Birders’ passion for winged creatures often segregates them from their non-birding peers. Indeed, a birder’s best friend is often another birder. Who else, but a fellow fanatic, would voluntarily join a birder on the south jetty of Yaquina Bay while gale-force winds blast them shoreward, all to catch a glimpse of an unusual duck? The appeal of wild nature often reaches beyond flora and fauna, and the appeal of birding in particular heightens one’s awareness of weather.

Yellow-billed Loons visit the Oregon Coast each winter in small numbers.

People misunderstand weather, and they often assign it very inappropriate descriptors. For example, there is no such thing as “bad” or “good” weather. Defined as, “the state of the atmosphere at a given moment,” weather can only be interpreted. The simplest interpretation of the weather might sound something like this: “Overcast skies, 5 mph winds out of the northwest, temperature of 53 degrees F, and 65 percent humidity.” This weather might be described as “bad for getting a suntan,” or “good for photography,” but just calling it “bad” or “good” is simply lazy.

During a recent El Nino episode, a storm blew small numbers of Bristle-thighed Curlews into the Oregon Coast from their Central Pacific Ocean migration route.

Inclement weather, while bad for playing tennis, can actually be excellent for birding. Birders know that when a big Pacific storm approaches the Oregon Coast, seabirds will be blown closer to shore for easier viewing. Birders also know that when a big winter cold front moves southward, specialty birds that usually spend the winter in Canada might be pushed down into the Oregon for easier viewing by local birders. 

One of the best examples of birders’ weather awareness is the anticipation of spring “fallouts.” When birds migrating northward run head-on into a spring storm, they may literally fall out of the sky into the nearest “migrant trap,” where they are forced to rest until the storm passes. A typical migrant trap may be an isolated cottonwood gallery with a dense willow understory, or the deciduous growth around a desert spring. If a storm moves through in April or May, birders will flock to their local migrant trap to see what birds have dropped in for a rest. Birds that are fallout victims are often exhausted and provide very easy viewing.

Fewer Harris's Sparrows have occurred in Oregon during this milder-than-normal winter.

Storm-birding provides excellent viewing opportunities, but it also requires a bit of forethought and planning. In order to enjoy the storm-birding experience, birders must wear the appropriate footwear and clothing. Tennis shoes, a windbreaker, and a baseball cap will put a quick end to a winter seabird watch at Heceta Head. Change the shoes to a $15 pair of rubber knee-boots (with wool socks inside), and the windbreaker to a parka, add a pair of wool gloves and a stocking hat and the birding experience can be memorable for very different reasons. Preparation and a little patience may lead to nice looks at a Tufted Puffin or Black-legged Kittiwake, providing positive reinforcement for the storm-birding experience.

A seabird watch usually requires a spotting scope, but birders limited to the use of binoculars may also enjoy storm-birding. A winter storm might push species such as Yellow-billed Loon, Red Phalarope, or Long-tailed Duck into protected bay waters, or even into more placid harbors. The Siuslaw River near Old-Town Florence offers accessible winter storm-birding, with immediate proximity to a hot cup of coffee. The inland side of Tillamook’s Bayocean Spit offers respite for shorebirds during spring storms, often within close viewing range. Songbird fallouts commonly occur during spring and fall at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Harney County, where only a pair of binoculars is required to see dozens of rare and common species alike.

A barometer serves as an accurate and reliable tool for monitoring local storm activity. A significant drop in air pressure signals an approaching storm. The best storm-birding occurs from fall through spring, when birds are on the move. Oregon gets its share of storms, all across the state, allowing birders from all regions ample opportunity to share in the experience. Snow Buntings, Bohemian Waxwings and Common Redpolls get pushed down through the interior each winter; the more severe the winter, the further south the birds move. Rare waterfowl and raptors like the Emperor Goose and Gyrfalcon may be best observed along the Columbia River or in the Willamette Valley. Coastal specialties like Short-tailed Shearwater and Ancient Murrelet might pop into Boiler Bay or the waters off Clatsop Spit. 

Go birding beyond the backyard this season and enjoy the storm-birding. The weather is perfect for it.

Oregon Important Bird Areas www.audubonportland.org
Oregon Cascades Birding Trail  www.oregonbirdingtrails.org

Text © 2003 Stephen Shunk of Paradise Birding  Photos supplied by the author..