April-May 2003Our "Field Notes" documents significant bird sightings in Lane County for historical and educational purposes. Reports are welcome, and significant sightings will appear, space permitted.
To report a sighting, contact Tom and Allison Mickel, 485-7112 or tamickel (at) rio.com.
As everyone that was around this spring knows, it's been quite wet, and that has had its effect on spring migration. The first birds of each species arrived at about the usual time, but the peak migration for each species seems to be later than usual and more prolonged. With the consistent wet weather pattern, there haven't really been any "fall-out" days, which we all look forward to. Now that the breeding season has arrived, please let us know which birds you're finding around the country.
Waterbirds, Seabirds & Vultures
Eared Grebe May 23; Fisher Butte, FRR; DD
Clark's Grebe May; Fern Ridge Reservoir; m.ob.
Common Loon April 4; Dorena Reservoir; DPs
Common Loon (2) mid-April; Fern Ridge Reservoir; MV
American White Pelican May 2; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD,NS
Brown Pelican April 19; South Jetty, Suislaw R.; HH,DF
Brown Pelican (15-20) May 11; Siltcoos River; HH,DF,JSs
Double-crested Cormorant May 1; Creswell area; DL
Great Egret April/May; Fern Ridge Reservoir; m.ob.
White-faced Ibis (7) May 25; Coyote Unit, FRR; JC
Turkey Vulture May 9; Spencer Butte; NS
Waterfowl
Greater White-fronted Goose May 1; Willamette Valley; m.ob.
Snow Goose May 1; Creswell area; HL
Ross's Goose April 19; Fisher Butte, FRR; DD
Brant May 10; Florence area; fide BC
Brant May 17; Royal Ave, FRR; A&TM
Eurasian Wigeon April 29; Fisher Butte, FRR; DA
Blue-winged Teal April 11; Fisher Butte, FRR; AP,BH
Redhead (9) May 12; North Jetty, Siuslaw R.; DPy
Redhead April/May; Fern Ridge Reservoir; m.ob.
Harlequin Duck (4) May 24; Middle Fork, Oakridge; RJ
Long-tailed Duck May 15; South Jetty, Suislaw R.; PS
Bufflehead May 2; Alton Baker Park; VA
Raptors & Grouse
White-tailed Kite May 13; SE FRR; NS,JSn
Northern Goshawk April 20,24; SE Eugene; DD
Red-shouldered Hawk May 11; Fern Ridge Reservoir; LG
Red-shouldered Hawk May 9; Spencer Creek Road; GC
Swainson's Hawk May 2; Skinner Butte; m.ob.
Merlin April 28; Mt. Pisgah; DD,JG
Peregrine Falcon April; Fern Ridge Reservoir; m.ob.
Ruffed Grouse April 25; Spencer Butte; BH
Shorebirds, Terns & Gulls
Sora April 12; Fisher Butte, FRR; PS
Black-bellied Plover April 10; Fisher Butte, FRR; NS
American Golden-plover April 19; Crab Dock; HH,DF
Pacific Golden-plover May 9; Deflation Plain; JC
Black-necked Stilt (2) April 12; Fisher Butte, FRR; BMc
Lesser Yellowlegs (2) April 26; Coyote Unit, FRR; DD
Solitary Sandpiper (2) May 2; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD,NS
Willet May 16; Coyote Unit, FRR; JSn
Whimbrel (6) May 15; Fisher Butte, FRR; DD
Long-billed Curlew May 14; Fisher Butte, FRR; NS
Marbled Godwit May 16; Crab Dock; B&ZS
Wandering Tattler (5) May 9; South Jetty, Suislaw R.; JC
Ruddy Turnstone (3) May 11; Crab Dock; HH,DF,JSs
Red Knot May 11; Heceta Beach; JSn
Red Knot (19) May 18; North Jetty, Suislaw R.; JF,JSn
Wilson's Phalarope May 2; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS,PS
Red-necked Phalarope (12) May 15; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DD
Caspian Tern April 6; Fisher Butte, FRR; DD,PS
Black Tern (2) April 13; Kalyapua School; DJ
Forster's Tern May 13; Fisher Butte, FRR; JSn
Bonaparte's Gull (50) May 7; Siuslaw River; B&ZS
Heermann's Gull (2) May 1; Florence area; DPy
Mew Gull May 18; North Jetty, Siuslaw R.; NS
Glaucous Gull May 11; North Jetty, Siuslaw R.; HH,DF,JSs
Doves & Owls
Band-tailed Pigeon April 8; Skinner Butte; A&DH
Great Gray Owl April 13; Fall Creek; TH
Great Gray Owl May 3; Mt. Pisgah; JH
Long-eared Owl May 14; McKenzie Bridge area; JR
Swifts, Hummingbirds & Woodpeckers
Black Swift (10) May 25; Salt Creek Falls; KS
Vaux's Swift April 12; UO; SS
Vaux's Swift (40-50) May 1 ; Blue River; KC
Black-chinned Hummingbird April 28; SE Eugene; B&DG
Calliope Hummingbird May; Eugene area; m.ob.
Lewis's Woodpecker May 10; Mt. Pisgah; fide DD
Flycatchers
Olive-sided Flycatcher May 9; SE Eugene; DD
Western Wood-pewee May 6; UO; DI
Western Wood-pewee May 6; Skinner Butte; A&TM
Willow Flycatcher May 19; Jeans Rd., FRR; TM
Hammond's Flycatcher April 22; Skinner Butte; AP,BH
Dusky Flycatcher April 27; S. Amazon Creek; A&TM
Pacific-sloped Flycatcher April 19; Skinner Butte; A&TM
Pacific-sloped Flycatcher April 19; Cape Mountain Rd.; HH,DF
Black Phoebe April 7; SW of Creswell; HL
Black Phoebe May 6; Rock Creek, N. coast; DPy
Black Phoebe May 8; Fiddle Creek, S. coast; B&ZS
Ash-throated Flycatcher May 9; Alton Baker Park; Ma
Ash-throated Flycatcher May 10; Skinner Butte; VA
Ash-throated Flycatcher May 10; Cherry Ln., FRR area; AP,BH
Ash-throated Flycatcher May 26; Mt. Pisgah; J&JC,A&TM,DD
Western Kingbird April 27; Perkins Pen, FRR; JC
Vireos, Corvids, Swallows & Wrens
Cassin's Vireo April 1; Skinner Butte; DA
Warbling Vireo April 21; Skinner Butte; SG
Red-eyed Vireo May 31; Elijah Bristow State Pk.; BN
Blue Jay April 1; Springfield; DD
Purple Martin April 10; Fisher Butte, FRR; NS
Northern Rough-winged Swallow April 2; Hills Creek Reservoir; NS
Bank Swallow May 4; Royal Ave., FRR; JC
Bank Swallow (4) May 16+; Fisher Butte, FRR; JSn,m.ob.
Rock Wren May 9; Spencer Butte; NS
House Wren April 16; Fisher Butte, FRR; LM et al.
Kinglets, Thrushes & Warblers
Ruby-crowned Kinglet May 11; S. Amazon Creek; A&TM
Townsend's Solitaire May 1; Skinner Butte; BN
Veery May 31; Sinner Butte; TF
Swainson's Thrush May 6; Jeans Rd.; TM
American Pipit May 2; Skinner Butte; VA
Nashville Warbler April 11; Skinner Butte; AP,BH
Yellow Warbler May 6; SW Eugene; DI
Black-throated Gray Warbler April 8; Skinner Butte; A&DH
Hermit Warbler April 28; Mt. Pisgah; DD,JG
MacGillivray's Warbler April 22; Penn Rd.,Coast Range; TM
Common Yellowthroat April 2; Hills Creek Reservoir; NS
Wilson's Warbler April 17; Skinner Butte; SG
Yellow-breasted Chat May 11; Creswell area; NS
Tanagers, Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Buntings, etc.
Western Tanager April 23; Perkins Peninsula, FRR; DJ
Vesper Sparrow April 6; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JC
Lark Sparrow May 4; South Eugene High Sch; DD
Grasshopper Sparrow May 4; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JC
Grasshopper Sparrow (4) May 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS
Fox Sparrow May 7; Coburg Road area; HR
White-throated Sparrow April 29; Florence area; DPy
Golden-crowned Sparrow May 11; River Rd. area; BC
Lapland Longspur (pair) April 20; South Jetty, Suislaw R.; AC,NS
Black-headed Grosbeak April 30; Mt. Pisgah; PS
Lazuli Bunting May 5; Mt. Pisgah ; DH
Yellow-headed Blackbird May 17; SeeVue Motel; RL
Bullock's Oriole May 4; Royal Ave. area; CW,ES
Evening Grosbeak April 10; Creswell area; HL
Abbreviations:
Crab Dock at the South Jetty, Siuslaw River; Deflation Plain near the South Jetty, Suislaw River; FRR Fern Ridge Reservoir, Kalyapua School in west Eugene; m. ob. many observers; WR Willamette River, WV Willamette Valley.
Thank you, contributors!
DA Dennis Arendt, VA Vjera Arnold, JC Jim Carlson, BC Barbara Combs, AC Alan Contreras, KC Kurt Cox, GC George Clark, DD Don DeWitt, DF Daniel Farrar, TF Ted Floyd, JF Joe Fontaine, LG Linda Gilbert, B&DG Barbara & Dan Gleason, SG Steve Gordon, JG Jeff Grass, TH Tanya Harvey, HH Hendrick Herlyn, A&DH Anne & Dan Heyerly, DH Diane Horgan, JH Jill Hubbard, BH Bill Hunter, DI Dave Irons, RJ Rod Johnson, DJ Dave Jones, RL Renee LaChanace, D&HL Don & Hydie Lown, Ma Maitreya, BMc Barry McKenzie, LM Larry McQueen, A&TM Allison & Tom Mickel, BN Bruce Newhouse, DPs Dael Parsons, DPy Diane Pettey, AP Al Prigge, JR Jeff Reams, HR Holly Reinhard, ES Eva Schultz, PS Paul Sherrell, JSs Jamie Simmons, SS Shawn Steinberg, B&ZS Bill & Zanah Stotz, NS Noah Strycker, JSn John Sullivan, MV Melissa Van Damme, CW Clare Watson.