Tweeters,

The discovery of nesting BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS at Hardy Canyon near
Wenas Lake is an exciting find. Ian Paulsen asked how far north
gnatcatchers nest in Oregon, and others have probably been wondering
about the same thing.

The first breeding record of BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS in Oregon was in
1962, at Roxy Ann Butte near Medford. Through 1994, gnatcatchers had
been reported breeding in the southern tier of Oregon counties--
Josephine, Jackson, Klamath, Lake, and Harney (Gilligan, Smith,
Rogers, and Contreras. 1994. Birds of Oregon: Status and Distribution.
Cinclus Publications, McMinnville, OR). They are commonest in brushy
habitats in the Rogue River Valley of southwestern Oregon (Jackson and
Josephine Counties). Gilligan et al. also report that "one or two
pairs were suspected of nesting" in 1992 in Crook County, near
Prineville in central Oregon.

During the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas project (1995-1999),
gnatcatchers were also confirmed as breeding in central Lane County
(near Springfield) and in Malheur County in extreme southeast Oregon.
They were also suspected of nesting in eastern Baker County, near the
Snake River. (Adamus, Larsen, Gillson, and Miller. 2001. Oregon
Breeding Bird Atlas. Oregon Field Ornithologists, Eugene, OR
(CD-ROM)).

If any is interesting in purchasing the "Birds of Oregon" book or the
Breeding Bird Atlas CD for Oregon, they can both be ordered from
Oregon Field Ornithologists ( http://www.oregonbirds.org ).

In Idaho, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers have long been present in "pygmy
forest" habitat along the southern edge of the state. However, they
are spreading northward here too: in 1998, they nested successfully at
Boise for the first time. (I was shown the newly-fledged young on a
field trip with Dave Trochlell.)

Yakima County is a long way north of any previous breeding localities,
and this is a quantum leap in gnatcatcher range expansion!

Incidentally, the nest was reported to be in a "sagebrush". However,
Sherry Hagen reported that the shrub had "yellow flowers". Big
sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) has yellow flowers, but blooms in
September and October. It seems more likely that the shrub is an
antelope bush or bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), which loosely
resembles sagebrush, but has yellow flowers and does bloom in May.

Someone should double-check the identification of the shrub in which
the nest is located. It is important to document the breeding habitat,
as well as the activities of the birds!

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops and Delta, BC
contopus at shaw.ca