Nine birders went on an ELWAS field trip to Malheur NWR. We drove down on
Sun., May 3, and returned on Fri., May 8. We stayed at three trailers at the
field station and covered the areas from Burns to Malheur Field Sta. (MFS),
Center Patrol Road (CPR), NWR Headquarters, Barton L., Round Barn, Diamond
Craters, Buena Vista, Benson Pond, Krumbo Reservoir, Frenchglen, Page Springs
CG, "P" Ranch and road to Crane. We had a total of 103 species of birds and
15 mammals. Water was high at a number of places. Barton L. level was so
high that lake extended to dike around Round Barn. Benson Pond area was 1/2
covered with water.

We saw a Steller's Jay at headquarters and were surprised to find it was only
listed as accidental (less than 5 sightings). One car saw a Gambel's Quail
along CPR just south of headquarters. They had a good chance to look at it
and compare with book and are convinced it was a Gambel's Quail. But, it is
not even listed as accidental in checklist. I reported both at headquarters
office to a woman manning the desk. She confirmed that the Steller's Jay was
not seen very often, but one was there last year also. She also said that the
Gambel's Quail was quite common near there. She didn't know why it wasn't
listed in checklist. Don Baccus, if you read this, would you or anyone else
knowledgeable about Malheur, care to comment? Another question for the
experts, is why do the swallows flutter their wings when at a puddle to pick
up mud? A lot of the passerines had not arrived yet.

Highlights include:
4 grebe species
American Bittern
Great and Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White-faced Ibis
16 waterfowl species, including one lone Ross' Goose in a field south of Burns
4 Golden Eagle
Swainson's Hawk
Sora, 1 seen - many Sora and Virginia Rail heard
Sandhill Crane
Spotted Sandpiper
Wilson's Phalarope
Black Tern
Great Horned Owls and two different group of young
Red-naped Sapsucker
Canyon, Rock, House and Marsh Wren
Loggerhead Shrike
Only warblers were Orange-crowned, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Common
Yellowthroat, and Wilson's
Western Tanager
Sage Thrasher
Bullock's Oriole
6 sparrow species
American and Lesser Goldfinch

If anyone is interested in total list, I could send a copy of my AviSys file.

Hugh Jennings
Bellevue, WA
hughbirder at aol.com