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Audubon Society of Corvallis

the CHAT

VOL. 34 May 2005 #9

In This Issue:

Falcon Cam 66Field trips 67North American Migratory Bird Count 67Ivory-billed Woodpecker Found! 71

General MeetingMay 19, Thursday, 7:30-9:00 PMFirst Presbyterian Church

The Galapagos Islands A presentation by wildlife photographer Dick Bauer

Dick will give us a slide show from his month-long trip to the Galapagos in June 2004.

Dick grew up in Pennsylvania where he was interested in natural history and photography for almost as long as he can remember. He has a degree in Zoology from Duke University. He has lived and taught school for three years in the Bahamas. He has worked part time for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for three years in Hawaii working with sea turtles, sea birds and monk seals. For the past twelve winters he has been a naturalist / kayak guide in Belize. Philomath is home. When he is here he’s generally kept busy as a building contractor.

DirectionsThe Chapter meeting is at the meeting hall of the First Pres-byterian Church, 118 SW Eighth Street. We are returning to our customary meeting location, now that the church has completed its renovation project. As usual, the meet-ing will be preceded by a social period, with refreshments, beginning at 7:00.

There will be no General Meetings in June, July or August.

WinnerMerlin (Elzy) Eltzroth

2005 ASC Homer Campbell Environmental AwardOn April 21, at the ASC General Meeting, Elzy was presented with the first ASC Homer Campbell Environmental Award. Another plaque with his named en-graved on it will be placed at Hesthavn. This other plaque

see "Elzy" on next page

Elsie and Merlin (a.k.a. Elzy) Eltzroth

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has blank spaces available for future recipients. What fol-lows here is Elzy’s speech from the night of the award:

It was a great surprise and a great honor to be selected for the ASC Homer Campbell Environ-mental Award. It never occurred to me that I was eligible, let alone qualified. I was just trying to protect the birds.

Growing up in the Depression, we learned early that Conservation 101 was a way of life. We weren’t more than a half-step removed from hunter/gather-ers. Women canned all the food they could get their hands on from garden plots, orchards, and forests. We enjoyed fishing as a family sport and ate ev-erything we brought home, from carp and eels to suckers—we’re talking about the Ohio River in the thirties. Even groundhogs, possums, and clean road kills, whenever we lucked upon one, went into the skillet. But we drew the line at amphibians, house pets, reptiles and skunks.

Most anything fried brown in bacon grease was better than nothing.

I remember one of Mother’s favorite sayings was, “Waste not, want not.” She often urged us to “Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” This resonates in me to this day.

Birding didn’t come into our lives until the mid-sixties. We’d belonged to few, if any, organizations, and by the time we arrived in Corvallis it seemed like National Audubon Society might be something we should try. We joined ASC in November 1971, two months after the first regularly scheduled meet-ing, and found kindred spirits.

The chapter had its growing pains, of course, but those are stories for another time.

Expansion and experience brought a lot of good players to the field. Steve Elefant, who chaired the Conservation Committee, was one of those. Start-ing around the mid-eighties, some real heavy hitters stepped forward: Jim Fairchild, Homer Campbell, Inge King, Tom Gilg, Mary Van Brocklin, Dave Mellinger, then Jim Fairchild again—all of whom got many good things accomplished—and that’s just speaking of the Conservation Committee. On the back of our newsletter and of most newsletters for the past three decades you can find names of those who have done and are still doing important work in other ways.

Homer Campbell said it so well: “We under-

ElzyWinner of the 2005 ASC Homer Campbell Evnvironmental Awardcontinued from front page

stand that habitat is the key to survival of all crea-tures in nature. Our goals, actions and programs reflect this understanding.” Isn’t there a lot of Homer Campbell in all of us here?

Franz Dolp, a former OSU professor, wrote, “I find a litany of reasons to preserve and care for the natural world. My survival depends on it. I breathe its air, drink its water, eat from its table. It provides an endless reservoir of possibilities for my contemplation. It brings its sounds to my ears, its glory to my eyes. It is, for me, the ultimate context to explore my own spirituality as a human being.” I don’t think it could be said any better. There is a lot of Franz Dolp’s creed in me.

Thank you for the things you have done for Audubon. To paraphrase Steve Dominguez, and others: “If there were more people like you, the world would be a better place.” Thank you wholeheartedly for the honor you have bestowed on me.

-Elzy (Merlin) Eltzroth

Wilderness WeekJune 18-26Are you looking for a fantastic family outing this sum-mer? Wilderness Week is back better than ever. Wilderness Week is an opportunity for adults and children to explore Oregon’s spectacular wildlands. There will be free guided hikes through the Lewis and Clark and Columbia Gorge wilderness as well as many others. This is a chance to enjoy these amazing spaces and learn something too. So grab the kids and head out for Wilderness Week ’05.For More info go to www.onrc.org

Cape Meares Falcon Cam Since 2003 Cape Meares NWR has had a Falcon Cam which was secured from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as part of the NWRS Centennial.

This Cam was the first live camera to focus on a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons in a natural setting. A live video feed is beamed to the lighthouse where nesting activities can be viewed on a screen. Volunteers there talk about the Endangered Species Act and how Peregrines, once endan-gered, have recovered. The project has strengthened the relationship between Oregon Parks and Rec., the Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Cape Meares is located a few miles west of Tillamook, OR.

-Andrea Foster,Cape Meares NWR Volunteer in May, 2005

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Field Trip ScheduleMay 14 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noonMay 21 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noonJune 11 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noonJune 18 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noonJuly 9 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noonJuly 16 Bat Trip to Albany, 8:30 PMJuly 23 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noonAug 13 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noonAug 20 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noon

Second Saturday Field TripsEach month on the second Saturday, a local morning field trip meets at the Avery Park Rose Garden parking area at 7:30 AM. We carpool to designated birding spots. This field trip is especially interesting for beginner birders and new birders to Oregon’s mid-valley area. We spend a lot of time identifying local birds by sight and song. We visit the valley National Wildlife Refuges—Finley, Baskett Slough, and Ankeny, as well as other birding areas throughout the year. Field trip leader is Paula Vanderheul 541-752-0470, vanderp@peak.org

Evening Bat Trip to AlbanyCome join us for a trip to watch bats emerge from a bat nursery in Albany on Saturday, July 16th. We will meet at the north end of the parking lot at the Benton Center (LBCC) in Corvallis at 8:30 p.m. to carpool to Albany. We should get back to Corvallis at about 10:00 p.m. If you wish, you can meet us in Albany at the north end of the parking lot to what used to be the Buzzsaw Restaurant (and briefly Takena Point) to watch the brick building at the corner of Montgomery and Water, which used to be the home of the Costume Loft.

-Marcia F. Cutler

Bicycle Birding

May 21 Saturday Bicycle Birding at E.E. Wilson in Adair9:00 AM - Noon, Meet at the Pheasant cage parking lot on the north side of Camp Adair Drive. This is the best site in Western Oregon to see and hear Yellow-breasted Chats. Many other bird species are possible along with colorful snakes, wildflowers and mammals. An easy, flat ride of 10 miles or less. For die-hard bicyclists, you can meet at 8:00 AM at the Benton Center parking lot 630 NW 7th and we’ll ride to E.E. Wilson and back. Bring water and rain gear. Leader: Don Boucher 753-7689, bouchdon@juno.com

Bicycle Birding in Corvallis this Summer9 AM–noon. Meet at the Avery Park Rose Garden. Easy and flat ride of 3-10 miles. We’ll poke along and find birds in every nook and cranny along bike routes in Corvallis. Bring water, binoculars and rain gear. Led by Don Boucher, 753-7689, bouchdon@juno.com

June 18 Saturday, Meet at the Avery Park Rose Garden. Destination—Mary’s River Natural Area in Corvallis.

July 23 Saturday, Meet at the Avery Park Rose Garden. Destination—Mary’s River Park in Philomath.

Aug 20 Saturday, Meet at the Avery Park Rose Gar-den. Destination—OSU Covered Bridge and the Fairgrounds.

Bird Counters WantedMay 14, 2005May 14th is this year’s date for the Spring North American Migratory Bird Count. Held twice each year, the Spring count always coincides with International Migratory Bird Day. This is an easy count to do. Bird whenever and wherever you’d like on this date and there is no fee! Then send the results to me. I should receive all the results from Benton Co. If you bird in another county and don’t know the name of that county’s coordinator, I can give you that person’s name and address or forward your results to the appropriate person.

Please provide the following information: the names of a participating counters; for each mode of transportation (walking, car, bicycle, etc) give the amount of time spent birding (to nearest 1/4 hour) and the mileage (to nearest 1/4 mile). Then indicate the areas birded and, for each area, the number of birds seen for each species. For backyard bird-ers, I don’t need mileage, but please indicate the number of feeders you have. You can send the results to me by e-mail or snail mail (see back of Chat for addresses). If possible, please let me know in advance if you plan to do this count and where you think you will be birding.

-Marcia F. CutlerBenton Co. Coordinator, NAMC

Board ElectionsGeneral Meeting on May 19Members are encouraged to participate in the election of our board and officer nominees during the May General Meeting (see front page). Board and officer positions will take effect in September.

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Field Notes:March 29 through April 25, 2005

Spring rains continued, helping to make up for the late-winter drought, and leaving standing water for shorebirds which began their pas-sage. Neotropical migrant songbirds returned more or less on schedule, with only a few notably early arrivals. Big-leaf maples bloomed about two weeks earlier than usual, on account of the warm weather early this season. Migrant warbler flocks are usually drawn to insects in the budding maples, but seemed to adjust by switching to the Oregon white oaks which were also blooming early, although later than the maples.

Observations from the ASC field trips on 16 Apr and 17 Apr (ASC f.t.) were reported by Don Boucher; the 16 Apr trip was co-led by Lisa Millbank.

Abbreviations & Locations: m.ob. = multiple observers. NWR = National Wildlife Refuge; HMSC = Hatfield Marine Science Center on Yaquina Bay, Newport. Baskett Slough (NWR) is near Dallas in Polk Co. E.E. Wilson (Wildlife Area) is north of Adair Village along Hwy 99W. Cabell and McFadden marshes are at Finley (NWR) south of Corvallis. The Farmer Rd and Livermore Rd wetlands are on private land near Baskett Slough. Middle Ridge is s. of Lebanon. Stewart Lake is on the Hewlett-Packard campus in north Corvallis. Toketie Marsh is the remedial wetland for Coffin Butte landfill near E.E. Wilson.

Sightings:Greater White-fronted Goose migration was in full swing by 16

Apr as two large flocks flew over E.E. Wilson (Ray Fiori) and a flock of 100 passed over Cabell Marsh at Finley 16 Apr (ASC f.t.). Two broods of Canada Geese had hatched out at Toketie Marsh by 24 Apr (Marcia Cutler, Paula Vanderheul). 400 Cackling Geese were still at Finley through 19 Apr, and a lone Tundra Swan was still at Finley 17 Apr (Noah Strycker).

Cinnamon Teal continued to arrive; a male at Stewart Lake 1 Apr was the first there (Jamie Simmons). Four at Finley 16 Apr were joined by a very early Blue-winged Teal (Ryan Kepler).

Among the dabbling ducks that are in the process of migrating north out of our area, two Gadwall were at Finley 3 Apr (Erik Knight) and one was still there 19 Apr (N Strycker). A Eurasian Wigeon was at Simpson Park, Albany 5 Apr (M Cutler). About 100 American Wi-geons continued at Finley through 19 Apr (N Strycker); a pair stopped by Stewart Lake 22 Apr after others left by 13 Apr (J Simmons). 25 Northern Pintails were still at Finley 19 Apr (N Strycker). The rare Falcated Duck was last reported near Coburg 31 Mar (Pamela John-ston). Small flocks of Green-winged Teal and a few pairs of Northern Shovelers continued through the period at E.E. Wilson. A Common Teal (or “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal) was on Cabell Marsh at Finley 5 Apr (N Strycker).

A Redhead at Finley 16 Apr (R Kepler) was the most unusual div-ing duck this month. Numerous Ring-necked Ducks continued through the period. Two Buffleheads were at Willamette Park 25 Apr (Hendrik Herlyn). On 7 Apr Dave Mellinger saw a pair of Harlequin Ducks winging down the Little North Santiam River (Marion Co.). A female Hooded Merganser at Finley was escorting a brood of ducklings 16 Apr (R Kepler). A male Ruddy Duck continued at Stewart Lake through 6 Apr, by which time he was in full breeding plumage (J Simmons).

Karan Fairchild heard a Ruffed Grouse drumming sw. of Philomath 9 Apr. Sandy Thixton had a surprise on 2 Apr when two peacocks strolled into her yard s. of Philomath, along with four Wild Turkeys which she says are regular visitors.

A moulting Horned Grebe was on the Stahlbusch Island quarry pond 2 Apr (P Vanderheul, M Cutler). Pied-billed Grebes at E.E. Wilson have been vocalizing since 11 Apr. On 22 Apr I watched one territorial grebe chase a pair of Ring-necked Ducks all the way around one of the larger ponds, flailing its wings and almost (but not quite) taking flight as it splashed furiously across the water. The ducks made short hop-flights,

calmly pausing to rest while the grebe caught up.Thirty Great Egrets were at Finley 3 Apr (E Knight); at least 18

were still there 17 Apr (N Strycker), surprisingly far into the nesting season for this many to be staying in our area. A Green Heron was at Stewart Lake 8 Apr (George Weaver fide J Simmons).

An Osprey chased an adult Bald Eagle at Willamette Park 22 Apr (H Herlyn). A White-tailed Kite at the Finley prairie overlook 23 Mar (Steve Seibel) seems to have been the last one seen there this season.

Two Northern Harriers flew over Middle Ridge s. of Lebanon on 2 Apr, one scattering a flock of Red Crossbills (Raylene Gordin). Sharp-shinned Hawks were nest-building at Willamette Park 2 Apr (Bob Altman).

On 20 Apr Marcia Cutler and Mary Garrard saw a pair of Cooper’s Hawks which appeared to copulate in a tree in Avery Park; afterwards the female appeared to be eating something. Marcia and Mary were surprised to note that the female was still in first-year plumage. This surprised me too, but according to Hawks, Eagles, & Falcons of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard (1990) this can be the case with 6 to 20% of breeding female Cooper’s Hawks.

Rough-legged Hawk left this month. The most spectacular de-parture may have been by one near Finley that soared along with two Bald Eagles, up toward the base of looming thunderheads ahead of the 23 Mar storm (S Seibel). Stragglers were along Ridge Dr near Lebanon 2 Apr (M Cutler, P Vanderheul) and near Finley 5 Apr (N Strycker). A Red-shouldered Hawk was near the prairie overlook at Finley 19 Apr (N Strycker).

The last Merlin reports came from Middle Ridge 17 Apr and Lebanon 18 Apr (R Gordin). Peregrine Falcons were seen at Finley 23 Mar (Steve Seibel), 4 Apr (Don Boucher, Lisa Millbank) and 19 Apr (N Strycker).

A Virginia Rail and a Sora were calling at Jackson-Frazier Wetland 8 Apr (J Simmons). Several of each rail species were calling in the NW corner of E.E. Wilson when I checked 11 Apr, and at Finley 16 Apr (ASC f.t.). On 16 Apr Roy Gerig heard a stationary Sandhill Crane calling along the South Santiam River near Crabtree.

A pair of Killdeer were attending three half-grown chicks at E.E. Wilson 18 Apr. 12 Black-bellied Plovers turned up 18 Apr at Mike Lippsmeyer’s new wetland restoration in SE Polk Co. A pair of Black-necked Stilts also stopped by 23 Apr, perhaps on their way to the Farmer Rd wetland where Roy Gerig found five the next day.

At a private wetland nw. of Lebanon 2 Apr, Marcia Cutler and Paula Vanderheul found 20 Greater Yellowlegs; the landowner told them he’d counted 34 there earlier that day. The first Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpiper showed up at Farmer Rd wetland by 19 Apr (Ben Young). Spotted Sandpipers were at Snag Boat Bend by 9 Apr (M Cutler) and Willamette Park by 25 Apr (H Herlyn). A Pectoral Sandpiper stopped by E.E. Wilson 22 Apr (R Fiori).

Mike Lippsmeyer’s wetland restoration in se. Polk Co. drew some impressive “peep” flocks, including 200 Western Sandpipers and 150 Least Sandpipers 24 Apr, following a flock of over 3000 Dunlin on 23 Apr. 100 Dunlin were joined by three Long-billed Dowitchers at Cabell Marsh 5 Apr (N Strycker). On 24 Apr ten Wilson’s Phalaropes were at the Farmer Rd wetland 24 Apr, and a Caspian Tern was at Baskett Slough (R Gerig).

Two Band-tailed Pigeons showed up on Vineyard Mtn 31 Mar (Merlin Eltzroth). 20-30 visited Karan & Jim Fairchild’s place sw. of Philomath by 9 Apr. Several showed up at Sarah Weingarten’s feeder s. of Brownsville 16 Apr, the first time she has seen them there.

Tom & Jeanne Griffith saw two owlets (with an adult perched nearby) in the Great Horned Owl nest north of the angling pond at E.E. Wilson in the week of 8 Apr. The nest seemed to be empty by 11 Apr. On 26 Apr Martha Geier and I saw two fledged juveniles in the same area.

A few Vaux’s Swifts arrived over Corvallis by 14 Apr (H Herlyn). Some were also seen by the bicycle field trip 17 Apr (ASC f.t.) and over

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Lewisburg 18 Apr (Paul Adamus).Anna’s Hummingbirds are seldom found outside of residential

neighborhoods in our area, but one was at Finley 3 Apr (E Knight). A migrant Calliope Hummingbird was in near Griggs n. of Lebanon 11 Apr (Sarah and Bill Thackaberry); males visited Tom Snetsinger’s yard near Brownsville 15 & 19 Apr.

A male Red-naped Sapsucker (rare to our area) turned up in Bill & Lena Proebsting’s Oak Creek yard 16 Apr, and promptly drove the resident Red-breasted Sapsucker off from his network of wells on cherry tree. The bird was still present through 25 Apr (B Proebst-ing; m.ob.). A male Pileated Woodpecker made an appearance on Vineyard Mtn 19 Apr (Merlin Eltzroth); one was also found at Finley 16 Apr (ASC f.t.).

Those look-alike Empidonax flycatchers or “empids” began to show up this month, providing the usual perplexing challenges. Mi-grant Hammond’s Flycatchers were detected at Finley 16 Apr (ASC f.t.), at Peavy Arboretum 21 Apr (B Altman), at Willamette Park 22 Apr (H Herlyn), and along Oak Creek 25 Apr (Randy Moore). Dusky Flycatchers, which frequent more “scrubby” habitats mainly east of the Cascade crest, are very similar to Hammond’s but give a distinctive “whit” call. I saw and heard one empid which was very probably this species at E.E. Wilson 22 Apr. Hendrik Herlyn found a vocal Dusky Flycatcher at Bald Hill Park 24 Apr. A Pacific-slope Flycatcher was at Peavy Arboretum 21 Apr (B Altman). On 22 Apr Hendrik Herlyn found several at Avery Park and Willamette Park. As if having three empids weren’t challenging enough, next month we’ll also have to watch for the similar-looking Willow Flycatchers, best identified by their sneezy “fitz-bew!” calls.

An Eastern Phoebe found by Suzanne Austin near Bald Hill in w. Corvallis 24 Apr was the first recorded in Benton Co., and only the third found in the mid-Willamette Valley (m.ob. fide J Simmons).

This year’s first Cassin’s Vireo was singing along the river path in downtown Corvallis 8 Apr (P Vanderheul). More were at Finley by 16 Apr (ASC f.t.). Hutton’s Vireos were nest-building Willamette Park 2 Apr (B Altman). The first Warbling Vireo was at Stewart Lake 22 Apr (J Simmons); another was singing along Thornton Creek in the Lincoln Co. coast range 23 Apr (Darrel Faxon).

Three Gray Jays were on Vineyard Mtn 15 Apr (M Eltzroth). A Blue Jay that wintered in Dallas was last reported 3 Apr (Bill Tice). A pair of Black-capped Chickadees were excavating a cavity at Avery Park 20 Apr (M Cutler, M Garrard).

Northern Rough-winged Swallows were at Finley 4 Apr (ASC f.t.). Cliff Swallows arrived at Finley by 3 Apr (E Knight), with 40 at the barn where they nest near the headquarters 5 Apr (N Strycker). Barn Swallows also showed up at Finley by 3 Apr (E Knight).

Bushtits were nest-building in Willamette Park 2 Apr (B Altman). Another new nest at Garryanna & 13th was in progress as of 5 Apr, but abandoned by 21 Apr (Andrea Foster). A new nest started last month at Stewart Lake, less than 10 ft from last year’s nest, but by 25 Apr the new nest was abandoned and the Bushtits were refurbishing the old nest (J Simmons).

Oregon’s earliest reported House Wren showed up at Stewart Lake 6 Apr (Bill Looney, George Weaver, J Simmons). Notably high numbers of Marsh Wrens were singing at Finley and at E.E. Wilson throughout the period. A few Ruby-crowned Kinglets continued at Willamette Park and Avery Park through 22 Apr (H Herlyn), and at E.E. Wilson through 24 Apr (M Cutler).

While surveying nestboxes at E.E. Wilson 22 Apr, I found a pair of Western Bluebirds defending a box from several pairs of Tree and Violet-green Swallows. A male bluebird had staked out a new box at Bald Hill Park by 26 Apr (M Cutler).

A pair of Townsend’s Solitaires were in a clearcut along Valsetz Rd just above Falls City 15 Apr (T Snetsinger). A Hermit Thrush visited Middle Ridge 10 Apr (R Gordin); one was on Vineyard Mtn 23 Apr (M Eltzroth). A female Varied Thrush was lingering in non-breeding habitat

at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area 4-11 Apr (Alan McGie).An American Robin nest at Stewart Lake was raided by a Western

Scrub-Jay 18 Apr and then abandoned (J Simmons). The albinistic robin at George and Ellen Moore’s yard in sw. Corvallis continued through 24 Apr; they note that, although conspicuously white, the robin shows grey down when it spreads its feathers, and has an orange breast and belly. Based on its thinness compared to most females in this season, they suspect it is a male.

I came across 25 American Pipits in a new native-prairie planting at E. E. Wilson 15 Apr. Three were still at Finley 19 Apr (N Strycker).

Orange-crowned Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers were abundant and singing throughout the month. An Orange-crowned Warbler on Middle Ridge tried to compete with Western Bluebirds for mealworms that Raylene Gordin had set out 16 Apr.

A Nashville Warbler showed up in s. Corvallis 18 Apr (Michael Dossett). On 22 Apr Hendrik Herlyn found 3 or 4 at Willamette Park 22 Apr and I saw another at E.E. Wilson. A Yellow Warbler was singing on Middle Ridge 20 Apr (R Gordin). Several turned up at Willamette Park 25 Apr (H Herlyn). The first Black-throated Gray Warbler report came from sw. of Philomath 9 Apr (Karan Fairchild). Several Hermit War-blers were on Middle Ridge 20 Apr (R Gordin). Two MacGillivray’s Warblers were at Peavy Arboretum 21 Apr (B Altman).

On 22 Apr Merlin Eltzroth watched a small stream of migrant warblers moving along Vineyard Mtn, including both Audubon’s and Myrtle forms of Yellow-rumped Warblers, as well as Orange-crowned, Black-throated Gray, and Townsend’s Warblers; even one of the resident Hutton’s Vireos got caught up in the warbler traffic.

Common Yellowthroats arrived 2 Apr on Middle Ridge (R Gordin). As usual, they seemed to be calling everywhere within a few days of the first arrivals. The first Wilson’s Warblers were at Oak Creek 14 Apr (Randy Moore). Many were at Peavy Arboretum by 21 Apr (B Altman). A male Western Tanager showed up at our place by E.E. Wilson 21 Apr.

Chipping Sparrows were at Finley 16 Apr (ASC f.t.) & 17 Apr (N Strycker). Rare west of the Cascades, a singing Brewer’s Sparrow showed up on private property near Bald Hill 24 Apr (Joe Fontaine; m.ob. fide J Simmons). Don Boucher found a Vesper Sparrow singing in the soccer fields at Willamette Park 24 Apr. On 10 Apr Savannah Spar-rows were singing from utility wires in the Griggs area n. of Lebanon, a sign that the local breeding birds had arrived. A migrant was heard at Stewart lake 22 Apr (J Simmons).

Song Sparrows were nest-building at Willamette Park through 2 Apr (B Altman). All but a few wintering Fox Sparrows and Lincoln’s Sparrows left our area by 11 Apr. One Fox Sparrow lingered at Oak Creek through 23 Apr (Bill & Lena Proebsting); another was at E.E. Wilson 24 Apr (M Cutler, P Vanderheul). A migrant Lincoln’s Spar-row popped up in rhododendrons outside Marcia Cutler’s window in Corvallis 11 Apr; two were at Finley 19 Apr (N Strycker).

A White-throated Sparrow at Oak Creek and three in nw. Corvallis stayed through the end of the period (B Proebsting; J Sim-mons). Golden-crowned Sparrows were still numerous as of 25 Apr but were clearly on the move; migrants showed up in Jamie Simmons’ yard from 19 Apr onward, and one was on Vineyard Mtn 23 Apr (M Elt-zroth). White-crowned Sparrows arrived on breeding territories sw. of Philomath by 27 Mar (K Fairchild); several migrants of the “Gambel’s” subspecies were in Willamette Park 22 Apr (H Herlyn).

The unusual Dark-eyed Junco with a white eye-ring on Vineyard Mtn continued through the period; a similar junco was seen there ten years ago so perhaps this trait is in the local gene pool (M Eltzroth).

The first Black-headed Grosbeaks arrived 22 Apr at Oak Creek (Bill and Lena Proebsting) and on Middle Ridge (R Gordin). A male Lazuli Bunting turned up in w Corvallis 24 Apr (J Simmons).

Field Notes continued on next page

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Bird IllustrationsAudubon Member Shows Art at First Alternative Co-opDon Boucher will have his bird illustrations on display during the month of June at the First Alternative Co-op store on 1007 SE Third Street. The works will be hanging at the deli eating area on the north side of the store.

Kingfisher illustration by Don Boucher

Jon Janosik Is Back In TownH. Jon Janosik who used to contribute drawings to the Chat, painted the bluebird hanging in the Corvallis Library, il-lustrated birds for the National Geographic Field Guide to North American Birds, and the Reader’s Digest book on North American Birds, and participated in our Christmas Bird Counts — is “back in town” (figuratively). Jon also created the ASC Chat logo. We can see his paintings at Peg-asus Gallery in the Old World Deli: Ruffed Grouse, Sandhill Cranes, Steller’s Jays and more, in their native habitats. I always thought he saw beauty where I hadn’t seen it. It's an eye-opening experience to look at his work.

-Frances Stilwell

Chat Editor's Swan SongDon Boucher Hands Over the ReinsThis is the last Chat with me as editor. Many thanks to Joan and Neil for volunteering. From now on, all articles, press releases, photos and artwork for the Chat will be sent to them. All bird sightings go to our Field Notes editor, Joel Geier (see back page or left column on this page). Joan and Neil's information appears on the back of the Chat but here it is for your records.

Joan Newhouse & Neil Lidstrom, 2035 SE Stone St., Corvallis, 97333, 754-3120, joanelaine@cmug.com

Western Meadowlarks were noted at Finley 5-19 Apr. A singing male Red-winged Blackbird took up his territory at Stewart Lake 19 Apr (J Simmons). A dozen Yellow-headed Blackbirds were in wetlands around Baskett Slough 24 Apr (Roy Gerig). Brown-headed Cowbirds turned up at Finley by 19 Apr (N Strycker). A Bullock’s Oriole was in Willamette Park 24 Apr (Don Boucher).

15 to 20 Pine Siskins visited Middle Ridge daily through 18 Apr (R Gordin). A singing male Lesser Goldfinch showed up in our yard near E.E. Wilson 15 Apr. Raucous flocks of Evening Grosbeaks began to appear in the elms around the OSU campus by 30 Mar; Hendrik Herlyn notes that the trees bloomed almost two weeks earlier than usual this year.

Reptilian highlights of the ASC field trip to Finley 16 Apr included Western Fence Lizards on Pigeon Butte, and a pair of Red-sided Garter Snakes entwined in courtship.

Coastal notesPhil Pickering continued his sea watches at Boiler Bay, with oc-

casional help from Wayne Hoffman. Northbound flights of “Aleutian” Cackling Geese passed Boiler Bay 19-23 Apr. A female-plumaged Long-tailed Duck joined the (mostly) northward movement of Surf Scoters and White-winged Scoters 19 Apr. The first big flight of loons this season passed Boiler Bay 17 Apr, with 300 Red-throated Loons, 3500 Pacific Loons, and one Common Loon headed north (P Pickering).

Ospreys and Bald Eagles were among highlights of a canoe trip on Siletz Bay NWR 22 Apr (Dawn Grafe). A large falcon that Janet Lamberson spotted on a log at HMSC 5 Apr was later photographed by Dave Pitkin, and judged to be a juvenile Peregrine Falcon.

16 Black-bellied Plovers joined dowitcher flocks at Boiler Bay 19 Apr, increasing to 45 on 21 Apr when 5 Semipalmated Plovers were also there; passage of Whimbrels increased from 70 on 19 Apr to 200 on 24 Apr (P Pickering). Along the coast from Seal Rock to Boiler Bay 18 Apr, Bill Thackaberry, Don MacDonald, and Fred Ramsey saw 5000 Common Murres and a 500 Pigeon Guillemots.

Purple Martins showed up at Siletz Bay NWR by 22 Apr (D Grafe). A Palm Warbler in breeding plumage was at HMSC 9 Apr (W Hoffman).

Next issuePlease let me know about your observations for the summer issue

of The Chat by 4 July.

Joel Geier, 38566 Hwy 99W, Corvallis, OR 97330-9320Telephone: (541) 745-5821 or 745-5020e-mail: jgeier@attglobal.net

Field Notescontinued from previous page

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Contributors to The ChatElzy Eltzroth, Paula Vanderheul, Lisa Millbank, Dick Bauer, Joel Geier, Masaki Hisamoto, Marcia Cutler, Frances Stilwell and Andrea FosterChat Distribution: Fran Gates, Alberta Pierce, Eleanor and Ken Kidd, Joan Siegienski and Joe Fontaine

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Discovered in the Big Woods of Arkansas

A Ghost from the Old SouthMore than 60 years after the last confirmed sighting of an ivory-billed woodpecker in the United States, researchers have evidence that the majestic bird still lives. On Febru-ary 11, 2004, a kayaker caught a glimpse of a huge and unusual woodpecker in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge of Arkansas. The encounter spurred an extensive scientific search for a species that many feared had vanished forever, driven to extinction by the destruction of southern old-growth forests.

Fleeting Glimpses of a Magnificent Bird The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and The Nature Conser-vancy led the Big Woods Conservation Partnership in a year-long search for the elusive woodpecker. The team reported multiple fleeting views of the bird, a frame-by-frame analysis of two seconds of video footage, and pos-sible recordings of the woodpecker’s distinctive double knock. This evidence has convinced many that at least one ivory-billed woodpecker survives in the Big Woods of Arkansas’ Mississippi River Delta.

“The bird captured on video is clearly an ivory-billed woodpecker,” said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and leader of the project’s research team. “Amazingly, America may have another chance to protect the future of the ivory-billed woodpecker and the awesome forests where it lives.”

Hope for the Future“Finding the ivory-bill in Arkansas validates decades of great conservation work and represents incredible hope for the future,” said Scott Simon, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Arkansas chapter. “For over 20 years, many agencies, conservation organizations, hunters, and land-owners have worked to conserve and restore the bottomland hardwood and swamp ecosystem. Now we know we must work even harder to conserve this critical habitat—not just for the ivory-billed woodpecker, but for the black bears and many other rare species of these unique woods.”Since the search began, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 18,000 acres of the Big Woods near the Cache River and White River national wildlife refuges through new land acquisitions. The 10-year goal is to restore 200,000 more acres of the Big Woods.

Taken from www.ivorybill.org

Lincoln's Sparrow at Bald Hill Park in Corvallis

Photo

by Li

sa M

illban

k

Lincoln's SparrowThe Little Brown TreasureFor the first few years of learning birds of the Willamette Valley, I was over looking this less-than-common sparrow, mistaking it for a Song Sparrow. Indeed, both species have all the same key identification features in common. An overall brown color, head striping, streaks on the breast converging to a central spot.

Looking at some secondary features can help you distinguish them. It took me a couple years to get familiar enough with both species to quickly distinguish them in the field.

-Don Boucher

Here are some features to look out

Lincoln's SparrowIs lighter than most all western Oregon Song Sparrows. It also has a buffy wash on the breast.

Song SparrowHas no buffy or yellowish colors with only gray and brown. They are also more vocal and sing readily.

"Tidy" streaksStreaks that blend together

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Audubon Society of CorvallisP.O. Box 148Corvallis, OR 97339

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The Chat is published 10 times a year by the Audubon Society of Corvallis, PO Box 148, Corvallis OR 97339. Annual ASC memberships are $20 for an individual, $25 for a family, $15 for a student. Chat-only subscriptions are $10.

Audubon Society of Corvallis

CHATthe

CalendarMay 14 Saturday local morning birding 7:30 AM**May 14 Spring North American Migratory Bird Count **May 19 General Meeting 7:30 PM, 1st Presb. Church

Dick Bauer, The Galapagos Islands.May 19-22 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge**May 21 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noon**June No Chat issue in JuneSummer No General MeetingsJune 11 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noon**June 18 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noon**July 4 Field Notes deadlineJuly 7 Chat deadline for summerJuly 9 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noon**July 16 Bat Trip to Albany, 8:30 PM**July 23 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noon**Aug 13 Saturday local morning birding

7:30 AM-noon**Aug 20 Saturday, Bicycle Birding, 9 AM-noon**Aug 22 Field Notes deadlineAug 25 Chat deadline for September

Everybody’s welcome, including nonmembers, to any ASC function* see front page** see page 67 for field trip descriptions

Audubon Society of Corvallis www.audubon.corvallis.or.us

President: Susan Haig, 1646 NW Crest Pl., Corvallis, 97330, 753-5068, sue_haig2003@yahoo.com

Vice President/Program Chair: Chris Mathews, 3336 SW Willamette Ave., Corvallis, 97333, 754-1172, mathewsc2@comcast.net

Treasurer: Judy Hays, 6920 NW Cardinal Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 745-5692, haysj@comcast.net

Secretary/Field Trip Coordinator: Paula Vanderheul, 991 NW Sequoia, Corvallis, 97330, 752-0470, vanderp@peak.org

Historian: Marcia Cutler, 835 NW Merrie Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 752-4313, mccarmel@peak.org

Board Members at Large

Hal Batchelder, 24566 Elderberry La., Philomath, 97370, 929-3537, hbatchelder@coas.oregonstate.edu

Renee Bellinger, 2492 SE Powell Pl., Corvallis, 97333, 752-1750, renee.bellinger@oregonstate.edu

Elise Elliott-Smith, 1163 NW Polk, Corvallis, 97330, 754-3906, eelliottsmith@yahoo.com

Karan Fairchild (Fund-raising), 31540 Homestead Rd., Philomath, 97370, 929-4049, alderspr@peak.org

Bill Proebsting, 7350 NW Oak Creek Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 752-0108, proebstw@science.oregonstate.edu

Claudia Regier (Refreshments), 1030 SW Sunset Dr., Corvallis, 97333, 753-0879

Dave Mellinger (alternate), 3798 NW Jameson Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 757-7953, DavidKMellinger@yahoo.com

Committees and Coordinators

Conservation Chair: Jim Fairchild, 31540 Homestead Rd., Philomath, 97370, 929-4049, alderspr@peak.org

Newsletter Editors: Joan Newhouse & Neil Lidstrom, 2035 SE Stone St., Corvallis, 97333, 754-3120, joanelaine@cmug.com

Hesthavn: Sanctuary Chair Ray Drapek, 3273 SE Hathaway, Corvallis, 97333, 754-7364, drapek@fsl.orst.edu

Bluebird Trail Chair: Tara R. Robinson, 2759 NW Angelica Dr., Corvallis, 97330. 758-9181, robinson@exchangenet.net Elsie, Eltzroth, 6980 Cardinal Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 745-7806, eltzroth@peak.org

Refuge Keeper/Sales Table: Gary Gibson, 25071 Evergreen Rd., Philomath, 97370, 929-3804, gibgrn@juno.com

Wildlife Watch Chair: Elzy Eltzroth, 6980 Cardinal Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 745-7806, eltzroth@peak.org

Education Chair: Kate Mathews, 3336 SW Willamette Ave., Corvallis, 97333, 754-1172, kate.mathews@comcast.net

Electronic Communications: Sheridan McCarthy, 2807 NW Morning Glory Dr., Corvallis, 97330, 602-1470, sheridan@larkonline.net

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Publicity Chair Bob Smythe, 2758 SW Fairmont Drive, Corvallis, 97330, 757-6357, smythe@stat.orst.edu

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Field Notes Editor: Joel Geier, 38566 Hwy 99W, Corvallis, OR 97330, 745-5821 or 745-5020, jgeier@attglobal.net