Oregon - Tour Report, 18th May to 1st June 2002

Our United Airlines flight from Heathrow arrived at Los Angeles more or less on time at 1.15 p.m.  Much of our time here was spent queuing to deal with U.S. immigration formalities, but we did manage to see a few American Crows before our onward flight to Portland!

We had wonderful views of the snow-covered Cascades as we flew north and, on the approach to Portland airport, a prolonged view of the Columbia River as we circled while a problem with the aircraft's landing gear was resolved.  For a while this seemed like 'aviation adventures', but eventually we landed safely.

It was only a short while before we were on our way to The Greenwood Inn, Beaverton.  An American Kestrel was the only bird of any note seen on the way, but when we arrived at just after 6.00 p.m. a few Barn Swallows, House Finches and Brewer's Blackbirds were in and around the hotel grounds.

Before breakfast a short walk in the grounds of the hotel produced Wilson's Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Bushtits, Tree Swallows, Mallards, Mourning Doves, Northern Flicker, Western Scrub-Jay and Brown-headed Cowbird.

We were joined this morning by Dawn Tryon, a local birder who, when she was employed by Portland, Oregon Visitors' Association, had given invaluable help in the early stages of planning our tour.
Dawn took us first of all to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve on the outskirts of Hillsboro. This 710-acre wetland formerly included a sewage settling pond, but the whole area, which includes open water, rolling meadows and woodland is now an important centre for wetland education, visited by thousands of children and adults every year.  Fortunately this was Sunday and we had the place to ourselves!
We began by spending half an hour or so at one of the viewing platforms from where we could see over a wide area.  Birds seen included American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Wood Duck, Spotted Sandpipers and Killdeer, American Goldfinches, Violet-green Swallows and our first American Robins, but the highlight was a pair of Bald Eagles that were nesting.  This also proved to be the only time during the tour that we saw Lesser Goldfinches.

We walked a short trail which produced Spotted Towhee, a flock of about 20 Cedar Waxwings, a Downy Woodpecker and several Bushtits and this brought us to a point where we could again see open water. Here Ring-necked Duck, Blue-winged Teal and Cinnamon Teal were added to our list of wildfowl.  Also, we eventually managed to have good looks at Common Yellowthroat and that other wetland skulker, Marsh Wren.  There were lots of Cliff, Barn and Tree Swallows and an Osprey flew over. 

One of our target species this morning was Acorn Woodpecker and we drove from Hillsboro the short distance to Forest Grove, where a small breeding colony of these interesting birds is located on the campus of Pacific University.  It took us a short while to find the woodpeckers, but in the meantime we also saw Evening Grosbeak, Brown Creepers, Bullock's Orioles, Rufous Hummingbird and a very vocal pair of Red-tailed Hawks.  Until fairly recently the Acorn Woodpeckers here were the northernmost permanent colony in North America, but the expansion of their range continues.

Dawn left us at this point and we headed off along Highway 26 in the direction of Seaside, the small coastal resort where we were to spend our second night in Oregon.  On the way we made a short and somewhat disappointing visit to Saddle Mountain State Park where we heard, but failed to see, several Varied Thrushes.

After checking in to our new accommodation, we spent the rest of the afternoon at Clatsop Spit and the South Jetty of the Columbia River.  On one side of the spit we saw hundreds of Surf Scoters on the Pacific Ocean, while on the other side, the mouth of the river held hundreds of Caspian Terns, a few Brown Pelicans and Common Terns and a Whimbrel.  On the jetty lagoon we found several Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead, six Hooded Mergansers and a Red-throated Loon. The day was rounded off with a nice sighting of a male Northern Harrier as we headed back for dinner.

Today we travelled south from Seaside along the beautiful Oregon Coast Highway, heading for Newport.  The first of several stops was at Ecola State Park where singing Varied Thrushes again eluded us as we drove along the two mile entrance road.  This is probably the most scenic site on the Oregon coast; the view from the observation point has appeared on innumerable postcards and calendars.  There were hundreds of Guillemots (Common Murres) nesting on a large rock just offshore and just as many out on the sea.  Also on the sea were hundreds of Surf Scoters, amongst which one or two White-winged (Velvet) Scoters were found.  Close inshore were half a dozen Harlequin Ducks and further out a Pacific Loon.  Other breeding birds here were Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots and Black Oystercatchers.  We also saw our first White-crowned Sparrows and a Peregrine Falcon flew by, too quickly for most of us to see it.

Only a mile or two down the road we entered the town of Cannon Beach, where we made a brief and rather unproductive visit to the Don Thompson Memorial Water Treatment Plant (otherwise known as Cannon Beach sewage ponds).  At the south end of the town, just offshore, is Haystack Rock, which holds one of the largest and most easily observed colonies of Tufted Puffins in Oregon.  It actually took a while before we found a suitable vantage point from which to view the Rock, but eventually we did and one Tufted Puffin obligingly sat outside its burrow for all to see.  At least one more was seen in flight.
As we headed on down the coast the weather deteriorated and by the time we pulled into Barview Jetty County Park for our lunch stop, it was raining quite heavily.  We saw Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pigeon Guillemots and Common Murres here, but we stayed just long enough to eat our sandwiches before continuing our journey.

By the time we reached Boiler Bay State Wayside, the rain had stopped and the sky was clearing.  This scenic headland is a favourite point from which to observe migrating Grey Whales and eventually, after about half an hour there, we spotted at least two of them.  There were plenty of birds to see as well: Savannah Sparrows, Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants, small flocks of Pacific Loons heading north, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres, Caspian Terns and gulls.  At one point a Bald Eagle flew in and chased a Western Gull, trying to steal a food item it was carrying.

It was late afternoon by the time we reached Newport.  We drove right through the town to the southern end, across the Yaquina Bay Bridge and then took the road to the South Jetty.  The tide was well down and most of the birds were species that we were now becoming familiar with, mainly alcids and cormorants.  We did see our first Western Grebes, two at close range and another 30 or so on the sea, and this had us consulting our field guides to confirm our identification. There were three Whimbrels on the shoreline and another Grey Whale was seen briefly.

Later we all saw more Grey Whales both from our hotel rooms that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and from the restaurant where we had dinner.

Today was a day that some of us had been looking forward to; others, perhaps recalling previous maritime adventures, were not so keen - we were booked on a pelagic trip!  For those who went, it proved to be one of the highlights of the tour.

Black-footed Albatross Photo: Greg Gillson

After an early breakfast, we presented ourselves at the office of Seagull Charters and met up with local guides, Greg Gillson and his assistants, Phil Pickering and Wayne Hoffman.  Twenty or more California Sea Lions were lying by the quayside as we boarded the Surfrider, several of them giving their characteristic honking bark.

We set off travelling quite slowly for the first hour or so.  Harbour Seals were a new species for us, but for a while all the birds were familiar ones that we had seen yesterday: Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants and Brown Pelicans.  It wasn't long, though, before one or two Marbled Murrelets appeared and then Rhinoceros Auklets.  At the same time there was a constant stream of divers passing north; Red-throated, Pacific and Common Loons were all identified.

Eventually we increased our speed and headed more or less due west.  Now it was time to hold on tight and take shelter from the spray washing over the bow of the boat.  At about 10 miles from shore we started to see Sooty Shearwaters, hundreds of them.  With them were a few Pink-footed Shearwaters and we soon became quite proficient at identifying these slightly larger birds.

At 22 miles out we found about 70 or more Black-footed Albatrosses and with the help of some chum we had superb looks at these wonderful birds at a range of only a few feet, sitting on the sea.  It was almost like feeding ducks in the park!  If this wasn't enough, a couple of Laysan Albatrosses joined in, quite a scarce species in these parts.  A flock of 100 or more Sabine's Gulls came by and were harried by several Arctic Skuas (Parasitic Jaegers) and we had the occasional quick glimpse of a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel.  Sooty Shearwaters were still also being seen and a few Rhinoceros Auklets also went by.  It was a magical experience.

Laysan Albatross Photo: Greg Gillson

It took about an hour and a half to get back to Newport; the whole trip lasted just about five hours and no one was ill.  Greg Gillson subsequently posted a report on his web site (http://thebirdguide.com/pelagics/archive/05212002.htm).

After a brief return to our hotel to get changed, we bought sandwiches for lunch and took them to the South Jetty, where we were able to get much better views of the Harbour Seals that we had seen from the boat.  Then we took time out to visit the nearby Oregon Coastal Aquarium, a private, non-profit educational facility that offers a fun way to understand Oregon's unique coastal resources and encourages their conservation for future generations.  Finally, we took a drive through Newport's Old Town waterfront area and then along the old highway towards the town of Toledo.  The road runs parallel to the Yaquina River, where again we saw Whimbrels and 20 or more Great Blue Herons in the area known as Sally's Bend.

We left Newport at about 8.00 a.m. continuing our journey south along the coast.  For the first couple of hours it rained and we didn't stop, but when the weather cleared we took the opportunity to turn off the main highway and look for some birds.

Our first brief stop was at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint and then, just south of Florence, we visited part of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and the mouth of the Siuslaw River.  This is an interesting habitat, but not particularly rich in bird life at this time of the year.  We saw White-crowned Sparrows and Spotted Towhee but little else.

We had lunch at Tahkenitch Lake Campground, where most of the birds seemed reluctant to come down out of the tall Douglas firs and we saw little other than Wilson's Warblers.  Across the road at the lake itself there were two Ospreys.

Other roadside stops included one where we drove down to the shore through a trailer park.  Here we again saw hundreds of Surf Scoters close inshore.  We also had our first good look here at a Purple Finch.
Further on we stopped to look at a flock of 16 small waders on the shoreline and these proved to be Sanderlings, most of them in unfamiliar breeding plumage.  When we reached Coos Bay we left the highway before crossing the Bay Bridge and had a look at Jordan Cove.  It was here, just north of the bridge that we saw our first Great Egrets, 20 or more in quite a small area.

We arrived in Bandon at about 5.00 p.m. and, after successfully negotiating road works and road closures, eventually found the beautifully situated Sunset Motel, where our rooms looked out to the Pacific Ocean and offshore rocks with nesting Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots and Brandt's Cormorants.

Today we were joined by Dave Lauten, a local birder employed by the Nature Conservancy.  We collected Dave from his home just outside Bandon and before we left there he showed us the nest of a Dark-eyed Junco in his yard.

Our first stop was at Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge at the mouth of the Coquille River, one of the best shorebird sites in Oregon.  Although we were a couple of weeks too late to see the large numbers of migrants that use this area as a staging post on their journey north, we still saw a reasonable selection of birds including Dunlin, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Marbled Godwit, Western Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover and Greater Yellowlegs.  A Cedar Waxwing and a Swainson's Thrush close to the viewing platform were distractions as we looked out across the muddy estuary.

Dave and his partner, Kathy Castelein are studying Snowy Plovers and it was no surprise that our next stop was at Bandon State Park to see one of these birds on its nest.  We heard a great deal about Snowy Plovers during the day, about how the population along the Oregon coast is threatened by habitat loss, human disturbance and predators.  Various measures are being taken or proposed to help the birds and these are principally habitat restoration (control of European beachgrass), control and exclusion of predators from nesting areas, and minimising nesting and brood-rearing disruption caused by recreational activities through public education and temporarily closing sections of beach.  It was more than a little disappointing to learn that there is local opposition to closure of even small sections of beach during the breeding season and that the Snowy Plover has become the subject of political and legal argument.
We moved on to New River and to Floras Lake where Dave's local knowledge was invaluable in finding for us Wrentits, Anna's, Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Band-tailed Pigeon, Belted Kingfisher, Hutton's Vireo, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Western Tanager and many others.  After lunch at Bullards Beach State Park, we spent the afternoon driving out along North Bank Road, following the Coquille River to the town of Coquille.  A number of stops were made along the way and, in Coquille itself, we paused to look over the timber ponds, before stretching our legs in a small city park situated between the river and the Southern Pacific Railroad.  Highlights of the afternoon included California Quail, Lazuli Bunting, Bewick's Wren and Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

This morning we left the coast behind and travelled inland from Bandon to Klamath Falls, a distance of approximately 250 miles.  Our first stop was only a few miles out of Bandon when a White-tailed Kite was spotted perched in a tree between the road and the river.  Later we stopped at Hoffman Memorial State Wayside where the nasal whistle of a Western Wood-Pewee was heard a long time before the bird was located.  Spotted Sandpipers were along the river here.

We diverted from our route through the town of Broadbent and eventually turned along Baker Creek Road where we had a walk and stayed for an hour or so.  Hermit, Black-throated Grey and Orange-crowned Warblers were seen as well as Ruby-crowned Kinglets.  This was an area that was worthy of further exploration, but we still had a very long way to go!

Later we stopped as we travelled through the Siskiyou Mountains, to photograph a particularly impressive view and were rewarded with Acorn Woodpeckers and a particularly confiding Rock Wren.  Another Acorn Woodpecker, Common Ravens and a Chipping Sparrow were seen at Songer Wayside.

Our last stop before reaching Klamath Falls was at John Boyle Reservoir and here we saw our first American White Pelicans.  Also seen were Western Grebes, Ring-necked Ducks, Forster's and Caspian Terns and nesting Cliff Swallows and we had particularly good looks at two Red-tailed Hawks.

We left Klamath Falls along Highway 97 and then turned east along Stateline Road.  We began birding at Indian Tom Lake, following the road along the west and south sides, which took us out of Oregon, and into California.  There were a great many Eared and Western Grebes on the lake and also American White Pelicans, Canada Geese and hundreds of ducks including Redheads, Cinnamon Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Duck.  We also saw our first Wilson's Phalaropes, Snowy Egrets, Willets, Black-necked Stilts, White-faced Ibis and American Avocets here and on telegraph wires, one or two Loggerhead Shrikes.

It was along the south side of the lake that we bumped into a local farmer who gave us directions to a barn where a pair of Great Horned Owls had a nest on top of a hay bale.  We went on to see both parent birds and a well-grown owlet and a bonus on the way was a nesting colony of Bank Swallows.
On the way back we saw a Red-tailed Hawks' nest with two young on top of a roadside telegraph pole.  Also along this road we found Western Kingbirds, American Kestrel, Western Meadowlark, California Quail, Swainson's Hawk, Savannah Sparrow and Yellow-headed Blackbird.

We returned to Stateline Road and continued in an easterly direction before turning into Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.  We were surprised to find half a dozen or so Snow Geese along here, stragglers left behind by the many thousands that spend the winter here before heading north to breed.  We also saw our first American Bittern as we progressed round the refuge's tour route and we watched a pair of Northern Harriers that appeared to have a nest.  We saw our first Black Terns here and this was the only place we saw Ring-necked Pheasants.  The numbers of birds here was quite impressive, even though they were mainly the same species that we had seen earlier in the day.

We ended the day by driving to Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and again we took the tour route. There were far fewer birds here, but at last we did get good looks at a dozen or more Clark's Grebes.  By now we had seen many hundreds of Western Grebes and were well prepared.

We began the day by driving to Crater Lake National Park, Oregon's only National Park.  Crater Lake is the deepest and one of the bluest lakes in North America and probably the most spectacular sight in the Klamath Basin.  Most of the park is high elevation and as such supports a relatively sparse bird population, but the view of the lake and surrounding Cascade Mountains from Rim Village at 7,100 feet made the visit well worthwhile.  Access to Rim Village had only been made possible with the aid of snow ploughs and unfortunately the Rim Drive, the 33-mile road that circles the caldera rim was not yet open.  Grey Jays, Steller's Jays, Dark-eyed Junco, Clark's Nutcracker and Yellow-rumped Warblers were the only birds seen, but it didn't matter.

From Crater Lake we headed for Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, taking an unpaved road through Sun Pass State Forest and Winema National Forest.  Driving with the windows open, we stopped when the 'quick, three beers' call of an Olive-sided Flycatcher was heard and in the same area also found Red-breasted Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee.

Eventually we crossed Highway 97 and headed along Silver Lake Road into the refuge.  Along here we saw beautiful Mountain Bluebirds, Cassin's Finches and a Horned Lark; the marsh held small numbers of ducks, American Coots, American White Pelicans and Black Terns and in the woodland we found Western Tanager, Western Wood-Pewee, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Wilson's Warblers.

On the way back to Klamath Falls we stopped at Collier State Park, located at the confluence of Spring Creek and the Williamson River.  There were quite a few people there, some of them fishing, but, after some searching, we found what we were looking for – an American Dipper.  We also saw Brown Creeper and just after we left the park there were two Common Mergansers by the river.

We left Klamath Falls this morning along Lakeshore Drive, stopping to look at Western, Clark's and Eared Grebes. Just in the small area of the lake we were able to see there were 175 Western/Clark's Grebes and the population of the lake as a whole is estimated at 5,000 birds of these two species.

We drove out along Highway 140 and took a gravel road north through the forest in the direction of Fourmile Lake. How far we travelled was eventually determined by the amount of snow on the road and we were forced to leave the van and have a walk.  This proved to be quite a good area where highlights included a pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Northern Flicker, a White-headed Woodpecker drumming from the top of a broken off tree trunk, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Chipping Sparrow, Hermit Warbler and lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers.
After lunch in a restaurant at nearby Lake of the Woods Resort, we began the afternoon by driving another road north towards Fourmile Lake.  However, our progress was again limited by snow lying on the road and, although we had another walk, there were rather few birds to be seen.  We did find another pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers, but other woodpeckers were only heard.  When it began to rain we beat a retreat and headed for Rocky Point.  By the time we had found somewhere to park the van at Rocky Point, the weather had cleared a little and we were able to have a short walk in the vicinity of the boat ramp.  On the lake there were Pied-billed and Western Grebes and over the water 50 or more Black Terns.  In the surrounding trees and bushes we found Western Wood-Pewee, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak, but then the rain started again and we decided to call it a day.

We did make another stop along the lake shore on the way back to the hotel, but Western/Clark's Grebes, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Lesser Scaup, Forster's Tern, Double-crested Cormorants and American Coots were all we could find.

We left Klamath Falls at about 8.00 a.m. and drove east to Lakeview without a stop.  Here we bought lunch and petrol before heading off to spend the rest of the day in the remote Warner Valley.

On the journey out along Highway 140 towards Adel, we stopped to look at an American Dipper seen briefly from the van.  As so often happens, this stop proved memorable not for the American Dipper, but for an altercation we witnessed between a Brown-headed Cowbird and a Golden Eagle.  The eagle was sat on a power pole and being repeatedly dive-bombed by the cowbird.  After several minutes, the cowbird had its way, the eagle gave in and flew off and the cowbird took over its perch.

About two miles north of Adel we stopped at Pelican Lake.  As its name suggests, the lake holds a small breeding colony of American White Pelicans.  There were also Double-crested Cormorants here and hundreds of White-faced Ibis were in the area.  In the sagebrush we found a Brewer's Sparrow and on distant fences, Western Kingbirds.  Several Loggerhead Shrikes were on telegraph wires and a couple of California Quail were seen.
We went on, through the small town of Plush, into the valley proper.  The valley lies at the base of Hart Mountain's dramatic west face and its main attraction to wildlife is the chain of lakes that stretch some 40 miles from north to south.  Just as we stopped to eat our lunch, we were surprised to see a Common Nighthawk fly by.  Here we also found several Sandhill Cranes, Willets, Wilson's Phalaropes, Long-billed Curlew, Common Yellowthroats, another Golden Eagle and lots of Marsh Wrens and a few Franklin's Gulls also flew through.
We drove on down the valley and then turned off past Flagstaff Lake before rejoining the road back through Plush.  There were plenty of birds along the way and also quite a number of Pronghorns, North America's only antelope.  Nearby Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge holds around 2,000 of these animals so it was no surprise to see some down in the valley.

On the way back to Lakeview we stopped for a walk along Camas Creek where a Spotted Sandpiper was an expected find.  A little further on we saw a Common Merganser and this was our tenth duck species of the day.

We had an excellent start to the day with a visit to Lakeview sewage ponds.  Here there were more than 100 Wilson's Phalaropes, a handful of American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts and Killdeer, 10 Double-crested Cormorants and nine different species of ducks - nothing unfamiliar, but plenty of birds to sort through.

We left town along Highway 395 heading north.  As we approached our first stop at Lake Abert, a Swainson's Hawk was seen.  We restricted ourselves to a brief look at the southern shore on the 15-mile long lake.  From the roadside below Abert Rim, we could see American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Eared Grebes, American White Pelicans and inevitably lots of Canada Geese.  As we left, we had a great view of a Golden Eagle as it flew by, mobbed by American Crows.

Our next stop was at Summer Lake Wildlife Management Area.  We picked up a map at the refuge headquarters and here there were Cliff, Barn and Tree Swallows nesting.  As we drove the loop road through the refuge, once again we saw large numbers of familiar wetland birds.  These included an American Bittern and a Black-crowned Night Heron, two Common Mergansers, several Common Yellowthroats and lots of Marsh Wrens.  In the drier sagebrush areas we saw at least three Sage Thrashers, which was one of our main targets here.

We continued north towards Bend making only a short diversion to Fort Rock State Park.  Here we quickly found our main target species - White-throated Swifts - flying high above the impressive horseshoe-shaped rock formation.  As we watched them we also caught a quick glimpse of a bird of prey and as a result set out on a short walk to see whether it could be relocated.  In fact it was only a few minutes before we saw not one, but two Prairie Falcons and we were able to watch them for some while as they flew back and forth along the rock face, perching occasionally.

As we watched the Prairie Falcons we also located two other new species for the tour list - Green-tailed Towhee and Sage Sparrow - and had excellent looks at both.  As might be expected in this sagebrush country, we also found Brewer's Sparrow here.

We finally arrived in Bend at about 5.00 p.m. after another wonderful day's birding.

Today we travelled from Bend to Beaverton, enjoying views of distant Mount Washington and Mount Jefferson as we headed north on Highway 97 to Madras.  We then drove through the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, crossed the Cascades and eventually reached the eastern outskirts of Portland in time to get tangled up in the late afternoon traffic, before finally reaching our destination.

Our only stop on the way was to visit Timothy Lake and Little Crater Lake.  At Timothy Lake, we walked two stretches of the lake shore, but the birding was disappointing.  Two Ospreys seemed to be our almost constant companions - even when we were deep in the forest they could be heard calling above our heads and at times it was quite distracting.  We did eventually get a brief look at a Hermit Thrush here, but otherwise the highlights were Spotted Sandpiper, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Pine Siskin and a probable Hammond's Flycatcher. We also saw an Otter here.  At Little Crater Lake, the only species of note was a Lincoln's Sparrow.

For much of the day we had superb views of snow-covered Mount Hood, Oregon's highest peak, but we were unaware of the climbing accident and rescue attempts that were in progress.  It wasn't until we reached our hotel and saw the television news that we learned of the loss of life on the mountain.

On our last morning we made an early start and drove out to Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve.  It was interesting to see how it had changed in the time since our first visit almost two weeks before.
Now the vegetation was higher and there were rather fewer birds than previously.  Two American Bitterns proved to be the highlights of a morning when we also saw Bald Eagles again and heard that they had now hatched two young.

After a brief return to the hotel, we set off for Portland and the airport to catch a flight to San Francisco and then to London.

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