Hills IBA, one calling in trees in Maryhill State Park, at ~10:15, and one calling at the jct. Wesley and Imrie roads, at the Goodnoe Hills end of the IBA, at 13:55 (DG, SJ).
“tons” on 4 Nov., at Spring Creek Hatchery, Skamania Co., WA (WOS field trip, KK) Tweeters.
>4 on 11 Nov., calling, on both sides of hwy.14 at the jct. with Bridgeview Ct., foraging in the canopy of oaks; this is along the grade between Bingen and White Salmon, at 14:05 (SJ).
>1 on 11 Nov., “saw the first Golden-crowned Kinglet/s of the season [today], across the road” in Wigwam woods, along Bates Rd. (DG).
Ruby-crowned Kinglet –
1 on 7 Sept., heard-only, calling “dt” single notes, in alder riparian on the w. side of Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the South Prairie bog outlet stream crossing, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:00 (SJ).
8 on 16 Sept., total counted in 6 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake and White Salmon, both 0; Conboy L. NWR, 1; Catherine Creek, 2; Klickitat R.-Dallesport, 0; Goldendale (west), 1; Goldendale (east), 1; Cleveland-Bickleton, 1; Rock Creek, 0; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 2.
1 on 3 Oct., in willow riparian at the s. end of the Remnant Wetland, just n-nw. of the Lunch Grove, along the Bingen riverfront, at 13:40 (SJ).
1 on 5 Oct., cottonwoods at e. end of Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, 15:26 (SJ).
1 on 10 Oct., heard-only, calling in the big locusts at the s. side of the BSI hostel building, with Black-capped Chickadee/s and a Golden-crowned Kinglet, at mid-day (SJ).
1 on 13 Nov., in riparian (cottonwoods, blackberries) on the e. bank of Waucoma Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 16:45 (SJ).
6+ on 26 Nov., frequently encountered this afternoon in all the riparian brush and trees I checked out along the Bingen riverfront, including the Remnant Wetland and the s. and e. sides of Bingen Pond. At least 1 ½ inches of snow fell in Bingen last night, the first snow of the winter down at this level (SJ).
1 on 30 Nov., calling, in willow riparian at the s. end of the Remnant Wetland, along the Bingen riverfront, at ~15:50. This is after recent night/s down to the low 20s degrees F (SJ).
Western Bluebird –
12 on 30 Aug., two small flocks: 7 at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery along Fisher Hill Rd. (2 are grey with whitish spots on breast, 2 others are more obscurely spotted and 3 are unspotted; one HY bird and an adult both plucked and gobbled bitter cherries) and 5 on utility wires and fence posts at 1036 Canyon Rd., in early to mid-afternoon (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., along the Columbia R. e. of Crates Point, Wasco Co., OR. This is just nw. of The Dalles; in loose association with ~30 Brewer’s Blackbirds (CJF, SF).
1 on 7 Sept., in snag top at a recent clearcut along the w. side of Cook-Underwood Rd., 0.2 mi. n. of the jct. with Chenowith Rd., Skamania Co., WA, with 5 Pine Siskins, at 07:58 (SJ).
16 on 13 Sept., total number found (casual observation, not a census) during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co. while scouting for the upcoming NAMC. One along Sixprong Rd., 0.3 mi. to s.sw. past the Juniper Canon crossing and 1.3 mi. e. of the jct. with East Rd., was the most interesting, location-wise, in company with 6 Mountain Bluebirds. The others (one to 4 at a time) were scattered along Bickleton Hwy. between Goldendale and the jct. with Box Springs Rd. (DL, BH, SJ).
599 on 16 Sept., the high total count for 9 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 47; White Salmon, 44; Conboy L. NWR, 125; Catherine Creek, 14; Klickitat R., 100; Goldendale (west), 139; Goldendale (east), 57; Cleveland-Bickleton, 11; Rock Creek, 62; Roosevelt-Alderdale, count week (see 13 Sept. above).
>1 on 20 Oct., heard-only, calling in flight e. to w. over the slope just n. above hwy. 14 at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at ~08:40. This is n.nw. of net #8. There is a remote possibility that the bluebird/s were Mountains (SJ).
3 on 23 Oct., along Goodnoe Station Rd., 0.54 mi. s. of the jct. with Imrie Rd., in the Goodnoe Hills, at the e. end of the Columbia Hills IBA (DG, SJ).
15 on 23 Oct., along Hoctor Rd. in the Columbia Hills IBA: 9 on roadside fenceposts and bushtops, s. side of the road 0.69 mi. w. of the jct. with Oak Flat Rd., and 6, calling, in flight going e. on the n. side of the road 3.39 mi. w. of the Oak Flat Rd. jct., at ~14:40 to 14:45 (DG, SJ).
7 on 9 Nov., calling, circling a couple times in flight over The Dalles Dam’s n. end, eventually moving s., at 10:00. Seen only in silhouette (SJ).
2 on 17 Nov., on utility wires along Emigrant Springs Rd., <25 m. to w. of the jct. with Weir Rd. and just w. above Emigrant Canon, a tributary along the lower stretch of the John Day R., Sherman Co., OR, at 12:17 (TA, SJ).
4 on 26 Nov., calling, along the Bingen riverfront in the vicinity of the crane shack, ~14:37. One perched on cables wrapped around a dolphin, one on the roof of a porch on the bldg. and one on a post; the fourth was not seen until they all flew off, going e., at 14:43. At least 1 ½ inches of snow fell last night in Bingen, the first of the winter here; intermittent rain or drizzle today. This species is rarely encountered along the riverfront here (SJ).
Mountain Bluebird –
85 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 4 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: 8 in the Trout Lake sector, where uncommon (DS, KK); 56 in the Cleveland-Bickleton sector (DL); 19 in the Rock Creek sector (DSt, JL); and 2 in the Roosevelt-Alderdale sector (SJ).
Townsend’s Solitaire –
20 on 16 Sept., total number observed on the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC. Found in 3 sectors: 7 in the White Salmon sector (BS, JM, DG, RG), 10 in the Conboy Lake NWR sector (JH, RR), and 3 in the w. half of the Goldendale sector (CH, TH).
2 on 22 Oct., singles, found while covering the nw. sector of the Columbia Hills IBA during the annual Fall raptor survey: one along Oak Hill Rd. and one along Ferguson Rd. (DL).
Swainson’s Thrush –
4 on 25 Aug., HY birds, banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; one in net #9, one in #7 and 2 in the “WB” (west beach) net (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 2 Sept., one adult, 2 HY and one?, banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station , Skamania Co., WA: ad. in #7, HY in #8 & 10 and __? age in #10 (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 8 Sept., including one escape from net #10 and three that were banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA: one HY, 2__? in nets # 2, 5, and 10. Additionally, 2 were heard-only, calling “heep” notes similar to those given by overhead migrants, from vegetation in vicinity of the parking lot, when we arrived at 05:54 (CJF, PG, SJ).
Hermit Thrush –
1 on 30 Aug., in brush near the RR tracks at the Franz L. overlook, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
1 on 30 Aug., calling, low in the bitter cherry thicket (with lots of ripe red fruit) along Fisher Hill Rd., <100 m. to n. of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery and <1 mi. se. of Appleton, at ~13:40 (SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., in the Trout Lake sector, the only one found for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DS, KK).
1 on 3 Oct., calling, willow riparian at s. end of the Remnant Wetland (se. of Bingen Pond and just n-nw. of the Lunch Grove), along the Bingen riverfront, at 13:40 (SJ).
2 on 22 Oct., one heard-only, calling, in riparian brush around the little irrigation pond along Stonehenge Rd., downslope to sw. from the monument, Maryhill, at 09:15, and one calling in brush along Towal Rd., at 13:15, both in the Columbia Hills IBA (SJ).
1 on 23 Oct., heard-only, calling in riparian brush in Maryhill State Park, in the Columbia Hills IBA, at ~09:40 (DG, SJ).
1 on 9 Nov., heard-only, calling in Russian olives along F St. at the corner with 3rd Ave. in Dallesport, responding to my pygmy-owl imitations, at ~09:35 (SJ).
American Robin –
5 on 7 Sept., one or 2 at a time, in the South Prairie area of Gifford Pinchot NF, Skamania Co., WA, from 09:25 to 13:12 (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling in the orchard area s.se. of the parking lot at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at ~06:15 (CJF, PG, SJ).
91 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 8 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: 21, Trout Lake; 15, White Salmon; 2, Conboy L. NWR; 2, Catherine Creek; 1, Dallesport sub-sector; 12, Goldendale (west); 37, Goldendale (east); count week, Bickleton-Cleveland; 0, Rock Creek; 1, Roosevelt-Alderdale.
>11 on 3 Nov., along the s. trail at Bingen Pond, foraging on the ground just before dusk, along with several others heard fluttering out of / among dense-leafed branches of closeby cottonwood saplings (SJ).
3 on 17 Nov., singles, noted along the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route. One at the w. edge of Rufus, and two along Scott Canon Rd., at 09:35, 09:56 & 10:11 (TA, SJ).
Varied Thrush –
1 on 5 Aug., early first fall migrant, calling, on the driveway just s. of the corral at Gadways’ home along Bates Rd., at 07:48. This is ~ 4 mi. ne. of White Salmon, as the crow flies (SJ).
1 on 7 Sept., heard-only, calling in alarm—the stuttering series of notes—along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the South Prairie bog outlet crossing, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:00. Responding to my pygmy-owl imitations (SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., found in the White Salmon sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (BS, JM, DG, RG), the only sector reporting this species.
1 on 22 Oct., male, in riparian around the little irrigation pond along Stonehenge Rd., just n.ne. of Maryhill, at 09:15, in the Columbia Hills IBA: a migrant (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., heard-only, calling from a cottonwood sapling along the s. trail at Bingen Pond, at dusk, simultaneously with the fluttering and calls of robins in the dense-leafed branches of this and closeby cottonwood saplings, as I walk by (SJ).
20-25 on 10-11 Nov., “a migrating flock? of Varied Thrush (20-25) at our place at various times the last couple days,” along Bates Rd. (DG).
>2 on 11-12 Nov., at least one was seen each day while running the n. and the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey routes (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
<40 on 15 Nov., “There were up to 40 Varied Thrushes on route to the end” of the road, near the top of Larch Mountain, Multnomah Co., OR; there was quite a bit of snow above MP 11 (KT, AT). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 24 Nov., flew into a low oak along the s. side of E. Humbloldt St. a little e. of the intersection with Cedar St., Bingen, at 15:35 (SJ).
1 on 25 Nov., heard-only calling, along forest rd. N1000, a short ways upslope from the Y with N1500, on the s.sw. slopes of Nestor Peak in w. most Klickitat Co., at 15:25. Snow 4 inches deep on the road at this point, but considerably less in the dense forest adjacent (SJ).
>13 on 26 Nov., in riparian brush along the Bingen riverfront, from ~12:20 to 16:05. Found at four sites—6 at the s. and one at the n. ends of the Remnant Wetland, one at the s.sw. corner of Bingen Pond, and 12 (that flew up into cottonwoods from a false indigo thicket below the riverbank) about midway between the marina’s mouth and the crane, plus one on the ground in the plantings next to the industrial bldg. across the road. All that were glassed and closely observed were males. The first snow (1 ½ inches) of the winter fell in Bingen last night (SJ).
2 on 27 Nov., “After the first snow here, Saturday night [25 Nov.], the ground feeders are starting to move in. This morning (Monday, 27 Nov.) there were two Varied Thrushes (a male, that I could see, and another, unseen, that I could hear farther east up the lane). The male was on top of one of the Oregon grape bushes out back. It flew westerly when I went out to scatter seeds and crushed corn. This is the first Varied Thrush since late winter, last” (DL). Email from Goldendale, e. of N. Columbus Ave. between the Little Klickitat R. bridge and hwy. 142 / Broadway.
29 Nov. conversation: Varied Thrushes have been seen regularly in the Bates Rd. area after about 10 Nov. Since the first snowfall on 23 Nov., Varied Thrushes have been much more conspicuous in this area and along Snowdon Rd. while driving to and from White Salmon (DG).
13 on 29 Nov., along E. Franklin St., Bingen, at 16:00. Eleven on the ground under an apple tree on the se. corner of the intersection with Cedar St., feeding on fallen apples (along with one robin), plus at least 2 more a bit further e. under a crab apple tree in the yard at 408 E. Franklin St.(SJ).
3 on 30 Nov., two tossing leaves on the partially snow-free lawn, open ground under the w. most big locust in front (s. side) of the BSI hostel, Bingen, at 14:50, and 1 female in willows at s. end of the Remnant Wetland along the Bingen riverfront, at 15:45 (SJ).
Grey Catbird –
9 on 26 Aug., three were seen, others heard-only, calling in breeding habitats at Trout Lake NAP, mid-morning through mid-afternoon. At one site 3 were heard/seen in fairly close proximity to one another, while two were together at another (SJ).
>2 from June through 13 Sept., in the vicinity of Conboy Lake NWR headquarters: “…the catbirds are spending a ton of time at headquarters as well, in fact they've been here long enough that I think it is possible they might have nested here. I started noticing them in June.” [from an e.mail on 14 Sept.] (ML).
N. Mockingbird –
1 on 12 Nov., at the Sandy River Delta, Multnomah Co., OR, in a huge blackberry tangle near the pylon (stt) se. of the one with the red light (JHy fide AC); gleaned from OBOL.
Sage Thrasher –
2 on 13 Sept., along Sand Ridge Rd. in e. Klickitat Co.: one at the se. corner of the ancient big sage tract at the first abandoned ranch yard s. of the jct. with Van Horn Rd., 6.3 mi. s. of Bluelight, at ~11:45. And another 2.5 mi. further se. along the road, also in fairly mature big sage, at 12:05 (BH, DL, SJ).
Eur. Starling –
658 on 16 Sept., total found in 9 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC; largest sector count was 240 in the Catherine Creek sector (BH, et al).
American Pipit –
30 on 16 Sept., found in the Trout Lake sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DS, KK); one other sector found this species, as follows…
1 on 16 Sept., calling, circling low over the parking lot at the treaty fishing access site at Sundale, almost touching down at one point. In the end it continued on it’s way, at 08:00 (SJ).
1 on 2 Oct., one flushed, unseen, and flew off, calling, from w. side sandbar at the Klickitat R. mouth, at 09:57 (SJ).
1 on 2 Oct., heard-only, calling, in flight over “billboard basin” at the mouth of Threemile Creek, Riverfront Park, The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR, at ~16:50 (SJ).
9 on 3 Oct., calling, flying e. over the trail on the s. side of Bingen Pond, in threes, at 10:55, 11:28 and at 12:43. The day is overcast with intermittent light showers (SJ).
1 on 5 Oct., heard-only, calling, at the Hood R. mouth, at 13:35, and again at 14:04 (SJ).
4 on 9 Oct., foraging along the w. side of the Hood R., at it’s mouth: The Spit, at 17:11 (SJ).
3 on 22 Oct., along Fenton Lane, found while surveying the nw. sector of the Columbia Hills IBA for the annual Fall raptor survey (DL).
9 on 23 Oct., flew up at a cattle watering tank along the n. side of Hoctor Rd., 0.58 mi. w. of the jct. with Oak Flat Rd., in the Columbia Hills IBA, at ~14:35 (DG, SJ).
54 on 3 Nov., calling, counted while foraging over the wet sandflats of The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth (at a low water level), along the Hood River waterfront, at 13:00 (SJ).
~25 on 5 Nov., “…a flock of perhaps 25 Am. Pipits working the weedy flats” along the Columbia R. at Rooster Rock State Park, Multnomah Co., OR (JHy fide AC); gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 26 Nov., heard-only calling, probably in flight, off to nw. of The Lunch Grove, at ~12:15. Later see one, calling, fly overhead a little w. of the bin stacks, going s.sw. on out over the Columbia R., at 13:12. These observations were made along the Bingen riverfront, shortly after the first snowfall (1 ½ inches last night) in Bingen this winter (SJ).
>12 on 30 Nov., foraging on the filled land (short grass with lots of patchy weeds and a scattering of small bushes and saplings) between the bin stacks and the Remnant Wetland, along the Bingen riverfront, at ~16:00. Right now this entire area has patchy snow covering about 50% of the ground. Up to 5 were visible, counted, on the ground, but twice 12-15 were counted when the calling flock flew from one spot to another (SJ).
Cedar Waxwing –
15 on 25 Aug., flock in flight at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA; they were hanging around saplings, brush back of the beach in vicinity of the “WB” net, where an adult was caught, banded and photographed (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., heard at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
2 on 30 Aug., near the barns along n. side of the dike trail going e. from Washougal’s waterfront park into Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
2 on 2 Sept., one or two were heard/seen a couple times this morning at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding site, Skamania Co., WA. There were gusty winds from the east (PG, CJF, SJ).
30 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC).
6 on 5 Sept., one HY bird, in mature willow riparian along the n. side of I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, mid-morning, and 5 calling in flight over the mouth of Threemile Creek, Riverfront Park in The Dalles, at ~17:00, both records in Wasco Co. OR (SJ).
2 on 7 Sept., adult & HY, dead top of big cottonwood at South Prairie, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
2 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling s. of net #2 at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, in early-mid morning (CJF, PG, SJ).
44 on 16 Sept., found in the Trout Lake sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DS, KK), the only sector reporting this species.
4 on 2 Oct., calling, in flight over the Klickitat R. mouth, heading w., then circling back to the east, in late morning (SJ).
12 on 3 Oct., fly by, silently, then continue south on out over the Columbia R., along the Bingen riverfront just w. of the Lunch Grove, at 13:24 (SJ).
<25 on 6 Oct., in flight over the old orchard at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at ~13:40 (SJ).
30 on 30 Oct., calling, flew out from the dying-topped locust on the s. side of the BSI hostel bldg., Bingen, at 14:12 (SJ).
Orange-crowned Warbler –
2 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 30 Aug., at St. Cloud Recreation Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
2 on 30 Aug., one at the undeveloped park 0.85 mi. n. of Lyle, between the Klickitat R. and hwy. 142, at about noon, and one at the tiny pond along logging rd. H 1800 at the jct. with Bill Moore Rd., about 1 mi. e. of Snowden, at ~16:00 (SJ).
2 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 7 Sept., at the Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 dam, South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at 14:48 (SJ).
2 on 14 Sept., calling, along Barnedt Rd. and above Jewett Creek (dry in this stretch, now), in little thicket of big leaf maple saplings; this is ne. below White Salmon, at 13:20. One looks much greyer on crown and on wings and back, than other, and underparts are barely washed with yellow, whereas the other has lemony yellow underparts with noticeable, but quite blurry olive streaks and more olive on the upperparts. Thus one may be a V. c. celata. (SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., in riparian at w. side of the Klickitat R. mouth and below the RR tracks to the s., at 09:06 (BH, SJ).
2 on 15 Sept., calling, in brushy riparian, including extensive, low blackberry thickets, in the draw that runs into the nw. end of Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, in early afternoon. One is paler, less intensely coloured than the other (SJ).
12 on 16 Sept., total counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: White Salmon, count week; Conboy L. NWR, 1 (JH, RR); Catherine Creek, 4 (BH, et al); Dallesport sub-sector, count week; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 7 (see detail below).
7 on 16 Sept., total found in the Roosevelt-Alderdale sector for the NAMC: 6 in riparian at the Sundale boat launch (in lieu site) and the adjacent orchard, plus 1 at the n. end of the irrigation pond on the s. side of hwy.14, immediately e. of the jct. with Old Hwy 8, at MP 131 (SJ).
2 on 3 Oct., calling, one along the s. side of Bingen Pond, in Russian olive and blackberries w. of the se. corner, at 13:15, and one near the nw. corner of the Remnant Wetland, se. of Bingen Pond, an hour later (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., foraging lower than mid-level in willow riparian on the rocky jetty at The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at ~13:35 (SJ).
Yellow Warbler –
2 on 25 Aug., HY birds, banded at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA (CJF, PG, SJ).
2 on 29 Aug., one heard-only, calling from willow riparian on the rock jetty at The Spit, w. side of the Hood River mouth, at ~08:10, and one in riparian at the ne. corner of Waucoma Basin later in the morning, ~11:15. The latter has blurry olive (not rusty) streaks on the yellow underparts (SJ).
1 on 4 Sept., glimpsed in flight (calling characteristic sharp chip notes), coming from the s.sw. to perch in willow / alder riparian on the little rock jetty (that juts out from below sw. rim of the cul-de-sac) at w. side of the Hood R. mouth, Hood River waterfront, <mid-morning (SJ).
2 on 5 Sept., one in mature willow riparian on the n. side of hwy. I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, at ~09:00, and one heard-only, calling characteristic sharp “chip” notes in false indigo riparian around Billboard Basin at the mouth of Threemile Creek, The Dalles, at ~17:00, both in Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
2 on 7 Sept., one in low willows along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest road 66, where it acts as a dam holding back the pond at South Prairie, and another further sw. in a big cottonwood, at 14:45 & 12:25, respectively; this is in Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
2 on 8 Sept., HY birds, caught and banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area’s fall birdbanding site in Skamania Co., WA (nets A & L are at the interface of maturing bottomland forest with reed canary grass meadow, low willow brush and false indigo, close to the n. shore of the Columbia R.). Generic warbler chip notes were frequently heard in the course of each net run along with some sharp chips that were thought to be Yellow Warbler. There seemed to be a warbler push along the forest’s edge this morning (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., total found in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Catherine Creek, 1 (BH, et al); Horsethief sub-sector, 2 (MR, LW, DCR); and Roosevelt-Alderdale, 1 (detail below).
1 on 16 Sept., found foraging in weeds adjacent the orchard at the Sundale boat launch (in lieu) site, at ~07:30/07:45 (SJ). This is in the Roosevelt-Alderdale sector for the NAMC today.
1 on 25 Sept., rather pale, dull plumage—HY female?—calling in alders and willows on the little rock jetty adjacent The Spit at w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 09:20. Still foraging there at 11:35 (SJ).
2 on 5 Oct., one, calling characteristic sharp scold notes, in alder/willow riparian on the little rock jetty at w. side of the base of The Spit, at ~13:05-13:10. And one, calling a few generic warbler “chip” notes, in cottonwoods at the e. end of Waucoma Basin, at 15:26, both along the Hood River waterfront (SJ).
Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warbler –
>15 on 3 Nov., calling, foraging in hawthorns and cottonwoods along the Bingen riverfront, between the crane and the marina’s mouth, at ~16:15 (SJ).
~6 on 24 Nov., calling, in a false indigo thicket just below the river bank along the Bingen riverfront, about midway between the marina’s mouth and the crane, at 16:05. Good-sized cottonwoods line the riverbank here—the same site as the 3 Nov. record above (SJ).
1 on 30 Nov., calling, in willow riparian along the flooded s. end of the Remnant Wetland, Bingen riverfront, at ~15:50. Pale throat wide at the bottom, extending up under the auriculars (SJ).
Audubon’s (Yellow-rumped) Warbler –
1 on 30 Aug., at St. Cloud Recreation Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
4 on 30 Aug., two with pale whitish-yellow throats and fresh-looking pale grey plumage (HY?) at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery along Fisher Hill Rd., one along the fence at 1036 Canyon Rd. (all three accompanying bluebirds & Chipping Sparrows), and one adult (female?), calling, at the tiny pond at the jct. of logging rd. H 1800 and Bill Moore Rd. (SJ).
1 on 5 Sept., heard-only, calling, in mature willow riparian on the n. side of I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR, at about mid-morning. At one point I glimpsed this calling warbler flying from one tree to another (SJ).
4 on 7 Sept., encountered singly, around South Prairie, Skamania Co., WA: one along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the bog outlet crossing, another further n. along the dam at South Prairie pond, and 2 in big cottonwoods off to sw. of the pond, at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed, from ~08:50 to 12:20 (SJ).
2 on 7 Sept., calling, at Surprise Lakes, Skamania Co., WA, on the e. side of Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 24 and about 1 mi. n.ne of the n. end of Indian Heaven Wilderness, at 16:19 (SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., calling, in brushy riparian at the nw. end of Spearfish L., ne of The Dalles Dam, at 12:49. Possibly two present (SJ).
1 on 30 Nov., hopping along on the ground in short grass and various low forbs, foraging at the top of the riverbank / along the s. side of Shore Dr. in vicinity of the bin stacks, along the Bingen riverfront, at ~16:45. Note pale yellow throat, narrow at the bottom, i.e., not extending up under the auriculars; call is a weak “check” (SJ).
Yellow-rumped Warbler –
682 on 16 Sept., total counted in all 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 40; White Salmon, 42; Conboy L. NWR, 167; Catherine Creek, 5; Klickitat R., 200; Goldendale (west), 72; Goldendale (east), 100; Cleveland-Bickleton, 40; Rock Creek, 1; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 15.
1-2 on 6 Oct., singles heard-only, calling, in flight over the fall bird banding station at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, during the morning: surprisingly few (CJF, PG, SJ).
6 on 8 Oct., calling, fly in ones and twos, s. to n. over E. Humboldt St., just w. of Elm St., in Bingen, at 18:16. They fly over the e. end of the parking lot at BSI in to big locust trees on the s. side of the hostel (SJ).
1 on 31 Oct., heard-only, calling from wooded island at se. corner of Waucoma Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, at 15:55 (SJ).
Black-throated Grey Warbler –
1 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 25 Aug., female or imm., with a couple Warbling Vireos and 3+ Black-capped Chickadees, in riparian at the s. edge of hardwood forest, St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, at 08:25 (SJ).
1 on 26 Aug., male, Trout Lake NAP just s. of AMRE gate (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
20 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC).
1 on 7 Sept., brief look at a female in ratty plumage up in a big cottonwood at South Prairie, in Gifford Pinchot NF at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed, Skamania Co., WA, at ~13:15 (SJ).
2 on 14 Sept., one female-plumage, one adult male, calling, the former along the Jewett Creek Corridor trail on the e. side of the creek, at 12:20, and the latter just w. above Barnedt Rd., on the w. side of the creek, at 13:35. This is adjacent the ne. edge of White Salmon (SJ).
2 on 16 Sept., found in the Catherine Creek sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (BH, et al), the only sector to find this species; count week birds were found in the White Salmon sector (see 14th Sept. above).
Townsend’s Warbler –
1 on 5 Aug., female plumage, in big fir tree at sw. corner of the corral, Gadways home along Bates Rd., at 07:45 (SJ).
1 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on ~1 Sept., seen in mimosa tree in their yard in Stevenson, Skamania Co., WA (JD).
2 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co. (WC).
3 on 16 Sept., found in only 2 sectors of the 10 surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: one in the e. half of the Goldendale sector (NW, GW), and 2 female-plumaged birds, foraging only 1.5 to 2 ft. off the ground in rangeland weeds along a row of Russian olives at the former Petroglyph Park, Roosevelt, at 12:53 (SJ).
Hermit Warbler –
1 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
? 1 on 7 Sept., foraging in a big cottonwood at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed, sw. of South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at 12:20. Had several brief looks at a Dendroica warbler (smaller than the Audubon’s that was in these same trees) noting 2 conspicuous white wingbars, and a head that was dull yellowish with light dusky auriculars. As I immediately thought “Hermit,” suspect that forehead was yellowish, rather than dark. Still, I.D. uncertain (SJ).
Palm Warbler –
1 on 21 Oct., foraging on the ground alongside South Prairie Rd. and in little oaks e. of a low log rail fence on the e. side of the road, 0.75 mi. to s. of the jct. with Centerville Hwy., in the Columbia Hills IBA. It was associating with a small flock of W. Bluebirds and an Audubon’s Warbler, was observed at close range in excellent light from 14:20 to 14:28.
Field notes follow: “Flew from rail fence to trees—showed white tips to outer rectrices in a long triangular shape, on topside of fanned tail. Wags tail most of the time. Dull brown cap, beige-dingy white superciliary, not-especially prominent dark eyeline, pale beigey crescent under eye. Auricular / cheek light greyish-brown, paler than cap. Vent conspicuous yellow, bleeding upward toward flanks; yellow-olive rump. Underparts beige to dingy whitish with ill-defined, blurry, darker streaks on breast. Bill and legs dark. Back and wings brown with suggestion of slightly darker streaks on back, and with 2 warm beige narrow wingbars. Tail largely white on underside. Forages in oaks and drops to ground—runs on roadside, foraging. Associating with W. Bluebirds.”
Scoped at fairly close range (est. 20 m. distant), from beside the car with 22xWA scope, and glassed with binoculars at point blank range (close as ~10 m.), from inside the car minutes later, when it was foraging on / at the roadside. I am familiar with this species in both breeding and basic plumages: e.g., once in spring at the Cochrane Wildlife Reserve, near Bottrel, Alberta, at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills, and in fall near Masset in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia (SJ). This is the first record for Klickitat County.
American Redstart –
5 on 26 Aug., three ASY males, one female-plumaged bird and the 5th heard-only calling while I observed a calling ASY male, in three different spots in the Trout Lake NAP hardwoods where this species has been found during the breeding season for several years now. They appeared, to mob me, when bands of Black-capped Chickadees responded to my pygmy-owl imitations, late morning through mid-afternoon. Two males sang a little bit (SJ).
Northern Waterthrush –
1 on 25 Aug., HY bird, caught in a mistnet and banded at the St. Cloud Recreation Area fall banding site, Skamania Co., WA, at ~11:45. Habitat was a band of false indigo, willow brush and reed canary grass between the margin of lowland hardwood forest and a backwater creek channel. Digital photographs documenting the record were taken by CJF. Lack of skull ossification and the presence of a filoplume on it’s nape helped to age the bird. This is the first record for Skamania County (CJF, PG, SJ).
MacGillivray’s Warbler –
2 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
3 on 24 Aug., one seen was female-plumaged, the others heard-only calling: the former along Hansen Rd., the latter two at different spots at Glenwood Millpond (SJ).
2 on 25 Aug., heard-only, calling at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA: one nw. of net #5, another in vicinity of the “WB” net. None caught (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 26 Aug., calling, all fresh-looking, female-plumaged individuals, probably HY, in Trout Lake NAP (SJ).
1 on 29 Aug., calling, skulking in crab apple, blackberries along n. fence of the Hood River WTP, ~11:00. Minutes later, it moves w. to riparian at e. end Waucoma Basin (SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., female or HY, calling, in alder saplings and low brush near the tiny pond along logging rd. H 1800 at the jct. with Bill Moore Rd., at ~!6:00. This is < 1 mi. e. of Snowden (SJ).
1 on 7 Sept., heard-only, calling and (twice) singing a subdued song, along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the South Prairie bog outlet crossing, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:00 (SJ).
1 on 25 Sept., female-plumage, calling in low branches of cottonwood and underbrush at the se. corner of Boat Works Basin, Hood River waterfront, at 11:15. Good views at close range; late (SJ).
Common Yellowthroat –
>16 on 24 Aug., seen and/or heard calling in the vicinity of Conboy Lake NWR (11) and Glenwood Millpond (5) (BMcK, SJ).
11 on 25 Aug., ten HY birds banded, 1 escaped, at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA. All were taken from the “L” net, set at the edge of false indigo and willow brush with surrounding reed canary grass; adjacent to the n. is lowland riparian—fairly mature alder, cottonwood and (some very old) ash (PG, CJF, SJ).
2 on 26 Aug., male and HY male, calling, in the Trout Lake NAP (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., along the dike trail going e. from the Washougal waterfront park out into Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
2 on 3 Sept., male and female-plumaged bird, calling, in the Lost Creek swamp along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 580, ~0.25 mi. sw. of Y jct. with rd. 68 and ~3 mi. w-wnw. of Willard, Skamania Co., WA, at ~15:20 and 16:45 (SJ).
2 on 5 Sept., a female-plumaged bird and a HY male, calling, in mature willow riparian with brushy understory and lots of reed canary grass, on the n. side of I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
3 on 7 Sept., two female, one HY male, at South Prairie, Skamania Co., WA; the former near the bog outlet crossing along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66, at ~09:00, the latter further n. below the pond’s dam, at ~09:50 (SJ).
3 on 8 Sept., one female, 2 males—all HY—banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall birdbanding site in Skamania Co., WA. Oddly, all 3 were caught in nets (#2, 5 & 10) situated within the bottomland riparian forest at the MAPS site, unlike the 11 birds caught at the forest’s interface with grassy meadow, low willow brush and false indigo, close to the river, on 25 Aug. (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., heard-only, calling in cattails at the nw. shore of Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 12:06 (SJ).
12 on 16 Sept., found in 2 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 4 in the Trout Lake sector (KK, DS) and 8 in the Conboy Lake NWR sector (JH, RR).
Wilson’s Warbler –
8 on 13 Aug., part of “a fairly good migrant flock of birds moving through our property on Mt. Pleasant, Skamania Co., WA” (WC). Gleaned from OBOL.
2 on 26 Aug., female or HY birds (little dark on forecrown), at two sites in Trout Lake NAP, one foraging in canopy of big aspens, one in understory of big cottonwoods (SJ).
2 on 30 Aug., at the St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
5 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC).
1 on 7 Sept., heard-only, calling in the midst of the dense, low willow thicket out in the grazed prairie, at 11:39. This is a ways downstream from the South Prairie pond and upstream from the South Prairie bog’s outlet stream in Skamania Co., WA. Right now there is practically no water running out of the pond (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling on two occasions in the morning, at the s. edge of riparian bottomland forest, to n. of net B, at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall bird banding station, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
Western Tanager –
1 on 26 Aug., one heard-only calling “bddick,” softly, near the banding log at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at 11:23. No captures (CJF, PG, SJ).
1 on 26 Aug., heard-only, calling soft, rising “weeet?” notes and a soft “bddick” once from big locusts at the s. side of BSI hostel bldg., Bingen, at 19:40 (SJ).
1 on 30 Aug., heard-only, calling “bddick” in a Doug fir along Fisher Hill Rd. immediately n. of Pleasant Hill Cemetery, across the road from a fruiting bitter cherry thicket, at ~14:00 (SJ).
1 on 31 Aug., heard-only, calling soft “weeet?” and “bddick” notes from big locusts on s. side of the hostel bldg. here at BS1—heard from room #12 at 12:25 (SJ).
1 on 2 Sept., HY bird, caught in net C and banded at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; it has >2 filoplumes on nape. This is the first one we’ve handled this fall (CJF, PG, SJ).
4 on 2 Sept., first heard the soft, rising “weeet?” notes from the canopy of the little copse of young locusts on the s. side of E. Franklin St., Bingen, and n. of the ne. corner of the BSI hostel building, in fading light just before dusk settles in. There was occasional flying back and forth to/from locusts across the street; one following right after the first may have been a chase. A couple times tanagers made short sallies out after passing insects. And 2 female-plumaged tanagers were seen feeding on ripe fruit in the lone plum tree further e. along Franklin St., at the n. side of BSI’s playfield—looked for when one called “bddick” notes, briefly. These could have been additional birds to the 4 in the locusts, but it was hard keeping track of where they were once they crossed the street, so they may well be two that had been seen in the locusts minutes earlier (SJ).
25 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC).
1 on 3 Sept., heard-only, calling “bddick” notes, in oak on the lot at the nw. corner of E. Humboldt and Cedar streets, Bingen, at 12:40 (SJ).
1 on 5 Sept., in locust copse at curve in hwy.14, on n. side of the road at the creek crossing, ~0.8 mi. w. of Boulder Dr. in Wishram Heights (CJF).
2 on 5 Sept., at least 2 seen (and calls heard, both soft “weeet?” notes and “bddick” calls too) in mature willow riparian on the n. side of I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR. Possibly the same bird/s were encountered / re-encountered a few times, both before and after the two that were seen together this morning (SJ).
2 on 7 Sept., calling “bddick” notes (one heard-only) in open woodland, cottonwood-lodgepole pine habitat at the ne. edge of the Big Lava Bed, at South Prairie, Skamania Co., WA, at 12:55. One was heard calling earlier (~09:00) off to w-nw. of Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the bog outlet crossing, possibly one of the same birds (SJ).
3 on 14 Sept., flew up from creek margin along the Jewett Creek Corridor trail, where 2 of them had been bathing, at 12:40. This is at the ne. edge of White Salmon, across the fence from Mamie Gaddis Park. One looked like a b.p. male, with a bright yellow rump when it flew off (SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., female-plumage, called “bddick” a time or two, in brushy riparian at the nw. end of Spearfish L., ne. of The Dalles Dam, at ~12:20 (SJ).
9 on 16 Sept., total number found in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, 1 in the Trout Lake sector (DS, KK), 4 in the Rock Creek sector (DSt, JL), and 4 in the Roosevelt – Alderdale sector. Details for the latter 4 follow: one heard calling soft “weeet?” notes in Russian olives along hwy. 14 at the former Petroglyph Park, just e. of Roosevelt, and 3 calling the same rising, soft “weeet?” notes, glassed in dead tops of alders at the mouth of Pine Creek, just e. of Moonax (SJ).
Spotted Towhee –
29 on 16 Sept., total number found in 8 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 2 (DS, KK); White Salmon, 5 (BS, JM, DG, RG); Conboy L. NWR, 2 (JH, RR); Catherine Creek, 4 (JM, BH); Klickitat R.- Dallesport, 0; Goldendale west, 0; Goldendale east, 1 (NW, GW); Cleveland-Bickleton, 8 (DL); Rock Creek, 3 (DSt, JL); Roosevelt-Alderdale, 4 (SJ).
1 on 14 Nov., in brush along N. Major Creek Rd., <0.5 mi. e. of the jct. with Bates Rd.; towhees are not found every winter in this area (DG).
Chipping Sparrow –
219 on 16 Sept., total number found for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows, by sector: 4, Trout Lake (DS, KK); 3, White Salmon (BS, JM, DG, RG); 11, Conboy L. NWR (JH, RR); 0, Catherine Creek; 0, Klickitat R.- Dallesport; 50, Goldendale west (CH, TH); 150, Goldendale east (NW, GW); 0, Cleveland-Bickleton; 1, Rock Creek (DSt, JL); 0, Roosevelt-Alderdale.
Clay-coloured Sparrow –
1 on 8 Sept., adult-sized HY bird in juvenal plumage, caught at 12:10 in net A and banded at the St. Cloud Recreation Area fall banding station in Skamania Co., WA. Net A is situated at the interface between maturing bottomland hardwood forest (mostly alder, but also including ash and cottonwood) and reed canary grass meadow with low willow brush and false indigo, close to the Columbia River’s n. shore. Sparrow had asymmetric molt, regenerating primaries 3 through 8, currently grown out to <1/2 the length of the outermost primary (9), on the right wing; the left had no molt. CJF took many digital photographs and we noted all relevant “field marks” on the banding form. Expert opinion is being sought, but if our identification is correct, this might be a first county record (CJF, PG, SJ). I am familiar with this species: it was a very common breeding bird in the extensive dwarf birch expanses at the Cochrane Wildlife Reserve, near Bottrel, Alberta, where I lived for several years in the seventies and eighties (SJ).
Brewer’s Sparrow –
?1 on 3 Sept., “A small light-colored sparrow with spotted undersides, no facial markings and a barred crown made a brief visit to our bird bath. This bird was about the same size as the American Goldfinches, but slimmer. My wife and I are puzzled over the identification of this sparrow; the nearest thing we can find in any of our guides is a juvenile Brewer's Sparrow.” At their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); gleaned from Tweeters.
Vesper Sparrow –
3 on 13 Sept., singles: one with ~20 Savannahs in roadside weeds and on fence along Bickleton Hwy. 0.4 mi. w. of jct. with Old Mountain Rd.; one further e. along Bickleton Hwy., 1.5 mi. w. of the jct. with Box Spring Rd. (both BH, DL, SJ); and one along Sand Ridge Rd. 0.1 mi. n. of the jct. with Hale Rd. (DL).
Sage Sparrow –
4 on 13 Sept., along Sand Ridge Rd. in e. Klickitat Co.: one at the se. corner of the wedge-shaped “old growth” big sage tract at an abandoned ranch 6.3 mi. s. of Bluelight, at 11:30; two more in roadside big sage ~ 4.5 mi. n. of the jct. with Alder Creek and Peterson roads, at 12:16; and one ran down the side of the road with it’s tail cocked, before flying into sparse, low big sage in bunch grass just w. of the road, ~2.6 mi. n. of the jct. with Alder Creek and Peterson roads, at ~12:40 (DL, BH, SJ).
2 on 16 Sept., found in the Cleveland-Bickleton sector for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, the only report. This sector extends s. to Hale Rd. (DL).
Savannah Sparrow –
6 on 30 Aug., in fields along the dike trail that goes e. from the Washougal waterfront park into Steigerwald Lake NWR, Clark Co., WA (PW).
28 on 13 Sept., total number (20, 1, 2, 2, 3 = 28) noted in casual observation during a big loop drive through e. Klickitat Co., scouting for the upcoming NAMC. The flock of 20 was along Bickleton Hwy. 0.4 mi. w. of the jct. with Old Mountain Rd. (DL, BH, SJ).
1 on 15 Sept., calling, in bitterbrush above Spearfish L., on the w. side, at ~11:25 (SJ).
163 on 16 Sept., total number found in 7 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 25; White Salmon, 2; Conboy L. NWR, 15; Catherine Creek, 1; Dallesport sub-sector, count week (see detail above); Goldendale (west), 6; Goldendale (east), 0; Cleveland-Bickleton, 14; Rock Creek, 100; Roosevelt-Alderdale, 0.
2 on 3 Oct., calling, in weedy, short grass open area e. of the bin stacks and s. of Bingen Pond, along the Bingen riverfront, at 13:32 (SJ).
2 on 22 Oct., singles, along hwy.14 in the Columbia Hills IBA: one on the fence at M.P.103.9 and one on bulrushes along s. side of the small pond at M.P.112.6 (SJ).
1 on 3 Nov., foraging in short grass at top of the Bingen marina’s bank and at the e.se. margin of the parking lot—a good close look—at 16:25 (SJ).
Fox Sparrow –
1 on 26 Aug., a Slate-coloured, calling from brush on the bank along a no-flow-now channel in Trout Lake NAP, < mid-day. Don’t think that this is a breeding site, as none were noted here during summer visits. Has greyish on face, white underparts crisply marked with dark/blackish, arrow-tip, inverted V’s and with a blueberry-sized, dark agglomeration at center of breast. Responds to my pygmy-owl imitation (SJ).
4 on 16 Sept., found in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC, as follows: Trout Lake, 1 (DS, KK); Goldendale (east), 1 (NW, GW); Cleveland-Bickleton, 2 (DL).
1 on 3 Oct., may be a Slate-coloured x Sooty intergrade, with greyish tinge around rear of the auriculars and back on to sides of the nape, but not conspicuously grey there, calling, in a dog rose at the se. corner of Bingen Pond, at ~10:45 (SJ).
1 on 6 Oct., at the fall bird banding station, St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA; caught in net A and banded around noon. Has a brown crown contrasting with dull olive-light brown superciliary (that looked greyish at first glance) and area surrounding auriculars on side of the head. Not a Sooty, but may be an intergrade with Slate-coloured? (CJF, PG, SJ).
3 on 23 Oct., Sooty types, calling in riparian brush along a riverside trail in Maryhill State Park, in the Columbia Hills IBA, at ~09:45 (DG, SJ).
1 on 28 Oct., Sooty, along N. Major Creek Rd., e. of the jct. with Bates Rd. (DG).
1 on 31 Nov., Sooty, at their home along Bates Rd.; one seen there again on 7 Nov. (DG).
1 on 3 Nov., Sooty, scratching in fallen leaves on the e. side of willow riparian alongside the rocky jetty at The Spit, w. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, 13:35 (SJ).
4 on 14 Nov., one Slate-coloured, 3 Sooties, in brush along N. Major Creek Rd. just w. of the T jct. with Allen Oaks Rd. (<0.5 mi. e. of the jct. with Bates Rd.) (DG).
1 on 17 Nov., Sooty, in blackberries and other brush along the ne. side of Scott Canon Rd., 1.4 mi. to ne. of the jct. with hwy 30 in Rufus, Sherman Co., OR, at 10:01 (TA, SJ).
2 on 26 Nov., Sooties, calling in response to my pygmy-owl imitations, along the Bingen riverfront: one about midway along the Remnant Wetland in willow riparian, the other in blackberry thickets at the e.se. side of Bingen Pond; they do have a somewhat greyish wash across the face, cheek (SJ).
1 on 30 Nov., Sooty, foraging on the ground between the s. side trail and a blackberry thicket at Bingen Pond, at ~16:30 (SJ).
Song Sparrow –
2 on 24 Aug., adult and begging juv. with flabby yellow gape flanges, calling at inlet end of Glenwood Millpond at ~13:30 (SJ).
1 on 25 Aug., HY bird, banded at St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA; no recaptures. A few were heard during net runs (CJF, PG, SJ).
33 on 16 Sept., total number found for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC; this species was found in all but 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed (though there’s a count week record for an 8th sector).
1 on 30 Nov., foraging on the ground along the s. side trail at Bingen Pond, at ~16:30. It is easy to see that this bird is a paler race than the dusky, dark, local-breeding (resident?) Song Sparrows in the mid-Columbia Gorge (SJ).
Lincoln’s Sparrow –
1 on 7 Sept., in willow-sedge meadow along the South Prairie bog outlet stream, w. side of Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:15. Singing birds on territory have been observed at the bog during the breeding season (SJ).
1 on 11 Sept., “skulking around and perched for several seconds on the Oregon grape shrub out back,” in an urban yard e. of N. Columbus Ave. and s. of the Little Klickitat R. in Goldendale, at ~11:00 (DL).
3 on 12 Sept., Conboy Lake NWR: one in a hawthorn on the w. side of BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd. at the Camas Ditch crossing (on the n. side of the ditch), at ~08:20, and two in the riparian near the pumphouse at headquarters, at ~11:30 (BMcK, SJ).
1 on 12 Sept., in riparian along the s. side of Glenwood Hwy. at the Outlet Creek crossing (SJ).
11 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 3 of the 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 2 in the Trout Lake area (DS, KK), 4 in the Conboy L. NWR area (JH, RR), and 5 in the Sundale – Roosevelt area (SJ).
1 on 7 Oct., in response to pygmy-owl imitations, one hopped up into brush along hwy. 142 at ~M.P.16.25, at Wahkiacus, >100m. to w. of the Klickitat R. bridge, at 13:52 (SJ).
1 on 21 Oct., flushed up from weedy grass and tiny aspen saplings at the s. verge of Centerville Hwy., 0.1 mi. w. of the jct. with Schilling Rd., in the Columbia Hills IBA, at 12:35 (SJ).
1 on 17 Nov., in blackberries and other brush along the ne. side of Scott Canon Rd., 1.4 mi. to se. of the jct. with hwy 30 in Rufus, Sherman Co., OR, at 10:01. In company with a Song, several Golden-crowned, and a Fox sparrows, 4 Oregon Juncos and a Bewick’s Wren (TA, SJ).
White-throated Sparrow –
1 on 7 Oct., a beige/tan-striped adult, silently hopped up into brush on the n. side of hwy 142 at Wahkiacus, >100m. to w. of the Klickitat R. bridge, in response to my pygmy-owl imitations, at 13:52. This is at ~M.P. 16.25 (SJ).
White-crowned Sparrow –
1 on 3 Sept., HY bird, flushed along Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest Rd. 580, in a tiny, wet, fern and Devil’s Club meadow, at the tributary creek crossing to s. of the Lost Creek swamp and 3 mi. w-wnw. of Willard, Skamania Co., WA; a migrant, as this forest site is not breeding habitat (SJ).
1 on 3 Sept., HY bird, flushed along the trail on s. side of Bingen Pond, ~17:45 (SJ).
1 on 5 Sept., HY bird, calling, in mature willow riparian along the n. side of I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR, at about mid-morning (SJ).
>1 on 7 Sept., HY bird, along with a couple other sparrows (glimpsed only, perhaps also White-crowns), in brush below the Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 dam at South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at ~09:55 (SJ).
3 on 11 Sept., “scouting the grassland just outside the patio perimeter” in vicinity of a bird feeder in an urban yard e. of N. Columbus Ave. and s. of the Little Klickitat R. bridge, in Goldendale, at ~12:45 (DL).
1 on 27 Sept., first arrival at his home along Glenwood Hwy. near the jct. with Counts Rd.(TA).
Golden-crowned Sparrow –
1 on 14 Sept., calling, brushpile just s.sw. of Kreps’ corral along Barnedt Rd., in the Jewett Creek watershed at the ne. edge of White Salmon, at 13:42. My first of the fall season (SJ).
5 on 16 Sept., found during searches for the Fall Migration Count in se. Klickitat Co.: Two in the extensive weedy area between the parking lot, at the treaty fishing access site in Sundale, and the orchard to the n.nw., at ~07:45. One at the irrigation pond s. below hwy. 14 (just e. of MP 131) at the jct. with Old Hwy 8, at ~08:45. And two, calling, at beaverponds along Alder Creek, seen/heard from Sixprong Rd. 1/3 mi. nw. of the jct. with Alderdale Rd., at ~16:10 (SJ).
3 on 17 Sept., “…showed up at our feeders” on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC).
2 on 7 Oct., calling in response to my pygmy-owl imitations, in brush on the n. side of hwy. 142 (at ~M.P.16.25) at Wahkiacus, >100m. to w. of the Klickitat R. bridge, at 13:52 (SJ).
>10 on 9 Nov., calling along F St. and nearby 3rd Ave. in Dallesport, 09:30 to 09:50. Weedy, brushy, with Russian olives and orchard trees too (BMcK, SJ).
~5 on 17 Nov., blackberry tangle along the ne. side of Scott Canon Rd., 1.4 mi. to se. of the jct. with hwy. 30 in Rufus. Noted while running the n. Sherman Co., OR, raptor survey route, at 10:01 (TA, SJ).
27 Nov. email from Goldendale: “After the first snow here, Saturday night [25 Nov.], the ground feeders are starting to move in. The Golden-crowned Sparrows haven't been seen for about a week, so mostly it's juncos, White-crowned Sparrows, and less frequently but still regularly, a single Song Sparrow and two or three Spotted Towhees below [the feeders], with growing numbers of House Finches and Am. Goldfinches on the hanging feeders” (DL). These feeders are e. of N. Columbus Ave. between the Little Klickitat R. bridge and hwy. 142 / Broadway.
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco –
4 on 7 Sept., calling, along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the jct. with rd. 6621, at the w. side of South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA. An adult-sized juvenile, with crisp dark streaks on the breast, was calling begging notes in the company of an adult female, while approaching the water’s edge at the boat launch site and while both bathed, at 10:00. Other two, across the road, were female-plumaged (SJ).
>225 on 27 Nov., assembled on the BSI driveway and parking lot, in Bingen, with smaller numbers in weeds on the adjacent bank to the north, during and immediately following snow flurries with big wet flakes. The highest count was at 13:00 right after the snow quit. Snow melted as soon as it hit the ground (SJ).
Dark-eyed (Slate-coloured) Junco –
1 on 9 Nov., male, in orchard tree along F St. just ne. of the corner with 3rd Ave., Dallesport, at 09:35. Probable intergrade: all slaty grey, but with barely perceptible hooded appearance, grey sides, flanks, white belly, outer rectrices, and with back slightly tinged with brownish (SJ).
Lapland Longspur –
?1 on 17 Nov., tentative I.D., heard-only calling 2 or 3 times along a n.-s. stretch of Herin Lane, about 1 mi. se. of the jct. with Oehman Rd. It sounded like bird was calling in flight past us, along with small numbers (~15) of Horned Larks; the habitat was stubble fields sw. above the lower John Day R. in extreme ne. Sherman Co., OR. Noted while running the 98.8 mile n. Sherman Co. raptor survey route, so there was no time to linger, hoping for a better encounter (TA, SJ).
Black-headed Grosbeak –
1 on 26 Aug., in dead top of big cottonwood, Trout Lake NAP, with a W. Tanager or two, at about mid-day (SJ).
2 on 3 Sept., silent HY birds, came in to feed at backyard feeder along NW Garfield St., White Salmon, WA, very late in the afternoon / early evening; one was seen in similar circumstances the evening before, on 2 Sept. (CJF).
3 on 3 Sept., at their home on Mt. Pleasant in sw. Skamania Co., WA (WC); from Tweeters.
1 on 5 Sept., at backyard feeder along NW Garfield St., White Salmon, WA, at 19:40 (CJF).
Lazuli Bunting –
1 on 24 Aug., female-plumaged bird, foraging on the ground not far from fence and brush at pasture edge, got >4 grasshoppers while we watched, bringing them back into the brush; n. side of Hansen Rd., 0.3 mi. w. of jct. with BZ Corner-Glenwood Rd. (BMcK, SJ).
Brewer’s Blackbird –
15 on 5 Sept., along s. shore of the Columbia R. and the adjacent RR tracks at ~MP 78.5 of hwy. I-84. One male is a partial albino, with a broad white collar encircling hind neck and expanding more widely down onto the breast; there are flecks of black mixed in, especially on the breast. Male also has a white patch on most of the hind crown and, in flight, showed a white rectrice—not a deck and not an outermost one either. This is ~1.75 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR (SJ).
Brown-headed Cowbird –
1 on 29 Aug., HY bird, foraging with starlings and Brewer’s Blackbirds on the lawn at the Hood River WTP, at ~10:30 (SJ).
2 on 16 Sept., singles found in 2 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: one each in the White Salmon and in the Catherine Creek sectors (BS, JM, DG, RG; BH, et al).
1 on 26 Nov., female, on utility wires along E. Lakeview Blvd., just e. of the T jct. with N. Harbour Dr., along the Bingen riverfront, at 15:05. Associating with 70-75 Brewer’s Blackbirds and 20 some starlings (SJ).
Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch –
4 on 22 Oct., along Hoctor Rd. on the s. slope of the Goodnoe Hills, about midway between the ridgetop and the crossroads with Old Hwy 8, Goodnoe Station Rd. and Chamberlain-Goodnoe Rd.; this is at the e. end of the Columbia Hills IBA (DL). It represents the second record for Klickitat Co. The first was a flock encountered somewhere along hwy 14 by Mike Denny, no date and no details available, but the record apparently is not recent.
>100 on 25 Oct., Johnston Ridge on Mount St. Helens, Skamania Co., WA (MP & group of high school students). Gleaned from OBOL; two photos were posted: one bird, on the ground, is of a grey-cheeked race, while the other is a bird in flight with a dark cheek or with it’s cheek in shadow.
“a few” on 15 Nov., “We also heard a few Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, but could not locate them,” close to the top of Larch Mountain at / near the end of the road; there was quite a bit of snow above MP 11 (KT, AT). Gleaned from OBOL.
Pine Grosbeak –
10 on ~ 6 Nov., “…a flock of 10 Pine Grosbeaks two weeks ago at Larch Mt.” in Multnomah Co., OR, posted on 20 Nov. on OBOL (KT).
3 on 16 Nov., “…perched high in the fir trees at the southwest corner of the parking lot at the top of Larch Mountain, [Multnomah Co., OR]. Stites, who got there a few minutes before me and was the first to sight the birds, had a brief but good look at a male (redish overall, two white wingbars, short curved bill). We both had extended looks in the misty light at a female (smaller than a robin, bigger than a large sparrow, grayish overall, greenish yellow rounded head, short sharply curved bill, white wingbars--the more distal of which was substantially more prominent, white edging on the secondaries and tertials, greenish gray back without streaking, unmarked gray belly). The birds were largely sedentary (Sibley's "sedate" is an apt description of their behavior). We became aware of the third bird only when they flew off to the southeast toward the lower parking lot. We pursued but were unable to relocate them….At least as of today, the road to the top is open and clear despite the substantial amounts of snow near the top.” (BSt, JF); from OBOL.
10-13 on 17 Nov., “…Larch Mountain, where there were two separate groups of Pine Grosbeaks (6 to 8) and (4 to 5). Unfortunately the looks were less than ideal, since the birds were on the move rapidly to the south from the upper parking lot” (MRo, BSt). Gleaned from OBOL.
2 on 20 Nov., “I was surprised to flush a pair of adult Pine Grosbeaks off the Larch Mt. Rd. this afternoon a bit after 2:00 PM. They were on the left side of the road on the way up the mountain. I measured the distance from the top parking lot to the site at about 1.5 miles. After I flushed them I parked and walked back. Both birds were perched low in a small evergreen and allowed 25 foot excellent views. They returned to the ground, and the female then flew to the top of a snow pile. After about five minutes they flew across the road, but still perched low, and the female remained in the open” (JG). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 25 Nov., at the summit of Larch Mountain, Multnomah Co., at 13:00 (IT); from OBOL.
1 on 25 Nov., heard-only, a fly-by calling whistled “chi-vli?” upward-slurring notes with a slight vibratto or rattled quality; three or 4 of these calls were heard along forest rd. N1000 at the Y with N1500, at 15:15, and again further up the road, above the Y with N-3, at 16:00, on the upper s.sw. slopes of Nestor Peak, in w. most Klickitat Co. Snow depths range from 4-10 inches along this stretch of the road; just below the peak the snow was 2 feet deep (SJ).
Purple Finch –
2 on 30 Aug., female-plumaged birds, atop a Doug fir along Fisher Hill Rd., just n. of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery and <1 mi. se. of Appleton, at ~14:30. They drop down into the thicket of fruiting bitter cherries, where I watch one eat 3 cherries, discarding the pits (SJ).
7 on 16 Sept., total found in 3 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co.Fall NAMC: 1 in the Trout Lake area (DS, KK), 1 in the White Salmon sector (BS, JM, DG, RG), and 5 in the Goldendale (east) sector (NW, GW).
Cassin’s Finch –
1 on 30 Aug., heard calling “tiddy-up” notes along Fisher Hill Rd. just n. of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. A little later one female-plumaged bird was seen in the cemetery, atop a dead fir, perching with 3 smaller Pine Siskins, <1 mi. se. of Appleton, at ~14:10 (SJ).
1 on 16 Sept., the only one observed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC was found in the Trout Lake sector (DS, KK).
1 on 15 Nov., an ASY male, close to the top of
Larch Mountain, near the parking lot area at the very end of the
road, Multnomah Co., OR. “This is the second time I have seen
[Cassin’s] near the top of Larch Mountain in the winter. The
bird was a male and possess strong streaking on the back, faint
streaks near undertail coverts, had a very strong notched tail, with
a very clear, contrasting crimson cap that ends more abruptly than
the other two male species” (KT, AT). Gleaned from OBOL.
Red Crossbill –
6 on 25 Aug., calling, going w. in low flight along the n. shore of the Columbia R. at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA, ~07:15. A minute later saw these 6 fly out from an ash sapling just back of the beach (SJ).
>6 on 30 Aug., total of 6+ crossbills encountered at four sites: 4 calling in flight over Pleasant Hill Cemetery along Fisher Hill Rd., and one juv. bird seen atop a dead fir in the cemetery. Red Crossbills were also heard calling in vicinity of the Timber Valley pond at the sharp curve in Canyon Rd., at 15:10, and around two small ponds along Bill Moore Rd., 15:25 to 16:00 (SJ).
>1 on 3 Sept., heard-only, calling in flight over the jct. of Gifford Pinchot NF Roads 66 & 68, about 2.25 mi. nw. of Willard, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
5 on 7 Sept., calling, in flight over Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at South Prairie pond, Skamania Co., WA, at ~10:05. Two were heard earlier, at ~08:45, a bit further s. at the bog outlet crossing and later, 4 flew over the w. side of the pond, calling, at ~14:45 (SJ).
99 on 16 Sept., total number reported from 6 of 11 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 10 in the Trout Lake sector (DS, KK), 5 in the White Salmon sector (BS, JM, DG, RG), 4 in the Conboy L. NWR sector (JH, RR), 70 in the Catherine Creek sector (JM, BH), 7 in the w. half of the Goldendale sector (CH, TH), and 3 flyovers in the Box Canon area, e. half of the Goldendale sector (NW, GW).
4 on 25 Nov., calling, they came in to a conifer top along forest rd. N1000, just upslope from the Y with rd. N1500, on the s.sw. slopes of Nestor Peak in w.most Klickitat Co., in response to my pygmy-owl imitations, at 15:35. Snow depth at this point was 4 inches. Two were a burnished tawny-gold, apparently young males, and the other two drabber, greenish-olive females—lit by late afternoon sunshine (SJ).
25 Nov. posting from OBOL: “If anyone still wants to look for the [Pine] grosbeaks [atop Larch Mountain, Multnomah Co., OR], its still possible. I hiked up from the gate and had one bird at the summit at 1pm today. It's helpful if you know the call of the bird. Also helpful: snowshoes/skis. The only crossbills I found were reds” (IT).
50-60 on 29 Nov., up in the Doug firs along N. Major Creek Rd., ~2/3 mi. e. of the jct. with Bates Rd. Some crossbills were pressing their bills against willow branches, reason unknown. Red Crossbills have been present in the Bates Rd. – N. Major Creek Rd. area all fall (DG).
White-winged Crossbill –
1 on 18 Nov., “I was at Larch Mt. (Multnomah Co.) for a bit over an hour late in the morning on Saturday….While I was doing pygmy-owl imitations a female White-winged Crossbill flew onto a spruce and stayed for about half a minute” (JG). Gleaned from OBOL.
Pine Siskin –
5 on 7 Sept., snag top ~200 m. west of Cook-Underwood Rd., 0.2 mi. to n. of the jct. with Chenowith Rd., Skamania Co., WA; with one W. Bluebird, at 07:58 (SJ).
15 on 7 Sept., along Gifford Pinchot NF Rd. 66 at the outlet stream crossing for the South Prairie bog in Skamania Co., WA, at 08:40 (SJ).
1 on 8 Sept., heard-only, calling in flight over the “banding log,” w. of net #7, at the St. Cloud Recr. Area fall banding station, Skamania Co., WA, at 09:50. This is hardwood (alder, cottonwood, ash) riparian bottomland forest. First evidence of siskin presence here this fall (CJF, PG, SJ).
107 on 16 Sept., total counted in 3 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 102 in the White Salmon sector (BS, JM, DG, RG), 4 in the Conboy L. NWR sector (JH, RR), and 1 in the Catherine Creek sector (BH, et al).
Lesser Goldfinch –
2 on 4 Aug., one dull-plumaged male, one female, on fence and weeds along the driveway in to Gadways’ home, Bates Rd., at 15:45. Male, taking seeds from knee-high Madia gracilis or M. glomerata (tarweed), still present at 16:15 (SJ).
1 on 5 Aug., dull-plumaged male, flies from “the willow pasture” e. to the driveway fence at the flower garden, with a few bluebirds, at Gadways’ home along Bates Rd., at 08:18 (SJ).
2 on 24 Aug., female & male, feeding on seeded “wild lettuce” along the fence at the se. corner of the onetime horse paddock that encloses the aspen grove just n-nw. of the manager’s house at Conboy Lake NWR headquarters, at ~10:25. This is along the Willard Spring Trail just a bit n. of the headquarters trailhead (BMcK, SJ). Last fall Kevin Glueckert reported a pair of Lesser Goldfinches along the Willard Spring Trail at Conboy Lake NWR on 4 Sept. 2005, the first record that I am aware of for the refuge.
2 on 5 Sept., female & male, flushed from seeding fireweed into low Ribes aureum in the mature willow riparian on the n. side of I-84 at MP 79, about 2 mi. e.se. of Rowena, Wasco Co., OR, ~ mid-morning. A little earlier, a female flew out of seeded thistles roughly 100 m. further w. and, in early afternoon, a male dropped down to drink in a narrow beaver channel there, at the eastern reach of the inlet (SJ).
51 on 16 Sept., total number counted in 3 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC: 21 in the Catherine Creek sector (BH, et al), 25 in the Goldendale (east) sector (NW, GW), and 5 at the boat launch site at the mouth of Chapman Creek, Sundale, in the Roosevelt-Alderdale sector (SJ).
2 on 22 Oct., singles, in the Columbia Hills IBA: one or more heard-only, calling, along hwy.14 at the Hartley Canon crossing (MP 105), at 10:35, and one male singing softly on utility wire along Towal Rd., at 13:15 (SJ).
2 on 14 Nov., on the fence along Old Hwy. 8 opposite the entrance to the Balfour-Klickitat park, w. side of the Klickitat R. near its mouth, at the w. edge of Lyle, at 14:56 (BH, SJ).
>13 on 16 Nov., in the first big locust on the e. side of the sidewalk entry to BSI, Bingen. At first I heard twittering calls that I didn’t recognise, looked up into locust branches extending out over the n. edge of the parking lot, and there watched 5 Lesser Goldfinch choosing their night roost sites among the dense clusters of seed pods, at 15:30. At least one male, 2 females were seen well, with 2 others seen only from directly below, also probably females. Then at 15:37 suddenly >8 more flew in low to perch in branches that are only about 10 ft. above the rock garden on the e. side of the steps up from the parking lot; they moved about a little bit, then flew s. low over the pkg. lot and on across E. Humboldt St. Checked the high branch roost site at 16:57 as dusk crept in and could still see the roosting Lesser Goldfinches with their plumage all fluffed out (SJ).
16 on 24 Nov., along E. Humboldt St., Bingen, 15:35 to 15:45. Three flew in to the big locust in front of the BSI hostel and began fluttering around in the dense seed pod clusters where they roost for the night; one or 2 flew on down toward the street moments later. Then I saw a flock feeding on chicory and other weedseeds on the bank along the n. side of the street. When they flushed up into the top of a big oak in someone’s backyard just w. of the T intersection with Elm St., I counted 15 birds. A 16th was already roosting in the locust next to the stairwell leading up to the hostel (SJ).
American Goldfinch –
10 on 30 Aug., at St. Cloud Recr. Area, Skamania Co., WA (PW).
40 on 30 Aug., in trees and fields near Washougal, Clark Co., WA (PW).
16 on 3 Sept., flock of 15 foraging in chicory patch along the s. side of Cook-Underwood Rd., <25 m. to w. of the jct. with School House Rd., and one begging juv. heard-only calling in the canopy of nearby bitter cherry trees at Underwood, Skamania Co., WA. Most of the flock were HY birds, but at least one was an adult female (SJ).
11 Sept. e-mail: “Growing flock of Am. Goldfinches coming to the feeder over the past week” in an urban yard e. of N. Columbus Ave. and s. of the Little Klickitat R. in Goldendale (DL).
63 on 16 Sept., total number found in 6 of 10 sectors surveyed for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (there was also a count week record in a 7th sector). The largest sector count was 46 in the Goldendale (west) area (CH, TH).
90+ on 23 Oct., in the Columbia Hills IBA: 15+ in birches (going after seed) in Maryhill State Park, at ~10:35, and ~75 flush from wild sunflowers along the primitive riverside road between Maryhill and John Day Dam, at ~12:00 (DG, SJ).
Evening Grosbeak –
1 on 14 Sept., heard-only, calling in flight over the Jewett Creek watershed and Barnedt Rd. at the ne. edge of White Salmon, at ~11:50 (SJ).
70 on 16 Sept., found in the Trout Lake sector while surveying for the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC; this was the only one finding this species of the 10 sectors surveyed (DS, KK).
27 Nov. email from Goldendale: “About 10 days ago (approximately 15 or 16 Nov.) Evening Grosbeaks were calling high in the trees out back, and I saw at least two come in to the feeders a couple of times, but nothing heard or seen since--either right around here or around town” (DL). These feeders are e. of N. Columbus Ave. between the Little Klickitat R. bridge and hwy. 142 / Broadway.
OTHER ANIMALS:
Nuttall’s Cottontail –
15 on 3 Nov., along the e. and s. side trail at Bingen Pond, from 16:30 to dusk, ~17:05 (SJ).
Fox Squirrel –
1 on 23 Oct., in walnut orchard along the s. side of the primitive riverside rd. between Maryhill and John Day Dam, at the e. end of the Maryhill area orchards; well seen at ~11:00 (DG, SJ).
Beaver –
2 on 16 Sept., swimming past the dock in the backwater at the mouth of Chapman Creek, Sundale, at ~07:00 (SJ).
Porcupine –
1 or 2 on 11-12 Nov., noted while running the n. and the s. Gilliam Co., OR, raptor survey routes (CK, PS). Gleaned from OBOL.
Red Fox –
1 on 15 Sept., moving s. along the w. bank of the lower lake at Spearfish Park, just ne. of The Dalles Dam, at 11:08 (SJ).
Mink –
1 on 16 Sept., swims e. across the backwater at the mouth of Chapman Creek, Sundale, at ~07:05. Less than a minute after it attained the opposite side, an otter surfaced close to the e. shore and began to look for the mink, but did not find it (SJ).
Striped Skunk –
1 on 15 Sept., ambling a little awkwardly over big, chunky rocks on n. side of the RR bed, just w. of the Klickitat R. crossing, at Lyle, at 09:27 (BH, SJ).
River Otter –
1 on 16 Sept., surfaced at the e. shore of the backwater at the mouth of Chapman Creek, Sundale, at ~07:05 (see Mink, above) (SJ).
Bobcat –
1 on 5 Sept., just outside the house window at 18 McConiga Rd., w. of Lyle (BH).
3 on 16 Sept., “…We thought maybe we heard a catbird, so we got out of the car to investigate. It turned out to be a cat instead! In fact, three of them—a mother bobcat with two teenagers, all looking up at us from the other side of the creek bed.” This was along the southern portion of Rock Creek, during the Klickitat Co. Fall NAMC (DSt, JL).
Mountain Goat –
1 on 11 or 12 Nov., “We saw a Mountain Goat along I-84 just west of milepost 93! To quote the old Great Northern RR ad of the 1950's, he was "Grrrrreat!" (CK, PS). It was found e. of The Dalles while driving to or from the Gilliam Co. raptor survey routes; gleaned from OBOL.
Observers:
AA – Al Ahlgrim
JA – Jack Anderson
TA – Ted Anderson
SB – Sandy Bryce
WC – Wilson Cady
AC – Alan Contreras
CC – Char Corkran
JD – John Davis
RD – Robin Dobson
TD – Tico Dobson
PD&DD – Patti & David Drabkin
JE – Janet Essley
PE – Pam Essley
JF – John Fitchen
SF – Stewart Fletcher
CJF – Catherine Flick
PG – Phil Gaddis
DG – Diane Gadway
RG – Roger Gadway
JG – Jeff Gilligan
JH – Jane Hadley
BH – Bob Hansen
JHy – Jeff Hayes
CH – Connie Herzig
TH – Tom Herzig
SJ – Stuart Johnston
AK – Anne Kahle
CK – Carol Karlen
KK – Ken Knittle
DLe – Dan Lee
JL – Jay Letto
DL – Dan Lichtenwald
ML – Molly Linville
DLu – Donna Lusthoff
PMa – Phil Mattocks
LMcA – Lynne McAllister
BMcK – Bob McKenzie
JM – Jim Minick
PM – Paul Moyer
JM – John Murphy
MP – Mike Patterson
KP – Kathleen Perillo
RR – Randy Robinson
MRo – Mike Rodegerdts
DCR – Darwin Cedar Ruhlen
MR – Miko Ruhlen
DS – Dan Sager
BSt – Bob Stites
BS – Bets Stover
DSt – Dawn Stover
PS – Paul Sullivan
AT – Andrew Thompson
IT – Iain Tomlinson
KT – Khanh Tran
GW – Greg Wallwork
NW – Nancy Wallwork
PW – Paul Webster
JW – Jay Withgott
LW – Lai Wong
Molly Linville
Conboy Lake NWR
phone: (509)
364-3410
fax: (509) 364-3667
16 Sept. 2006
Alderdale area, se. Klickitat County, WA
Klickitat County Fall Migration Count
Wood Duck – 3
Gadwall – 1
Am. Wigeon – 24
Mallard – 63
N. Shoveler – 6
N. Pintail – 13
Green-winged Teal – 22
Redhead – 2
Ring-necked Duck – 10
Ruddy Duck – 1
Calif. Quail – 5
Pied-billed Grebe – 1
Double-crested Cormorant – 19
Great Blue Heron – 2
Turkey Vulture – 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 2
Cooper’s Hawk – 3
Accipitre, species? – 1
Red-tailed Hawk – 4
Virginia Rail – 1
Am. Coot – 63
Ring-billed Gull – 3
California Gull – 18
Glaucous-winged Gull – 2
Common Tern – 2
Rock Pigeon – 24
Mourning Dove – 8
Vaux’s Swift – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 4
N. Flicker – 1
Loggerhead Shrike – 1
Warbling Vireo – 1
Vireo, species? – 1
Black-billed Magpie – 4
Am. Crow – 22
Common Raven – 9
Horned Lark – 1
Violet-green Swallow – 20
Barn Swallow – 6
Rock Wren – 1
Bewick’s Wren – 5
Winter Wren – 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 2
Mountain Bluebird – 2
Am. Robin – 1
Am. Pipit – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 7
Yellow Warbler – 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 15
Townsend’s Warbler – 2
Warbler, species? – 1
Western Tanager – 3
Spotted Towhee – 4
Song Sparrow – 11
Lincoln’s Sparrow – 5
White-crowned Sparrow – 33
Golden-crowned Sparrow – 5
Dark-eyed Junco – 2
Western Meadowlark – 13
Brewer’s Blackbird – 1
House Finch – 15
Lesser Goldfinch – 5
American Goldfinch – 3
61 species,
A Phenology of Winter Bird Records in the Columbia River Gorge
1 December 2006 through 28 February 2007
Abbreviations and Acronyms:
a.p. – alternate plumage
ASY – after second year, ie., fully adult
BBA – Breeding Bird Atlas
b.p. – basic plumage
BSI – Bingen School Inn, at ne. corner of N. Cedar and E. Humboldt streets in Bingen, WA
D.O.R. – dead on the road
GPNF – Gifford Pinchot National Forest
HY – hatching year bird: i.e., young of the year
IBA – Important Bird Area
KTC – Klickitat Trail Conservancy
L. – Lake
MP – milepost
NAMC – North American Migration Count
NAP – Natural Area Preserve
NF – National Forest
NWR – National Wildlife Refuge
OBOL – Oregon Birders Online
R. – River
RBA – Rare Bird Alert
SP – State Park
stt – steel transmission tower
SY – second year bird (bird in it’s second calendar year)
Tweeters – Washington bird chat online
WMA – Wildlife Management Area
WOS – Washington Ornithological Society
WTP – wastewater treatment pond / s
Records are from Klickitat Co., WA, unless otherwise indicated, with the exception of the well-known city of Hood River, located in Hood River County, OR.
For the purposes of this phenology project, the Columbia River Gorge extends from the Sandy River mouth Multnomah Co., OR, and from Steigerwald Lake NWR in Clark Co., WA, east to the Willow Cove WMA in nw. Morrow and ne. Gilliam counties., OR, and to the Whitcomb Island Unit of Umatilla NWR and Crow Butte SP in sw. Benton Co., WA. This includes all of Gilliam, Sherman, Wasco and Hood River counties, nw. Morrow Co. and e. Multnomah Co. in OR and all of Skamania and Klickitat counties and se. Clark and sw. Benton counties in WA.
Eurasian Wigeon –
1 on 1 Dec., drake, on Drano Lake, Skamania Co., WA (MLD, MD). Gleaned from Tweeters.
Northern Pintail –
1 on 1 Dec., drake, loafing with head tucked on the mudbar at the e.ne. shore of Waucoma Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, at ~13:20 (SJ).
Long-tailed Duck –
1 on 2 Dec., the female is still present on the Washougal WTP, Clark Co., WA: seen at 08:30 and again at 12:30 (WC & group of habitat restoration shrub-planting volunteers); this bird was first noted there on 24 Nov. by WC. Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 2 Dec., “The female Long-tailed Duck remains at the Washougal sewage ponds, visible from the wide shoulder of [hwy.] 14. She spent twenty or thirty seconds on most dives, then only remained on the surface for 3 to 10 seconds. But she came up in the same area each time, so I was able to [have] a number of satisfactory looks in my scope” (JB). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 3 Dec., female still present: “A small group of us braved the cold east wind to get some good looks at the Washougal Sewage Lagoon’s Long-tailed Duck this morning. The LTD spent much more time under water than on the surface, but was near the center of the pond nearest the highway and could be seen with the naked eye when it surfaced” (AA). Gleaned from OBOL.
Barrow’s Goldeneye –
“some” on 3 Dec., on the Washougal WTP, Clark Co., WA, in the morning (AA); from OBOL.
Hooded Merganser –
2 on 1 Dec., drake & hen, diving in Boat Works Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, at 12:22 (SJ).
30+ on 1 Dec., on Tunnel Lake, Skamania Co., WA (MLD, MD). Gleaned from Tweeters.
Red-necked Grebe –
1 on 1 Dec., loafing with bill tucked into chest feathers, off n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, tagging along with a small flock of 9 Gadwall, at 13:30. Good scope view from car window, grebe not far offshore (SJ).
Eared Grebe –
3 on 1 Dec., together off the n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, at 13:45. They aim their fluffed-up rear ends at the wan sun; even when actively foraging they take the time to do this, between dives (SJ).
1 on 2 Dec., still present on the Washougal WTP, Clark Co., WA; it was first found there on 24 Nov. (WC and habitat restoration volunteers). Gleaned from OBOL.
1 on 3 Dec., still present on the Washougal WTP this morning (AA); gleaned from OBOL.
Western Grebe –
43 on 1 Dec., off the n. side of The Hook, along the Hood River waterfront, 13:30 to 14:00 (SJ).
Black-crowned Night-Heron –
3 on 1 Dec., two adults (one looks dingier than the other) and one HY, loafing in riparian at the shore of Boat Works Basin, along the Hood River waterfront, at 12:36 (SJ).
Bald Eagle –
1 on 1 Dec., adult, circling on thermal along the bluff top e. of the home at 18 McConiga Rd., ~1 mi. to nw. of Lyle: the first one seen there this winter (BH).
Merlin –
1 on 1 Dec., female-plumaged bird, bathing at w. side of the Hood River mouth at the base of The Spit, 11:18 to 11:22. When finished it flew in small circle, alighting atop an alder in the riparian row on the jetty that extends out into the Columbia between the Hood R. mouth and the mouth of Boat Works Basin; within a minute it flew off to the south. Great scope view from my car window across the river to the east (SJ).
Mew Gull –
15 on 1 Dec., one 1st winter, 14 adults, the total number counted along the Hood River waterfront, 14:50 to 15:40. Six adults on the sandbar off the mouth of Boat Works Basin, 2 adults on a sandbar off the beach at e. side of the Hood R. mouth, and 7 (one = HY) on the mudbar at the e.ne. shore of Waucoma Basin (SJ).
Herring Gull –
3 on 1 Dec., one HY, 2 adults, along the Hood River waterfront: one adult loafing on a sandbar off the beach at e. side of the Hood R. mouth, at 11:05, and one adult, one HY, loafing with gulls on the sandbar off ne. corner of The Event Site, at 14:50.
Thayer’s Gull –
1 on 1 Dec., adult, on the dike between the Hood River marina and the Columbia R., along the Hood River waterfront, at 15:19. Studied at point blank range (15-20 ft. from the car) in direct comparison with an adjacent adult Western type gull; the latter has a huge bill compared to the Thayer’s much smaller, more slender one. The red mark at the gonys extends up onto the cutting edge of the upper mandible. Thayer’s eye is not dark brown; rather it’s a paler, mottled greyish-light dusky brown. Mantle, wings pale grey; wing tips dark slaty-blackish with white spots on folded wing; legs, feet dark pink. Noticeably smaller than the Western in body bulk (SJ).
Mourning Dove –
1 on 6 Dec., eating from a tray feeder on the driveway along the n. side of E. Franklin St., between Cedar and Cherry streets, in Bingen, at 14:45. Uncommon in Bingen any time of year (SJ).
Northern Pygmy-Owl –
1 on 6 Dec., about 25 ft. up in the upper branches of a cedar that’s <30 ft. tall, along the e. side of Elm St. just s. of the T jct. with E. Humboldt St. in Bingen, at 11:10 to 11:20. I was alerted to it’s presence by the raucous mobbing of ~ 5 or 6 scrub-jays. This is the first pygmy-owl I’ve seen down in the “banana belt” of Bingen. Today there is an inversion: calm with fog / low cloud enveloping the tops of the Columbia R. bluffs, including Burdoin Mountain n.ne. above town (SJ).
Anna’s Hummingbird –
1 on 6 Dec., male, sipping from a feeder along the w. side of (ditched) Dry Creek on the nw. corner of Walnut St. at W. Jefferson St. in Bingen, at 14:00 (SJ).
Williamson’s Sapsucker –
1 on 3 Dec., “a female…at Spring Creek Fish Hatchery in se. Skamania Co. near the gate leading in to the hatchery. This appears to be a 'County First' for Skamania County” (RK fide KK).
Red-breasted Sapsucker –
1 on 3 Dec., adult, calling, in the row of pin cherries along Schoolhouse Rd., just ne. across the road from the Underwood post office, Skamania Co., WA, at ~14:15 (SJ).
Pileated Woodpecker –
1 on 3 Dec., heard only, calling in the distance to e. of the e. jct. Cook-Underwood Rd. with the Orchard Lane Rd. loop, down in the vicinity of the Cooper Ave. Spur, Underwood, Skamania Co., WA, at ~15:40 (SJ).
Hutton’s Vireo –
2 on 2 Dec., along Jewett Creek, accessed via Barnedt Rd., at the e.ne. edge of White Salmon, “…was happy to hear, then see, a White-breasted Nuthatch and later (at 14:00) 2 Hutton’s Vireos in a winter mixed group of juncos, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and Golden-crowned Kinglets. This "mixed flock" was just up the drainage about 3/4 mile (as the crow flies) from where we observed the adults feeding fledgling several months ago” (JE, PM).
American Crow –
~85 on 3 Dec., calling, flybys going n.nw. past the ne. corner of the Orchard Lane Rd. loop, Underwood, Skamania Co., WA, at 15:14. Some time later a crow roost was discovered when I stopped along Cook-Underwood Rd. 0.3 mi. north of the jct. with Chenowith Rd., at 16:30. Off in the distance to the se. I heard a lot of raucous cawing and could see some crows milling about over the conifer-clad w.nw. slope of Chemawa Hill. This is about 1 mile e. of the aforementioned jct. with Chenowith Rd., and ~1.75 mi. to se. of Mill A, Skamania Co., WA (SJ).
Red-breasted Nuthatch –
1 on 2 Dec., along Jewett Creek, accessed via Barnedt Rd., at the e.ne. edge of White Salmon, with a mixed flock of juncos, chickadees, kinglets and 2 Hutton’s Vireos, at 14:00 (PM).
2 on 3 Dec., singles, heard calling along the Orchard Lane Rd. loop, Underwood, Skamania Co., WA, in mid to late afternoon (SJ).
White-breasted Nuthatch –
1 on 1 Dec., in the yard at 18 McConiga Rd., ~1 mi. to nw. of Lyle (BH).
1 on 2 Dec., calling, along Jewett Creek, accessed via Barnedt Rd., at the e.ne. edge of White Salmon, in the early afternoon (PM).
Brown Creeper –
1 on 6 Dec., calling, working lower portion of the bole of a small ponderosa pine nw. above Jewett Creek, upstream from the hwy. 141 crossing in White Salmon, at 13:25 (SJ).
Canon Wren –
1 on 1 Dec., in the woodpile between the house and the garage at 18 McConiga Rd., ~1 mi. to nw. of Lyle (BH).
Golden-crowned Kinglet –
2 - 3 on 6 Dec., found in 2 spots only, while walking from White Salmon down hwy. 141 to Bingen, starting at the Dock Grade Rd. jct. and leaving the hwy. at Lincoln St., Bingen, with a short detour up Jewett Creek from the hwy. crossing, and another that took me past Daubenspeck Park in Bingen, as I made my way back to BSI, from 12:55 to 14:50. Both times the bird/s were in ponderosa pines (SJ).
Varied Thrush –
1 on 1 Dec., in the yard near the bird feeder at 18 McConiga Rd., ~1 mi. to nw. of Lyle (BH).
5 on 1 Dec., one male in the w.most big locust at sw. corner of the BSI hostel bldg., 3 females in the crabapple to n. at 408 E. Franklin St., and one in the apple tree at the se. corner of the intersection Cedar St. and E. Franklin St., Bingen, at 10:20-10:21 (SJ).
44 on 3 Dec., along the Orchard Lane Rd. loop and the adjacent intersections with Cook-Underwood and Schoolhouse roads, Underwood, Skamania Co., WA, mostly foraging on the ground, tossing leaves where the ground is snow-free under oaks, and in / closeby occasional apple trees with fruit still hanging, 14:00 to 15:55. Sex ratio pretty much 50:50 (SJ).
34 on 6 Dec., (14 male, 11 female, 9 unsexed), noted along hwy. 141 from the jct. with Dock Grade Rd. se. down to Lincoln St., while walking downslope from White Salmon to Bingen, and then returning to BSI, Bingen, with a little side jaunt up Jewett Creek above hwy. 141, and with another detour past Daubenspeck Park, Bingen, via Lincoln, Alder, W. Jefferson, Joslyn and Franklin streets, from 12:55 to 14:50. Some were in/under apple trees with hanging/fallen fruit (SJ).
Northern Mockingbird –
?1 on 3 Dec., “Unfortunately, I didn't have my binos during this afternoon's dog walk, but I saw a bird that looked very much like a Northern Mockingbird to this amateur's naked eye. It was located at the Sandy River Delta area (exit 18 off hwy. I-84), [Multnomah Co., OR,] in the open area along the east-west part of the main loop (about 0.5 mile sw. of the blinking power pole)”
(SL-W). Gleaned from OBOL.
The following is a second hand report from this past November: 1 on 12 Nov., at the Sandy River Delta, Multnomah Co., OR, in a huge blackberry tangle near the pylon (stt) se. of the one with the red light (JHy fide AC); gleaned from OBOL.
American Pipit –
1 on 1 Dec., calling, flies w. over the beach at e. side of the Hood R. mouth, along the Hood River waterfront, at 11:10 (SJ).
Spotted Towhee –
6 on 6 Dec., total # encountered (singles) in a walk along hwy. 141, from Dock Grade Rd., White Salmon, downslope to Lincoln St., Bingen, with a detour past Daubenspeck Park via Lincoln, Alder, W. Jefferson, Joslyn and Franklin streets in Bingen, from 12:55 to 14:50 (SJ).
Fox Sparrow –
1 on 3 Dec., Sooty, calling in a ceanothus thicket off the w. side of the Orchard Lane Rd. loop, several 100 m. to n. of Underwood, Skamania Co., WA, at 14:40 (SJ).
1 on 6 Dec., Sooty, in blackberries on the slope between Lois Lane and hwy. 141, between Bingen and White Salmon, at 13:45 (SJ).
White-crowned Sparrow –
1 on 6 Dec., adult with pale lores, along E. Franklin St., Bingen; this is the only one found in a walk down hwy. 141, from Dock Grade Rd., White Salmon, to Lincoln St., Bingen, with a detour past Daubenspeck Park on my way back to BSI, Bingen, from 12:55 to 14:50 (SJ).
Golden-crowned Sparrow –
16 on 6 Dec., total # encountered at 7 different spots during a walk from the Dock Grade Rd. jct. in White Salmon, down hwy. 141 to Lincoln St., Bingen, with a detour past Daubenspeck Park, as I made my way back to BSI, Bingen, from 12:55 to 14:50 (SJ).
Dark-eyed (Slate-coloured) Junco –
1 on 1 Dec., male, foraging on the ground under birches above the s. bank of the Columbia R., at the nw. corner of the Luhr-Jensen plant, Portway Ave. along the Hood River waterfront, in company with 14 Oregon Juncos, at 12:46 (SJ).
Western Meadowlark –
17 on 2 Dec., “…There were 17 W. Meadowlarks out on the [Steigerwald Lake NWR] refuge…” in Clark Co., WA (WC & group of habitat restoration volunteers). Gleaned from OBOL.
~60 on 6 Dec., perched in the dying oak and on adjacent utility wires along E. Franklin St. at the intersection with Cherry St. in Bingen; the draw is a feeder on a driveway midway between Cherry and Cedar streets, at 14:45 (SJ).
Lesser Goldfinch –
1 on 3 Dec., female, along the Orchard Lane Rd. loop at MP 1, Underwood, Skamania Co., WA, foraging with a b.p. American Goldfinch and 30 juncos, in chicory growing in a low spot w. of the road, at 15:30. This is the 3rd record for Orchard Lane Rd. and the 4th record for Skamania Co.; the first was by Patrick Sullivan at the Spring Creek Nat’l Fish Hatchery >5 years ago (SJ).
Observers:
AA – Al Ahlgrim
JB – Joe Blowers
WC – Wilson Cady
AC – Alan Contreras
MLD – MerryLynn Denny
MD – Mike Denny
RD – Robin Dobson
JE – Janet Essley
PG – Phil Gaddis
DG – Diane Gadway
RG – Roger Gadway
JH – Jane Hadley
BH – Bob Hansen
JHy – Jeff Hayes
CH – Connie Herzig
TH – Tom Herzig
SJ – Stuart Johnston
AK – Anne Kahle
CK – Carol Karlen
KK – Ken Knittle
SL-W – Stephen Ladd-Wilson
JL – Jay Letto
DL – Dan Lichtenwald
BMcK – Bob McKenzie
JMi – Jim Minick
PM – Paul Moyer
JM – John Murphy
RR – Randy Robinson
DCR – Darwin Cedar Ruhlen
MR – Miko Ruhlen
DS – Dan Sager
BS – Bets Stover
DSt – Dawn Stover
PS – Paul Sullivan
LV – LaRae Vaughan
GW – Greg Wallwork
NW – Nancy Wallwork
PW – Paul Webster
LW – Lai Wong
This is a co-operative project of The Larks
compiled by Stuart Johnston
<johnstonstuartf@hotmail.com>