Date: 12/2/19 8:42 am From: Tim Rodenkirk <timrodenkirk...> Subject: [obol] Coos Birds of Late
Don and Robyn Henise found a few good birds in Coos again. On Friday they saw a WANDERING TATTLER on the south side of the north jetty at Bandon. There has been a single in the same location the last two winters also, but it has proven to be very elusive and is only reported a couple times each winter. We'll see if it can be found on the 4 January Coquille Valley CBC.
The next day they saw two TRUMPETER SWANS at the Myrtle Point marsh- the 7th Coos record.
I looked for both birds yesterday without luck. I did see a SAY'S PHOEBE at Picture Valley road near Norway, at the barn below, where this species has overwintered four other times since 2008 when Dave Irons and Shawneen Finnegan found the first overwintering bird during a Coquille Valley CBC. I check this spot every winter now. There is a lot of great habitat at barns throughout the valley there where they could also overwinter that one cannot get to- would be fun to have access to some of the other large ranches.
Nearby the phoebe location I checked Johnson Mill Pond (now a county park). There were a few thousand A. Wigeon there. A quick look found 6-10 male EURASIAN WIGEON. The flock moved around a bit and cannot be seen from one location so I gave a range. I did not look for females, there could easily be a few of those present also. On the walk around the pond there was an OC Warbler and a couple Swamp Sparrows. I thought I heard a yellowthroat too, but it started raining shortly after I heard the call and things got quiet pretty quick- did not hear the bird again on my way out?
In North Bend on Saturday afternoon there was a RHINO AUKLET off the Virginia St. boat ramp- pretty far up the bay for this species which continues in number in the bay- strange fall for this species?
