FROM: Stacy Peterson
Walla Walla College
College Place, WA
petest at wwc.edu

Howdy all,

When it rains, it pours, right?

My wife and I returned to Malheur NWR for the second consecutive weekend
last weekend. We arrived at 4:00 a.m., Thursday, May 19 and set up camp
at Page Springs - in the rain. Later that morning we drove into Burns
and bought a tarp - in the rain. Then we set up camp again, now dryer,
but still - in the rain. But shucks! We had a good time! We left
Malheur on Sunday around 2:00 p.m. after tallying 116 species within a
few miles of the refuge boundaries. Great trip - good birds - in the
rain!

Learned six lessons:

1) Storms sometimes bring good birds.

2) What a difference a day makes in species composition during
migration.

3) Don't run over rocks in the middle of the night - They may dent your
gas tank so it doesn't suck gas properly when there is still 1/4
tank showing on the gauge.

4) Don't run out of gas between Frenchglen and Burns.

5) If you run out of gas at Malheur, people will simply think you are
stopping to bird along the road - turning your flashers on will
not get people's attention, but pushing your car uphill might!

6) Renew membership again next year with AAA.

GOOD BIRDS SEEN AT MALHEUR 5/19-5/22 - By all means not a complete list!
If you would like a complete list - just email me and I'll send you one
(petest at wwc.edu). The BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was not reported after our
original sighting 10 days ago. A GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE was reported this
weekend along Double 00 road.

Headquarters:

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK - 5/20
EVENING GROSBEAK
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK
LAZULI BUNTING
WESTERN TANAGER
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - 5/19, 20, 21
LINCOLN'S SPARROW - 5/20
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW - 5/19, 20, 21
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER - reported 5/21, seen 5/22
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER
WILSON'S WARBLER
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
YELLOW WARBLER
WARBLING VIREO - 5/21, 22
SOLITARY VIREO - 5/21, 22
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER - 5/22
WESTERN WOOD PEWEE
"WESTERN-TYPE" FLYCATCHER (Pacific-slope?)
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD
LESSER SCAUP
GREATER SCAUP
RING-NECKED DUCK
CANVASBACK
AMERICAN WIGEON
REDHEAD
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

Birds of note reported at Headquarter's but not seen:

WOOD DUCK - 5/20 - WWC Natural History Class
HUTTON'S VIREO (???????)
TENNESSEE WARBLER - seen for approx. 15 minutes by J. Nestler (WWC)
and another birder before being lost "forever"!
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER - seen by Mike Denny 5/21 - early morning.

Page Springs Campground:

WESTERN KINGBIRD
NORTHERN ORIOLE
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
SPOTTED SANDPIPER (rather common along CPR and at P Ranch also)
CHIPPING SPARROW
3 male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS
HOUSE WREN

Center Patrol Road:

2 EASTERN KINGBIRDS
6.2 MILLION SHORT-EARED OWLS :)

Birds of note reported along Center Patrol Rod, but not seen:

2 AMERICAN BITTERNS - Within 5 miles of HQ

Benson Ponds (pretty dead):

heard AMERICAN BITTERN
GREAT HORNED OWL with "babies"

Krumbo Reservoir (pretty dead - worse than Benson):

2 EARED GREBE
1 CASPIAN TERN

P Ranch:

possible WOOD DUCK - just got a glimpse :(
BOBOLINKS - number of males singing in fields within 2 miles N P Ranch at
dusk.
BANK SWALLOW - nesting in banks of river
TURKEY VULTURES (should I even mention them?!)

Malheur Field Station:

VESPER'S SPARROW
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW
BREWER'S SPARROW
SAGE THRASHER
AMERICAN PIPIT

Malheur in general (or vicinity)

16 CATTLE EGRETS - along road from HWY 205 to HQ.
1 TRUMPETER SWAN - in pond 2 miles N of FRENCHGLEN along HWY 205 (CPR was
closed from P Ranch to Benson due to rains.
Usually swans are seen along that road.
1 BELTED KINGFISHER - near Frenchglen
3 SNOWY EGRETS - about 3 miles West of HWY 205 along road to Diamond
5 CLARK'S GREBES - at Narrows, with WESTERN GREBES
1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS - at Narrows
AMERICAN AVOCETS - all over
BLACK-NECKED STILTS - ditto

BTW: Thanks to all those who sent advice about FLAMMULATED OWL being
seen around STARR CAMPGROUND. We searched 4 great snags in the vicinity
near dusk on the way home (it was raining cats and dogs on the way
there), but came up empty. Maybe another day we can camp there! Do
FLAMS call all year long? or primarily during Spring?