Outside my 5MR

Most of my birding lately has been defined by “inside my 5MR” and “outside my 5MR.’ The “5MR” is a 5 mile radius for birding around a set point (in my case my house), a trend Jen Sanford started to inspire more local birding, drive less and bird more. It’s really caught on. Of course some birds are too tempting and it’s okay to stray outside the circle sometimes.

Rules were meant to be broken for Sagebrush Sparrows that show up outside the radius! Colby Neuman has been a superstar in Multnomah County this year. He found this bird, as well as a Brewer’s Sparrow and two Vesper Sparrows at a small patch in Troutdale between a huge FedEx building and a newly constructed Amazon Warehouse. (Sigh).

Not long after, Ezra Cohen, a young birder found a Burrowing Owl trying to navigate its way around the Amazon facility and parking lot. It is thought that some eastern species were pushed farther west this year due to heavy snow levels. I missed the Brewer’s, Vesper’s, *and* Burrowing, but I managed to see one of (three!) Loggerhead Shrikes at Sandy River Delta Park.

I tried hard to find one in my 5MR (even tried to turn some scrub-jays into shrikes) but I couldn’t make it happen.

Another fun chase was to Blueberry Rd near Corvallis where a trio of amazing birds were hanging out. Together in a farm field were a Lapland Longspur.

A Snow Bunting.

Which thankfully was still there because this bright bird led me to find my lifer Chestnut-collared Longspur!

I’m sure it’s gorgeous in breeding plumage, but here it blended in perfectly with the grass and stubble. I had more of a chance to see a Chestnut-collared Longspur in Arizona than in Oregon, but there I sat looking at one in Linn County. True story. And totally worth it.

Last week I took a trip outside my 5MR to Yamhill County when news of a Harris’s Sparrow popped up. I really like these sparrows and it is a (secret not so secret) dream of mine to someday see one in every county in Oregon (6 down, many more to go). Because Yamhill is notoriously a difficult birding county this was worth a try. Plus, I had only one bird species in the county (a 2018 Turkey Vulture flyover) so a Big Yamhill Day it was!

But the Harris’s Sparrow wasn’t cooperative. It had been seen the prior morning easily, but after a long wait at the appropriate spot, there was no sign of it.

A little bummed since I took the day off from work, I left to look at ducks. Because ducks don’t let you down. Not far down the road I found my FOY Greater Yellowlegs and a pair of Wilson’s Snipe!

Snipe make everything better. From here I checked out some Yamhill “hotspots” including Sheldon’s Marsh, inaccessible by foot, but Marsh Wren and Virginia Rail can be heard from the road. One of the more productive hotspots is South Side Park in Sheridan because you can scope the (restricted) nearby water treatment ponds. I saw my first of three Black Phoebes that I found in the county here.

Huddleston Fish Pond was a little less productive, it was covered in Yellow-rumped Warblers, and I spotted a pair of Osprey at the far end of the pond on a pretty big nest.

At this point it was late afternoon, big decision time. Do I continue to my final planned destination McGuire Reservoir, call it a day, or retry for the Harris’s? Questioning my life’s choices, I opted for the sparrow again, and I’m so glad I did!

It refused to come out of the shrubs, but it was there and singing!

It was the first time I’ve heard one sing, and I’m impressed that I noticed the tune coming out of the bushes because it’s much more complex than what I’ve heard from the Sibley App (my recordings in this eBird checklist).

Feeling like I could do no wrong after this, I headed up to McGuire Reservoir in the coast mountain range for some Yamhill County forest birds. Mind the deer crossing the road along the way.

The reservoir is a quiet beautiful spot, though it is mostly fenced off since it’s McMinneville’s water source.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t scope for birds from the road. I was hoping for a loon, but instead found the expected Hooded Mergansers.

And in the trees surrounding the reservoir I found common forest birds, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and I was especially pleased to find a Yamhill County Varied Thrush.

On the return drive out, I saw chickens on the side of the road. I thought “fancy Chukars?” No way!!! Mountain Quail!!

I’ve only heard MOUQ two years ago, never seen. I pulled over to get better pics but a truck sped by and the pair hurried down the hillside. It was still a fun sighting. And a good reminder that exploring rather than chasing can be even more rewarding sometimes.

I ended at 62 species for the day, including a couple of pretty darn good birds, bringing my Yamhill County total to 63. Glad I made the trip!

Tweets and chirps,

Audrey