Oregon & Washington 
David Irons 
Douglas Schonewald 
Brad Waggoner 
BillTweit 
cc T T otter” and “drier” generally char- 
I I acterized both states for much of 
J_the season, particularly in Wash- 
ington, which had its eighth hottest July ever. 
It was wetter than normal in Oregon during 
June, but much of the state dried out in July. 
Rarities showed well, with one addition to the 
Oregon list, one seasonal first, and two birds, 
including a swallow hybrid, that had only 
been recorded once previously in the Region. 
After several consecutive summer seasons of 
negative data, it appears that one of the Re- 
gion’s most fragile breeding populations has 
been extirpated. Nesting populations of sev- 
eral duck species, many of which have only 
begun breeding on the westside over the past 
10-15 years, gained further footholds. 
Abbrevations: Ankeny (Ankeny N.W.R., Mar- 
ion); Baskett Slough (Baskett Slough N.W.R., 
Polk); E.E.W. (E. E. Wilson W.M.A., Benton); 
Einley (William L. Einley N.W.R., Benton); 
ER.R. (Fern Ridge Res., Lane); N.S.C.B. 
(North Spit Coos Bay, Coos); O.S. (Ocean 
Shores, Grays Harbor); P.N.P. (Pt. No Point, 
Kitsap); PS.B. (Port Susan Bay, Snohomish); 
PT. (Puget Trough); W.W.R.D. (Walla Walla 
R. delta, Walla Walla); W. V. (Willamette Val- 
ley, Oregon). “Eastside” and “westside” indi- 
cate locations e. and w. of the Cascade crest, 
respectively. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH CRANES 
Eight Greater White-fronted Geese, Regional- 
ly rare during summer, were reported from 
four westside locations 6-15 Jun; these, along 
with 4 at Bonanza, Klamath 18 Jun O^M), 
were considered late northbound birds. Two 
Greater White-fronteds at ER.R. 2 Jul+ 0- Sul- 
livan) likely summered. Three Ross’s Geese 
tarried at Beulah Res., Malheur (TJ et al), 
while additional singles at Bonanza 18 Jun 
QVM) and Burns, Harney 1 Jun-11 Jul 
(m.ob.) were thought to be sick or injured. A 
late northbound flock of 24 Cackling Geese 
was at Ridgefield 3 Jun (fide CW). A lone min- 
ima Cackling inhabited Portland’s Crystal 
Springs Park 18 Jun (A. Frank), and 2 were 
on N.S.C.B. 6 Jul QB); these reports add to 
just seven prior summer records, all since 
2005. Brant were present in above-normal 
numbers in both states, with maxima of 24 at 
O.S. 17 Jun (RM, BW, TA) and 16 at Tillam- 
ook Bay 2 Jun QL)- Five at Skamania Landing 
along the Columbia R., Skamania 22 Jun (B. 
Cady) constituted the first inland summer 
record for the Region. After 30-i- years of soli- 
tary residence at Turnbull N.W.R., a Trum- 
peter Swan affectionately known as “Solo” 
surprised local observers by not only finding 
a mate but also producing 4 cygnets during 
Jun (CC). 
Fifty-plus Gadwall summered on N.S.C.B., 
where they are now firmly entrenched as 
breeders (TR). With only a few previous Wash- 
ington records, a Mallard x Gadwall (“Brewer’s 
Duck”) near LaConner, Skagit 16 Jul was note- 
worthy and may possibly represent the first 
summer record for this cross (GB). Three 
Eurasian Wigeons, detected 
20 Jun-r, added to just five 
prior summer records (all 
since 2001); singles were at 
PS.B. 20 Jun (ph. SM) and 
Ridgefield 21 Jun (fide CW). 
A male Eurasian banded and 
fitted with a satellite trans- 
mitter near Tule Lake 
N.W.R., California during 
the winter season remained 
in e. Washington through 
the period after first appear- 
ing at Rock L., Whitman 25 
Jun (fide CC). The westward 
movements of this bird were 
tracked online (<http://www. 
werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/ewigeon/maps.html>) 
as it made multiple stops before eventually set- 
tling in 77 km away at Potholes Res., Grant 9- 
30 Jul (DS). Six American Wigeons at ER.R. 20 
Jun (DI) were at a site where they are not 
known as breeders. An exceptional westside 
tally of 120 Blue-winged Teal was at PS.B. 7 
Jun (SM); females with broods at N.S.C.B. 26- 
27 Jun (JB, TR) provided the 3rd and 4th nest- 
ing records for Coos. Broods of Green-winged 
Teal, scarce westside breeders, were at Everett 
22 Jun (SM), Deer Lagoon, Island 27 Jun (SM), 
and near Swantown L., Island 11 Jul (SM). A 
Canvasback, not annual on the westside in 
summer, resided at Hoquiam, Grays Harbor 17 
Jun+ (BW, RM, TA). A Ring-necked Duck x 
scaup hybrid at L. Lenore, Grant 3 Jul (tSM, 
DS) provided the first summer record of this 
cross for the Region and also the first e. of the 
Cascades. Single Greater Scaup, now nearly 
annual on the eastside during summer, were at 
the Burns S.T.P. 2 Jun (TJ) and the Coulee City 
S.T.P., Grant 3 Jul (SM, DS); nearly all records 
are from deeper water locations at which this 
species winters in numbers. Similarly, a single 
Greater at ER.R. 16-20 Jun (Dl) was an unex- 
pected summer visitor in the Willamette Val- 
ley. Lesser Scaup produced three broods at 
Swantown L. 11 Jul (SM) and seven broods at 
Deer Lagoon 25 Jul (SM); they are generally 
scarce westside breeders. A King Eider, Wash- 
ington’s 19th and only the 2nd summer record, 
enlivened O.S. 2 Jul + (H. Vail); most records 
have occurred late Oct through early May, with 
only four occurring since 1989. Long-tailed 
Ducks are not annual in the Region during 
summer, thus one at O.S. 8-18 Jul was note- 
worthy (BS). The congregation of 150 Buffle- 
heads on Agency L., Klamath 5 Jul (AS, ES) 
provides a record summer count for the east- 
side, where this species is a rare but local 
breeder. In recent years. Common Goldeneyes 
have proven to be rare but annual during Jun 
in e. Oregon; 5 were reported from four Har- 
ney/Malheur locations 1-6 Jun (TJ et al). A 
Red-breasted Merganser near Adrian, Malheur 
5 Jun (TJ) made just the 7th summer record e. 
of the Cascades. 
The traditional gathering of non-breeding 
Western Grebes at Seaside, Clatsop held 600+ 
birds 9 Jul (MP). Only 4 Clark’s Grebes were 
reported on the westside away from ER.R., 
which has a breeding population of 15-20 
pairs. The season’s only Manx Shearwater was 
seen at Boiler Bay 14 Jun (W. Hoffman). Large 
numbers of American White Pelicans again 
wandered around the W.V, with 35 as far n. as 
Ridgefield, Clark (R. Windemuth) and maxi- 
ma of 100+ at ER.R. 16 Jun (DI), 58 at Finley 
This first-year female King Eider found at Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor County 2 (here 
3) July 2009 remained through the summer period. Only two of Washington's 19 
records have occurred in summer. Photograph by Gregg Thompson. 
646 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
