This may of interest to tweets who are birding the coast.
A Black-backed Wagtail left Southern California 13 April
and is headed our way.

David Wright
Seattle, WA
dwright at u.washington.edu

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 18:29:26 -0500 (EST)
From: TKENEFICK at delphi.com
To: obol at gaia.ucs.orst.edu
Subject: So. California Wagtail Heading North (long)

Greetings OBOLERS,

For those of you not subscribed to CalBird, I thought these
excerpts from Joel Weintraub's post concerning the departure
of the Black-backed Wagtail from Orange County might be of
some interest:


"Subtitle: Bye, Bye, Birdie

or

The Bridges

of Orange County



Orange County's Black-backed Wagtail

(MOTACILLA LUGENS) found by Tim Ryan on 25

Jan 1996 at Doheny State Beach, Dana Point, CA.

appears to have finally left our area. I was thinking

I would have to buy it airline tickets to get it to go."

snip, snip


"Since this (presumed) first year male Black-backed

Wagtail is now? moving northwest to its breeding area

in the Aleutians/Nome/Kamchatka Peninsular areas......

It is POSSIBLE that this show will soon visit **YOUR**

west coast location."

snip, snip


"....the following is suggested for west coast birders north of

us:



Find the nearest wide stream or concreted flood plain outlet to

the ocean (or if desperate a large puddle/sewage pond near the

coast *with*: a large (roost) tree nearby; a bridge; a noisy
environ, a sewage treatment plant; mud/sand/gravel islands

devoid of much vegetation.


Found that location in your area??? Now look for the Wagtail

on the edge of these islands before it roosts for the night

or migrates out of your area. Just in case in roosts in your

area, get up REAL early (well before sunrise) or just go out

before sunset. If you get up early, look for the Wagtail about

10 minutes before sunriseto 20 minutes after or starting about

45 minutes before sunset



Some possible hot spots in Calif. to try would include the

Guadalupe-Morro Bay area, Point Reyes-Tiburon-Bolinas areas,

(there is a Calif. record from Tiburon on 22 May 1980) and a

fall 1995 report of one from Bolinas), and Eureka (Try the

mouth of the Mad River, there is a Calif. record of a

Black-backed Wagtail from there on 13 May 1985)."




While it is difficult to impossible to find duplicate
habitat along the Oregon Coast (especially pertaining
to the bridges etc.) here, nonetheless, are some
thoughts on possible Oregon stopping points:

--Harris Beach State Park, Curry Co.:

An individual bird, either a Black-backed or a White
Wagtail, was seen here on June 4, 1980 and well, lightning
could strike twice. The open areas near the lower parking
lot and the rocky beach just north of there could provide
some possible foraging areas for a brief stopover.


--Lone Ranch Beach (part of Samuel Boardman State Park), 7
miles north of Brookings, Curry Co.

A state wayside which is adjacent to the mouth of Lone Ranch
Creek offers some possibilities. The creek outflow itself
and the open areas around the wayside has potential. I think
Dennis Rogers reported in a Curry County site guide in Oregon
Birds that a wagtail had been seen at this location at some
point.


--Cape Blanco State Park, Curry Co.

Open areas near lighthouse would provide opportunity for a
brief stopover at best; usually too windy.


--Mouth of Sixes River, Curry Co.

This spot with its large roosting trees, river mouth and open
areas is sheltered from the wind by Cape Blanco and provides
very good habitat for a stopover.


--Floras Lake Area, northern Curry Co.

The open spit here has some potential habitat.


--Bandon, the North Spit, Coos Bay, Oregon Dunes NRA

These spit and dune areas offer many possible stopping points.
This is such a large area, however, that it is difficult to
pinpoint any specific stopover areas. Prominent geographical
features help such as the mouth of the Coquille and Umpqua
Rivers as well as the mouth of Coos Bay.


--Mouth of the Siltcoos River, Lane Co.

The wide outflow of the creek (especially at low tide) has
some foraging habitat.


--South/North Jetties, Siuslaw River

The gravel and dune areas towards the end of the south jetty
have some potential.


--Baker Creek Outflow, Baker Beach, Lane Co. (7 miles north
of Florence), Lane Co.

The open creek outflow and nearby roosting trees have
possibilities.



North of there, check the usual birding spots -- the Marine
Science Center at Newport, the spits at Siletz and Netarts
Bays, Bayocean Spit, the mouth of the Necanicum River, the
South Jetty of the Columbia River etc. Special consideration
should be given to the Seaside sewage ponds as the grassy areas
and roosting trees seem especially attractive. Any other
thoughts on this from OBOL land are greatly appreciated.

Happy Wagtailing,
Ted Kenefick
Eugene, Oregon
TKENEFICK at Delphi.Com