[ORyoungbirder] Unusual birds in Philomath

[Karl Fairchild]

Hi Josh and others,

Very cool sighting!  It is quite possible that they were terns, 
especially if you noticed a forked tail.  If you noticed a deeply forked 
tail like a Barn Swallow, and no obvious large red beak, they were 
likely Common or Forster's.  Both these species are migrating now and 
their movements are poorly understood at best, especially Common.  This 
spring's weird weather has also been conducive to migrants showing up in 
odd places.

In case you're all wondering where I have been, I have been doing a 
full-time internship in Ashland this term as my undergraduate career 
starts wrapping up.  I'm banding birds with the Klamath Bird Observatory 
and it's been a great experience.  They will definitely be looking for 
interns again next May thru Sept (even though my internship is just 
early Apr-late May) and based on my experiences so far, I highly 
recommend it.  I've caught and held W. Scrub-jays, Hermit Thurshes, 
gorgeous male Western Tanagers, feisty Black-capped Chickadees, Bewick's 
Wrens, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Yellow-rumped, Yellow and Wilson's 
Warblers (more of the OCWAs and WIWAs than I could imagine), Common 
Yellowthroats, Spotted Towhees, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed 
Cowbirds, several varieties of finches and Empidonax flycatchers, and 
many more!  It is great to learn about the physiology and not just the 
ecology of birds.  Birding in the Rogue Valley has also been good as 
well, and I recently went to Table Rocks to see CALIFORNIA TOWHEES and 
get great looks at singing a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER.

Noah Strycker and I recently did a Lincoln County big day and got 141 
species, one short of the record.  The weather was not our friend and 
hampered much of the early morning rush.  But highlights did include 
close-up looks at a couple breeding plumaged RUDDY TURNSTONES, plus a 
ridiculously late CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. Both of these were seen at the 
Hatfield Marine Science Center.  I think the best part of the day, 
though was at 1:45 AM, waiting to meet Noah at the Hwy 20-34 junction.  
I was waiting near a mill and I could see a flock of GREATER 
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE overhead in the mill lights, so I was looking up 
with binoculars.  Just then, a beat-up pickup full of young guys passed 
me on the highway to see me looking up into the night sky with 
binoculars.  They slowed down and looked rather baffled before 
continuing on.  I can only wonder what was going through their minds.

Happy Spring Migration and Good Birding!
Karl

Karl Fairchild
currently Central Point, OR
23