OREGON & WASHINGTON 
fall’s Washington Northern Hawk Owl inva- 
sion included a very rare westside bird at Dev- 
il’s Park, Whatcom 22 Oct (Tim Wahl), one 
viewed by many at Harts Pass, Okanogan 27 
Sep-18 Oct (K. Tran, T. Mansfield), and an un- 
expected yard bird in Cheney, Spokane 30 Oct 
(C&JC). Though assumed present, Long-eared 
Owls are rarely detected on the westside. Thus, 
singles at Scappoose, Columbia 20 Sep OO. 
and n. of Corvallis 10 Oct 0Ge)> plus 2 at Bas- 
kett Slough N.W.R., Polk 9 Nov (RN), warrant 
mention. A Short-eared Owl at Plat Island Res. 
e. of Sutherlin 21 Oct Q. Hein) was the first for 
Douglas since 1996 and just the 9th for that 
county since 1975, nearly all from this loca- 
tion. Swarms of 300 Common Nighthawks 
over Kimberly, Grant 22 Aug (D. Tracy) and 
279 near Yakima 23 Aug (S. Ray) rank among 
highest-ever counts for the Region; a record 
500+ were at Priest Rapids 14 Aug 1993. 
Multiple groups of Black Swifts were noted 
in the W.V. 30 Aug-5 Sep, with a maximum of 
12 over Corvallis 30 Aug (G. Rompre). An in- 
credible 15,560 Vaux’s Swifts roosted at Mon- 
roe, Snohomish 25 Sep (fide L. Schwitters), 
nearly quadrupling Washington’s previous 
record. Numbers at Portland’s Chapman 
School roost, the Region’s largest, peaked at 
21,000 on 15 Sep (SF). A very tardy Vaux’s 
Swift over Marymoor, King 13 Nov was Wash- 
ington’s 2nd latest on record (MH). Very rare 
w. of the Cascades, 7 White-throated Swifts 
were n. of Corvallis 4 Sep (WDR, T. Robin- 
son). Close scrutiny of a female Archilochus 
attending a Klamath Falls feeder 1-6 Sep re- 
vealed Oregon’s 2nd Ruby-throated Hum- 
mingbird (ph. D. Hewitt et ah); the first was 
at Pendleton, Umatilla in Sep 2006. Costa’s 
Hummingbirds visited Tumalo S.E, Deschutes 
(HH, L. McCoy) and Lebanon, Linn 25 Sep 
OH). A male Broad-tailed Hummingbird at 
Lebanon, Linn 5-10 Sep OH, ph. C. Whelchel) 
provided just the 2nd substantiated record for 
the W.V.; this species has been often reported 
but rarely documented in w. Oregon. 
Lewis’s Woodpeckers exploded into w. 
Washington this fall, with 15 noted 1-18 Sep, 
including a modern-day record 9 at Corking- 
dale, Skagit 2-7 Sep Q- Alt); w. Washington 
has averaged fewer than 2 per fall in recent 
decades. Eighteen Lewis’s reported from w. 
Oregon 14-26 Sep was a typical showing; 2 on 
the outer coast at Brookings 26 Sep (DM) 
were most unusual. Sixty Lewis’s around Up- 
per Klamath L. 7 Sep QY M. Christian) and 
40 roosting at Big Flat, Malheur 4 Oct (W. & 
P. Bowers) were the eastside maxima. Acorn 
Woodpeckers occasionally stray just e. of the 
Cascades, particularly into Klamath, so one at 
Klamath Falls 18 Aug (DH) was only moder- 
ately out of place. However, an Acorn at 
Frenchglen, Harney 23 Sep (G. Grier) was 
just the 2nd for se. Oregon; another was at 
Frenchglen 22 May 2004. A Williamson’s Sap- 
sucker at Washtucna, Adams 21 Sep was in 
the e. Washington lowlands, where rare (CW, 
SM). Both reports of Yellow-bellied Sapsuck- 
ers came from sapsucker-rich Frenchglen, 
Harney, where this species is nearly annual; 
one was there 14-24 Sep (AC, TR), and an- 
other appeared 7-9 Nov (ph. D. Herr). A Red- 
breasted Sapsucker at Summer L. 17 Aug (SC) 
and a Red-naped Sapsucker x Red-breasted 
Sapsucker hybrid there 7 Aug (DI, DPe) were 
about 130 km e. of Red-breasted’s range in 
Klamath. Three Red-naped x Red-breasted hy- 
brids wandered w. of the Cascades, where 
rare; singles visited Bonney L., Pierce 3 Oct 
(CW), Juanita Bay, King 21 Oct-27 Nov 
(RM), and Medford 16 Nov (G. Palmer). 
FLYCATCHERS THROUGH ViREOS 
An Olive-sided Flycatcher at Moses L., Grant 
26 Sep (DSc) was Washington’s latest ever. In 
a season marked by strays from the South- 
west, the Region’s first Greater Pewee was 
well described and heard calling but not pho- 
tographed at Edmonds, Snohomish 23 Nov 
(tDD, C. Riddell). This fits the pattern of Cal- 
ifornia records (about 40), most of which 
have occurred in late fall and winter; the 
northernmost is from Union City, Alameda. A 
Western Wood-Pewee at Juanita Park, King 
17 Oct (RM) was also record late for Wash- 
ington. Eight Least Flycatchers in e. Wash- 
ington 23 Aug-12 Sep was about twice the re- 
cent norm, while Oregon’s only Least was at 
Malheur 22 Sep (TR). Forty Hammond’s Fly- 
catchers at Washtucna 8 Sep was unprece- 
dented for Washington (SM, Dl, DS). Eastside 
Black Phoebes at Summer L., Lake 17 Aug 
(SC) and Prineville, Crook 27 Sep Q- Bernt, 
CG) were both county firsts; remarkably, the 
Summer L. bird was a fresh juv. still showing 
an orange gape, strongly suggesting that it 
hatched nearby. Ten Say’s Phoebes visiting w. 
Oregon 12 Oct-18 Nov was supranormal; the 
westside averages about 6 per fall. An Ash- 
throated Flycatcher at Sauvie 1. 26 Sep 0 - 
Fitchen) was the lone stray, about 320 km n. 
and 140 km w. of the nearest breeding sites. 
Surely one of the least-expected birds ever to 
appear in the Region, w. North America’s first 
Variegated Flycatcher enlivened Windust 
Park, Franklin 6-7 Sep (ph. M&MLD, ph. SM, 
ph. Dl). Three previous U.S. records of this 
South American species were all e. of the Mis- 
sissippi R.: Biddeford Pool, York, ME 5-11 
Nov 1977; near Reelfoot L, Obion, TN 13-15 
May 1984; and Toronto, ON 7 Oct-6 Nov 
1993. North American records of reverse-mi- 
grating Variegated Flycathers are all pre- 
sumed to be E. V. varius: this subspecies is a 
long-distance austral migrant. An above-aver- 
age 16 Tropical/Couch’s Kingbirds graced the 
Region 3 Oct+; the epicenter of activity was 
Oregon’s s. coast, which hosted 10, including 
daily maxima of 3 at N.S.C.B. 22 Oct (TR) 
and Cape Blanco 26 Oct (TW). Tropi- 
cal/Couch’s are not annual in the P.T., so 2 of 
Washington’s 3 appearing in Skagit — at Ana- 
cortes (ph. D. Freriks) and at Mt. Vernon (B. 
Hamblin) — 24 Nov was most surprising. An 
imm. Scissor- tailed Flycatcher on N.S.C.B. 24 
Nov-3 Dec (DL, KC) was the Region’s latest 
ever; this species has been annual of late in 
Oregon, which has about 18 prior records. 
The 200+ Loggerhead Shrikes tallied dur- 
ing an 8-11 Aug trip through se. Oregon in- 
cluded many family groups of 3-4 birds (Dl, 
DPe); given their declining North American 
population, this is encouraging news. A very 
rare coastal Loggerhead, at Seaside 20 Sep 
(A&CH, ES), was the lone report on the west- 
side, which averages 1-2 per fall. Fifteen-plus 
Northern Shrikes in w. Oregon 7 Oct+ was 
above average; 8-10 represents a typical fall. 
Washington’s 2nd Bell’s Vireo graced Wash- 
tucna, Adams 6 Sep (tDl, tSM); the amount of 
tail-wagging observed points to one of the w. 
subspecies and, based on overall coloration, it 
appeared more likely arizonae than pusillus. A 
Cassin’s Vireo at Bandon 28 Nov (RHo) was 
about six weeks late. Single Blue-headed Vire- 
os that appeared at Lyons Ferry, Franklin 7 Sep 
(ph. SM; ph., tDI) and Windust Park 9 Sep 
(tEH) would be just the 5th and 6th for 
Washington, pending acceptance by the 
Washington B.R.C. Adding to the assortment 
of unexpected vireos, a Hutton’s Vireo made 
an extremely rare appearance at Washtucna 30 
Aug (SM); their range barely reaches e. of the 
Cascades in w. Klickitat. Washington’s latest 
Warbling Vireo lingered at Everett 25 Oct 
(SM); Warbling records after Sep are few. Red- 
eyed Vireos are uncommon migrants in e. 
Washington but somewhat rarer in e. Oregon; 
thus singles at Malheur 16 Sep (TR) and 23 
Sep (AC) were newsworthy. Six Red-eyeds at 
four W.V locales 1-20 Sep were near known 
breeding sites and likely dispersing local 
nesters; migrants are very rare in w. Oregon. 
JAYS THROUGH WAGTAILS 
Rare in w. Washington, single Blue Jays visited 
Neah Bay, Clallam 20 Sep (S. Atkinson) and La 
Conner, Skagit 11 Oct+ (W. Ross, A Mesman). 
Five in e. Washington 29 Sep-19 Nov was typ- 
ical for fall. Downslope movements precipitat- 
ed 50+ reports of Clark’s Nutcrackers in the e. 
Washington lowlands Aug-Oct. Two on 
Marys Peak, Benton 28 Oct (B. &J. Beilin) and 
another at Orcas I., San Juan 12 Oct (K. Knit- 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
147 
