Reed Ferris' 1930-1943 bird banding records and bird observations for Tillamook County, Oregon

Abstract

This monograph gives a brief biography of Reed W. Ferris and discusses his vocational and avocational work at the Beaver cheese factory in Tillamook County, Oregon. From 1930 to 1943, Ferris banded nearly 33% of the birds banded along the Oregon coast that were later recovered. Ferris banded 8,000 seabirds (including 4,996 gulls and 2,820 Common Murres), 3,042 terrestrial birds (including 1,089 Dark-eyed Juncos) at Beaver, and 61 Song Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds at Daley Lake. Ferris also colorbanded many terrestrial birds at Beaver. Except for the gulls, details about the recoveries of all birds banded by Ferris are given. Highlights of Ferris' bird work include: Lewis' Woodpeckers were abundant at Beaver, Bank Swallows nested near Beaver, Western Bluebirds were being driven out of nest boxes at Beaver by House Sparrows long before Eurasian Starlings arrived, Song Sparrows banded at Beaver included one population of permanent residents and another population of winter residents, White-crowned Sparrows (mostly immatures) were uncommon in winter at Beaver, Peregrine Falcons were probably nesting at Haystack Rock, 27% of the banded Common Murre chicks were found south of the colony where they were banded, murre chicks began appearing off the outer coast of Washington in August and in British Columbian waters in September, American Coots nested at Daley Lake, and Red-winged Blackbirds banded at Daley Lake were later found elsewhere in western Oregon. Ferris' very limited incidental bird observations in Clatsop, Yamhill, and Lincoln counties are also incorporated.