A Sense of Entitlement

by John Rakestraw, posted in birding philosophy

There was an interesting thread on the Oregon Birders On Line (OBOL) email list this week. It started with two birders reporting an Eastern Yellow Wagtail on the north shore of the Necanicum Estuary in Gearhart (Birding Oregon p. 122). Eastern Yellow Wagtail is extremely rare in Oregon, and this individual will be the first verified by a photograph. So this was a great find.

The birders posted the find on OBOL that evening, once they got to a location with an internet connection. What followed was a pathetic tantrum from several birders who felt cheated. Some wanted to know why these birders hadn’t reported the sighting earlier. (The bird had been seen in the mid-afternoon.) Some accused the birders of being selfish. Some suggested that these birders, both being members of the Oregon Bird Records Committee, had an obligation to share the sighting immediately and then accused the entire committee of being elitist and secretive.

When did we get to this point where we feel entitled to know about everyone else’s birding results? It wasn’t that long ago that rare bird reports only appeared in print several months after the fact. Just because current technology makes it POSSIBLE to report rarities instantly, birders are certainly not under any obligation to do so. I do not have the RIGHT to know what birds you saw today, no matter how rare they are.

I have certainly benefited from other birders’ sightings. Many of the rarer species on my Oregon list (Lesser Sand-Plover, Northern Hawk Owl, Ruff, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird) are the result of chasing birds reported on OBOL. Rare bird alerts are tools that we can use, but they are not the only way to find birds, and they are not a God-given right.

The people who find the most rarities are the people who go birding a lot and look at a lot of common species. It is a combination of persistence (the more you bird, the more you will see) and dumb luck. So if you hear about a great bird that someone else has found, and it is too late or too far to chase, turn off your computer and go birding. Find your own birds and enjoy every one of them.


Great Blue Heron, a very common bird in this area, but always worth a look


a young Cedar Waxwing

Happy Birthday, RTP

by John Rakestraw, posted in resources

August 28, 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roger Tory Peterson. Peterson is largely credited with bringing birdwatching to the common folk, where before it was limited to those collectors with shotguns and academic types with their specimen trays. The first edition of Peterson’s guide to eastern birds appeared in 1934, and it quickly became the standard tool for identifying living birds.

I began birding with the Peterson guide, and enjoyed the major improvements of the 1980 edition. I was living in Kansas when the 1990 edition of the Guide to Western Birds came out. That was also a vast improvement over previous editions, although living in the center of the continent, I still needed both eastern and western guides to cover all the bases.

In recent years, the Peterson guides were surpassed by others. The Sibley Guide set a new standard with its illustrations of different age classes and showing each species in flight. The National Geographic guide, with its every-bird-in-one-handy-volume format keeps getting better with every edition. As our knowledge of bird identification increased, the Peterson guides proved to be increasingly inadequate. A prime example was the blatantly inaccurate depiction of Thayer’s Gull.

But that has changed. In celebration Peterson’s centennial, and in an effort to maintain the legacy (and cash flow) of the Peterson name, Houghton-Mifflin has released a new Peterson guide to the birds of North America. Combining the eastern and western guides into one volume, the publishers have enlisted the help of several artists and writers to update Peterson’s work. The end result is actually very impressive.

The format of the book is larger than the original, making the illustrations larger and easier to study. There are small range maps opposite each species account, and a section of larger maps in the back of the book.

Most importantly, some of the plates have been altered to reflect our current understanding of bird identification. With the new guide, you can actually tell a Thayer’s Gull from a Herring Gull with some certainty.

Although Peterson died in 1996, the new Peterson guide does an admirable job of continuing his work. If you are one of the millions of birders who got their start with a Peterson guide, the new guide may serve as both a fond reminder of your past and as a useful guide for your continued growth. That seems a fitting tribute to Dr. Peterson.

Sauvie Island

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites, reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements

I did a point count at Oak Island on Sauvie Island today, then birded several other areas. Migration is starting to pick up with large numbers of Purple Martins and several warblers and shorebirds on the move. I also saw four Sanhill Cranes, which seemed a bit early.


Western Wood-Pewees are everywhere, and still very vocal.


This California Quail spent some time on top of a corral fence, before disappearing into the blackberry brambles.


Here is a very distant shot of two Red-necked Phalaropes in front of a Cinnamon Teal. Notice the big blue patch on the extended wing of the teal.


A Brush Rabbit, not a bird, nor uncommon, but still cute.


Pacific Treefrog. It is amazing how such a tiny animal (about 1 inch from snout to vent) can have such a loud call.

Hart Mountain

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

The Sept./Oct. issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest has my piece on Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (Birding Oregon p.20). This is a great area to explore for birds, other wildlife, scenery, and native petroglyphs. The article didn’t use any of the photos I sent with it, opting instead for a rather dreary view of the mountain. So here are a few photos from the refuge. For more information, check the refuge website.


Most of the refuge consists of a quarter of a million acres of sage steppe. While I appreciate trees and water as much as the next person, I really love the vastness of this habitat (one of the most threatened in North America).


Sunrise over Hart Mountain, viewed from the Warner Valley


Blue Sky is an island of Ponderosa Pine surrounded by sage steppe. These trees attract migrant and nesting species not found elsewhere on the refuge.


Hart Mountain refuge was originally established to protect the dwindling population of Pronghorns.


Mountain Lions are another mammal species that live on the refuge.


Horned Lark singing from atop a small rock


Many of the rocky outcroppings on the refuge contain native petroglyphs. Were these images drawn by shamans, artists, or just kids who liked to doodle?

Hummers

by John Rakestraw, posted in behavior

I haven’t seen many Anna’s Hummingbirds at the feeder lately, even though they are on the property year round. Yesterday I found this male in the early morning, thus the dark grainy photos.

The Anna’s need to use the feeder early in the morning to avoid these little guys:

Rufous Hummingbirds are passing through. While they are noticeably smaller than the Anna’s, they are much more aggressive in claiming the garden as their own. I have read about two solutions for warring hummers; one is to put another feeder out of sight of the first, the idea being that while the dominant hummer is guarding one feeder, other birds can feed on the other. The other plan is to put several feeders in close proximity, in hopes that the dominant bird can’t guard them all at once and will share. I haven’t tried either of these, primarily because I don’t want to maintain two feeders.


I will probably let them work it out on their own. The Rufous Hummingbirds will soon be on their way to sunny Mexico, while the Anna’s will stay and add a little color to the gray winter ahead.

Of Dog Days and Guilt

by John Rakestraw, posted in birding philosophy

It’s hot. There is nothing unusual about this, being mid-August and all. And in a few days it will be cool and cloudy, if you can believe the forecast. But for now, it is hot and I am inside, where the temperature is a tolerable 77 degrees F.

I have felt a little anxious about not going birding this weekend. If I don’t get out at least once a week, I feel restless and a bit cranky. Oddly enough, I have also felt a little guilty. I am a birder. There are several species I have not seen. There are many species I would enjoy seeing again. I should go look for them.

It’s not like I haven’t been busy. I have hauled gravel for the parking lot, bought groceries, sang with the Oregon Chorale, had a dinner meeting, watched four episodes of Battlestar Galactica, and made a mean batch of aloo matter. And if I had had a client this weekend, I would be out there sweating away and finding lots of neat birds. But I choose to stay at home and forgo my birding needs.

And that’s OK. We need to remind ourselves that our pastimes are not all that we are. Sometimes life presents other opportunities or just gets in the way. We need to allow this. Occasionally, just every now and then, we need to remind ourselves that it is just a ball game, or just a science fiction series, or (dare I say it?) just a bird.

So I will venture forth again next week, when the weather is cooler and the birds are challenging me to find the vagrant among them. In the meantime, I will enjoy the Lesser Goldfinches at the feeders and the Rufous Hummingbird in the garden.

Washington County

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, OR Birding Sites

I checked some of the birding sites in Washington County recently. The first stop was Rogers Park in Forest Grove (Birding Oregon p. 62). This is the home of one of the northernmost colonies of Acorn Woodpeckers. These are fascinating woodpeckers, both for their habit of storing acorns in tree bark, utility poles, wooden siding, etc., and for their interesting pattern. One this particular day, a young Cooper’s Hawk was hanging out in the park, driving the woodpeckers and most other species into hiding.

The next stop was Fernhill Wetlands (Birding Oregon p. 61). While this is one of the best birding spots in Oregon, it is currently in the summer doldrums. The breeding season has about wrapped up, and the fall migrants haven’t begun in earnest. Shorebirds are starting to come through. There isn’t a lot of mudflat habitat available yet, but as water levels continue to drop conditions should improve.


Long-billed Dowitchers


Here is a first cycle California Gull munching on a dead carp. (who says birding isn’t glamorous?) I know what you’re thinking. “It’s only August. Is he going to start with the gulls already?” You betcha! We know this is a young California Gull by the long thin bill with the clearly demarcated dark tip, and by the long dark wingtips that extend well beyond the tail. My friend, the Northwest Nature Nut, has not yet developed a love of gull ID, but I hope to gradually chip away her resistance.

An exploration of Haag Lake in Scoggins Valley Park didn’t reveal a lot of birds, but a Beaver lounging in one of the quiet arms of the reservoir was a nice treat. I don’t get to see Beaver out in the daylight very often.

A Day at the Beach

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites

I took a client to the Necanicum Estuary (Birding Oregon p.122) last week. Shorebirds were surprisingly scarce on the mudflats. But the sand bars were covered with Caspian Terns. There was a huge concentration of these beautiful noisy birds resting, preening, diving for fish, and feeding their young. Here is a very small part of the flock.

Offshore, Brown Pelicans were actively feeding. The smaller dark birds are Heerman’s Gulls, which make their living stealing fish from Brown Pelicans.

Finley NWR

by John Rakestraw, posted in OR Birding Sites

I walked around much of William L. Finley NWR, one of the three in the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Of the three, Finley has the greatest diversity of habitats, as it lies right at the edge of the Coast Range.


At the heart of the refuge is Cabell Marsh, home to waterfowl, herons, and a small flock of American White Pelicans. Notable flyovers that day included White-tailed Kite and Red-shouldered Hawk.


Black-capped Chickadees were everywhere, in the woods where you would expect them, and in the cattails which seemed a little odd.


Lazuli Buntings inhabit brushy areas in the oak savannahs.


A family of Bewick’s Wrens were in a brush pile near the top of Pigeon Butte.


On the way home I stopped by Baskett Slough NWR, another refuge in the Willamette Valley complex. Most of the wetlands here were dry. South Slough Pond was actually being plowed. Cottonwood Pond still held water and was hosting these three American White Pelicans.


This Black-tailed Deer was panting as she walked across the dry grassland and crossed the road.

Spring Valley Wildlife Area

by John Rakestraw, posted in beyond OR

One of the better birding spots in Greene County, Ohio, is Spring Valley Wildlife Area. It has a nice mix of wetland and riparian woods, and attracts many migrants in spring and a good variety of breeding birds in summer.


One of most stunning woodpeckers in North America, Red-headed Woodpeckers have experienced a severe decline in recent decades. I was delighted to hear that the birds had nested in Spring Valley this summer, after being absent for a couple of years.


Here is one of the young Red-headeds. Note the brownish head and the double black bars on the wing.


Here is a young Red-bellied Woodpecker. She doesn’t yet have the red nape of an adult.


Lots of Green Herons live in the wetlands of Spring Valley. They make a tremendous metallic squawking noise for such a small bird.


Not a bird, I know, but this dragonfly was particularly eye-catching. Does anyone know what species this is?

This will be my last post from my trip to the east and mid-west. It is always nice to reconnect with the flora and fauna I knew before moving to Oregon (except for the Chiggers, I don’t miss them at all). But I am quite ready to resume my explorations of the Beaver State.