'And Furthermore' column, Wallowa County Chieftain. Feb. 6, 2013
Most of our tourist attractions out here weigh a lot. The
Wallowa Mountains, Chief Joseph Days Rodeo grounds, Hells Canyon. All on the
heavy side. But the latest draw bringing visitors to Wallowa County would
barely tip a scale.
Little Buntings are smallish birds, about five inches long.
They normally flit around Europe and Asia, but we’ve got a Little Bunting
visiting in Joseph. That’s a surprise, and the chance to see this bird so far
from home has already brought bird watchers to Wallowa County from as far away
as Canada and the exotic land of California.
 |
| Hunting for buntings. photo – Kendrick Moholt |
My informant in the birding community tells me that more
binoculars and spotting scopes are sure to arrive before this Little Bunting fervor
dies down. So brace yourself, townsfolk of Joseph. Draw the curtains if you
must, but don’t be calling the sheriff because the streets are teeming with
people peeking into yards with binoculars. Yes, they’re hoping to catch a
glimpse of a little something, but in this case it’s a bunting. Whatever you
do, don’t start skimping on the birdseed now.
Home turf for the Little Bunting includes Switzerland. So
while our little visitor did get blown off course, at least it had the good
sense to find the Little Switzerland of North America to remind it of the old
country.
I got the bunting tip from Kendrick Moholt of Lostine. This
guy has gone off to photograph tigers in Russia and penguins in Antarctica, so
if he says a creature is worth getting off the couch I go along.
The first person to identify the Little Bunting in Joseph
was Alan Contreras, who has written several books on Oregon birds and was
formerly president of the Oregon Field Ornithologists. He recognized the Little
Bunting, confirmed with pictures and sent out word on the wire.
Trent Bray came over the hill from La Grande and saw the
bunting. Bray runs the Bobolink store in The Big, where birdfeeders, supplies
and bird watching equipment are the specialty. Bray also operates Avitours, a
northeast Oregon birdwatching tour guide service. Bray described the Little
Bunting in Joseph as a “mega-rarity” in an e-mail to other birders.
This isn’t the first time a Little Bunting has stirred up
excitement. During my exhaustive research for this dispatch, I typed “Little
Bunting” into the internet and found a story from the BBC about another Little
Bunting far from home that got the British riled up. You know if the redcoats
get excited it’s a big deal.
I got dragged out to look for a snowy owl on the Zumwalt
last year by local bird enthusiast Mike Baird. Didn’t see it. But I tried to
return the favor by dragging Baird up to Joseph for a look at the bunting.
Struck out again. But I did see a squadron of tundra geese fly over years ago
and heard that was a rare sight. Maybe they were swans, I don’t know. I have
not written several books on Oregon birds.
Kendrick sent along a list of other birds that watchers look
for in Wallowa County during the winter. I’ve pulled out a few samples here,
mainly the names that remind me of a superhero or a rock-and-roll band. The
Gyrfalcon could be either a band or a superhero. Lapland Longspur, Northern
Shrike and Townsend’s Solitaire are all sturdy band names. Then you’ve got your
Buffleheads and American Coots, which could use a good PR firm.
With all this birdwatching going on, it’s time to dust off
the binoculars and get to watching, Wallowa County. Not for birds, I think we
should welcome the influx of bird watchers by compiling a list of all the
birdwatchers we can identify. Keep your eyes peeled for the Downy Vested
Californian. The Canadian Spotting Scope. Turtlenecked Midwesterner. You can
put sandwiches out in feeding stations to draw birdwatchers to your viewing
area.
Welcome to Wallowa County, Little Bunting. You’ve had quite
the journey. Now just watch out for the Gyrfalcon. And picture windows. And
cats. Especially one in Joseph named Domino. But if it makes you feel better,
you’ve got people watching out for you.
Jon Rombach is a local columnist for the Chieftain. He
offers free tours to view starlings in his back yard, with complimentary BB gun
rentals.
Update: Little Bunting sightings have dropped off, but it's out there somewhere. Birders from Canada, Montana and Washington have also arrived.
No comments:
Post a Comment