[birding] E.E. Wilson & Coffin Butte migrant shorebird report

[Joel Geier]

Hello all,

I thought I should update you on the amazing shorebird action that we're
seeing in the Camp Adair area, so here's my report from today's walk:

3 KILLDEER

Well, that was easy! Water levels are still very high on all the
year-round ponds (the rest are dry), so there's no open mud. I've just
started to lobby E.E. Wilson's manager about lowering water levels on
some of the ponds, so perhaps things will change. It's the same
situation at Toketie Marsh (remedial wetland for Coffin Butte Landfill).
Good for bullfrogs, bad for shorebirds.

There are still lots of YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, and
YELLOW WARBLERS singing, even in the heat of the day. WARBLING VIREOS
are still warbling in the woods behind the Consumers Power Inc. (our
electrical co-op) transformers on the north side of Camp Adair Rd., just
east of Hwy 99W. I forgot to mention, a pair of Warbling Vireos also
seemed to be nesting around the display pond next to the headquarters --
at least, a week or so ago I watched them chasing a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY
out of the area. 

For the Nth time this summer, I thought I heard a Common Nighthawk's
"pe-ynt!" call on the wildlife area. But once again, it turned out to be
a Y-b Chat. I thoroughly checked a traditional nighthawk nesting area
near the Processing & Recovery Center (PRC) last week and couldn't find
any present.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis