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OREGON BIRDS
Contents Volume 4, Number 5 October, 1978
1. Birds of Sewage Ponds David Fix
7. Foraging Patterns of Three Jack O'Donnell Species of Wood Warblers
22. On the Species T r a i l R.F. 'Tad' Finnell
28. Status and Distribution of Mark Egger Early Summer Birds i - 0 a
Second Growth Coniferous Forest, Benton County, Oregon
34. Brief Notes: White-headed Woodpecker in Curry County
35. Season's R a r i t i e s
36. Editor's Note
Jim Rogers
P u b l i s h e d f o r and d i s t r i b u t e d t o t h e members o f t h e S o u t h e r n W i l l a m e t t e O r n i t h o l o g i c a l Club, P.O. Box 3082, Eugene, Oregon 97403. S u b s c r i p t i o n c o s t :
R e g u l a r - $6.00 a n n u a l l y S u s t a i n i n g - $10.00 a n n u a l l y P r i n t e d a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Oregon Press. A r t i c l e s
a p p e a r i n g i n Oregon B i r d s may be r e p r i n t e d w i t h p e r m i s s i o n o f t h e a u t h o r o r t h e E d i t o r , and must i n d i c a t e t h e source - Oregon B i r d s .
The n e x t m e e t i n g o f t h e S o u t h e r n W i l l a m e t t e O r n i t h o l o g i c a l Club w i l l be h e l d a t 7:30 P.M., Monday, A p r i l 2, i n t h e t h i r d - f l o o r c o n f e r e n c e room o f Science I I I on t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Oregon Campus i n Eugene.
E d i t o r i a l and P r o d u c t i o n S t a f f s J i m C a r l s o n Tom Lund Judy C a r l s o n L a r r y McQueen Barbara Combs J e f f S m i t h A l a n C o n t r e r a s C l a r i c e Watson David F i x Herb Wisner Steve Gordon L a u r i e /ucknrraan
Cover i l l u s t r a t i o n by S t e w a r t Janes. Other i l l u s t r a t i o n s by Joe E v a n i c h .
New c o n t r i b u t o r s t h i s i s s u e : J a c k 0'Donnell i s a s c i e n c e t e a c h e r a t South Eugene
H i g h S c h o o l who o c c a s i o n a l l y f i n d s t i m e t o s t u d y t h e b i r d s o f t h e area.
R o b e r t "Tad" F i n n e l l i s a Eugene e l e c t r i c i a n , and h o l d s t h e r e c o r d f o r Oregon's b e s t B i g Year ( 3 2 3 ) and th e l a r g e s t B i g Day t o t a l (170, w i t h Mark Egger and Paul Donahue).
Birds of Sewage Ponds David Fix
B i r d w a t c h e r s who h a b i t u a l l y l i m i t t h e i r weekend e x p l o r a t i o n s t o c i t y p a r k s , n a t i o n a l w i l d l i f e r e f u g e s , and s c e n i c c o a s t a l waterways may be h a p p i l y s u r p r i s e d upon becoming f a m i l i a r w i t h a l a r g e l y u n h e r a l d e d h a b i t a t ! sewage s e t t l i n g ponds. Sewage ponds may l a c k some o f t h e glamor o f Malheur N.W.R. o r Cape Blanco, but t h e y do o f f e r a haven t o w a t e r f o w l and o t h e r b i r d s a t a l l seasons o f t h e y e a r . T h i s b r i e f d i s c u s s i o n o f sewage ponds i n r e l a t i o n t o b i r d l i f e i s based f o r t h e most p a r t on my own o b s e r v a t i o n s i n N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon, as w e l l as those o f o t h e r b i r d s t u d e n t s .
Sewage ponds may be f o u n d s c a t t e r e d t h r o u g h o u t N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon, i n o r near c e n t e r s o f human popul a t i o n . The ponds I am most f a m i l i a r w i t h i n c l u d e t h e ones a t Bay C i t y , Cannon Beach, F o r e s t Grove, Nehalem, and S h e r i d a n . I have v i s i t e d a few o t h e r systems a l s o .
Sewage pond systems v a r y c o n s i d e r a b l y i n s i z e and l a y o u t . They c o n s i s t g e n e r a l l y o f one o r more expans i v e , s h a l l o w lagoons f i l l e d w i t h o d o r i f e r o u s f i l t h . T h e i r b o r d e r s are composed o f r i p r a p , and f i r m e d w i t h e a r t h e n d i k e s i n most cases. Emergent f r e s h w a t e r veget a t i o n may o r may n o t be p r e s e n t a l o n g t h e margins o f t h e ponds. The area s u r r o u n d i n g o r f r o n t i n g the ponds may be some s o r t o f f o r e s t f o r m a t i o n , o r reedy swale, o r j u s t v a r i e d open c o u n t r y . The f l a v o r o f the b i r d l i f e a sewage pond system a t t r a c t s and s u p p o r t s depends t o some e x t e n t on the typ e o f edge t h a t i s p r e s e n t , t h e s i z e and shape o f the ponds, g e o g r a p h i c a l l o c a t i o n , and th e degree o f human and a n i m a l d i s t u r b a n c e t h e y e x p e r i ence. For t h e s e reasons and o t h e r s , sewage ponds a l s o d i f f e r f r o m each o t h e r i n t h e a t t r a c t i o n t h e y h o l d f o r b i r d s and o t h e r w i l d l i f e .
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I have fo u n d sewage ponds t o be c o n t i n u a l l y i n t r i g u i n g . Not o n l y do t h e y s u p p o r t l a r g e c o n c e n t r a t i o n s o f b i r d s , t h e y a f f o r d t h e t h o u g h t f u l o b s e r v e r o f b i r d s many o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o r e c o r d t h e coming and g o i n g o f any number o f s p e c i e s , t h u s adding m a t e r i a l l y t o one's p e r c e p t i o n and u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f seasonal movements. T h i s i s as t r u e f o r i n l a n d sewage pond systems as i t i s f o r those l o c a t e d near t h e c o a s t .
D u r i n g s p r i n g and f a l l , g r e a t f l o c k s o f d a b b l i n g ducks use sewage ponds f o r s h o r t p e r i o d s , r e s t i n g and f e e d i n g upon s i m p l e p l a n t g r o w t h s . N o r t h e r n S h o v e l e r s i n p a r t i c u l a r may be q u i t e abundant a t these t i m e s . G a t h e r i n g s o f hundreds o f S h o v e l e r s can be n o t e d e v e r y s p r i n g and f a l l a t t h e sewage ponds a t F o r e s t Grove, Nehalem, S h e r i d a n , and elsewhere. P i n t a i l s , American Wigeons, M a l l a r d s , and t o a l e s s e r e x t e n t Green-winged T e a l s are a l s o v e r y numerous i n m i g r a t i o n a t most pond systems. D i v i n g ducks appear i n f a i r numbers as w e l l , b e i n g perhaps most e v i d e n t i n l a t e f a l l . C h i e f among these b i r d s are B u f f l e h e a d s , Ruddy and King-necked Ducks L e s s e r Scaup, and Canvasbacks. Common and Hooded Mergansers use these ponds much o f t h e y e a r , but are never numerous. Common Goldeneyes are r e g u l a r from October t o March on many sewage ponds. Much l e s s common, but o c c a s i o n a l l y e n c o u n t e r e d by those s e a r c h i n g f o r them, are i n d i v i d u a l s o f t h e few e s s e n t i a l l y c o a s t a l ducks, such as t h e s c o t e r s .
A t s e v e r a l sewage pond systems a l o n g the w e s t e r n s i d e o f the W i l l a m e t t e V a l l e y , s m a l l groups o f W h i s t l i n g Swans sometimes appear w h i l e i n t h e r e g i o n . Canada Geese seem t o a v o i d sewage ponds most o f the t i m e , p e r haps because o f t h e i r t e r r e s t r i a l f e e d i n g h a b i t s . They do show up now and t h e n both a t c o a s t a l and i n l a n d ponds where t h e y graze t h e grassy d i k e s s e p a r a t i n g t h e ponds.
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I n w i n t e r , f o l l o w i n g t h e main m i g r a t o r y p e r i o d , sewage ponds h o l d many o f t h e more common ducks, i n numbers comparable t o t h o s e f o u n d nearby on o t h e r s m a l l f r e s h w a t e r l a g o o n s and open marshes. Much duck t r a f f i c o c c u r s as f l o c k s o f ducks commute r e g u l a r l y between t h e s h e l t e r o f t h e ponds and f e e d i n g p l a c e s i n t h e v i c i n i t y . A t t h i s season, American Coots, P i e d - b i l l e d Grebes, and an o c c a s i o n a l Horned o r West e r n Grebe appear on most ponds. Eared Grebes may a l s o be f o u n d , a l t h o u g h t h e y are r a t h e r r a r e , b e i n g seen m o s t l y d u r i n g t h e f a l l . B u f f l e h e a d s are v e r y common i n w i n t e r , as are o t h e r s p e c i e s o f d i v i n g ducks. Large r a f t s o f Ring-necked Ducks o f t e n congregate on sewage ponds, sometimes exceeding one hundred b i r d s . Most o f t h e S h o v e l e r s w i l l have d e p a r t e d , but e v e r y pond system a t t r a c t s a few t h r o u g h t h e w i n t e r months.
S h o r e b i r d s o r d i n a r i l y are n o t v e r y common around sewage ponds, u n l e s s i t i s a c o a s t a l pond system i n c l o s e p r o x i m i t y t o f a v o r e d e s t u a r i n e t i d e - f l a t s . Most sewage pond systems c o n t a i n l i t t l e adequate s h o r e b i r d h a b i t a t . However, t h e l a r g e ponds j u s t o u t s i d e o f F o r e s t Grove d i f f e r f r o m o t h e r s i n N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon i n h a v i n g a c o n s i d e r a b l e p a t c h o f good h a b i t a t . T h i s i s on t h e n o r t h s i d e o f t h e ponds, near t h e maintenance b u i l d i n g s . L e s s e r Y e l l o w l e g s have been f o u n d t h e r e on s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s , as have Common S n i p e , Western Sandp i p e r s , L e a s t S a n d p i p e r s , and as many as s i x P e c t o r a l Sandpipers ( e a r l y O c t o b e r ) . O t h e r w i s e , s a n d p i p e r s and p l o v e r s a r e u s u a l l y d i f f i c u l t t o f i n d a t sewage ponds, w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f y e l l o w l e g s and s m a l l s t r a g g l i n g f l o c k s o f t h e commoner peeps, which may be n o t e d a l o n g the r i p r a p m a r g i n s , q u i e t l y i n s p e c t i n g a s p o t o f mud. S p o t t e d S a n d p i p e r s n e s t a t e v e r y one o f t h e systems I have checked d u r i n g t h e summer.
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I n most y e a r s , t h e r e o c c u r s a massing o f m i g r a n t N o r t h e r n Phalaropes on some o f t h e c o a s t a l l y - s i t u a t e d sewage ponds, g e n e r a l l y i n mid-May. T h i s phenomenon has been no t e d o f t e n a t Cannon Beach, and i s always a s p e c t a c u l a r s i g h t . T h i s s o r t o f t h i n g i s p r o b a b l y a r e s u l t o f u n f a v o r a b l e weather f o r c i n g f l o c k s o f b i r d s p a s s i n g c l o s e i n s h o r e t o seek calm w a t e r t e m p o r a r i l y . Red and Wilson's Phalaropes have a l s o been f o u n d on th e sewage ponds a t Cannon Beach f r o m t i m e t o t i m e . N o r t h e r n Phalaropes have proven t o be f a i r l y r e g u l a r f a l l m i g r a n t s on some o f the W i l l a m e t t e V a l l e y ponds, p a r t i c u l a r l y a t S h e r i d a n .
The summer b i r d s on and around sewage pond s y s tems i n N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon are n o t e s p e c i a l l y n o t e w o r t h y ; the s p e c i e s c o m p o s i t i o n r e f l e c t s t h e r a t h e r open, l o w l a n d l o c a t i o n o f most o f t h e ponds. Breedi n g ducks i n c l u d e M a l l a r d , w h i c h n e s t s a t most i f n o t a l l o f t h e pond systems under d i s c u s s i o n , and Wood Duck, whi c h q u i t e p o s s i b l y shares t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n . Blue-winged T e a l broods were d i s c o v e r e d on s e v e r a l o f the sewage ponds a t S h e r i d a n and F o r e s t Grove i n J u l y 1978; t h i s may happen more o f t e n t h a n has p r e v i o u s l y been suspected. Cinnamon T e a l a r e n o t uncommon d u r i n g m i g r a t i o n b o t h c o a s t a l l y and i n l a n d and may a l s o breed on some o f t h e more u n d i s t u r b e d ponds. A f a m i l y o f N. S h o v e l e r s was r a i s e d on the s o u t h Cannon Beach sewage pond i n 1977. Common and Hooded Mergansers u s u a l l y n e s t t h e r e as w e l l , t h e former r a i s i n g two broods. Other ducks may n e s t on our sewage ponds, as has been r e c e n t l y documented i n Western Washington (American B i r d s 32:1200, 1 9 7 8 ) .
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Other b i r d s p r e s e n t d u r i n g t h e summer around sewage pond systems i n N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon are such p a s s e r i n e s as W i l l o w F l y c a t c h e r s , many s w a l l o w s , s e v e r a l s p e c i e s o f w a r b l e r s , W a r b l i n g V i r e o s , Cedar Waxwings, and o t h e r p r e d i c t a b l e b i r d s . O f t e n one may enc o u n t e r a number o f s p e c i e s t h a t a r e p a r t i a l t o t h e broken l o w l a n d groves and wooded edges c r e a t e d by t h e placement o f t h e pond systems. Such st a n d s o f t r e e s may s u p p o r t N o r t h e r n O r i o l e s , L e s s e r G o l d f i n c h e s , Y e l l o w W a r b l e r s , P u r p l e F i n c h e s , W. Wood Pewees, and o t h e r s . B i r d s t y p i c a l o f s m a l l swales and marshy edges can be fou n d a t t h e S h e r i d a n , Cannon Beach, and Scappoose ponds, and a t Nehalem, where a s i z a b l e b u l r u s h marsh f r o n t s one o f t h e ponds.
Because o f t h e i r generous s i z e and t h e i r l o c a t i o n r e l a t i v e t o t h e s u r r o u n d i n g t o p o g r a p h y , o u t i n t h e open i n l o w l a n d a r e a s , t h e s e ponds are a p p a r e n t l y h i g h l y v i s i b l e t o m i g r a t i n g b i r d s . They are p r o b a b l y as o b v i o u s d u r i n g t h e n i g h t as d u r i n g d a y l i g h t h o u r s . I s u s p e c t t h a t b i r d s , e i t h e r f l o c k s o r i n d i v i d u a l s , may d e v i a t e somewhat f r o m a l o n g - r a n g e m i g r a t o r y f l i g h t p a t h i n o r d e r t o ' i n s p e c t ' and t a k e advantage o f sewage ponds. One o f t h e more s i g n i f i c a n t rewards o f pond-watching i s the u n a v o i d a b l e r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t huge numbers o f b i r d s must pass overhead u n d e t e c t e d i n many d i r e c t i o n s a l m o s t everywhere i n N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon, w i t h no s t r o n g penchant f o r a d h e r i n g t o f o r m a l l y r e c o g n i z e d f l y w a y s . T h i s becomes o b v i o u s g i v e n t h e s t a r t l i n g l i s t o f odd b i r d s t h a t have appeared on many o f t h e sewage ponds b i r d e r s v i s i t . The reasons f o r t h e o c c u r r e n c e o f many o f t h e s e o u t - o f - p i a c e b i r d s may e a s i l y be s u r m i s e d . Others r e main e n i g m a t i c . Examples o f unexpected b i r d s r e p o r t e d over t h e p a s t few y e a r s on N o r t h w e s t e r n Oregon sewage
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pond systems a r e : p r o b a b l e T u f t e d Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, F o r s t e r ' s Tern, and Sabine's G u l l a t F o r e s t Grove; L i t t l e G u l l a t Bay C i t y ( f i r s t s t a t e r e c o r d ) , and Western, F r a n k l i n ' s , and Heermann's G u l l s a t S h e r i d a n . And l e t us n o t f o r g e t t h e most infamous sewage pond b i r d o f a l l , t h e 'Scappoose Goose' o f f a l l m i g r a t i o n p a s t . . .
H o p e f u l l y , t h e p i c t u r e o f an e v e r - c h a n g i n g and i n t e r e s t i n g b i r d community w h i c h I have a t tempted t o p r e s e n t i n t h i s paper w i l l encourage b i r d w a t c h e r s t o e x p l o r e these p l a c e s more o f t e n . I w o u l d l i k e t o r e m i n d those w i s h i n g t o v i s i t t h e n e a r e s t sewage pond system t o make sure t h a t t h e i r p resence i s an a c t i v i t y n o t a t odds w i t h t h e wishes o f t h e maintenance p e r s o n n e l . I would a p p r e c i a t e r e c e i v i n g word o f any unusual o b s e r v a t i o n s made a t any o f the sewage ponds mentioned above.
D a v i d M. F i x 609 E 14 Eugene
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Foraging Patterns of Three Species of Wood Warblers
Jack O'Donnell
A l l animals a r e s e l e c t i v e i n choosing food i n t h e i r n a t u r a l h a b i t a t , some more so than o t h e r s . No two s p e c i e s l i v i n g t o g e t h e r a t the same time and p l a c e eat e x a c t l y the same s t a p l e food. T h i s i s one of the s e l e c t i v e f a c t o r s t h a t p l a y an important r o l e i n s p e c i e s formation (Mayr 19^2). Thus feeding i s a top i c of b i o l o g i c a l importance. Feeding has a b e a r ing not only upon s t u d i e s of n u t r i t i o n but a l s o upon the r e l a t i o n s h i p s of animal competition. When animals are g i v e n a choice they show p r e f e r e n c e s .
Although the mechanisms u n d e r l y i n g such p r e f e r ences a r e not w e l l understood, the ch o i c e of food c o r r e l a t e s w e l l w i t h the s i z e and s t r u c t u r e of v a r i o u s p a r t s of the fo r a g i n g a n i m a l . T h i s i s noted by Moody (1953) i n h i s r e f e r e n c e to the Galapagos f i n c h e s . Body s i z e and locomotor a b i l i t y may a l s o p l a y j u s t as important a r o l e a s s t r u c t u r e of the feeding equipment. N e v e r t h e l e s s , each s p e c i e s s t i l l seems to have a wide l a t i t u d e i n the s e l e c t i o n of food items.
The h a b i t a t t h a t an animal occupies may i n t u r n determine the food o b j e c t s encountered, shaping i n lar g e measure the f e e d i n g p a t t e r n of the s p e c i e s . MacArthur (1958) has shown t h a t f i v e s p e c i e s of w a r b l e r s (Cape May Warbler, Dendroica t i g r i n a ; "Myrtle" Warbler, D. coronata; B l a c k - t h r o a t e d Green Warbler, D. v i r e n s ; B l a c k b u r n i a n Warbler, D. f u s c a ; and Bay-breasted Warbler, D. ca s t a n e a ) l i v i n g i n the same spruce f o r e s t s e l e c t e d d i f f e r e n t p a r t s of the t r e e f o r t h e i r a c t i v i t i e s and used d i f f e r e n t t a c t i c s i n fora g i n g f o r food.
With t h i s i n mind, I attempted to determine the feeding zones of t h r e e s p e c i e s (Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermivora c e l a t a ; N a s h v i l l e Warbler, V. r u f i c a p i l l a ; and M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler, Oporornis t o l m i e i ) f o u n d near Lane Community C o l l e g e , Eugene, Lane County, Oregon. I n order to determine the b i r d s ' feeding zones, the t r e e s i n which the b i r d s were found were diagram-m a t i c a l l y d i v i d e d i n t o 16 zones as shown i n F i g u r e 1 .
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6 F i g u r e 1. The fora g i n g zones of three s p e c i e s
of wood w a r b l e r s . The s i x h e i g h t zones a r e measured from the top of the t r e e to the base of the t r e e . Each branch i s d i v i d e d i n t o the base ( B ) , the middle zone of old needles (M), and the t e r m i n a l zone of new needles and buds ( T ) . A f t e r MacArthur (1958).
S i n c e each one of the w a r b l e r s was seen i n a v a r i e t y of d i f f e r e n t t r e e s (oak, f i r , and a p p l e ) , the v e r t i c a l p o s i t i o n of the w a r b l e r was determined by d i v i d i n g the t r e e i n t o s i x zones. I f the b i r d was seen i n bushes ( e . g . b l a c k b e r r y ) or below the lowest branches of the t r e e the zone of s i g h t i n g was r e corded as zone s i x . To map l a t e r a l movement of the w a r b l e r s , each branch w i t h i n the t r e e was d i v i d e d i n t o t h r e e zones: one near the base ( B ) , a middle zpne (M), and a t e r m i n a l zone of new growth ( T ) . Once again, i f the b i r d was seen i n bushes or below tEe lowest branches of the t r e e , the zone of s i g h t i n g was recorded as zone s i x .
For the purpose of f u r t h e r d e s c r i b i n g the w a r b l e r s ' f o r a g i n g zone, the number of seconds t h a t each observed b i r d spent i n each of 16 zones was r e corded. A l l t i m i n g was done by a stop watch.
8
There are s e v e r a l d i f f i c u l t i e s i n t a k i n g measurements l i k e t hese. Perhaps the most d i f f i c u l t i s the f a c t t h a t as the w a r b l e r s foraged they o f t e n moved away from the open s i d e of the t r e e thus r e n d e r i n g themselves unobservable. MacArthur (1958) attempted to combat t h i s by "observing each b i r d f o r as long as p o s s i b l e so t h a t a b r i e f e x c u r s i o n i n t o an open but not often-frequented zone would be compensated f o r by the remaining p a r t of the o b s e r v a t i o n . " I used t h i s method so h o p e f u l l y no s e r i o u s e r r o r entered i n t o the measurements a t t h i s p o i n t .
I n other c a s e s , a r e c o r d of o b s e r v a t i o n was sometimes e l i m i n a t e d from the data t a b l e i f the b i r d was engaged i n a c t i v i t i e s such as preening, sunning, p l a y in g , and so f o r t h . A r e c o r d of t h e s e observations was kept i n order to f a c i l i t a t e the removal of the s e timed a c t i v i t i e s a t a l a t e r date. Another major source of d i f f i c u l t y arose from outside s o u r c e s . I n some c a s e s , the presence of a predator ( e . g . a hawk) i n the area caused the b i r d s to a l t e r t h e i r a c t i v i t y and i n other c a s e s , the presence of motorcycles and t r a c t o r s f l u s h e d the b i r d s from the viewing a r e a . Even weather c o n d i t i o n s seemed to have a f f e c t e d the o b s e r v a t i o n s . As MacArthur (1958) noted i n h i s study, "sometimes a l a r g e number of hours of watching r e s u l t e d i n j u s t a few seconds of worthwhile o b s e r v a t i o n s . "
The r e s u l t s of th e s e o b s e r v a t i o n s a r e l i s t e d f i r s t i n Tables 1 - 9 and are f u r t h e r i l l u s t r a t e d i n F i g u r e s 2 - 1 0 and Graphs 1-4.
9
T a b l e 1
O r a n g e - c r o w n e d W a r b l e r O b s e r v a t i o n s
Zone T o t a l o b s e r v e d P e r c e n t of T o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s P e r c e n t o f t o t a l t i me per t o t a l time per zone o b s e r v a t i o n s
T l 186 s e c . 61 16 8% m 54 2 6 3 B l 8 1 1 1 T2 389 13 27 14 M2 150 5 10 5 B2 110 4 9 4 T3 442 14 27 14 M3 509 17 24 12 B3 107 4 9 4 14 145 5 11 6 M4 125 4 8 4 B4 132 4 10 5 T5 56 2 7 4 M5 182 6 11 6 B5 101 3 4 2 6 310 10 16 8
N o t e s : The number, w h i c h r e p r e s e n t s the t o t a l o b s e r v e d time per zone, i s the
summation of a l l t h e r e c o r d e d s i g h t i n g s f o r t h a t p a r t i c u l a r z o n e . The numbers have been rounded o f f t o w h o l e numbers i n o r d e r to f a c i l i t a t e e a s e of u s e . The t o t a l number of s e c o n d s o f o b s e r v a t i o n f o r t h e Orange-crowned W a r b l e r I s 3,006 s e c o n d s and the t o t a l number of o b s e r v a t i o n s f o r t h i s w a r b l e r i a 1 9 6 .
T a b l e 2
V e r t i c a l Z o n a t i o n D a t a
V e r t i c a l T o t a l o b s e r v e d zone time per z one
P e r c e n t o f t o t a l t ime
T o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s P e r c e n t o f t o t a l per zone o b s e r v a t i o n s
1 248 s e c . 97. 23 127. 2 649 22 46 23 3 1058 35 60 30 4 402 13 29 15 5 339 11 22 12 6 310 10 16 8
T a b l e 3
H o r i z o n t a l Z o n a t i o n D a t a
H o r i z o n t a l T o t a l o b s e r v e d P e r c e n t of T o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s P e r c e n t o f t o t a l zone t i m e p e r zone t o t a l t ime p e r z one o b s e r v a t i o n s
t e r m i n a l ( T ) 1218 s e c . 4 0 * 88 4 6 1 m e d i a l (M) 1020 34 59 30 b a s a l ( B ) 458 16 33 16 s i x ( 6 ) 310 10 16 S
T a b l e U
N a s h v i l l e W a r b l e r O b s e r v a t i o n s
Zone T o t a l o b s e r v e d P e r c e n t o f T o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s P e r c e n t of t o t a l t i m e per _ione t o t a l t i m e per rone o b s e r v a t i o n s
T l 59 s a c . 31 4 n Ml 0 0 0 0 B l 0 0 0 0 T2 6 0 1 2 M2 176 10 10 18 B2 4 0 1 0 T3 162 9 3 5 M3 179 10 6 11 B3 21 2 2 4 T4 4 0 1 2 M4 163 9 7 13 B4 0 0 0 0 T5 136 8 3 5 H5 178 10 4 . 7 B5 10 0 1 2 6 707 39 12 22
N o t e s : The t o t a l number of s e c o n d s o f o b s e r v a t i o n f o r t h e N a s h v i l l e W a r b l e r i s
1,805 s e c o n d s and the t o t a l number o f o b s e r v a t i o n s f o r t h i s w a r b l e r i s 55. When t h e p e r c e n t of t o t a l t i m e a n d / o r t h e p e r c e n t o f t o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s was below one p e r c e n t (17.) t h e p e r c e n t a g e f o r t h a t zone was r e c o r d e d as z e r o p e r c e n t ( O X ) .
T a b l e 5
V e r t i c a l Z o n a t i o n D a t a
V e r t i c a l T o t a l o b s e r v e d zone t i m e per zone
P e r c e n t o f t o t a l t ime
T o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s P e r c e n t of t o t a l p e r zone o b s e r v a t i o n s
1 59 s e c . 37. 4 8a 2 186 10 12 21 3 362 21 11 20 4 167 9 8 15 5 324 18 8 15 6 707 39 12 21
T a b l e 6
H o r i z o n t a l Z o n a t i o n D a t a
H o r i z o n t a l T o t a l o b s e r v e d P e r c e n t of T o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s P e r c e n t o f t o t a l z o n e time per zone t o t a l time p e r zone o b s e r v a t i o n s
t e r m i n a l <T) 367 s e c . 201 12 211 m e d i a l (M) 696 39 2 7 49 b a s a l ( B ) 35 2 4 8 t l x ( 6 ) 707 39 12 22
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N a s h v i l l e W a r b l e r
1 of t o t a l number X of t o t a l number (1,805) s e c o n d s (55) o f of o b s e r v a t i o n o b s e r v a t i o n s
F i g u r e 5. N a s h v i l l e W a r b l e r f e e d i n g z o n e s . The p r e f e r r e d h a b i t a t s a r e s t i p p l e d u n t i l a t l e a s t 501 of t h e a c t i v i t y i s i n t h e s t i p p l e d z o n e s .
Z o f t o t a l no. 1 o f t o t a l 1 of t o t a l no. I of t o t a l s e c o n d s of number of s e c o n d s of number of o b s e r v a t i o n o b s e r v a t i o n s o b s e r v a t i o n o b s e r v a t i o n s
F i g u r e s 6 and 7. N a s h v i l l e W a r b l e r f e e d i n g z o n e s . The z o n e s o f most c o n c e n t r a t e d a c t i v i t y a r e s t i p p l e d f o r b o t h t h e v e r t i c a l p o s i t i o n s a s i n F i g u r e 6 and t h e h o r o z o n t a l p o s i t i o n s as i n F i g u r e 7.
14
M a c G i l l i v r a v ' s W a r b l e r
X o f t o t a l number X o f t o t a l number ( 9 6 8 ) s e c o n d s ( 4 4 ) o f o f o b s e r v a t i o n o b s e r v a t i o n s
F i g u r e 8. M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s W a r b l e r f e e d i n g z o n e s . The p r e f e r r e d h a b i t a t s a r e s t i p p l e d u n t i l a t l e a s t 50X o f t h e a c t i v i t y i s i n t h e s t i p p l e d z o n e s .
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X o f t o t a l no. s e c o n d s of o b s e r v a t i o n
X o f t o t a l number of o b s e r v a t i o n a
F i g u r e s 9 and 10. K a c G l l l l v r a y ' s W a r b l e r f e e d i n g z o n e s . The zones of most c o n c e n t r a t e d a c t i v i t y a r e s t i p p l e d f o r b o t h t h e v e r t i c a l p o s i t i o n s a s i n F i g u r e 9 and the h o r i z o n t a l p o s i t i o n s a s i n F i g u r e 1 0 .
15
Key: Orange-crowned W a r b l e r
N a s h v i l l e W a r b l e r
H a c C i l l i v r a y ' s W a r b l e r
V e r t i c a l zone
P.. 1 \ f>S ,k [\ /
V e r t i c a l zone
16 17
Conclusion
Orange-crowned Warbler. The f o r a g i n g data show t h a t the p r e f e r r e d v e r t i c a l h a b i t a t of the w a r b l e r i s zone 3 as shown i n F i g u r e 3 and t h a t the p r e f e r r e d h o r i z o n t a l h a b i t a t of the w a r b l e r i s the t e r m i n a l zone as shown i n F i g u r e 4 . 35$ of the t o t a l number of seconds of observations t a k e s p l a c e i n pone 3 and 30$ of the t o t a l number of o b s e r v a t i o n s t a k e s p l a c e i n the same zone. The most concentrated h o r i z o n t a l f e e d i n g a c t i v i t y occurs i n the t e r m i n a l zone where 40$ of the t o t a l number of seconds of o b s e r v a t i o n t a k e s p l a c e and where 46$ of the t o t a l number of o b s e r v a t i o n s t a k e s p l a c e . I t i s a l s o noteworthy t h a t the time spent f o r a g i n g by the Orange-crowned Warbler d e c r e a s e s from the outer t e r m i n a l zone toward the i n n e r b a s a l zone (see Graph 3 ) . The number of observ a t i o n s a l s o decreases from the outer zone to the i n n e r zone.
I n c o n t r a s t to the N a s h v i l l e Warbler and MacG i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler, the Orange-crowned Warbler seems to p r e f e r the outer p a r t of the branches f o r f e e d i n g . I n a d d i t i o n , both M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler and the Orange-crowned Warbler c o n c e n t r a t e t h e i r a c t i v i t y i n zone 3 whereas the N a s h v i l l e Warbler c o n c e n t r a t e s i t s a c t i v i t y i n zone 6 and zone 2.
I t i s important to remember t h a t a t no time d i d any two or t h r e e of these d i f f e r e n t s p e c i e s forage i n the same a r e a . Even though a p r e f e r r e d f o r a g i n g zone might be the s«me f o r two d i f f e r e n t s p e c i e s , the p a r t of the f o r e s t i n which they were feeding was not the same.
N a s h v i l l e Warbler. The data show t h a t the p r e f e r r e d v e r t i c a l h a b i t a t of t h i s w a rbler i s zone 6 (zone 2 i s a l s o o f t e n frequented) as shown i n F i g u r e 6 and the p r e f e r r e d h o r i z o n t a l h a b i t a t of the b i r d i s the medial zone as shown i n F i g u r e 7. 39$ of the t o t a l number of seconds of o b s e r v a t i o n t a k e s p l a c e i n zone 6 and 21$ of the t o t a l number of o b s e r v a t i o n s t a k e s p l a c e i n zone 6 and zone 2. The most concent r a t e d h o r i z o n t a l feeding a c t i v i t y occurs i n the medial zone where 39$ of the t o t a l number of seconds of o b s e r v a t i o n s t a k e s p l a c e and where 49$ of the t o t a l
18
number of o b s e r v a t i o n s takes p l a c e . The times spent f e e d i n g by the N a s h v i l l e Warbler reaches a peak i n the medial p a r t of the t r e e branch (see Graph 3 ) . The number of o b s e r v a t i o n s a l s o reaches a peak i n the medial p a r t of the branch ( s e e Graph 4 ) .
L e s t some c o n f u s i o n a r i s e from the foregoing d e s c r i p t i o n of the b i r d s ' p r e f e r e n c e f o r a f e e d i n g zone, i t i s important to remember t h a t the b i r d s * f e e d i n g p a t t e r n d i d not occur j u s t from the b a s a l zone outward or from the t e r m i n a l zone inward. I n some c a s e s i t o c c u r r e d from zone 6 upward by way of the medial zone to the top of the t r e e . Many othe r v a r i a t i o n s were a l s o n o t i c e d .
The N a s h v i l l e Warbler and the Orange-crowned Warbler were observed i n s i m i l a r t r e e s but never a t the same time. On the other hand, the N a s h v i l l e Warbler and the M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler, even though they showed s i m i l a r p a t t e r n s of f e e d i n g , were found f o r a g i n g i n d i f f e r e n t p a r t s of the f o r e s t .
The N a s h v i l l e Warbler was d i f f i c u l t to gather data f o r because t;he b i r d moves v e r y q u i c k l y from t r e e to t r e e when i t f e e d s . Perhaps t h i s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of i t s b e h a v i o r i s b e s t d e s c r i b e d by Chapman (1907), who s a i d of the N a s h v i l l e Warbler: " I n demeanor i t i s one of the most n e r v o u s l y a g i l e and r e s t l e s s of the g l e a n i n g w a r b l e r s . "
I n c o n t r a s t , the Orange-crowned Warbler was seen more f r e q u e n t l y i n the a r e a of o b s e r v a t i o n . The Orange-crowned Warbler, furthermore, was more d e l i b e r a t e i n f e e d i n g thus making i t much e a s i e r to gather data on.
M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler. The data show t h a t the p r e f e r r e d v e r t i c a l h a b i t a t of the b i r d i s zone 3 as shown i n F i g u r e 9 and t h a t the p r e f e r r e d h o r i z o n t a l h a b i t a t of the w a r b l e r i s the medial zone as shown i n F i g u r e 10. 34$ of the t o t a l number of seconds of o b s e r v a t i o n takes p l a c e i n zone 3 and 27$ of the t o t a l number of o b s e r v a t i o n s t a k e s p l a c e i n the same zone. The most concentrated h o r i z o n t a l feeding a c t i v i t y occurs i n the medial zone where 48$ of the t o t a l number of seconds of o b s e r v a t i o n takes p l a c e and where 47$ of the t o t a l number of observations
19
t a k e s p l a c e . The time spent f o r a g i n g by the MacG i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler reaches a peak on the medial p a r t of the t r e e branch ( s e e Graph 3 ) . L i k e w i s e , the number of observations a l s o reaches a peak on the medial zone ( s e e Graph
I t bears r e p e a t i n g t h a t even though the MacG i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler and the N a s h v i l l e Warbler showed some s i m i l a r i t i e s i n t h e i r zones of p r e f e r e n c e , they d i d not feed i n the same g e n e r a l p a r t of the f o r e s t .
The M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler was perhaps the most d i f f i c u l t w a r b l e r on which to c o l l e c t d a t a . I t was n e c e s s a r y i n many ca s e s to remain hidden behind a t r e e or shrub i n order to c o l l e c t data because the b i r d would q u i c k l y move to cover (e.g. beneath b l a c k b e r r y bushes) i f i t sensed my presence. I t was i n t e r e s t i n g to read Hoffman's (1927) d e s c r i p t i o n of t h i s s e c r e t i v e w a r b l e r . He s a i d t h a t the M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler i s a shy b i r d , c o n c e a l i n g i t s e l f i n the tangled bushes a t the f i r s t alarm.
Studies have shown t h a t b i r d s make use of v i s u a l s t i m u l i f o r the s e l e c t i o n of s p e c i f i c environments. F u r t h e r , d i f f e r e n t s p e c i e s of w a r b l e r s l i v i n g i n the same f o r e s t seem to s e l e c t c e r t a i n p a r t s of the f o r e s t f o r t h e i r a c t i v i t i e s . These b i r d s a l s o snow pref e r e n c e f o r c e r t a i n p a r t s of the t r e e f o r t h e i r f e e d i n g and use d i f f e r e n t methods i n f o r a g i n g f o r food. L i t t l e seems to be known of why thes e v a r i a t i o n s i n h a b i t a t s e l e c t i o n t a k e s p l a c e .
Some f u r t h e r study concerning the p r o c e s s e s of war b l e r behavior seems a p p r o p r i a t e a t t h i s time. Some areas of behavior which would lend themselves to study a r e : s e a s o n a l changes i n feeding, food s e l e c t i o n , predator-prey r e l a t i o n s h i p s , d a i l y f l u c t u a t i o n s i n fe e d i n g , population d e n s i t y p a t t e r n s , and c y c l e s i n s e x u a l behavior.
Appendix The q u i c k e s t r e f e r e n c e to use i n determining the
a c t i v i t y of the t h r e e types of wood w a r b l e r s i s found i n F i g u r e s 2, 5, and 8. These diagrams a r e
2 0
s t i p p l e d i n order to i n d i c a t e where a t l e a s t 50$ of the b i r d s ' a c t i v i t y takes p l a c e . For example, the M a c G i l l i v r a y ' s Warbler does 50$ of i t s f o r a g i n g below the lowest branches i n the t r e e and on the medial branch i n zone 3«
L i t e r a t u r e C i t e d Chapman, F.M. 1907. The war b l e r s of North America. D. Appleton and Company, New York.
Hoffman, R. 1927. B i r d s of the P a c i f i c states.„ Houghton M i f f l i n Company, Boston.
MacArthur, R.H. 1958. Population ecology of some w a r b l e r s of n o r t h e a s t e r n c o n i f e r o u s f o r e s t s . Ecology 39: 605-608.
Mayr, E . 1942. S y s t e m a t i c s and the o r i g i n of s p e c i e s Columbia U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , New York.
Moody, P.A. 1953. I n t r o d u c t i o n to e v o l u t i o n . Harper and Row P u b l i s h e r s , I n c . , New York.
Jack 0'Donne11 1920 P r i n c e t o n Drive Eugene, OR 97405
( E d i t o r ' s n o t e : T h i s a r t i c l e o r i g i n a l l y appeared i n SWOC TALK, June 1976. I t was t h e r e s u l t o f r e s e a r c h cond u c t e d by 0 J D o n n e l l f o r t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Oregon's c l a s s i n O r n i t h o l o g y , t a u g h t by Herb Wisner. I t i s r e p r i n t e d a t the r e q u e s t o f s e v e r a l members, w i t h t h e p e r m i s s i o n o f t h e a u t h o r , ac)
21
O n the Species Trail R.F. T a d ' Finnell
How many t i m e s have you heard t h e q u e s t i o n , "How many s p e c i e s d i d we see?"
For t h e " h a r d c o r e " b i r d e r t h e r e seems t o be a c e r t a i n m y s t i q u e about l i s t i n g , whether i t i s a l i f e l i s t , a t r i p l i s t , a B i g Day l i s t ( t a k e n w i t h i n a 24-hour p e r i o d ) , a s p e c i f i c a r e a l i s t , o r a y e a r ' s l i s t . T h i s t y p e o f b i r d e r seems t o exude an e n t h u s i a s m and a c t i v e c o m p e t i t i v e s p i r i t t h a t c a r r i e s h i m o r h e r f r o m dawn u n t i l dusk w i t h no t h o u g h t o f e a t i n g o r r e s t i n g - an eagerness t o check out one more t h i c k e t , t o go j u s t a l i t t l e f u r t h e r b e f o r e t u r n i n g back.
Most o f us know a t l e a s t one or two p e o p l e l i k e t h i s , b u t t h e y c e r t a i n l y a r e n o t i n t h e m a j o r i t y . Many more t a k e up t h e i r b i n o c u l a r s f o r t h e pure enjoyment o f b e i n g o u t d o o r s t o w i t n e s s v a r i o u s a s p e c t s o f n a t u r e , t h e low-key approach t h a t may i n c l u d e searches f o r more t h a n b i r d s . L o o k i n g a t w i l d f l o w er s and a n i m a l s , beachcombing and t i d e p o o l i n g , h i k i n g and camping, s k i i n g , o r j u s t l e a v i n g home t o spend t h e weekend i n t h e f a m i l y camper a r e some act i v i t i e s o f i n t e r e s t t o t h o s e who w i s h more t r i p v a r i a t i o n .
Wherever y o u r p e r s o n a l i n t e r e s t i s d i r e c t e d , k e e p i n g a y e a r ' s l i s t can be i n t e r e s t i n g , c h a l l e n g i n g , and i n some cases f r u s t r a t i n g , b u t f o r t h o se who s e t a g o a l t h a t i s reached d u r i n g t h e y e a r t h e s e l f - s a t i s f a c t i o n i s w e l l w o r t h t h e t r o u b l e s i n v o l v e d .
Throughout 1977, w h i l e spending a g r e a t d e a l o f t i m e i n t h e f i e l d w i t h Mark Egger, I f o l l o w e d t h e number o f s i g h t i n g s t h a t he a c h i e v e d f r o m month t o month and c o n t r a s t e d h i s p r o g r e s s w i t h t h a t o f D a v i d F i x and J e f f G i l l i g a n . B e f o r e t h e n , t h e h i g h e s t
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y e a r ' s l i s t t o t a l i n Oregon was g e n e r a l l y a c c e p t e d t o be 304, a c h i e v e d by J e f f G i l l i g a n and Fred Ramsey. By t h e end o f 1977, however, Mark had observed 319 s p e c i e s , c l o s e l y f o l l o w e d by D a v i d and J e f f . Aware t h a t each had seen s p e c i e s t h a t t h e o t h e r s had n o t seen, I became c o n v i n c e d t h a t t h i s number c o u l d p r o b a b l y be surpassed w i t h a l o t o f t r a v e l i n g and a l o t more l u c k , so I d e c i d e d t o g i v e i t a t r y . The f o l l o w i n g i s a month by month s y n o p s i s o f t r a v e l s and s i g h t i n g s t h a t may be o f i n t e r e s t t o o t h e r y e a r ' s l i s t e r s : u n u s u a l b i r d s s i g h t e d , u nusual b i r d s (known t o be p r e s e n t ) t h a t i r r i t a t i n g l y escaped b e i n g s i g h t e d , and areas c o v e r e d .
P a r t i c i p a t i n g i n Eugene's C h r i s t m a s Count on 1 J a n u a r y , g a t h e r i n g t h e w i n t e r r e g u l a r s and keepi n g a l e r t f o r m e n t i o n o f u n u s u a l s p e c i e s seen d u r i n g t h e count p e r i o d , was a good way t o get s t a r t e d . A weekend t r i p t h e f o l l o w i n g week t o t h e Coos Bay a r e a , p i c k i n g up u n u s u a l s p e c i e s such as Palm and B l a c k - a n d - w h i t e W a r b l e r , C a t t l e E g r e t and Oldsquaw, a l o n g w i t h t h e w i n t e r " r e g u l a r s , gave me a t o t a l o f 94 s p e c i e s by 7 J a n u a r y . Oldsquaw can be a d i f f i c u l t b i r d t o p i c k up. W i n c h e s t e r Bay d u r i n g Januar y was p r o b a b l y as s u r e a p l a c e as any b e f o r e cons t r u c t i o n was s t a r t e d on t h e b o a t b a s i n , b u t now th e o n l y r e g u l a r p l a c e I know o f i s under t h e b r i d g e over Yaquina Bay d u r i n g l a t e F e b r u a r y . A l s o p r e s e n t a t t h e coast i n J a n u a r y were A n c i e n t M u r r e l e t s , a b i r d t h a t I missed. Other January r a r i t i e s l i s t e d were t h e Snowy Owl a t t h e Eugene a i r p o r t , a Mockingb i r d i n C o r v a l l i s , a B l u e Jay i n S p r i n g f i e l d , W h i t e -t h r o a t e d Sparrow, M e r l i n , Rock S a n d p i p e r , and G r e a t Gray Owl. At t h e end o f January I had 140 s p e c i e s .
F e b r u a r y and December seem t o be good months t o go t o t h e La Grande a r e a . A t r i p t h e r e from 18-19 F e b r u a r y was rewarded w i t h such w i n t e r s p e c i e s as Bohemian Waxwing, Gray P a r t r i d g e , Gray-crowned Rosy F i n c h , Tree Sparrow and P r a i r i e F a l c o n . As a r u l e F e b r u a r y i s a slow b i r d i n g month, b u t o t h e r t r i p s
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y i e l d e d Snowy Plover and Brant at Tillamook, Spotted Owl at Alma and Peregrine Falcon and Black-legged K i t t i w a k e at Coos Bay. Glaucous G u l l and Gyrfalcon are sometimes found at the coast during these w i n t e r months, but I was not lucky enough to f i n d them. Even without these species, I had achieved a t o t a l of 166 species by 1 March.
March began w e l l w i t h S a n d h i l l Cranes f l y i n g over Eugene and a H a r r i s ' Sparrow i n Cottage Grove. Some species noted on 25 March at Malheur were Sage Grouse, Trumpeter Swan, Snow Goose, Chukar and Barrow's Goldeneye. My species t o t a l as of 31 March was 195.
A p r i l was spent adding species by ones and twos as summer species began to t r i c k l e i n t o the area. The b i r d of the month was a Sharp-tailed Sparrow, seen at W i l l i a m L. F i n l e y N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e Refuge and q u i t e unusual f o r our area. By 1 May my species t o t a l was up t o 222.
During May I added the m a j o r i t y of the summer species. During the month I p a r t i c i p a t e d i n two Big Days, both of which added q u i t e a few harder-t o - f i n d b i r d s t o my l i s t . The Klamath County Big Day included s i g h t i n g s of White-fronted and Ross' Goose and C a l l i o p e Hummingbird, while a Malheur-to-the-coast Big Day added Ferruginous Hawk, Bank Swallow, White-faced I b i s , Eastern K i n g b i r d , Bobolink, P o o r - w i l l and Red Phalarope to my l i s t . An a d d i t i o n a l t r i p during the l a s t weekend of May, again to Malheur and the surrounding area, y i e l d e d Willow Flycatcher and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. My species t o t a l at the end of May was 279.
June, another t y p i c a l l y slow month d u r i n g the year, began w i t h a t r i p t o the Wallowa V a l l e y . On t h i s t r i p I added Northern Three-toed Woodpecker, Black Swift and Veery. I also hunted f o r Barred Owl and Turkey at t h i s time but d i d not l o c a t e e i t h e r one. A mid-June t r i p to Medford (a must spot f o r l i s t e r s between 15 June-15 J u l y ) added T r i c o l o r e d B l a c k b i r d ( l a t e ) , Brown Towhee and Black Phoebe.
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P l a i n Titmouse was missed on t h i s t r i p but picked up l a t e r . Other b i r d s not seen on t h i s t r i p but said to nest i n the area were Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and B r o a d - t a i l e d Hummingbird, and possibly Black-chinned Sparrow. A l a t e June t r i p which looped from G i l c h r i s t t o Klamath F a l l s to Roseburg added American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Black-necked S t i l t and Hermit Warbler. By then my species t o t a l was up t o 293.
J u l y was not a good b i r d i n g month; I added only four species. Of note were A l l e n ' s Hummingbirds seen at Brookings.
I n l a n d b i r d i n g during the summer disappointed me g r e a t l y as I was unable to f i n d a number of species that probably should have been located. Among the ones missed on the year's count were Black-chinned Hummingbird, Upland Sandpiper, Long-eared Owl, Brown Thrasher (reported on the coast) and a l l unusual migrant warblers. Others missed t h a t were seen by d i f f e r e n t observers or known to be i n c e r t a i n l o c a l areas were Flammulated Owl, S c i s s o r - t a i l e d F l y c a t c h e r , Black Rosy Finch and Black-throated Sparrow.
August, one of Oregon's b e t t e r coastal b i r d i n g months, included two pelagic t r i p s , another Wallowa - t r i p and a l l three types of godwit w i t h i n 15 days! The p e l agic t r i p s y i e l d e d Pink—footed and B u l l e r ' s Shearwater, Sabine's G u l l , Fulmar and Black-footed A l b a t r o s s . Noticeably missing from the year's l i s t were Long-tailed Jaeger, Manx and S l e n d e r - b i l l e d Shearwater and an immature a l b a t r o s s , believed t o be a S h o r t - t a i l e d A l b a t r o s s , seen and photographed on someone else's t r i p i n September. The Wallowa t r i p was a r e a l t r e a t , as White-winged C r o s s b i l l , Baird's Sandpiper and Spruce Grouse were added. The Grouse was observed on 13 August during the e a r l y morning at Hat P o i n t , beyond Imnaha, Oregon. Blue Grouse are also found ( i n numbers) i n t h i s area, so care must be exercised during i d e n t i f i c a t i o n .
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I n August and September Oregon's hot spots are Tillamook Bay, Newport and Clatsop Spit where shore-b i r d s are numerous and v a r i e d . During t h i s period I added P e c t o r a l , Buff-breasted and Semipalmated Sandp i p e r , but missed Temminck's S t i n t and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. Reported i n the past from these l o c a t i o n s have been Mongolian Plover, Mountain Plover and S t i l t Sandpiper. By the end of September my species t o t a l was 317, only two species away from the record.
My e f f o r t s from 1 October through 31 December yi e l d e d only s i x a d d i t i o n a l species: American Golden Plover, Emperor Goose and Tufted Duck i n October; Y e l l o w - b i l l e d Loon and European Widgeon i n November; and Snow Bunting i n December. Redpoll can sometimes be observed i n December.
By the end of the count p e r i o d , I had observed 323 species, a new s t a t e year's record but a m i l d disappointment as I s t i l l b e l i e v e t h a t an Oregon year's l i s t record should number around 340. Needless to say, I'm o f f again t o t r y to put my money where my mouth i s , but t h i s time around I can draw on l a s t year's experiences. The most frequent mistake I made was spending time i n areas hunting f o r b i r d s t h a t would be more common i n other areas closer to home l a t e r i n the year. Another mistake I made was not spending enough time t r y i n g t o hunt down a h a r d - t o - f i n d species. This year I'm going to plan my time so t h a t I can spend i t more e f f e c t i v e l y . I ' l l spend less time hunting down e a r l y a r r i v a l s o f more common species and more time searching f o r members of those t r u l y rare species th a t have chosen t o favor Oregon w i t h a v i s i t .
For those of you who f e e l excited and c h a l lenged by the b i r d i n g p o s s i b i l i t i e s t h a t Oregon o f f e r s , I recommend Fred Ramsey's book, B i r d i n g Oregon, published i n 1978 by the Audubon Society of C o r v a l l i s . This book i s a must f o r a year's l i s t e r . The s i t e
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guides included give l o c a t i o n s of many of Oregon' h a r d - t o - f i n d species.
Year's l i s t i n g can be great f u n , but be sure you're ready to t r a v e l and exercise a great deal of patience.
Good luck.'
- Tad F i n n e l l 2412 Alder Eugene, OR 97405
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Status and Distribution of Early Summer Birds in a Second Growth Coniferous Forest, Benton County, Ore.
Mark Egger
Between 6 J u l y and 3 August 1978, I was able to conduct a study of the b i r d populations of a 60 year o l d coniferous f o r e s t l o c ated at 5,000-6,000 m ele v a t i o n along Woods Creek Road, j u s t outside of the Mary's Peak watershed, Benton County, Oregon. The area censused, a p l o t about .5 square kilometers was forested mainly w i t h Douglas F i r (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Western Hemlock (Tsuga h e t e r o p h y l l a ) , w i t h lesser amounts of Western Red Cedar (Thuja p l i c a t a ) , Red Alder (Alnus r u b r a ) , Wild Cherry CPrunus avium), and B i g - l e a f Maple (Acer macro-phyllum). The f o r e s t understory and ground cover ranged through f a i r l y open t o dense growths of various f e r n species, Vine Maples (A. c i r c i n a t u m ) , and S a l a l ( G a u l t h e r i a s h a l l o n ) . Several small streams b i s e c t e d the p l o t . I n a d d i t i o n , a number of "holes" i n the f o r e s t canopy were present through out the stand, due to t r e e k i l l s a t t r i b u t e d to fungal r o o t - r o t i n f e c t i o n s , mostly by Phel l i n u s w e i r i i . Though I was employed on a f o r e s t pathology crew mapping P h e l l i n u s centers, I was able to make extensive observations, both a u d i t o r y and v i s u a l , on the b i r d species occupying the p l o t . Randomly chosen north-south t r a n s e c t l i n e s were followed i n surveyin the area, w i t h b r i e f pauses every 50 m.
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Though much i n f o r m a t i o n has been published on the avian populations of Western Oregon i n general (see Anderson, 1972) and of the Mary's Peak area i n p a r t i c u l a r (Sturges, 1955), i n f o r m a t i o n i s l a c k i n g concerning breeding populations of s p e c i f i c h a b i t a t types, vegetative age classes, and geographical l o c a t i o n s w i t h i n the coniferous f o r e s t biome.
The purpose of t h i s paper, then, i s to provide q u a l i t a t i v e i n f o r m a t i o n , i n the form of species accounts, concerning the status and d i s t r i b u t i o n of the b i r d s w i t h i n the study area. No e f f o r t was made to l o c ate elusive nonpasserine species, e s p e c i a l l y owls, and the species l i s t may be incomplete i n t h i s respect.
SPECIES ACCOUNTS
1. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Several were seen f a i r l y o f t e n soaring over the study area.
2. Sharp-shinned Hawk ( A c c i p i t e r s t r i a t u s ) - One p a i r was encountered from time to time i n one sector of the stand.
3. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - One p a i r was seen over the stand o c c a s i o n a l l y .
4. Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) - Single b i r d s were heard c a l l i n g on a few occasions.
5. Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) - One was heard c a l l i n g on a s i n g l e occasion.
6. Common F l i c k e r (Colaptes auratus cafer) - Noted commonly along the edges of the p l o t which bordered a nearby c l e a r c u t . Seldom found i n deep woods.
7. P i l e a t e d Woodpecker (Dryocopus p i l e a t u s ) - One p a i r located o f t e n , feeding on the few large standing snags l e f t i n the woods.
8. Y e l l o w - b e l l i e d Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus v a r i u s ) -Members of the red-breasted race were found uncommonly, mostly near the edges of the stand.
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Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides v i l l o s u s ) - This species was f a i r l y common throughout the p l o t . Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) -Though common and widespread on the study area, many people are unaware t h a t t h i s species breeds i n the Coast Range. I t was e a s i l y d i s t i n g u i s h e d from E. d i f f i c i l i s by c a l l . Sturges (1955) c o l l e c t e d three specimens of the species on the watershed and regarded i t as a common b i r d i n the area. Western Flycatcher (E. d i f f i c i l i s ) - Found abundantly throughout the stand. Olive-sided Flycatcher ( N u t t a l l o r n i s b o r e a l i s ) -One was noted on the margins of the p l o t adjacent t o the c l e a r - c u t . S t e l l e r ' s Jay (Cyanocitta s t e l l e r i ) - Quite common and w e l l - d i s t r i b u t e d i n the f o r e s t . Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) - Uncommon, w i t h small groups roaming the woods. Their i n t e r e s t i n g , v a r i e d c a l l notes were heard o f t e n . This i s another species not widely known to be a Coast Range i n h a b i t a n t . Common Raven (Corvus corax) - One p a i r was r e g u l a r l y observed making a d a i l y c i r c u i t through the area. Black-capped Chickadee (Parus a t r i c a p i l l u s ) -Quite uncommon i n the study area, w i t h only two i n d i v i d u a l s recorded. This species i n much more common about 2,000 m downslope from the p l o t . Sturges (1955) d i d not f i n d t h i s species on Mary's Peak. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (P. rufescens) -Abundant i n the t r e e tops; probably the most numerous species present i n the study area. Common B u s h t i t ( P s a l t r i p a r u s minimus) - One small band was located i n trees along a roadway through the p l o t . This group was probably foraging out from a center of a c t i v i t y i n the nearby brushy c l e a r - c u t .
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Red-breasted Nuthatch ( S i t t a canadensis) -Common throughout the area. Brown Creeper (Certhia f a m i l i a r i s ) - While being q u i t e common, t h i s species was found mostly i n d i f f u s e groups f o r a g i n g through the woods. They were o f t e n i n company w i t h P. rufescens and Regulus satrapa. Winter Wren (Troglodytes t r o g l o d y t e s ) -Abundant i n t h i c k undergrowth. Widespread. American Robin (Turdus m i g r a t o r i u s ) - Uncommon, but evenly spaced through the f o r e s t . Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) - Quite common and widespread i n a l l s t r a t a of the tre e f o l i a g e . Hermit Thrush (Hylocichla g u t t a t a ) - Common and w e l l - d i s t r i b u t e d . This species and H. u s t u l a t a were o f t e n heard s i n g i n g at the same time. Swainson's Thrush (H. u s t u l a t a ) - F a i r l y common throughout the stand. Golden-crowned K i n g l e t (Regulus satrapa) -Abundant, u s u a l l y i n bands w i t h P_. ru f escens, i n the tree tops. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) - A few small groups were found occasionall y here and there i n the woods. Hutton's Vireo (Vireo h u t t o n i ) - Quite common throughout the woods. The most numerous v i r e o i n the area. Warbling Vireo (V_. g i l v u s ) - Uncommon and r e s t r i c t e d t o the more brushy, edge-type areas Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi) -Uncommon, w i t h only a few being observed on scattered occasions. Hermit Warbler (D. o c c i d e n t a l i s ) - F a i r l y commmon, though s p o t t i l y d i s t r i b u t e d , o c c u r r i n mostlv i n the t r e e tons.
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32. Black-throated Gray Warbler (D. nigrescens) -F a i r l y common, mostly near edges, such as road-waySj where the v e g e t a t i o n was t h i c k .
33. Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia p u s i l l a ) , - Quite common throughout the stand, mostly i n the understory v e g e t a t i o n .
34. Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) - Not numerous, but w e l l - d i s t r i b u t e d throughout the woods.
35. Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) F a i r l y common and evenly spaced i n the f o r e s t .
36. Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona v e s p e r t i n a ) -Small f l o c k s were present i n the area from time to time throughout the study period.
37. Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) - Uncommon, w i t h a few pairs noted here and there throughout the woods.
38. Pine S i s k i n (Carduelis pinus) - Common i n small roaming f l o c k s i n the t r e e tops.
39. Red C r o s s b i l l (Loxia c u r v i r o s t r a ) - Uncommon, wi t h a few roaming p a i r s or small groups noted i n the upper story of the f o r e s t .
40. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis oreganus) -Uncommon and s t r i c t l y l i m i t e d to roadway edges.
41. Chipping Sparrow ( S p i z e l l a passerina) - Quite uncommon; only a few were recorded. A l l were along roadway margins and i n company w i t h J_. h. oreganus. Sturges (1955) did not f i n d t h i s species i n the area, though he reported s i g h t i n g s by another observer near the top of Mary's Peak.
42. White-crowned Sparrow (Zo n o t r i c h i a leucophrys) -Common i n the c l e a r - c u t d i r e c t l y adjacent to the study area. None were recorded i n the woods.
43. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - Uncommon along the margins of the woods a d j o i n i n g the c l e a r - c u t . They were not found w i t h i n the woods.
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REFERENCES
Anderson, S. H. Seasonal v a r i a t i o n s i n f o r e s t b i r d s i n Western Oregon. Northwest S c i , 1972, 46, 194-206.
Sturges, F. W. Habitat and d i s t r i b u t i o n s of land v e r t e b r a t e s on the C o r v a l l i s watershed, Mary's Peak, Benton County, Oregon. Unpublished M. S. t h e s i s , Oregon State U n i v e r s i t y , 1955.
- Mark Egger 6460 Oak Creek Dr. N.W. C o r v a l l i s , Ore. 97330
Seen by? The Ugly R a t f i n c h does not occur i n Oregon,
but you found a p a i r breeding i n an abandoned Flammulated Owl hole i n the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. The questioning looks and subdued chuckles of your b i r d i n g f r i e n d s back home should prompt you to send your d e t a i l s and/or photos to the t
Oregon B i r d Records Committee P.O. Box 3082 Eugene, Ore. 97403
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Brief Notes: White Headed Woodpecker in Curry County
Jim Rogers
On the morning of J u l y 10, 1978, w h i l e c r u i s i n g timber i n c e n t r a l Curry County about 14 miles n o r t h east of Gold Beach w i t h my son Dennis, I n o t i c e d a woodpecker land on a dying Port Orford cedar tree about 80 f e e t up. Assuming i t to be a H a i r y or Downy, I was surprised t o see t h a t i t s back was pure black, and c a l l e d Dennis' a t t e n t i o n t o i t . At t h a t moment another one f l e w from the cedar t o a l a r g e Douglas f i r , d i s p l a y i n g b r i g h t white patches at i t s w i n g t i p s . I turned my a t t e n t i o n to t h i s i n d i v i d u a l and l o s t s i g h t of the f i r s t . Due to the steep angle we were unable t o get a c l e a r view of the head, but a red s t r i p e on the back of the head was e a s i l y discernable. I t flew o f f i n a few seconds. The f l a s h y white wingtips and otherwise a l l black plumage plus the red patch on the back of the head l e d us to conclude t h a t they were White-headed Woodpeckers.
Our l o c a t i o n was i n the headwaters o f Bradford Creek about \s south of the Rogue R i v e r , roughly midway between Gold Beach and Agness, at an e l e v a t i o n of about 2500 f e e t . We were i n an area of o l d growth Douglas f i r and Port Orford cedar, much of which was dead and dying from phytophtera b l i g h t . The ground was covered w i t h windthrown timber. We were about 13 miles from the ocean.
- Jim Rogers Star Rt. box 151-A Port Orford 97465
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Season's Rarities
* An immature Hooded Oriole has been coming t o a hummingbird feeder i n Eugene from December 24 u n t i l at l e a s t March 1 (press t i m e ) .
* A Bewick's Swan was discovered at M i l l e r I s l a n d Game Management Area near Klamath F a l l s on Feb. 25 by Steve Summers.
* A Snowy Owl has been seen s p o r a d i c a l l y since Dec. 21 at the South J e t t y of the Columbia River, by David I r o n s , Tad F i n n e l l and others.
* An immature Red-shouldered Hawk was struck by a v e h i c l e and subsequently captured a l i v e at L a n g l o i s , Curry Co., by l a r r y Johnson an January 28, reported by Dennis Rogers. The b i r d i s pre s e n t l y at Dan Deuel's r e h a b i l i t a t i o n center i n Bandon, and may survive to be released i n several months. Photos by Dennis Rogers have been accepted by the Records Committee as the second documented occurrence of the species i n Oregon. There are several s i g h t records, and a specimen has been discovered i n p r i v a t e hands i n Curry County, from the summer of 1974.
* A H a r r i s ' Sparrow has been r e g u l a r l y seen at feeders i n Roseburg f o r much of the w i n t e r . H a r r i s ' Sparrows have also been seen near Irnnaha i n Wallowa Co. by Joe Evanich & Frank Conley, i n Eugene by Marian Mathews, and at Forest Grove.
"'• Another Red-shouldered Hawk was found January 1 at the Eugene a i r p o r t by Sayre G r e e n f i e l d , and was seen again i n the same general area on January 19 (Alan Contreras & Paul Young) and 21 ( C l a r i c e Watson, Joan Bray, Helen Mancl and Martha Schm i t t ) .
Want to know where the rare b i r d s are ? C a l l the Taped H i g h l i g h t s i n Po r t l a n d .
292-0661
3 5
Editor's Note
This issue features the longest a r t i c l e t h a t Oregon Birds has ever used, Jack O'Donnell's f a s c i n a t i n g survey of warbler foraging p a t t e r n s . While we encourage the submission of any a r t i c l e on Oregon's b i r d s , we are i n t e r e s t e d i n using many more sh o r t notes, such as Jim Rogers' account of f i n d i n g a p a i r of White-headed Woodpeckers i n northern Curry County. I f you f i n d b i r d s t h a t are s l i g h t l y o u t - o f - p l a c e , send us a note f o r the next O.B. I f you have observations t h a t seem commonplace, consider whether they would be of some i n t e r e s t t o our readers i n parts of the s t a t e other than your own.
This issue, plus the Christmas Count feature issue, published simultaneously, complete the set of issues due our members f o r 1978. We may not have outdistanced the v u l t u r e s o t h e i r f l i g h t to P o r t l a n d , but we were p r e t t y close.
We have learned not to promise f o r one issue what might conceivably be delayed t i l another, but the f i r s t issue of Volume 5 i s t a k i n g shape as our best y e t . With l u c k , i t w i l l be the f i r s t issue of O.B. to c o n t a i n photographs - we plan t o use some of the e x c e l l e n t f i r s t & second state record photos from the past two years. Black & white, I'm a f r a i d , but e x c e l l e n t , nonetheless. With l u c k , w e ' l l have Mongolian Plover, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mountain Plover and Wheatear I A r t i c l e s w i l l probably i n clude : Coast B i r d i n g Weekend r e s u l t s , Temminck's S t i n t i n Oregon, Status of Red-shouldered Hawk i n Oregon, Nesting Season at Malheur Refuge, Rare Shorebirds i n Oregon, Records Committee Report and, i f i t i s ready i n time, the 1979 Oregon Blue L i s t .
This, then, i s the b a i t . A membership renewal form and questionnaire i s included w i t h t h i s issue as an i n s e r t . We plan t o continue expanding our membership and, consequently, our coverage of Oregon's always-exciting b i r d l i f e . Please j o i n us.
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"Send Field Notes To. . ."
1. Harry Nehls, ,2736 S.E. 20th, P o r t l a n d 97202 2. Salem Audubon Society, Box 2013, Salem 97308 3. Fred Ramsey, 2504 N.W. Mulkey, C o r v a l l i s 97330 4. Tad F i n n e l l , 2412 Alder, Eugene, 97405 5. Fred Parker, 313 W. Hickory, Roseburg 97470 6. Alan McGie, 3603 Edgewood Dr., North Bend 97459 7. Vince Zauskey, 945 E. Main, Ashland 97520 8. Steve Summers, 1009 Merryman, Klamath F a l l s 97601 9. Adele Rodriguez, 630 6th St., Madras 97741
10. Grande Ronde B i r d Club, Box 29, LaGrande 97850 11. CD. L i t t l e f i e l d and Steve Thompson,
Malheur N.W.R., Box 113, Burns 97720
OREGON BIRDS P.O. BOX 3082 Eugene, OR. 97403
PYGMY OWL
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