Subject: At long last... my Birdathon report!
Date: May 28 15:06:47 2002
From: Lauren Braden - LaurenB at seattleaudubon.org


Hi Tweets!
Michael Willison's Mahleur report reminded me that I had not posted the
report from my birdathon trip there a few weekends ago. My friends Melissa
and I had a wonderful time there - the first visit for both of us, but it
will not be the last, I can assure you!
-Lauren Braden

__________________________________


Birdathon 2002
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

FRIDAY
Melissa Keigley and I woke at the crack of dawn on Friday, May 10th, drove
all day Friday, arriving in the small town of Burns, OR, just north of the
Refuge, at about 7pm. We wished to begin the Birdathon day at the north end
of the refuge, so we camped north of Burns at the Idlewild campground, just
inside the Malheur National Forest. Unlike the lower sagebrush country we
had just left, the Malheur forest is ponderosa pine, and it is beautiful. We
had the whole campground to ourselves! We cooked up a pasta dinner (had to
use our own bottled water, though - the pump water was still frozen) . It
was COLD that night - pack for such nights if you go camping at Malheur.

SATURDAY - The Birdathon Adventure Begins!
Everything was frozen the next morning. We got up at 6am and began the
birdathon right there at the campsite as we boiled water for coffee and
heated our bagels in a frying pan. Four or five RAVENS flew overhead first,
then a squeaky flock of WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES flitted through the trees
nearby, with a few MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES following close behind. CHIPPING
SPARROWS were singing from perches all over the campground (what a gorgeous
bird), and a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was heard just as we were leaving.

It was a 10-minute drive back south to Burns, and another 30 miles
after that to the Malheur NWR headquarters, where all the guidebooks suggest
starting a trip there. In the vicinity of burns, which is mostly farm and
ranch land, we saw a PEREGRINE FALCON perched on a small tree just to the
right of the road, and seconds later an AMERICAN AVOCET flew across our
path. A field full of big blackish birds caught Melissa's eye next - they
weren't crows - were they coots? We pulled over and put our binoculars on
the birds, and noticed they had extremely long, downcurved bills, and
iridescent bodies. WHITE-FACED IBISES (about 200 of them). Melissa and I
looked at each other with glee - this was going to be a very exciting day!

The refuge headquarters are just inside the north boundary of the
refuge, and is situate in a bit of an oasis - with plenty of available
water, lushy brush undergrowth and large trees. A WHITE PELICAN was soaring
over the small lake there, RING-NECKED PHEASANTS were calling in the
distance, and a group of birders had their scopes on a GREAT HORNED OWL in a
tall, deciduous tree (our first of five GHOs that we would see throughout
the weekend!) There was one smallish deciduous tree that was particularly
"birdy" - it included a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, FLICKER,
LEWIS' WOODPECKER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, and WARBLING VIREO - yes, all in one
tree (over a period of about 20 minutes). Other refuge headquarter
highlights included a terrific look at a male LAZULI BUNTING, a WESTERN
KINGBIRD, and two male WESTERN TANAGERS. Oh - and I should mention the
headquarters was staffed by two very nice volunteers that pointed out five
destinations in the refuge for us that would turn up lots of species. After
an extremely successful first stop and a shared Luna bar (peanut butter and
jelly flavored - I wouldn't recommend it) -- We were off again!

From the headquarters, we headed south on the Central Patrol Road, a
dirt road that runs north to south inside the refuge boundary. From here,
scanning the continuous complex of wetlands as we drove, we saw several pair
of CINNAMON TEAL, and we would see dozens more throughout the day. Other
numerous waterfowl species in the wetlands of the refuge were AMERICAN
COOTS, MALLARDS, GADWALL, and NORTHERN SHOVELERS.

The next stop were the Buena Vista ponds. There is a nice lookout
from here, and we scanned the water with our scope. We saw RUDDY DUCKS with
their adorable stiff tail, and handsome REDHEADS. In the surrounding
sagebrush we spotted ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER and CALIFORNIA QUAIL. TURKEY
VULTURES soared overhead.

A few miles down the Central basin Road, at the Krumbo Reservoir, we
got incredible views through the scope of breeding-plumage EARED and HORNED
GREBES. This large water body also gave us the only COMMON LOON of the
trip. A BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE practically joined us for our late lunch of
vegetarian sandwiches and Tim's Cascades potato chips.

Next stop: Knox Lake. This was a magical place: close in there
were WILSON's and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, BLACK-NECKED STILTS, and
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS. It was here that we got our first glimpse of
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, swooping around with the CLIFF and TREE SWALLOWS. In
the distance was an oddly-shaped, unfamiliar black bird. It reminded me of
an overgrown swift, and it was swooping down to the water's surface.
Melissa and I walked a ways down a side road to get a better look, and it
suddenly dawned on me that we were seeing a bird that has been on my target
list for years - a BLACK TERN! Also seen here were FORESTER'S TERNS, a pair
of TRUMPETER SWANS, and a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.

We headed to Frenchglen next, not as a birding stop, but to check
out this famed tiny little town with the infamous French Glen Inn. 75 cents
got me a cup of coffee, and that was all the time we needed to mill around
the town a little bit. From there, we took a small dirt road that heads
right for the Page Springs Campground, where we would be spending the night.
It was nearly 5pm, and we were anxious to make sure we got a spot there
before continuing our birding adventure. From the drive there, we heard
SORA and got a great look at a pair of SANDHILL CRANES.

The Page Springs Campground had plenty of great sights left, so we
chose one that had a stream running through it - how scenic! A STARLING was
nesting in a tree above where we pitched the tent, and a BLACK-HEADED
COWBIRD was singing from the same tree. This area is quite riparian, and
YELLOW WARBLERS compete with COMMON YELLOWTHROATS for the prettiest songs in
this campground. A BULLOCK's ORIOLE flashed in a nearby tree, and a SPOTTED
SANDPIPER was bobbing along the stream bank. SONG SPARROWS were common.

The last hours of the day were spent nearby, at a place called the
P-Ranch, where TURKEY VULTURES congregate by the dozens on a tower there,
and we were greeted by winnowing COMMON SNIPES, a sight I have always wanted
to see. The wanted bird here, though, was a Yellow-breasted chat, which
never showed itself. (too early, perhaps?) Another special treat here was
a HARRIS's SPARROW, feeding in the grass right in front of us where we were
able to study its every fieldmark before consulting the guide. Very cool.

The day ended as none other, with the sounds of two GREAT HORNED OWLS
talking to each other in the trees right by our tent. Truly another
spectacular birdathon!

COMPLETE LIST - 100 Species:

Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
American White Pelican LIFE BIRD
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
White-faced Ibis LIFE BIRD
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Redhead
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Northern harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Sora
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Long-billed Dowitcher
Common Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Forster's Tern LIFE BIRD
Black Tern LIFE BIRD
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Great-Horned Owl
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher LIFE BIRD
Western Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Black-billed magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted nuthatch
White-breasted nuthatch
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow LIFE BIRD
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow


_________________________

Lauren Braden
Advocate for Wildlife Habitat
Seattle Audubon Society
8050 35th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206-523-8243 x14
laurenb at seattleaudubon.org