Just passing through? --or nesting too?

This breeding season started out rather cool and wet, but ended quite dry and warm. The most notable feature of the season was the continued increase of what has always been thought of as Great Basin breeding species such as Clark's Grebe, American White Pelican, Black-necked Stilt and Wilson's Phalarope around Fern Ridge Reservoir. As detailed below, new breeding evidence was found for some of these species, and it's quite likely only a matter of time before evidence is found for most others.

Waterbirds & Seabirds
Western Grebe July 30; Fern Ridge Reservoir; SMc
Clark's Grebe July 4; Fern Ridge Reservoir; KL
Sooty Shearwater (30+) June 24; North Jetty; TM
American White Pelican (3) June 21; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JS
Great Blue Heron June 2; Alton Baker Park; VA
Great Egret (2) June 26; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD
Great Egret July 12; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS,HR,AK

Waterfowl
Blue-winged Teal (200+) June 17; Fern Ridge Reservoir; SMc
Blue-winged Teal July 3; Deflation Plain; B&ZS
Blue-winged Teal July 10; Fern Ridge Reservoir; LM
Redhead (4) June 21; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JS
Redhead (16) June 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; KL
Greater Scaup July 13; North Fork, Suislaw R.; AC,NS
Harlequin Duck (2) June 27; Salt Creek; EM
Surf Scoter (100's) July 26; near Oregon House; LB
Bufflehead June 14; Deflation Plain; B&ZS
Ruddy Duck June 8; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD

Raptors
White-tailed Kite (2) June 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; KL
Cooper's Hawk July 1; Skinner Butte; MP
Golden Eagle July 1; Grasshopper Meadows; LG

Shorebirds
Black-bellied Plover (3) July 13; North Fork, Suislaw R.; AC,NS
Semipalmated Plover July 8; Meadowlark Prairie; RR
Black Oystercatcher June; Heceta Head; B&ZS
Black-necked Stilt June 1; Fern Ridge Reservoir; HW,JH,TM
Black-necked Stilt June 12; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS
Black-necked Stilt July 15; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD
Greater Yellowlegs (3-4) July 3; Fern Ridge Reservoir; LM
Lesser Yellowlegs July 12; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS,HR,AK
Willet July 31; North Jetty; B&ZS
Wandering Tattler (2) July 21; North Jetty; JC,JR
Whimbrel July 9; North Jetty; B&ZS
Long-billed Curlew July 30; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD
Ruddy Turnstone (2) July 21; North Jetty; JC,JR
Black Turnstone (35) July 21; North Jetty; JC,JR
Surfbird (20) July 21; North Jetty; JC,JR
Sanderling (50) July 21; Siltcoos River mouth; JC,JR
Western Sandpiper (5) June 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; KL
Least Sandpiper (3) July 3; Fern Ridge Reservoir; LM
Short-billed Dowitcher (5) July 13; Deflation Plain; AC,NS
Long-billed Dowitcher July 12; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS,HR,AK
Wilson's Phalarope (50) July 7; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JE
Wilson's Phalarope (6) June 26; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD
Red-necked Phalarope (2) July 21; Deflation Plain; JC,JR

Gulls, Turns & Alcids
Heermann's Gull mid-June; Florence; B&ZS
Herring Gull June 16; Florence; B&ZS
Forster's Tern (3) June 8; Fern Ridge Reservoir; J&KB
Forster's Tern June 19; Fern Ridge Reservoir; PS
Common Murre June; Heceta Head; B&ZS

Nighthawks & Swifts
Common Nighthawk June 8; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD
Common Nighthawk June 23; River Road area; BC
Black Swift June 7; Ocean Beach Wayside; DP
Black Swift (15) June 8; Florence; DP

Passerines
Black-backed Woodpecker June 16; N. Waldo Lake burn; JS
Black-backed Woodpecker July 21; Bunchgrass Ridge; A&TM
Willow Flycatcher June 1; Amazon Ck. & Polk St.; SG
Dusky Flycatcher (2) June 1; Mt. Pisgah; OFO
Ash-throated Flycatcher June 3; Creswell area; SN
Ash-throated Flycatcher July 8; Cantrell Road; RR
Western Kingbird June 20; Highway 99 & Beltline; JS
Red-eyed Vireo (3) June 4; Elijah Bristow SP; DD
Western Scrub-jay July 20; Florence; B&ZS
Purple Martin June 2; Lorane area; A&TM
Purple Martin June 13; Walton area; TM
Purple Martin June 14; Crow area; TM
Bank Swallow July 19; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JS
Bewick's Wren June 13; Skinner Butte; AR
Mountain Bluebird June 20; N. Waldo Lake Burn; PS
Northern Parula June 23; Herman Peak Road; KH,DP
Yellow-rumped Warbler June 23; Creswell area; SN
Townsend's Warbler June 14; Siltcoos River mouth; B&ZS
Grasshopper Sparrow (2) July 23; Fern Ridge Reservoir; TM
Lazuli Bunting July 1; Grasshopper Meadows; LG

Abbreviations:

m.ob. many observers, North Jetty North Jetty of the Siuslaw River, Deflation Plain Deflation Plain near the South Jetty of the Siuslaw River, Meadowlark Prairie Amazon Creek wetlands restoration site at Greenhill Road & Royal Avenue.

Thank you, contributors!

DA Dennis Arendt, VA Vjera Arnold, LB Lou Balaban, J&KB Jim & Kat Beal, JC Jim Carlson, BC Barbara Combs, AC Alan Contreras, DD Don DeWitt, JE John Emerson, LG Linda Gilbert, SG Steve Gordon, JH Jeff Harding, KH Ken Hollinga, AK Alex King, KL Kit Larsen, SMc Steve McDonald, LM Larry McQueen, EM Ed McVicker, A&TM Allison & Tom Mickel, SN Sally Nelson, OFO Oregon Field Ornithologists Field Trip, MP Margie Paris, DP Diane Pettey, JR Jim Regalli, AR Alan Reid, HR Holly Reinhard, RR Roger Robb, PS Paul Sherrell, B&ZS Bill & Zanah Stotz, NS Noah Strycker, JS John Sullivan, HW Herb Wisner.

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