The Redwood Region Audubon Society
Field Notes
By: Stanley W. Harris

Field Notes will now be found in the new on-line version of the Sandpiper as of November 2006.
Field Notes before that time will remain here in the archives.

Click here to return to the RRAS Home Page and the newsletter listings.

This past month's sightings: 22 August-20 September, 2006

The most recent sightings can be found at the phone number and on the observation sheet listed below. These observations may or may not overlap, so you might want to check both before your birding trip. Don't forget to check out the Hot Spots map for prime local birding areas!

• Arcata BirdBox 707-822-LOON (5666). 
  This BirdBox has a new home and is now partially funded by the Redwood Region Audubon Society. Please consider a small annual donation ($5) to offset the cost of operation.  Send donations to: BirdBox, RRAS, Post Office Box 1054, Eureka CA 95502.  Also note that the BirdBox is now powered by solar power.  Many Thanks goes to the City of Arcata for covering the cost of the dedicated phone line and for their continued sponsorship.
• Arcata Marsh Project (AMP) Interpretive Center (see the map in Hot Spots for the Arcata Marsh location).
• Rare Bird Alert carries occasional transcripts of the Arcata BirdBox on the web at http://www.virtualbirder.com/vbirder/realbirds/rbas/CA.html. Other California rare bird alerts can also be found here if you are looking for a longer trip!

Want Bird Box updates sent by e-mail? You can now get Arcata BirdBox voice messages in you mailbox minutes after it is called in. Messages get sent as ".wav" audio files. Broadband helps since the average file size is 270kb. Max size is about 850kb. After extensive testing all the glitches have been worked out except one: some messages might be sent more than once. It is a flaw in the software running this BirdBox and is unfortunately unfixable.  To subscribe, send an e-mail to arcatabirdbox-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arcatabirdbox/.  For additional information, contact Elias Elias.

Report new sightings to Stan Harris by phone at 707-822-3802.  You can also call sightings in to the Arcata BirdBox 707-822-5666 or write them on the observation board at the AMP interpretive center. The usual monthly deadline for the Sandpiper Field Notes is about the 20^th of the month.

Field Notes for 2006

• 22 August - 20 September, 2006 (Sandpiper October 2006)

• 21 June - 22 August, 2006 (Sandpiper September 2006)

• 17 April - 20 June, 2006 (Sandpiper July 2006)

• 19 March - 16 Apr, 2006 (Sandpiper May 2006)

• 24 February - 19 March, 2006 (Sandpiper April 2006)

• 16 January - 24 February, 2006 (Sandpiper March 2006)

• 28 November, 2005 - 6 January, 2006 (Sandpiper January 2006)

Field Notes for 2005

• 24 October - 27 November 2005 (Sandpiper December 2005)

• 27 September - October 24 2005 (Sandpiper November 2005)

• 22 August - 26 September 2005 (Sandpiper October 2005) - Yellow Wagtail: first Mendocino County record

• 24 April - 22 August 2005 (Sandpiper September 2005) - Field Sparrow: first Northcoast record

• 28 March - 28 April 2005 (Sandpiper May 2005) - Three Swainson's Hawks: 5th-7th Humboldt County records; Possible Common Black-Hawk!?

• 21 February - 27 March 2005 (Sandpiper April 2005)

• 7 January - 20 February 2005 (Sandpiper March 2005) - Bewick's Swan and Gray Catbird: Northcoast records

• 29 November 2004 - 6 January 2005 (Sandpiper January 2005) - Christmas Bird Counts and Crested Caracara, Painted Bunting!

Field Notes for 2004

• 26 October - 28 November (Sandpiper December 2004)

• 27 September - 25 October (Sandpiper November 2004) - Bar-tailed Godwit (12th Northcoast record), Humpback Whale(s) in the bay entrance!

• 30 August - 26 September (Sandpiper October 2004) - First Humboldt County record for Crested Caracara!

• 28 June - 29 August (Sandpiper September 2004) - First Northcoast record for Black Skimmers!

• 27 April - 27 June (Sandpiper July 2004) - First Northcoast record for Broad-tailed Hummingbird!

• 29 March - 26 April (Sandpiper May 2004) - First Northcoast record for Magnificent Hummingbird!

• 1 March -28 March (Sandpiper April 2004)

• 11 January - 29 February (Sandpiper March 2004)

Field Notes for 2003

• 1 December 2003 - 10 January 2004 (Sandpiper January 2004) - Second Humboldt County record for LeConte's Sparrow!
• 28 October - 30 November  (Sandpiper December 2003) - Second Humboldt County record for Common Grackle!
• 22 September - 27 October (Sandpiper November 2003) - Second Northcoast records for Black Vulture and Gyrfalcon!
• 24 August - 21 September (Sandpiper October 2003)
• 23 June - 24 August (Sandpiper September 2003)
• 21 April - 22 June (Sandpiper June 2003) - Fourth Northcoast record for Gray Catbird!
• 21 March - 30 April (Sandpiper May 2003)
• 28 February - 23 March (Sandpiper April 2003)
• 13 January - 26 February (Sandpiper March 2003) - First of the spring - in January!
• 30 November - 12 January (Sandpiper January 2003)

Field Notes for 2002

• 27 October - 30 November (Sandpiper December 2002)
• 30 September - 26 October (Sandpiper November 2002) - Another Northcoast Common Greenshank!
• 30 August - 29 September (Sandpiper October 2002) - First Northcoast record of Ruby-throated Hummingbird.!
• 19 Jul - 31 Aug (Sandpiper September 2002)
• 21 Apr - 18 Jul (Sandpiper August 2002) - Reports from 4 pelagic trips, including marine mammals!
• 21 Mar - 23 Apr (Sandpiper May 2002)
• 20 Feb - 20 Mar (Sandpiper April 2002)
• 19 Jan - 22 Feb (Sandpiper March 2002)
• 3 Dec - 12 Jan (Sandpiper January 2002)

Field Notes for 2001

• 25 Oct - 2 Dec (Sandpiper December 2002)
• 30 Sept - 27 Oct (Sandpiper November 2001)
• 17 Aug - 30 Sept (Sandpiper October 2001) - More information on the Common Greenshank!
• 29 Apr - 26 Aug (Sandpiper September 2001) - First California observation of a Common Greenshank!
• 20 Mar - 29 Apr (Sandpiper May 2001)
• 22 Feb - 20 Mar (Sandpiper April 2001)
• 15 Jan - 23 Feb (Sandpiper March 2001)
• 26 Nov - 14 Jan (Sandpiper January 2001)

Field Notes for 2000

• 25 Oct - 25 Nov (Sandpiper December 2000)
• 26 Sept - 21 Oct (Sandpiper November 2000)
• 26 Aug - 25 Sept (Sandpiper October 2000)
• 26 April - 25 Aug (Sandpiper September 2000)
• 26 Mar - 26 Apr (Sandpiper May 2000)
• 19 Feb - 26 Mar (Sandpiper April 2000)
• 6 Jan - 18 Feb (Sandpiper March 2000)

Field Notes for 1999

• 20 Mar - 25 Apr (Sandpiper May 1999)
• 19 Feb - 19 Mar (Sandpiper April 1999)
• 9 Jan - 18 Feb (Sandpiper March 1999)
• 25 Nov - 8 Jan (Sandpiper January 1999)

Field Notes for 1998

• 2 October to 24 November (Sandpiper December 1998)
• 25 September to 23 October (Sandpiper November 1998)
• 22 August - 24 September (Sandpiper October 1998)
• 27 April - 21 August (Sandpiper September 1998)
• 12 January - 19 February (Sandpiper February 1998)
• 30 November - 11 January (Sandpiper January 1998)

Field Notes for 1996-1997

• 25 October - 29 November (Sandpiper December 1997)
• 24 August - 25 September (Sandpiper October 1997)
• 28 April - 24 August (Sandpiper September 1997)
• 23 Mar - 27 Apr (Sandpiper May 1997)
• 16 Feb - 22 Mar (Sandpiper April 1997)
• 11 Jan - Feb 12 (Sandpiper March 1997)
• 30 Nov-10 Jan (Sandpiper January 1997)
• October 20 to November 30 (Sandpiper December 1996)
• September 20 to October 20 (Sandpiper November 1996)
• August 25 to September 22 (Sandpiper October 1996)
• April 26 to August 24 (Sandpiper September 1996)

Redwood Region Audubon Society
P.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502
Last updated October 2006 by L.L. Long