Bird Alliance of Oregon Backyard BioBlitz Report: May 26, 2020

By Bob Sallinger, Conservation Director

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

We had 87 reports submitted in the fifth week of the Backyard BioBlitz. We will be continuing to do the BioBlitz each Tuesday for the rest of the summer so please keep participating and inviting your friends. We have summarized the data from the first four weeks below so that you can see what other folks are seeing. 

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

Song Sparrow, photo by Mick Thompson

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

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

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

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

 

Insects April 28 May 4 May 12 May 19 May 26
Bumblebee 46% 59% 51% 60% 60%
Honey Bee 37% 47% 47% 51% 61%
Mason Bee 23% 29% 20% 15% 11%
Common Green Darner 1% 4% 2% 1% 0%
White Cabbage Moth 14%

 

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

Reptiles and Amphibians Observed:

Week of May 4: Ensatina Salamander

Week of May 12: Garter Snake

Photo of the Week

Northern Flicker posted by Vicky Smith. If you’d like to share your photos, please post them on the Backyard BioBlitz Facebook page.

Tip of the Week: Fledgling Crows

Portland is home to a huge population of crows and they are one of the visible bird species on the urban landscape. This time of year, many crows are beginning to leave the nest and learn how to fly. They will often spend several days on the ground before really taking flight. The parents and siblings from last year will care for them during this time period, bringing them food and driving away threats. It is important to leave young crows along when they are going through this process. Young crows will often stay with their families for as much a year. Removing them from the wild during this period will deny them the family support they will need to survive in the long run.

Unless a young crow is injured it should be left along for the family to care for. People often mistake fledgling crows for adults since they are nearly full size when they leave the nest. One way to tell of a crow is a youngster is to look for blue eyes—young crows have blue eyes whereas adults have dark eyes. However, even if you cannot see the eyes, if you see a crow on the ground during June it is probably a fledgling going through a natural and important fledging process. To learn more about urban crows, click here.

Fledgling Crow by Bob Sallinger

Video of the Week

Check out this amazing daytime and nighttime footage taken by Steve Berliner of a family of coyotes along the Willamette River

Screen grab from video by Steve Berliner

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.

Learn About Birds that Are Passing through Portland on Migration: Each week Bird Alliance of Oregon naturalist Dan van den Broek provides information about the species you are likely to see passing through. 

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.