August is prime season for shorebirds

With the low water levels at Fern Ridge Reservoir, large numbers of shorebirds stopped on their southern migration, allowing birders a glimpse into the species and numbers that normally pass us by. August also signals the arrival of our wintering species as well as the departure of some of the breeding species. It’s always an exciting time when birds move about after breeding; you never know what might show up!

You may notice that the birds in our field list below appear in a different order. The American Ornithologist Union (AOU) recently published their new checklist, and the order of species was once again changed: geese and ducks are now at the top of the list instead of loons and grebes. The new AOU checklist does not inlcude many “splits,” “lumps,” or name changes this time.

Waterfowl & Quail
Greater White-fronted Goose (25) August 24; The Twins; DD
Long-tailed Duck August 11; Tokatee Klootchum; DP,HR
California Quail (40) August 20; Walterville; AR

Waterbirds
American White Pelican (23) July 27; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI
Black-crowned Night-heron August 12; Gold Lake; FD
Black-crowned Night-heron August 12; Fern Ridge Reservoir; D&LD

Raptors
White-tailed Kite (2 juv.) July 27; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI
Red-shouldered Hawk August 20; Mt. Pisgah; DD

Shorebirds
Snowy Plover August 19; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DB
Lesser Yellowlegs August 2; Deflation Plain; B&ZS
Solitary Sandpiper July 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS
Solitary Sandpiper August 3; Gold Lake; RR
Solitary Sandpiper August 9; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI
Wandering Tattler (2) August 6; Siuslaw River mouth; JF
Long-billed Curlew (15) July 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS
Long-billed Curlew July 30; Fern Ridge Reservoir; NS
Marbled Godwit July 27; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI
Marbled Godwit August 9; Siltcoos River mouth; B&ZS
Surfbird (650) August 6; Siuslaw River mouth; JF
Semipalmated Sandpiper August 11; Fern Ridge Reservoir; TS
Baird’s Sandpiper August 21; North Jetty; DP
Baird’s Sandpiper August 28; Deflation Plain; B&ZS
Pectoral Sandpiper July 26; Fern Ridge Reservoir; PS
Pectoral Sandpiper August 26; Deflation Plain; B&ZS
Ruff August 24; South Jetty; B&ZS
Wilson’s Phalarope (5) July 30; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DA
Red-necked Phalarope (2) August 9; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI

Gulls, Terns, & Alcids
Caspian Tern August 9; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI
Common Tern (2) August 29; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JS
Forster’s Tern (7) August 9; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI
Black Tern August 11; Fern Ridge Reservoir; TS
Tufted Puffin August 2; Sea Lion Caves; DP

Owls, Goatsuckers, & Swifts
Barred Owl August 5; Waldo Lake; LG
Short-eared Owl August 13; Fern Ridge Reservoir; SG
Common Nighthawk July 28; SW Eugene; CW
Black Swift July; Proxy Falls fide; BA
Black Swift August 6; N. Florence area; DP
Black Swift (9) August 12; Salt Creek Falls; FD

Passerines
Lewis’s Woodpecker August 15; Spencer Butte; DD
Red-naped Sapsucker (juv.) August 30; Horse Pasture Mt.; DD,et al.
Bank Swallow August 6; Fern Ridge Reservoir; JF
Bank Swallow August 20; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI,et al.
White-breasted Nuthatch August 27; Santa Clara area; MRu
American Dipper August 20; Hills Creek Reservoir; HH
Townsend’s Solitaire August 6; S. Willamette St.; DA,et al.
Swainson’s Thrush August 23; Eugene; DI
Phainopepla August 30; Florence; fide DP
Yellow-breasted Chat August 27; Hills Creek Reservoir; DI,et al.
Brewer’s Sparrow August 18; Fern Ridge Reservoir; DI,PS
Lazuli Bunting August 30; Horse Pasture Mt.; DD,et al.
Yellow-headed Blackbird August 26; Fern Ridge Reservoir; PS

Abbreviations:

Deflation plain Deflation plain at the South Jetty of the Siuslaw River; m.o.b. many observers; North Jetty North Jetty of the Siuslaw River (NJSR); South Jetty South Jetty of the Siuslaw River; The Twins Butte east of Waldo Lake; Tokatee Klootchum State Wayside north of Heceta Head.

Thank you, contributors!

DA Dennis Arendt, DB Dave Brown, AC Alan Contaras, D&LD Don & Linda DeWitt, DF Daniel Farrar, FD Karan, Karl & Jim Fairchild, JF Joe Fontaine, LG Linda Gilbert, HH Henrick Herlyn, DI Dave Irons, D&HL Don & Hydie Lown, LM Larry McQueen, A&TM Allison & Tom Mickel, DP Diane Pettey, AR Alan Reid, HR Holly Reinhard, RR Roger Robb, MRu Mark Rudolph, PS Paul Sherrell, TS Tom Snetsinger, NS Noah Strycker, JS John Sullivan, B&ZS Bill & Zanah Stotz, CW Clare Watson.

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