[birding] coast

[rich armstrong]

1. 8 of us from corvallis audubon met at 5 am and drove to the coast.
2. although it was pouring when we got to boiler bay at 615 the rain subsided enough to bird a bit. there were not many birds flying by.
    a. 20+ RHINOCEROUS AUKLETS including a few sitting on the water for distant scope view
    b. all 3 loons reasonably close flying by
    c. tons of murres
    d. a close flyby CASPIAN TERN
3. depoe bay had scope views of BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT.
4. off 73rd street north of newport thanks to cindy lippincott we had close scope views of both male & female BLACK SCOTER & SURF SCOTER close for comparison. there were 30+ black scoters there. also a not very cooperative RED-NECKED GREBE
5. from newport north jetty about 20 BRANT, some GREATER SCAUP, & RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.
6. south jetty had 5 very close male HARLEQUIN DUCKS, a very very close breeding plumage PACIFIC LOON, very close breeding plumage PELAGIC CORMORANTS, 1 CLARK'S GREBE near the western grebes, and the normal comparison of western glaucous-winged and california gulls.
7. behind the science center was nothing. a small flock of uncooperative WESTERN SANDPIPERS was it besides the normal bufflehead, gulls and crows. we spent more time with land birds - lots of orange-crowned warblers, both yellow-rumps, song, savannah, white-crowned, and lincoln's sparrows.
8. walking out the south jetty later in day when warmer and not raining we had distant views of 9 SURFBIRDS, quite a few breeding plumage common loons, and more western grebes.
9. driving sally's bend on way back had just red-breasted mergansers, bufflehead, scaup. but on the far side we had about 15 WHIMBREL.
10. the rain held off most of the day so it was a pretty good day.
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978
----- Original Message ----- 
From: rich armstrong 
To: corvbird 
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 10:12 AM
Subject: saturday


1. this saturday, may 1, is a special all day corvallis audubon field trip to the oregon coast.
2. Meet at Benton Center 757 NW Polk Ave at 5 AM to carpool. we should be back about 330. 
3. Bring Binoculars, lunch, drinks, and clothes for the coast. 
4. yes we are leaving at 5 am so we can be at boiler bay about 6 for the 1st 1-2 hours of seabird migration. phil pickering says this is right in the middle of the seabird migration time, and he says if you want to see a lot of seabirds you must be there 1st couple hours of the day.
5. after boiler bay we will 
    a. make short stops in depoe bay, 
    b. stop at cindy lippincott's house as she sees black scoters from her yard
    c. stop at yaquina head to see the murre colonies
    d. stop at newport jetties
    e. walk behind marine science center for shorebirds
    f. if time, drive back along sally's bend (if not we will skip that and come home)
6. we should see
    a. all 3 loons
    b. all 3 cormorants
    c. a few species of grebes
    d. hopefully shearwater, murrelet, auklet, tern
    e. all 3 scoters
    f. pelicans and gulls and ducks
    g. hopefully shorebirds like tatler, oystercatcher, whimbrel, godwit, sanderling, plover
    h. maybe something rare?
7. weather forcast is mediocre - low 44, high 54, showers in morning - in other words it could be ok or terrible or some of each.
8. below is the last report from phil pickering from just boiler bay from yesterday.
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978

200 Red-throated Loon
3000 Pacific Loon (most in first 45 min)
40 Common Loon
240 Brown Pelican
150 Brandt's Cormorant
60 Pelagic Cormorant
36 Brant
2 Northern Pintail
1 Black Scoter
40 White-winged Scoter
400 Surf Scoter
2 Red-breasted Merganser
15+ Semipalmated Plover
6 Marbled Godwit 
30+ Dunlin
3000 Western Sandpiper
60 dowitcher sp.
5 California Gull
200 Western Gull
30 Glaucous-winged Gull
2 Caspian Tern
5000 Common Murre (95% S)
40 Pigeon Guillemot
2 Marbled Murrelet
16 Rhinoceros Auklet
1 Tufted Puffin
1 Steller's Sea Lion
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