[birding] Pipits, Nighthawks, Marbled Murrelets

[Karan & Jim Fairchild]

Just a reminder, it's not because it's the base of Marys Peak that's attractive to nighthawks, it's the clearcuts.  And the Greasy 
Creek valley (through which Highway 34 runs from Philomath towards Marys Peak) has gotten, from a landscape scale, more than the its 
share of these mange spots in the last 5 years.

Nighthawks are one of the last arriving migrants in the spring, and also one of the earliest to leave, so make sure to spend some 
time twilight evenings (or warm pre-dawn time) out around clearcuts in the next month, or you'll miss their awesome flying skills 
until next breeding season.

Jim Fairchild


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <willwright26 at q.com>
To: <joel.geier at peak.org>; "MidValley Birds" <list at midvalleybirding.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: [birding] Pipits, Nighthawks, Marbled Murrelets


| Hey birders,
|
|     The annual Marbled Murrelet info and survey convention took place in
| Yachats Tues/Wed and attracted about 35 to 40 interested individuals.  A
| number were from out of town.  Surveys once again noted diminished numbers
| at Cape Perpetua with only 5 detections, but 11 detections at Gwynn Creek
| (just south), only 5 up Tenmile Creek, and 25 detections at Big Creek
| (furthest south survey).
|     Kim Nelson reported American Pipits on the rocks in the fog at Yachats
| ocean view platform right in town.
|
|     Any time during the summer that  I visit friends on Botkin Rd. (base of
| Marys Peak switchbacks) or up Woods Creek Rd., as I did last night, I am
| sure to hear, and as last night, see a Nighthawk.
|
|      Keep on lookin'   ---Will
|
| --------------------------------------------------
| From: "Joel Geier" <joel.geier at peak.org>
| Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 7:08 PM
| To: "MidValley Birds" <list at midvalleybirding.org>
| Subject: [birding] E.E. Wilson & Coffin Butte migrant shorebird report
|
| > 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
| >
| >
| >
| > _______________________________________________
| > list mailing list
| > list at midvalleybirding.org
| > http://midvalleybirding.org/mailman/listinfo/list
| > http://oregonbirdwatch.org/pipermail/obol/
| >
| _______________________________________________
| list mailing list
| list at midvalleybirding.org
| http://midvalleybirding.org/mailman/listinfo/list
| http://oregonbirdwatch.org/pipermail/obol/