Subject: another possible Ovenbird
Date: Jun 18 13:16:00 2001
From: greg_mazer at urscorp.com - greg_mazer at urscorp.com



On Monday June 11, I was surveying a patch of mature deciduous forest near
the BP (formerly ARCO) plant south of Blaine when I was startled to hear
what very much seemed like an OVENBIRD singing. Unfortunately, I only heard
a couple of times and did not have the time to search it out for a visual.
I was not entirely sure of the audial id since I've heard them numerous
times in New Jersey and New York where they sing much louder than what I
was hearing last week. I shook it off at the time as confusing the song for
one belonging to COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. However, with the sighting in
Vancouver, WA listed below, I have regained some confidence on the original
id.

How regularly do OVENBIRDS stray so far west? (read: How unlikely is it
that my original id was correct?)

Greg Mazer
206/726-1986

Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 15:01:11 -0700
Reply-To: jimjohn at teleport.com
Sender: obol List <OBOL at BOBO.NWS.ORST.EDU>
From: Jim Johnson <jimjohn at teleport.com>
Subject: Ovenbird in Vancouver, WA
To: Multiple recipients of list OBOL <OBOL at BOBO.NWS.ORST.EDU>
X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000

I would appreciate it if someone would cross post this to Tweeters...

This morning (15 June 2001) I found a singing OVENBIRD in Orchards Park,
Vancouver, WA. This park is located at Fourth Plain Blvd and 102nd Ave, on
the east side of I-205 and not far north of SR-500. I first heard it at
around 9:30 in the woods along the north side of the big open lawn area in
the southeastern quadrant of the park (near the rose garden and the large
picnic shelter). I was without bins, but I was able to track it down and
get some very limited views of the bird. It mostly stayed in the brushy
understory of the mature Doug-fir forest which was dominated by hazelnut,
oceanspray, vine maple, and ninebark. At one point I saw it while it was
on
the ground, but I was not able to see it strolling in typical Ovenbird
fashion.

The views were very limited. I was able to see its silhouette (large,
pot-bellied warbler shape, about the size of a Song Sparrow) as it perched
low in the shrubbery, and once it flew out in the open in front of me when
it was chased by a pair of annoyed Spotted Towhees. When it flew out I saw
the uniform pale olive-green upperparts. The song was given regularly, but
not especially frequently. I can only describe it with the typical field
guide mnemonic: "teacher, teacher, teacher". It was loud and increased in
volume as it progressed.

I continued to hear it sing over the next half hour or so, which allowed me
to determine that it was moving through the woods toward the east and
north.

Jim Johnson

Portland, Oregon
N45^28'52" W122^35'53"
jimjohn at teleport.com