Columbia Estuary Report - 4/6/97

It would be very easy to let one's expectations about bird finding run ahead
of the realities of photoperiod, given the remarkable weather we've been
having these past few days.

Henry Gilmore reports that an OSPREY was at the Hwy 101 nest site on 4-1.
I saw one taking advantage of a thermal over the Astoria Airport this morning.

At least 3 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS were singing along the bike path at Battery
Russell yesterday. Small hawks appear to migrating through now. A SHARP-
SHINNED HAWK and MERLIN were seen heading seriously northward. There are still
plenty of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS on the bike path and CASPIAN TERNS and
SAVANNA SPARROWS were easily found. We also had at least 2 GRAY WHALES off
the South Jetty.

A single BARN SWALLOW was on Wireless Rd this morning. TUFTED PUFFINS and
PIGEON GUILLEMOTS were at Haystack Rock this morning, as were HARLEQUIN DUCKS.

The early April shorebird slump is upon us, that period after all the winter
residents leave and before the southern migrant appear. The 5.5km Clatsop
Beach transect produce a mere 50 SANDERLINGS, 1 dead COMMON LOON and an
equally dead COMMON MURRE.



--
*********************************** I got the blues so bad one time
* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * it put my face in a permanent frown
* mpatters at orednet.org * but I am feelin' so much better
*http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters* I could cake-walk into town