Mult Madness 2021

Wink Gross and I have been leading the Mult Madness Birdathon team for the past 9 or 10 years. Two years ago we set our record of 123 species in a 13-hour day. We've usually met up at Vanport, make a quick stop at Smith-Bybee, get over to Mt Tabor before rush hour, head up to Larch Mountain, etc. Naturally, there just isn’t enough time to hit many of the known hotspots in the county. And, by the time we finish late in the afternoon at Oak Island and Wapato Access, the birding has slowed considerably--and so have we, truth be told. (If you thought White-breasted Nuthatches never shut up, well, in the afternoon they do.) We’ve wondered how many species could we get if we were able to magically be at every good birding site in the county first thing in the morning. Well, last year we found out. In a virtual birdathon with people participating individually or with those in their COVID-pod, we collectively saw 139 species in Multnomah County in one day. We are again doing Mult Madness virtually this year, and we'd love for you to join us. On Wednesday, May 5, let’s each go birding by ourselves in Multnomah County, send me your results and I'll total up what we find. It would be great if we could identify some volunteers to hit key locations early in the morning such as Vanport, Smith-Bybee, Mt Tabor, but also Parts of Sauvie Island including Wapato and Oak Island Springwater Trail Forest Park Powell Butte Larch Mountain Pittock Mansion Oaks Bottom Sandy River Delta Sandy River West Bank Oxbow Regional Park Gresham-Fairview Trail hotspot (for American Bittern) Broughton Beach Bonneville Dam and Eagle Creek (latter for dipper) and/or your favorite patch. Birdathon is Portland Audubon's largest annual fundraising event and much of their regular revenue such as from camps and the Nature Store has gone away during COVID. We'd love you to participate in this for the fun involved, but we also want to support Audubon, and ask that you sign up at https://portlandaudubon.securesweet.com/teampage.asp?fundid=842#.YHEI0OhKiUl You can email me with any questions at andydfrank at gmail.com Thanks, Andy Frank and Wink Gross

Wink Gross and I have been leading the Mult Madness Birdathon team for the past 8 or 9 years.
Last year we found our record 123 species in a 13-hour day.  We usually meet up at Vanport,
make a quick stop at Smith-Bybee, get over to Mt Tabor before rush hour, head up to Larch
Mountain, etc.  Naturally, there just isn’t enough time to hit many of the known hotspots in the county.
And, by the time we finish late in the afternoon at Oak Island and Wapato Access, the birding has
slowed considerably--and so have we, truth be told.  (If you thought White-breasted Nuthatches
never shut up, well, in the afternoon they do.)

I’ve often wondered how many species could we get if we were able to magically be at every good
birding site in the county first thing in the morning.  Well, this year is our chance to find out!  This
year’s Birdathon must be “teamless”—we can only bird as individuals (or with those with whom

we already share the same pathogens).

We’re inviting you to join our Mult Madness virtual team!  On Tuesday, May 5, let’s each go birding by
ourselves in Multnomah County and total up what we find.  Wink is willing to pledge support for Audubon based
on the total number of species we find and hopes he can convince others to do the same.  I'll be pledging a fixed amount.

It would be great if we could identify some volunteers to hit key locations early in the morning:
Vanport, Smith-Bybee, Mt Tabor, of course, but also

Oak Island
Springwater Trail
Forest Park
Powell Butte
Larch Mountain
Pittock Mansion
Oaks Bottom
Broughton Beach
Bonneville

and/or

Your favorite patch

NOTE:  We don’t know what the COVID-19 situation will be by May 5, but it seems likely Governor 

Brown’s “Stay Home/Save Lives” will still be in effect.  Here’s a link to the order.  See, particularly, page 3.

https://govsite-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/jkAULYKcSh6DoDF8wBM0_EO%2020-12.pdf

While we’d like to get a big list for the day, it’s way more important that everyone stays safe.  Please maintain 

physical distancing.  Please avoid crowded areas and trails—birding first thing in the morning should help.  

Please respect all closures.  (Sadly, Sandy River Delta is currently closed.  There may be others—check 

first.)  And it’s fine if you prefer to confine yourself to your Multnomah County backyard.   

Birdathon is Portland Audubon's largest annual fundraising event and much of their regular revenue such 

as from camps and the Nature Store has gone away.  We'd love you to participate in this for the fun involved, 

but we also want to support Audubon, and ask that you sign up at 

http://birdathon.audubonportland.org/teampage.asp?fundid=842#.XpJPD8hKiUk  

and provide the minimum $45 in contributions (either from yourself or others).

Solitary Sandpipers

Tikal Orange-breasted Falcon and Ocellated Turkey

The best birds seen on a recent trip to Belize were on a day trip into Guatemala to the Mayan ruins at Tikal.

Two Orange-breasted Falcons were perched on trees in the main plaza, and I was able to get relatively close to one by climbing the adjacent pyramid.



Ocellated Turkeys are rare and keep hidden in most places due to hunting, but they are protected at Tikal and regularly come out to feed on the lawn.  Amazing colors.



And remarkable ornaments on its head.

Vanport Northern Shrike

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Columbia Slough in Portland

Long-tailed Jaeger on Sauvie Island

Initially identified as a Parasitic Jaeger, consensus is that this is a Long-tailed Jaeger.  Appreciate comments below posted by Russ Namitz regarding this bird.

"I would call this bird a dark juvenile LONG-TAILED JAEGER.

Features that I look for on young birds like these surprisingly include the undertail coverts.

1) Undertail coverts are neatly & boldly barred black and white versus cinnamon in Parasitic.

2) Crisp whitish barring on upperside of bird (all wing coverts, scapulars, etc) versus cinnamon in Parasitic.

3) Bill nail (tip) of mandible is long and hooked and the black bill tip is almost half the length of the bill versus less than half in Parasitic.

4) Three white primary shafts, including rachis(center of feather) versus 4 to 5 white primary shafts shown by Parasitic.

5) Bill is short and stubby and head is small and rounded in appearance."