- RBA
* Oregon
* Portland
* December 26, 1996
* ORPO9612.26

- birds mentioned

YELLOW-BILLED LOON
Eared Grebe
Sooty Shearwater
Short-tailed Shearwater
Brown Pelican
Cattle Egret
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Ross' Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Eurasian Wigeon
KING EIDER
Oldsquaw
Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
GYRFALCON
Sora
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Rock Sandpiper
Glaucous Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Barn Owl
Western Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
No. Pygmy-Owl
Burrowing Owl
Long-eared Owl
Saw-whet Owl
Black-chinned Hummingbird
COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD
White-headed Woodpecker
Black Phoebe
Horned Lark
BLUE JAY
Mountain Chickadee
House Wren
No. Mockingbird
Palm Warbler
No. Yellowthroat
California towhee
Am. Tree Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris' Sparrow
Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
COMMON GRACKLE
Cassin's Finch

- transcript

hotline: Portland Oregon Audubon RBA (weekly) date: December 26, 1996
number (503) 292-0661
to report: Harry Nehls (503) 233-3976 <hnehls at teleport.com>
compiler: Harry Nehls
coverage: entire state

Hello, this is Portland Audubon Society's Rare Bird Report. This recording
was made Thursday December 26. If you have anything to add call Harry Nehls
at 233-3976.

The Yaquina Bay KING EIDER continues to be seen in the channel just west of
the Highway 101 Bridge. On December 19 the elusive YELLOW-BILLED LOON was
observed in the same area. Three PALM WARBLERS are now along the nature
trail at the Marine Science Center.

The COMMON GRACKLE is still being seen among the blackbird swarm along the
Tumalo/Deschutes Highway, west of Tumalo, and the BLUE JAY is still coming
to Arden Hagen's feeders in Vancouver. Another has been reported from near
Ridgefield NWR north of Vancouver.

Most of the Christmas Counts taken during the week report lower than normal
results, with birds smaller than Starlings being especially scarce.

The Coos Bay count found a BLUE-WINGED TEAL, BURROWING OWL, a BLACK PHOEBE,
and five RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. Several LONG-BILLED CURLEWS and MARBLED
GODWITS were a surprise.

On December 24 an OLDSQUAW was at Winchester Bay. There seems to be quite a
few around this winter. A SNOWY OWL, ROCK SANDPIPER, and a SORA showed up
on the Florence count.

The ROSS' GOOSE continues to be seen among the goose flocks on the Little
Nestucca Meadows along Highway 101 near Pacific City.

A SNOWY OWL, a late BROWN PELICAN, a HARRIS' SPARROW, six SORAS, three PALM
WARBLERS, and a YELLOWTHROAT were seen on the Tillamook Count. SOOTY and
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS, a GOSHAWK, and a GYRFALCON in an inaccessable
area were also reported. On December 21 two EARED GREBES, an OLDSQUAW, and
an EURASIAN WIGEON were on the Nehalem Sewage Ponds.

A SNOWY OWL, OLDSQUAW, SWAMP SPARROW, and several KITTIWAKES were on the
Columbia Estuary count, while seven SNOWY OWLS were among a number of good
birds found on the Leadbetter Point count a bit farther north.

A green collared TRUMPETER SWAN was among about 3000 TUNDRA SWANS on the
Forest Grove count. The most interesting finds were the owls. BARN,
SCREECH, GREAT HORNED, PYGMY, LONG-EARED, and SAW-WHET were recorded.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is coming to a Silverton feeder. Five were found
on the Salem Count. The SNOWY OWL is still being seen at the Salem Airport.
Along Wirth Road near Peoria, southeast of Corvallis December 21 was an
adult GLAUCOUS GULL. The day before a BLACK PHOEBE was at the Peoria Bible
Church.

The Roseburg count reported a HOUSE WREN, CATTLE EGRET, and a SWAMP
SPARROW. The Grents Pass count recorded three MOCKINGBIRDS, the staked-out
COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD, five LARK SPARROWS, and 13 CALIFORNIA TOWHEES. During
count week a BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, two MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES, and a
CASSIN'S FINCH were reported.

Besides the COMMON GRACKLE the Bend count found seven SLATE-COLORED JUNCOS,
two WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS, a LINCOLN'S and a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW;
also a roasted Mute Swan.

The Sodhouse count at Malheur Headquarters noted a HARRIS' SPARROW, a TREE
SPARROW, and several SAGE SPARROWS. At least one LAPLAND LONGSPUR is among
a HORNED LARK flock along OO Ranch Road, and a SNOWY OWL has been reported
from the open fields south of Burns.

Christmas Counts continue through the next two week-ends. The Portland
Count is this Saturday and the Sauvie Island count is on Sunday.

Thats it for this week.

- end transcript

Harry Nehls, Portland, Or.
hnehls at teleport.com (503) 233-3976