Audubon Society of Corvallis
the
CHAT
November 2004 VOL. 34 #3
General Meeting where he began teaching birding classes in 1992. Now,
through Paradise Birding, Steve leads birding tours through-
November 18, Thursday, 7:30-9:00 PM
out the western U.S. and Canada. He currently serves as
Woodpecker Wonderland president of the East Cascades Bird Conservancy through
A presentation by Steve Shunk which he leads numerous volunteer field studies. Steve
is also the project coordinator for the Oregon Cascades
Corvallis Public Library Birding Trail. In his spare time, he watches birds with his
Beginning at 7:30 PM in the public lovely wife, Kris, and he leads the Sisters and Santiam Pass
meeting room of the Corvallis/Benton Christmas Bird Counts.
County Public Library, at Sixth and
Monroe, in downtown Corvallis. As Future Programs at General Meetings
usual, the meeting will be preceded Dec 16 Harry Nehls, birder and author, Portland
by a social period, with refresh- Audubon Society. Presentation based upon
ments, beginning at 7:00. Note his latest book, Birds of the Willamette Val-
that the library’s parking garage ley.
is locked at 9 PM. Jan 20 Paulo Boute, Brazilian nature guide. Birds
On the east slope of Oregon’s of the Pantanal and Mato Grosso regions of
Cascade Mountains stretches a 15- Brazil.
mile swath of forest where 11 species Feb 17 Katie Dugger, OSU faculty member. Either
of woodpeckers, half of those occurring her work on Adelie penguins in the Antarctic
in North America, annually raise their (probably) or her studies of overwintering
young. The region’s volcanic soils and its warblers in Puerto Rico.
extreme variation in rainfall between the Mar 17 Bob Brister, Outreach Coordinator for the
Cascades crest and the high desert support Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Wild
tremendous habitat diversity, the key to the Utah: America’s Redrock Wilderness.
region’s woodpecker variety. White-headed Apr 21 Dave Mellinger, OSU faculty and Corvallis
Woodpeckers abound in the Ponderosa Pine Audubon member. Topic to be announced.
forest; Lewis’s breed in snags at the juniper-pine interface; May 19 Dick Bauer, local wildlife photographer. The
Three-toed and Black-backed woodpeckers range from Galapagos Islands.
subalpine Lodgepole Pine forest into the blackest of burns;
and three different sapsuckers hold territories throughout
the region. Join Sisters naturalist, Stephen Shunk, for this In This Issue:
exciting introduction to the ecology and natural history of
Central Oregon’s woodpeckers. Steve will cover identifica- Bluebird Trail Report 18
tion, habitat preferences, courtship and communication, as Field Trips 19
well as current woodpecker monitoring and conservation Corvallis Christmas Bird Count 19
projects in the region. Introducing: Homer Campbell Award 22
Stephen Shunk fledged as a birder in the SF Bay Area, Heshavn Report 23
17
Yes...I Want to Help! Bluebird Trail Report
The Audubon Society of Corvallis is in its 34th year of The ASC Bluebird Trail is still up and flying. A few new
providing the people of Linn, Benton and part of Lincoln boxes were added to the ASC Trail, which now num-
Counties with opportunities to enjoy and learn about birds, bers about 75; many older boxes are no longer being
other wildlife, and the importance of their habitats. The reported.
society provides a forum for advocating responsible public
policy and personal behavior that respects, conserves, and Year 2003 2004
restores wildlife habitat. Through educational programs boxes 75 75
for school students, continuing education classes at Avery used 50 60
House and at community events, we reach out to a wide pairs 52 55
spectrum of the population. Our society is fortunate to nest success 75.9 75.5
have one of the finest Western Bluebird Trails thanks to eggs laid 422 459
the help of local homeowners and volunteer trail monitors. banded/fledged 276 315
The Conservation Committee helps inform our members fostered/released 17/1 6/8
and other people about specific environmental concerns avg. clutch 5.3 5.1
both locally and nationally. Birding field trips are held
monthly throughout the year. The Chat, our newsletter, is We had 52 first broods, 31 second broods, and 7 third
published ten times a year informing members about cur- broods. The most outstanding events were:
rent ASC activities and local bird sightings. Our Wildlife Early nesting at Kristy Kingery’s on 4/23/04, a second
Watch coordinator works with state and federal authorities brood with seven chicks fledging, total of 16 young fledging
to combat illegal killing of protected non-game birds. Hest- from her three broods. Kristy feeds mealworms throughout
havn Sanctuary, a six-acre natural area with a barn, is being the year and many neighboring bluebirds on Airport Rd.
restored to provide a nature study center for the community. are first-class moochers.
ASC has coordinated the local Corvallis Christmas Bird Our first nesting east of 99W at Patti Lorenzen’s on
Count, and provides a potluck count-down at the end of the Lakeside Dr., with two broods. The male there was banded
day. From September through May, the society provides at Finley NWR in 2003.
excellent nature programs featuring guest speakers, free to We fostered four 12-day-old nestlings into a new box
its members and the public. on Burgundy Dr. where the eggs hadn’t hatched. When I
It is totally amazing that all of this is provided by removed the eggs which weighed perhaps 2-3 grams each,
volunteer members of ASC! We are proud to have their the adults accepted these abandoned chicks now weigh-
wealth of talents to provide informative and well-balanced ing 25-26 grams each! Miracles never cease to happen on
events for the community. While the labor has been freely the trail.
donated, the society still incurs costs for supplies, publish- Seven juvenile birds were released at Dr. Cliff and
ing and mailing the Chat, meeting room and storage rentals, Gay Hall’s King Valley farm.
insurance, etc. -Elsie Eltzroth
ASC’s budget for 2003-2004 closed with a $900 sur-
plus. That’s $2000 less than what we had at the end of our To Returning
2002-2003 fiscal year. ASC needs your support to maintain
and improve our various programs. Your generosity is Summer Vacationers
deeply appreciated. If you would like further information We hope that anyone who has informed the Post Office that
about programs, or volunteering your services, please con- they were “temporarily away” has contacted our Member-
tact anyone of the board members listed on the back of the ship Chairperson, Amy Schoener, to let her know of your
Chat. The annual donation envelope is included. return. That way the Chat mailings to you will be reinstated.
-Paula Vanderheul and Marcia Cutler If you have access to email, you might also think about
changing your subscription to the email version, and that
way you can get your the Chat even when you are out-of-
town birding, snowbirding, etc.
Thanks, Amy Schoener
Winter Wren
18
Field Trip Schedule Accipiter Identification
Nov 13 Saturday local morning birding 7:30 AM
Top: the Sharp-shinned
Nov 20 Newport coast birding 7:30 AM
Hawk has a squarish tail
Dec 11 Saturday local morning birding 7:30 AM
end with a thin, white
terminal band
Second Saturday Field Trips
Each month on the second Saturday, I lead a morning field
Bottom: the Cooper's
trip. The next one will be on November 13. We meet at Av-
Hawk has a round-ended
ery Park Rose garden parking area at 7:30 AM to carpool.
tail with a significant
This field trip is helpful for beginners and new birders to
white, terminal band
Oregon. Depending on the habitat season, we rotate these
trips locally in the Willamette Valley.
Right: falcons are not
Accipiters and have very
Newport Coast
pointy wing tips
On November 20 we will have another full day of birding
along the Newport coast viewing sea birds and shorebirds,
stopping at some special birding spots. We’ll meet at the
Benton Center parking lot to carpool at 7:30 AM.
Spring Trips Christmas Bird Count
In the spring of 2005 we have four weekend trips planned Corvallis: Tuesday, December 21
to the Bandon coast, Klamath Basin, Rogue Valley and Everybody is invited to join us for the 43rd Corvallis
Malheur NWR. I have sign-up sheets and additional in- Christmas Bird Count. Whether you are a beginner or ex-
formation about these trips at the table. perienced CBCer, every set of eyes and ears is needed to
If you have additional questions, please see me at help tally all the birds within a 7.5 mile radius of the Cor-
the field trip table at the ASC general meeting (see front vallis airport. The Christmas Bird Count is an organized,
page). continent-wide, survey that documents every bird seen on
-Paula Vanderheul a given day from sunrise to sunset. Since the turn of the
20th century, the Christmas Bird Count has contributed to
the knowledge base of wintering birds in North America.
Wildlife Gardens This has aided conservation efforts as well as documented
good bird watching sites.
on the Web The count is an all-day event open to anyone wishing
Visit the ASC Web site to learn more to participate. This is an excellent opportunity for novice
about attracting wildlife bird watchers to join with seasoned veterans and learn more
The ASC web site now has information and links about about identifying and finding the local avifauna. Half-day
wildlife gardens. Garden and landscape design and plant participants and home feeder-watchers are also welcome.
selection are important features for increasing bird- and Participants need to pay a fee of $5.00 to cover National
butterfly-friendliness. These considerations can also make Audubon’s costs of printing the results. As in the past, the
your garden, neighborhood, school grounds and town more Corvallis count circle will be divided into 13 units, with a
interesting and human friendly. The Audubon Society’s team of 3-6 individuals assigned to each section. Team lead-
Audubon At Home, the National Wildlife Federation and ers for each section will make arrangements with the rest of
4-H Wildlife Stewards offer programs, including involving the group for a meeting place and time (usually between 7:00
kids and schools. The OSU Extension Service provides and 7:30 a.m.) the morning of the count. Participants should
excellent information about hummingbird and butterfly bring cold- and wet-weather gear, binoculars and snacks for
plants, hedgerows and design advice for sustainable and the day. A notepad and pencil, field guides and a thermos
water-conserving gardens. As we move into the dark, cold with something hot are always good ideas as well.
days of winter, start getting excited for spring by checking If you are interested in participating or would like fur-
out these sites and planning to update your garden. ther information, please contact me at 752-4313 or e-mail
-Bill Proebsting me at mccarmel@peak.org.
-Marcia Cutler
19
Field28Notes 25, 2004
September through October
east side of Poison Oak Hill, when the ASC field trip stopped by our
place 23 Oct. A Cooper’s Hawk was at Beazell County Park 11 Oct
(M Cutler), and one flew over Stewart Lake 25 Oct (J Simmons). An
This month rain and clouds alternated clear skies, such as the immature Northern Goshawk hunting along the railroad tracks just
evening of 27 Oct when we enjoyed a lunar eclipse. Wintering water- south of Greenberry 20 Oct (Richard Hoyer Sr.) was a rare sighting for
fowl and songbirds continued to show up as the last of our Neotropical the Willamette Valley floor.
migrants left for warmer climates. Noah Strycker and Nate Richardson found Red-shouldered
An expected but unwelcome arrival in our area was the West Nile Hawks at three separate locations 7 Oct: One at McFadden Marsh, one
virus. A dead American Crow found dead in the 97330 zip code area of calling at Cabell Marsh, and one at Snag Boat Bend. They saw another
Corvallis 30 Sep tested positive for the virus, according to the Benton at E. E. Wilson 21 Oct.
County Health Department. The Health Department urges citizens to On 2 Oct Paul Dickey was watching goldfinches, doves, sparrows
help monitor the spread of the virus, by reporting die-offs of dead cor- and jays around his feeders NW of Philomath, when suddenly they all
vids (crows, ravens, or jays) to their hotline at 766-6841. Dead corvids took wing. Paul could see why when a female Merlin flew in to perch
will be tested only if they appear to have died of natural causes (not in a Douglas-fir.
accidental deaths) and come from zip code areas where the virus has An adult Peregrine Falcon perched on a snag at Cabell Marsh
not yet been confirmed. 7 Oct, pondering an array of Long-billed Dowitchers and ducks on
Abbreviations & Locations: NWR = National Wildlife Refuge; E.E. the water (N Strycker, Nate Richardson). One was along Finley Rd. 26
Wilson (Wildlife Area) is north of Corvallis along Hwy 99W. Baskett Oct (R Hoyer).
Slough (NWR) is near Dallas in Polk Co. McFadden Marsh and Cabell Eleven Sandhill Cranes flew SSW over Dan & Pat Waldron’s place
Marsh are at Finley (NWR) south of Corvallis. Knoll Terrace sewage e. of Scio 12 Oct. On 21 Oct they saw 600 to 800 fly over in groups
ponds are in the trailer park near Lewisburg, n. of Corvallis. Pioneer of 80 to 300. 40 American Coots were on Foster Reservoir 4 Oct (M
Villa is along I-5 near Brownsville. Poison Oak Hill is the first ridge Nikas). Four were at Stewart Lake 17 Oct (N Strycker).
south of Coffin Butte on the west side of E.E. Wilson. Snag Boat Bend Erik Knight and Noah Strycker both noted Greater Yellowlegs at
in Linn Co. near Peoria is an annex of Finley NWR. Stewart Lake is Finley 17 Oct. Ben Young reported Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yel-
on the Hewlett-Packard campus in north Corvallis. Vineyard Mtn. is on lowlegs, and a possible late Pectoral Sandpiper at E. E. Wilson 21 Oct.
the north side of Lewisburg. He also reported. A Spotted Sandpiper was at Monroe sewage ponds
14 Oct (N Strycker). Six Dunlin were at Finley 17 Oct, and five were
Sightings: at E. E. Wilson 21 Oct (N Strycker). The Ruff at Baskett Slough NWR
A juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose stopped by Stewart Lake continued through 29 Sep at Morgan Lake (Bill Tice).
28 Sep (Jamie Simmons). A Snow Goose flew over the Halsey sewage 15 Long-billed Dowitchers were at E. E. Wilson 21 Oct (N
ponds 30 Sep (John Gatchet). Two Trumpeter Swans at Clear Lake in Strycker). On 9 Oct I flushed a Wilson’s Snipe in a grass field near
the Cascades 22 Sep (fide Steve Shunk) were likely the same pair that E.E. Wilson 9 Oct, a sign that this species was starting to spread out
summered in the upper McKenzie River drainage. from wetlands as wet fall weather created better foraging conditions.
Wood Duck numbers at Stewart Lake peaked with 13 there 17 A lone Bonaparte’s Gull was at the Tangent sewage ponds 19 Oct (J
Oct (Noah Strycker). Four American Wigeons arrived at Stewart Lake Fleischer).
1 Oct, and small numbers continued through the end of period (J Sim- Three Band-tailed Pigeons were on Vineyard Mtn 3 Oct (Elsie
mons). 10 American Wigeons, 300 Mallards, 2 Northern Pintails, Eltzroth). Up to five visited Bill & Lena Proebsting’s Oak Creek yard
and 10 Green-winged Teal were at Finley by 17 Oct (N Strycker). 15 through 7 Oct. Twelve were still at Fort Hoskins County Park 11 Oct
Northern Shovelers and two Northern Pintails were at the Knoll (M Cutler).
Terrace ponds 18 Oct (N Strycker). Two Burrowing Owls were near the junction of Linn Co. Rd 211
Ring-necked Ducks at Stewart Lake increased from eight at the and Blueberry Rd on 30 Sep, one banded and one unbanded (J Fleischer).
start of the period to 97 on 27 Oct (J Simmons; N Strycker). A female The banded bird’s number (W9) shows that it is the same female from
Lesser Scaup was at Stewart Lake 7-19 Oct (J Simmons). 10 Lesser Pasco, Washington that spent the past two winters in this spot. “W9” was
Scaup were at Knoll Terrace ponds 18 & 21 Oct (N Strycker). A Buffle- also seen 7 Oct and 19 Oct (N Richardson, N Strycker; J Fleischer).
head and four Hooded Mergansers were on the Knoll Terrace ponds Mike Lippsmeyer found a road-killed Northern Pygmy-Owl
Lewisburg 21 Oct (N Strycker). Two male Hooded Mergansers visited along Hwy 99W near Peavy Arboretum 1 Oct. A Barred Owl injured
Stewart Lake 22 Oct (J Simmons). by a car in Albany was brought in to the Chintimini wildlife rehabilita-
Two Greater Scaup and an immature Surf Scoter were on Foster tion center 15 Oct.
Reservoir 4 Oct, along with four Common Loons, three Horned Grebes A late female Rufous Hummingbird buzzed Pat Waldron’s red
and a flock of ten Eared Grebes (M Nikas). shirt e. of Scio 8 Oct.
275 Double-crested Cormorants were feeding on the Willamette Don Miller reports that several Acorn Woodpeckers were in Adair
River just downstream of Bowman Park 19 Oct (Jeff Fleischer). County Park. One was at Stewart Lake 17 Oct (N Strycker).
12 Turkey Vultures migrated south over Poison Oak Hill 2 Oct. Six A Black Phoebe was at Pioneer Villa ponds 1 Oct, and another
soared high over Fort Hoskins Park 11 Oct while another was searched was at Snag Boat Bend 5 Oct (Randy Campbell). One was still at the
for carrion lower down (Marcia Cutler, Paula Vanderheul). Monroe sewage ponds 14-15 Oct (N Strycker).
An Osprey perched on a utility pole along De Armond Rd 9 Oct. Five Clark’s Nutcrackers were atop Mary’s Peak 24 Oct (Phyllis
One perched near the Hwy 34 bypass bridge in downtown Corvallis Bailey), suggesting this might be an irruption year bringing this species
19 Oct (P Vanderheul). On 13 Oct Carol Karlen saw six White-tailed west of the Cascades. A small flock of Mountain Chickadees were in
Kites around the Kings Valley cemetery, four of them chasing a pair Sunnyside Park just above Foster Reservoir 4 Oct (M Nikas), a surpris-
of Red-tailed Hawks. ing location for these birds which also seem to be wandering west of
Single Bald Eagles were noted at Finley 17 Oct (Erik Knight; their normal range this fall.
N Strycker) and at Simpson Park in Albany 19 Oct (J Fleischer). An Mike Lippsmeyer reports up to 100 Horned Larks have gathered
immature Bald Eagle perched atop a tall fir at Stewart Lake 22 Oct (J in bare ground created by a wetland restoration project at his place in
Simmons). SE Polk Co. Smaller flocks included 5 near E.E. Wilson 9 Oct (me) and
Bill Proebsting spotted a Sharp-shinned Hawk perched at on the 7 along Abraham Rd in Linn Co. 19 Oct (J Fleischer).
20
On 2 Oct hundreds of swallows were flying around over Mary’s Juncos were increasing daily as of 27 Oct.
Peak, mainly Violet-green Swallows but a few were probably Northern Tom Snetsinger saw a puzzling female Black-headed or Rose-
Rough-winged Swallows (M Cutler, P Vanderheul). 200 swallows east breasted Grosbeak at his feeder near Brownsville 3 Oct. Tom noted
of Scio 8 Oct were mostly Barn Swallows with a few Violet-green several traits of this bird which did not match precisely with typical birds
Swallows (P Waldron). At least a dozen “white-bellied” swallows of either species. These species are known to hybridize.
(Violet-green or Tree Swallows) were hawking insects at Vineyard Mtn A noisy male Red-winged Blackbird stopped by Stewart Lake
10 Oct (M & E Eltzroth). A straggler Violet-green Swallow flew past on 5 Oct, the first one there since mid-July (J Simmons). 15 Western
Sarah and Bill Thackaberry’s farm n. of Lebanon 13 Oct. Meadowlarks were along De Armond Rd 9 Oct, and I found 33 more
On 6 Oct I was happy to find three White-breasted Nuthatches in a grass field near E.E. Wilson. Meadowlarks were also noted at Finley
in a stand of oaks in the s. end of E. E. Wilson. Marcia Cutler heard 17 Oct (E Knight; N Strycker).
some in Bald Hill City Park 29 Sep; a Brown Creeper was also there. Two Pine Siskins were at Finley 17 Oct (N Strycker). A noisy flock
A Marsh Wren was at Finley 17 Oct (N Strycker). of 150 American Goldfinches gathered around sunflowers in the s. end
Eight Golden-crowned Kinglets were in E. E. Wilson 6 Oct as of E.E. Wilson by 6 Oct, but four Lesser Goldfinches at our place across
this species continued to arrive. Marcia Cutler and Paula Vanderheul the highway stuck to their own small flock, feeding on madia.
found Ruby-crowned Kinglets on Mary’s Peak 2 Oct. Four were in A steady slow stream of California Tortoiseshells with a few
our neighborhood in and around E. E. Wilson 6 Oct. One turned up in Pine White butterflies were migrating by the top of Mary’s Peak 2 Oct
Don Boucher’s downtown Corvallis yard 9 Oct. (M Cutler, P Vanderheul).
Western Bluebird flocks were noted at Fort Hoskins County Park
11 Oct (M Cutler) and at Finley 17 Oct (E Knight; N Strycker). A late Coastal Notes
Swainson’s Thrush sw of Philomath 16 Oct was unfortunately discov- 260 Cackling Geese migrating past Spanish Head 7 Oct were
ered as a window kill (Karan, Jim & Karl Fairchild). Varied Thrushes most or all of the threatened “Aleutian” subspecies, and 47 Aleutians
continued to move into the valley. One turned up on Vineyard Mtn 2 migrated past there 9 Oct (Phil Pickering, Wayne Hoffman).
Oct, and a dozen or more were eating berries from a holly bush there A male Eurasian Wigeon was with hundreds of American Wigeons
15 Oct (Merlin & Elsie Eltzroth). on Yaquina Bay 23 Oct (J Simmons). 80 Black Scoters were among
A flock of American Pipits were at the Halsey sewage ponds by throngs of the more common Surf and White-winged Scoters moving
30 Sep (J Gatchet). Two were on Mary’s Peak 2 Oct (M Cutler, P Van- past there 24 Oct (P Pickering). Long-tailed Ducks were off Boiler Bay
derheul). I found 15 in a grass field near E. E. Wilson 9 Oct. 7 & 24 Oct, and off Spanish Head 17 Oct (P Pickering).
Dozens of Cedar Waxwings were enjoying holly, crabapples and Peak loon counts in sea watches at Boiler Bay this month included
blackberries in downtown Corvallis in the last week of September, joined 400 Red-throated Loons and 250 Common Loons 24 Oct, and 150
by numerous American Robins the next week (D Boucher). Pacific Loons 9 Oct (P Pickering, W Hoffman). A Red-necked Grebe
I came across a late Yellow Warbler in willows in the south end was on Yaquina Bay near the natural gas tank 15 Oct (Ellen Cantor). A
of E.E. Wilson 6 Oct. By then, the Common Yellowthroats which had Clark’s Grebe was off Boiler Bay 5 Oct (P Pickering).
been present through late September were seemingly gone. On 16 Oct, Troy Guy led an OSU pelagic trip out of Newport to
A Yellow-rumped Warbler at Stewart Lake 29 Sep was the first the north edge of Heceta Bank. Highlights as reported by Joe Fontaine
one noted there this fall (J Simmons); small flocks began to show up included 160 Black-footed Albatrosses, 1200 Northern Fulmars,
in E.E. Wilson from 6 Oct onward, and numbers began to show up in 8 Pink-footed Shearwaters, 2 or 3 Flesh-footed Shearwaters, 85
downtown Corvallis by 27 Oct (D Boucher). Buller’s Shearwaters, 250 Sooty Shearwaters, a Short-tailed Shear-
Two migrant Black-throated Gray Warblers stopped by our yard water, and a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel.
on Poison Oak Hill 9 Oct. Townsend’s Warblers began to turn up with 130 Brown Pelicans were still off Boiler Bay 24 Oct (P Picker-
single birds in Bald Hill City Park 29 Sep (M Cutler), at Stewart Lake ing).
30 Sep & 1 Oct (J Simmons), and in Beazell Memorial Forest 11 Oct A Baird’s Sandpiper joined Black Turnstones at the mouth of
(M Cutler). One was in Don & Elizabeth MacDonald’s Corvallis yard Yaquina Bay 3 Oct (Don MacDonald, Bill Thackaberry, Jeff Harding).
22 Oct. One was on Poison Oak Hill 24 Oct (Tom Snetsinger). 20 phalaropes offshore of Newport 16 Oct were probably Red Phala-
A first-fall plumaged Palm Warbler was a welcome visitor to our ropes (J Fontaine).
yard on Poison Oak Hill 20-21 Oct. This species had only been recorded A South Polar Skua was off Boiler Bay 22 Oct (P Pickering).
twice previously in Benton Co. The warbler in turn brought other wel- Six Pomarine Jaegers and a Parasitic Jaeger were harassing seabirds
come visitors to our yard, but unfortunately only stayed around for those offshore of Newport 16 Oct; two adult Sabine’s Gulls were also seen
two days. A bird of similar description turned up at the Hatfield Marine (J Fontaine).
Science Center in Newport a few days later (S Shunk). Notable gull sightings during Phil Pickering’s regular sea watches
Pat Waldron heard a late Western Tanager e. of Scio 11 Oct. included two adult Franklin’s Gulls off Spanish Head 17 Oct and a
A Vesper Sparrow was atop Mary’s Peak 2 Oct (M Cutler, P first-winter bird off Boiler Bay 22 Oct, 25 Bonaparte’s Gulls off Spanish
Vanderheul). 47 Savannah Sparrows remained in grass fields near E.E. Head 17 Oct and 250 off Boiler Bay 24 Oct, about 2000 Heermann’s
Wilson 9 Oct. Two Fox Sparrows turned up in Jamie Simmons’ NW Gulls off Boiler Bay 22 Oct, an adult Glaucous Gull off Spanish Head
Corvallis yard 3 Oct. On 6 Oct I found six in E. E. Wilson, a favored 17 Oct, and 120 Black-legged Kittiwakes of Boiler Bay 22 Oct.
wintering location for this species. One showed up in Don & Elizabeth Seven Marbled Murrelets were off Boiler Bay 22 Oct, and five
MacDonald’s Corvallis yard 15 Oct. Ancient Murrelets were there 24 Oct (P Pickering). 1000 Cassin’s
Five Lincoln’s Sparrows were in E.E. Wilson 21 Oct (N Strycker). Auklets and 300 Rhinoceros Auklets were offshore of Newport 16
Several were at Snag Boat Bend 24 Oct (T Snetsinger). Oct (J Fontaine). A Tufted Puffin was off Boiler Bay 9 Oct (W Hoff-
Two White-throated Sparrows visited Jamie Simmons’ NW man, P Pickering).
Corvallis yard from 16 Oct onward. A hatch-year White-throated The first Hermit Thrush and a small flock of Pine Siskins showed
Sparrow showed up in Don & Elizabeth MacDonald’s Corvallis yard up in Roy Filby and Cathy Grimm’s Newport yard 25 Oct. A winter-
23 Oct, joining the Golden-crowned Sparrows which began to show up plumaged Lapland Longspur turned up on a skid road in the upper
there 27 Sep. Twenty Golden-crowned Sparrows were in E.E. Wilson
by 6 Oct, and by 9 Oct Don Boucher was seeing and hearing them in
downtown Corvallis. Don notes that numbers of Oregon (Dark-eyed) continued on next page
21
Field Notes
continued from previous page Homer Campbell ASC
drainage of Eckman Creek 11 Oct (Roy Lowe fide Range Bayer).
Marine mammals offshore of Newport 16 Oct included a Minke
Environmental Award
The Audubon Society of Corvallis (ASC) invites nomina-
Whale, 18 Harbor Porpoises, and one 18 Steller’s Sea Lion (J Fon-
taine).
tions for the Homer Campbell ASC Environmental Award.
This newly-created award honors the memory of Homer
Next month Campbell (1920-2002), a former ASC President, recipient
Please send me your sightings for next month by 22 Nov: of the Activist Award of the National Audubon Society’s
Joel Geier, 38566 Hwy 99W, Corvallis, OR 97330-9320 western regional conference, and tireless voice for such
Telephone: (541) 745-5821 or 745-5020
e-mail: jgeier@attglobal.net
conservation causes as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
the John Day River, Hart Mountain National Antelope
Refuge, Hells Canyon, Opal Creek, and the Millennium
Farming the Seas Grove.
Airs on all Oregon PBS stations The award will recognize an individual or organiza-
9:00 PM on November 18 tion’s significant local contributions in the areas of envi-
This one-hour documentary, by Habitat Media and narrated ronmental stewardship, awareness and outreach (where
by Peter Coyote, is the sequel to Empty Oceans Empty Nets, “local” means the regions of Linn, Benton, Lincoln and
the 2002 PBS Special that examined the global decline of Polk County, the “home territories” of the ASC). Contri-
marine fisheries and efforts being made to restore them. butions worthy of recognition might include promotion
Farming the Seas continues the investigation with a vivid of environmentally sustainable practices, leadership on
look at the problems and potential of marine aquaculture, local environmental issues, classroom education in envi-
a fast-growing industry embroiled in considerable contro- ronmental stewardship, and restoration or preservation of
versy. The program presents perspectives both pro and con, habitat. Both long-standing (“lifetime”) and short-term,
with commentary from commercial fishermen, fish farm- but significant, contributions will be considered for this
ers, industry spokespersons, and several world-renowned annual award.
marine scientists including Jane Lubchenco, Sylvia Earle, Nominations for the award should be submitted to the
Daniel Pauly, Jeremy Jackson, Ransom Myers and Carl President of ASC (sue_haig2003@yahoo.com), and will
Safina. be accepted until December 31, 2004. Nominations should
The main question considered is whether aquaculture consist of a letter with supporting documents that describe
can help take pressure off of over-exploited wild fish, or how the actions or activities of the individual exemplify
whether it puts even more pressure on them. The consensus the criteria of the HC-ASC award. Nominations should
among most experts is that some forms of aquaculture do include contact information for both the nominee and the
indeed safely add to the world’s food supply, depending on nominator.
which species are being farmed and how they are farmed. The HC-ASC Award will be presented to the recipient
Other forms of fish farming are considered by many to at a special ASC event in April. The recipient’s name will
pose serious risks to wild fish populations and to marine be engraved on the Homer Campbell ASC Environmental
ecosystems. The program also considers the food safety Award Plaque, which will reside permanently with the
issues involved with aquaculture and plans of the U.S. Audubon Society of Corvallis.
government to lease offshore waters for submerged net-
cage operations for growing species like cod and halibut.
With stunning photography, case studies are presented on
salmon farming in the Pacific Northwest and Scotland,
shrimp farms in Thailand, bluefin tuna ranching in Spain
and Mexico, shellfish farming in the Pacific Northwest and
China, and the culture of herbivorous species like tilapia
and catfish.
Bobcat
22
Hesthavn Thanks
I need to make special thanks this month to several people
who have made important contributions to the Hesthavn
nature center. First, many thanks to Ryan Erickson and the
boys from Boy Scout Troop 258. Ryan directed the boys in
the construction of 2 picnic tables for the Hesthavn Nature
Center. The boys did a beautiful job. We couldn’t be happier
with the tables. (I already mentioned all this in the Septem-
ber general meeting, but I forgot to get it into last month’s
the Chat). A huge thanks to 8 of my fellow employees at
the Forest Science Lab. Tom Mullins, Pete Loschl, Dylan
Kesler, Nathan Johnson, Jim Lenihan, Dave Conklin, Chris
McCafferty, and Tom Snetsinger all responded to my frantic
cries of “help!” when the delivery man deposited two 800-
pound crates in the middle of the county road at Hesthavn.
With their help we were able to get the crates out of the
road and into the barn. A very special thanks to our good
neighbor Tom O’Connor who stood by the cases while I
rounded up more help and provided additional assistance
and guidance as we tipped the cases into the back of Tom
Mullins’ pickup and slowly backed them down the drive
to the barn. Thanks to Maureen Ovregaard for providing
two bird feeders to be used at Hesthavn.
Hesthavn Work Parties
It’s always hard to schedule work parties for Hesthavn dur- Ryan Erickson and the boys from Boy Scout Troop 258,
ing the months of November and December as the result constructed of 2 picnic tables for the Hesthavn Nature
of holidays. Yet there is so much that needs to be done that Center
I would still like to have a work party sometime near the
last weekend. The “November” work party this year will
be on Sunday, December 5 and the “December” work party
will be on Sunday, January 9. We’ll go with the same times
(9-12 for yard work, 12:30-3:30 for barn work). These are
about the only dates that *I* can make, so I’m hoping that
some other folks will be able to fit them into their busy
schedules as well. Hesthavn Sanctuary is located 8590
NW Oak Creek Road, west of Corvallis. It is a quarter-mile
before the OSU Forest Field Station and trailhead.
-Ray Drapek
Contributors to The
Chat
Elsie Eltzroth, Amy Schoener, Steve Shunk, Ray Drapek, Steller's Jay
Paula Vanderheul, Joel Geier, Marcia Cutler, Jim Fairchild,
Lisa Millbank, Bob Smythe and Bill Proebsting
Chat Distribution: Fran Gates, Alberta Pierce, Eleanor
and Ken Kidd, Joan Siegienski and Joe Fontaine
23
Audubon Society of Corvallis Audubon Society of Corvallis Non-Profit Org
www.audubon.corvallis.or.us P.O. Box 148 U. S. Postage
Corvallis, OR 97339 PAID
President: Susan Haig, 1646 NW Crest Pl., Corvallis, 97330,
753-5068, sue_haig2003@yahoo.com Permit No. 58
Vice President/Program Chair: Chris Mathews, 3336 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Corvallis, OR
SW Willamette Ave., Corvallis, 97333, 754-1172,
mathewsc2@comcast.net
Treasurer: Judy Hays, 6920 NW Cardinal Dr., Corvallis, 97330,
745-5692, haysj@comcast.net
Secretary/Field Trip Coordinator: Paula Vanderheul, 991 NW
Sequoia, Corvallis, 97330, 752-0470, vanderp@peak.org
Historian: Marcia Cutler, 835 NW Merrie Dr., Corvallis, 97330,
752-4313, mccarmel@peak.org
Board Members at Large
Hal Batchelder, 24566 Elderberry La., Philomath, 97370, 929-
3537, hbatchelder@coas.oregonstate.edu
Renee Bellinger, 2492 SE Powell Pl., Corvallis, 97333, 752-1750,
renee.bellinger@oregonstate.edu
Elise Elliott-Smith, 1163 NW Polk, Corvallis, 97330, 754-3906,
eelliottsmith@yahoo.com
Karan Fairchild (Fund-raising), 31540 Homestead Rd., Philomath,
97370, 929-4049, alderspr@peak.org
Bill Proebsting, 7350 NW Oak Creek Dr., Corvallis, 97330,
752-0108, proebstw@science.oregonstate.edu
Claudia Regier (Refreshments), 1030 SW Sunset Dr., Corvallis,
97333, 753-0879 Audubon Society of Corvallis
Dave Mellinger (alternate), 3798 NW Jameson Dr., Corvallis,
97330, 757-7953, DavidKMellinger@yahoo.com
the
CHAT
Committees and Coordinators
Conservation Chair: Jim Fairchild, 31540 Homestead Rd.,
Philomath, 97370, 929-4049, alderspr@peak.org
Newsletter Editor/Outreach: Don Boucher, 913 NW Tyler Ave.,
Corvallis, 97330, 753-7689, bouchdon@juno.com
Hesthavn: Sanctuary Chair Ray Drapek, 3273 SE Hathaway,
Corvallis, 97333, 754-7364, drapek@fsl.orst.edu
Bluebird Trail Chair Elsie, Eltzroth, 6980 Cardinal Dr., Corvallis,
97330, 745-7806, eltzroth@peak.org Calendar
Refuge Keeper/Sales Table: Gary Gibson, 25071 Evergreen Rd., Nov 11 Board Meeting 7:30 PM at Chris and Kate Mathews
Philomath, 97370, 929-3804, gibgrn@juno.com Nov 13 Saturday local morning birding 7:30 AM**
Wildlife Watch Chair: Elzy Eltzroth, 6980 Cardinal Dr., Corvallis, Nov 18 General Meeting 7:30 PM, Corv. Public Library
97330, 745-7806, eltzroth@peak.org Steve Shunk, Woodpecker Wonderland (front page)
Education Chair: Kate Mathews, 3336 SW Willamette Ave., Cor- Nov 20 Newport coast birding 7:30 AM**
vallis, 97333, 754-1172, kate.mathews@comcast.net Nov 22 Field Notes deadline
Electronic Communications: Sheridan McCarthy, 2807 NW
Morning Glory Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 602-1470,
Nov 25 Chat deadline for December
sheridan@larkonline.net Dec 9 Board Meeting 7:30 PM
Membership Chair Amy Schoener, 24362 Cardwell Hill Dr., Dec 11 Saturday local morning birding 7:30 AM**
Philomath, 97370, 929-4041, cloudrun@peak.org Dec 16 General Meeting 7:30 PM, Corv. Public Library
Publicity Chair Bob Smythe, 2758 SW Fairmont Drive, Corvallis, Harry Nehls, Birds of the Willamette Valley
97330, 757-6357, smythe@stat.orst.edu Dec 21 Corvallis Christmas Bird Count (see page 19)
Birdathon Chair Van Mary Brocklin, 6050 NW Happy Valley Dr., Dec 27 Field Notes deadline
Corvallis, 97330, 745-7170, mary_vanbrocklin@yahoo.com Dec 30 Chat deadline for January
Chat Distribution: Fran Gates, 2960 NW Bryant Street, Corvallis
OR 97330, 757-0036
Chat Email Distribution: Joe Fontaine, fontaine_joe@hotmail.com
Everybody’s welcome, including nonmembers,
Field Notes Editor: Joel Geier, 38566 Hwy 99W, Corvallis, OR to any ASC function
97330, 745-5821 or 745-5020, jgeier@attglobal.net **See page 19 for field trip descriptions
The Chat is published 10 times a year by the Audubon Society of
Corvallis, PO Box 148, Corvallis OR 97339. Annual ASC memberships
are $20 for an individual, $25 for a family, $15 for a student. Chat-only
subscriptions are $10.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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