Page:Condor18(2).djvu/38

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

76 THE CONDOR Vol. XVIII along the beach near Cape Mears and over Netarts Bay. During the winter they secure an abundance of food on Netarts Bay by catching the wounded ducks left by hunters, and in the summer by making raids on the large colonies of sea birds on Three Arch Rocks, a few hundred yards off Cape Mears. Falco sparverlus phalaena. Desert Sparrow Hawk. These little hawks are most common in the agricultural districts around Tillamook and along the Nehalem River. Specimens were secured in the fields above Netarts Bay during May, 1913. Aluco pratincola. Barn Owl. On September 11, 1912, I saw three live Barn Owls in a cage on a farm near Tillamook, that had bean captured nearby when they lef? their nest in a large hollow fir stump, during the previous July. The man who had them told me he had killed three or four others when he captured the ones he had in captivity. This is the only record I know of the occurrence of this owl in Tillamook County. $trlx occidentall? caurlna. Northern Spotted Owl. One of these owls, a male bird, was shot April 12, 1914, in a dense spruce thicket in a deep canyon, about three hundred yards back from the ocean beach at Netarts. It came to within ten feet of me when ! was squeaking to attract a pine squirrel The owl when killed smelled strongly of skunk. 'It showed no signs of breeding. Otus asio kennicotti. Kennicott Screech Owl. On December 5, 1913, O. J. Murie caught one of these owls in a trap baited with the skinned bodies of some small birds, set close to the water along Fall Creek at Netarts. Bubo virginianus saturatus. Dusky Horned Owl. These owls are fairly common in the heavy forests of Tillamook County. During May, 1913, they were often heard hooting in the woods back of'the hotel at Netarts. At Cape Lookout, during January, 1915, I saw a pair of wings cut from one that had been killed when raid?'mg the farmer's chicken house. A specimen killed by S. G. Reed on Neahakanie Mountain, October 25, 1914, is now in aur collection. Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. Common along the many streams in Tillamook County, and often seen along the wooded shores of the bays. A nest found in a bank along Tillamook River contained large young on May 25, 1913. This species has been recorded in November, December, and March, and is probably a regular resident. Dryobates villosus harrisi. Harris Woodpecker. This woodpecker is common at all times in the heavy wooded sections all over the county.

Dryobates' pubescens' galrdnerh Gairdner Woodpecker. For some unaccountable 

reason this species seems to be uncommon in this section of the state. I have only one record, that of a male shot on December 5, 1913, from an alder tree on the camp ground at Netarts. $phyrapicus tuber notkensis. Northern Red-breasted Sapsucker. The well-known marks made by this species on fruit trees can be seen in all old orchards in Tillamook Valley. It has not been found in the immediate vicinity of the ocean beach, but is com- mon enough inland. Phloeotomus plleatus ableticola. ' Northern Pileated Woodpecker. This large wood- pecker is not as common as would be expected in a country so well timbered. On May 14, 1913, one was shot in the timber back Of Netarts Bay. George Russell collected one about four miles south of Tillamook on March 28, 1914. I heard the species calling in the timber on Neahakanie Mountain on August 14, 1914. Colaptes caret saturatior. Northwestern Flicker. The flickers found in this humid coast belt are referable to this form. They average slightly darker in coloration than those from Portland, and much darker than specimens from the Willamette Valley. This species is common over the entire region and is often found feeding among the drift wood along the ocean beach. Choralelies virginianus hesperIs. Pacific Nighthawk. Between August 13 and 16, 1914, several of these nighthawks were seen during the evenings flying about over the fields at Tillamook and Netarts. Chaetura vauxi. Vaux Swift. This swift is a very common summer resident in the valleys of Tillamook County. I found the birds common at Batterson on the Nehalem River on August 31, 1912; during May, 1913, and June, 1914, they were common near Tillamook. $elasphorus rufus. Rufus Hummingbird. The arrival of these hummingbirds in the spring is coincident with the blooming of the wild currant and salmon-berry bushes, usually about the middle of March. On March 10, 1913, the first one of the season was