Over the weekend there have been a few reports of MacGillivray’s, Wilson’s, Nashville and Hermit Warbler, somewhere in Oregon a Western Kingbird, the first report of a Cassin’s Vireo, and a few “Western” Flycatchers. Shorebirds are beginning to build in numbers as they move through.
Out on Sauvie Island (where i spent my weekend) Sandhill Crane numbers are way down as are most waterfowl numbers. I haven’t seen a Canvasback or Ruddy Duck for a few weeks now and Scaup and Bufflehead are hard to come by. Double-crested Cormorants are gone, and a few A. White Pelicans are moving through — probably on their way to the recently established breeding colony on the lower Columbia.
Last night’s radar (KRTX) was lit up solid green. The stable, calm weather as a new ridge establishes is providing a nice set of flight conditions and the birds are taking advantage. I threw in a loop of the Medford (KMAX) radar because it’s rare to see such density from this station.
Update: Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, and Western Tanager have made it to the Willamette Valley.
- Base Reflectivity – KMAX
- Base Reflectivity – KRTX