Bird Alliance of Oregon Backyard BioBlitz Report: June 16, 2020

By Bob Sallinger, Conservation Director

Thank you for participating in week seven of the Bird Alliance of Oregon Backyard BioBlitz. 

We had 70 reports submitted in the sixth week of the Backyard BioBlitz. We have summarized the data from the first eight weeks below so that you can see what other folks are seeing. This week we had 84 participants.

The following is a summary of species reported on April 28, May 4, May 12, May 19, May 26, June 2, June 9 and June 16.(Species and the percent of participants reporting. (— indicates that species was not tracked this week)

A Black-capped Chickadee perches on a mossy broken branch.
Black-capped Chickadee, photo by Mick Thompson

Birds April 28 May 4 May 12 May 19 May 26 June 2 June 9 June 16
American Robin 76% 53% 55% 56% 48% 54% 57% 62%
American Crow 72% 71% 76% 76% 71% 82% 74% 73%
Black-capped Chickadee 66% 67% 65% 64% 64% 74% 78% 78%
Anna’s Hummingbird 62% 73% 71% 71% 76% 78% 65% 77%
Dark-eyed Junco 56% 57% 54% 58% 62% 55% 64% 59%
Song Sparrow 53% 60% 68% 60% 69% 63% 64% 67%
California Scrub Jay 49% 42% 42% 45% 34% 41% 37% 37%
House Finch 46% 55% 55% 56% 56% 61% 61% 58%
Spotted Towhee 44% 35% 52% 48% 49% 50% 56% 58%
Steller’s Jay 40% 40% 37% 39% 46% 40% 43% 31%
Bushtit 37% 34% 27% 24% 25% 23% 21% 31%
Mourning Dove 30% 20% 25% 26% 22% 7% 20% 23%
Lesser Goldfinch 30% 43% 40% 41% 42% 50% 37% 44%
Downy Woodpecker 29% 24% 27% 36% 18% 28% 29% 30%
American Goldfinch 29% 38% 24% 27% 32% 29% 27% 27%
European Starling 26% 30% 34% 33% 25% 37% 30% 26%
Red-breasted Nuthatch 25% 26% 26% 25% 26% 38% 43% 39%
Bewick’s Wren 22% 15% 17% 22% 15% 14% 17% 18%
House Sparrow 22% 23% 21% 19% 21% 20% 19% 21%
Rufous Hummingbird 21% 32% 14% 19% 16% 16% 21% 24%
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20% 6% 1% 1% 0% 1% 0% <1%
Mallard 18% 12% 12% 13% 7% 9% 2% 2%
White-crowned Sparrow 16% 14% 13% 9% 11% 7% 6% 8%
Red-tailed Hawk 15% 7% 5% 7% 6% 8% 2% 7%
Canada Goose 15% 10% 5% 11% 5% 3% 1% 0%
Pine Siskin 13% 14% 5% 7% 10% 7% 4% 12%
Vaux Swift 12% 15% 13% 12% 9% 11% 6% 2%
Red-breasted Sapsucker 10% 5% 7% 3% 6% 9% 6% 8%
Hairy Woodpecker 8% 9% 8% 7% 8% 4% 4% 11%
Band-tailed Pigeon 8% 6% 6% 5% 7% 6% 13% 6%
Great Blue Heron 8% 4% 3% 9% 2% 7% 1% 5%
Black-headed Grosbeak 7% 6% 24% 22% 23% 21% 27% 25%
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7% 3% 2% 0% 1% 0% 1% 0%
Northern Flicker 6% 20% 8% 15% 25% 37% 41% 42%
Tree Swallow 6% 4% 6% 5% 7% 8% 0% 10%
Cooper’s Hawk 5% 5% 2% 4% 2% 5% 3% 5%
Brown Creeper 5% 4% 3% 3% 0% 1% 3% 5%
Pileated Woodpecker 5% 4% 25% 2% 6% 1% 4% 0%
Violet-green Swallow 4% 3% 5% 5% 7% 5% 6% 6%
Wilson’s Warbler  4% 9% 4% 1% 3% 1% 0% <1%
Orange-crowned Warbler 4% 6% 2% 1% 2% 0% 0% <1%
Raven 4% 3% 5% 5% 6% 3% 9% <1%
Western Tanager 3% 2% 10% 7% 7% 3% 0% 4%
Barred Owl 3% 2% 2% 4% 2% 2% 1% 2%
Barn Swallow 2% 2% 1% 6% 2% 2% 6% 4%
Golden Crowned Sparrow 2% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2% 2% 1% 2% 2% 1% 1% 0%
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1% 2% 1% 4% 1% 1% 0% 2%
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1% 3% 2% 7% 18% 23% 23% 30%
Western Screech Owl <1% 0% 0% 1% 0% 2% 1% <1%
Green Heron <1% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Peacock <1% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Bald Eagle <1% <1% 1% 2% 1% 3% 0% <1%
Belted Kingfisher <1% <1% 1% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0%
Eurasian Collared Dove <1% <1% 1% 1% 7% 8% 7% 8%
Turkey Vulture <1% 2% 1% 3% 0% 0% 3% <1%
White-breasted Nuthatch <1% <1% 1% 3% 4% 7% 1% 7%
Red-winged Blackbird <1% <1% 1% 2% 3% 5% 9% 5%
Purple Finch <1% <1% 1% 2% 5% 5% 13% 7%
Hermit Thrush <1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Ring-necked Pheasant <1% 1% 0% 0% 0% 1% 2%
Evening Grosbeak 5% 8% 9% 4% 0%
Rock Dove 3% 3% 1% 2%
Cedar Waxwing 9% 3% 6% 6%

Also seen week of May 4: Turkey Vulture, Rock Dove, Purple Finch, Warbling Vireo, Cowbird, American Kestrel, Wood Duck, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Winter Wren, Osprey, White Pelican

Also seen the week of May 12: Northern Oriole, Great Horned Owl, Wood Ducks, Chipping Sparrow, Rock Dove, Brown-headed Cowbird, Evening Grosbeak, Black Chinned Hummingbird

Also seen week of May 19: Cowbird, Mountain Chickadee, Pacific Wren , Red-winged Blackbird, Mountain Chickadee, Brewer’s Blackbird, Swainson’s Thrush, Wood Duck, Killdeer, Cedar Waxwing, Osprey

Also seen week of May 26: Cedar Waxwing, Bullock’s Oriole, House Wren, Varied Thrush. Willow Flycatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Swainsons Thrush

Also seen week of June 2: Varied Thrush, Brown Headed Cowbird, Willow Flycatcher, Osprey, Fox Sparrow

Also seen week of June 9:  Chipping Sparrow, Calliope Hummingbird, Common Yellowthroat,  Townsend’s Warbler

Also seen week of June 16: Common Yellowthroat, Wood Pewee, Wood Duck, Barn Owl, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Varied Thrush, Cassin Finch, Osprey, Pacific Wren, Western Bluebird, Swanson’s Thrush

Mammals April 28 May 4 May 12 May 19 May 26 June 2 June 9 June 16
Eastern Gray Squirrel 39% 50% 53% 66% 58% 62% 63% 57%
Free-roaming Cat 23% 29% 21% 26% 25% 32% 26% 24%
Fox Squirrel 23% 25% 29% 28% 22% 25% 23% 30%
Douglas Squirrel 15% 20% 24% 25% 22% 26% 24% 19%
Bat Species  5% 4% 2% 5% 2% 1% 2% 1%
Raccoon 3% 5% 8% 11% 8% 11% 4% 11%
Coyote 3% 1% 2% 3% 1% 1% 1% 5%
Opossum <1% 2% 3% 3% 2% 2% 0% 2%
Red Fox <1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Beaver <0% 0% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
River Otter 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Brush / E. Cottontail 11% 20% 17% 11% 23%
Black-tailed Deer 3% 1% 1% 2% 5%
Townsend’s Chipmunk 5% 7% 3% 10% 6%
Striped Skunk 2% 0% 0% 2% 4%

Also seen on April 28: Brush Rabbit, Chipmunk, Norway Rat, Grey Fox, Nutria, California Ground Squirrel

Also seen on May 4: Townsend’s chipmunk, striped skunk, brush rabbit, eastern cottontail rabbit, mole, deer

Also seen on May 12: Townsend’s Chipmunk, Brush Rabbit

Also seen on May 19: Nutria, Mole

Also seen on May 26: Vole species, dog

Also seen June 2: California Ground Squirrel. Mice species, Vole species, Nutria

Also Seen week of June 16: Muskrat, Rats, Bobcat (heard)

 

Insects April 28 May 4 May 12 May 19 May 26 June 2 June 9 June 16
Bumblebee 46% 59% 51% 60% 60% 71% 46% 46%
Honey Bee 37% 47% 47% 51% 61% 65% 43% 46%
Mason Bee 23% 29% 20% 15% 11% 17% 5% 8%
Common Green Darner 1% 4% 2% 1% 0% 8% 0% <1%
White Cabbage Moth <1% 2% 1% 3% 16% 9% 6%
White Cabbage Moth 14% 16% 11% 21%

Other insects observed on May 4: White cabbage moths, earwig, phidippus jumping spider, stinkbug, wasp, lady bugs, box elder bugs, gnats, crane flies, painted lady butterfly, various ant species, various moth species, various butterfly species, various spider species,

Other insects observed on May 12: White Cabbage Moths, Crane Fly, various wasp species, various spider species. Various fly species, various ant species

Other insects observed on May 19: Spider species, Cucumber Beetles,  Hoverflies, Water Strider, Sweat Bees, Wasps Syrphid  Flies. Ladybugs, Fly Species, Ant Species, White Cabbage Moths, Cranefly

Other species observed on May 25: Spiders, Moths, Flies, Cucumber Beetles

Other species observed on June 2: Damsel Fly. Spiders, Ants, Ladybugs. Dragonflies (Common Whitetail), Hover fly, Sweat Bee, Cutworm Moths, Soldier Beetles, Various Butterfly Species

Also seen June 16: Damselfly, Ants, Beetle (sp), Buprestid Beetle, Soldier Beetles, Dragonfly (sp), Ladybug

Other species observed on June 9: Wasp, House fly, Damselfly, Ladybug, Dragonflies

Reptiles and Amphibians Observed:

Week of May 4: Ensatina Salamander

Week of May 12: Garter Snake

Week of June 2: Garter Snake

Week of June 16: Garter Snake

Photo of the Week

Osprey feeding young, posted by Melissa Freels on the Backyard BioBlitz Facebook page.

Osprey, photo by Melissa Freels

Tip of the Week: Cats

Almost every week, approximately a quarter of participants in the Backyard BioBlitz observed cats while they are doing their surveys. Free roaming cats pose huge challenges for bird, especially during nesting season when young birds are easy prey. The number one cause of intake at Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Car Center at this time of year is “caught by cat.”  Bird Alliance of Oregon has partnered with the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon for many years to develop humane, ecologically responsible solutions to reduce the threat from free roaming cats. This week we will be posting  a video playlist of innovative catios  from our annual Catio Tour. Catios are a great way to let your cat outside but also keep both your cat and birds safe. To learn more about Cations go here: https://www.catssafeathome.org/events

To Participate in the Bird Alliance of Oregon Backyard BioBlitz, click here.

To Learn More:

Bird Alliance of Oregon BioBlitz Facebook Group Page: You can post pictures, information or questions about what you are seeing at any time on our Backyard BioBlitz Facebook Group Page. We are also posting information and opportunities to learn more about the region’s wildlife here as well.

Ask a Birder: Every Wednesday from 7-8 pm, Bird Alliance of Oregon experts will be online talking about the birds that are passing through our region and answering questions. Learn more.

Species Shout Out: Short 2 minute presentations on local bird species with Bird Alliance of Oregon naturalist, Greg Smith. This week’s species: Downy Woodpecker.

Need Birdfeeding Supplies?  The Bird Alliance of Oregon Nature Store is now online! Everything from feeders to birdseed and suet to guides and optics is available for online purchase and can be either shipped or picked-up curbside.