Field Notes
by Stanley W. Harris
19 Feb - 26 Mar 2000
A rather quiet month: some early spring migrants, the departure of most wintering ducks, and early Canada Goose nests. The second annual Aleutian Goose Festival at Crescent City, held 24-26 Mar, generated some reports (noted here as "AlGoo"). Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMC = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; ED = Expected Date; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; FR = Few Records; GW = Gee Whiz Report; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; MS = Monitored Species.
HIGHLIGHTS: GREEN HERON (FR): 1, Hookton Road, 19 Feb (TL, SO): CATTLE EGRET (MS): 4-5, AB, 29 Feb-18 Mar (EE, BC, JP, DF): WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (FR): 2, Smith River Bottoms, 25 Mar (AlGoo); SNOW GOOSE (FR): 1-2, AB, 24 Feb-1 Mar (RH, BA); 2-3, HBNWR, 25 Feb-12 Mar (SL, JP): ROSS’S GOOSE (FR): 1, AB, 29 Feb-3 Mar (RH, KI, EE); 1, Smith River Bottoms, 24 Mar (AlGoo): EURASIAN WIGEON (FR): 1, HBNWR, 12 Mar (JP); 1, Orick, 19 Mar (JH, MB): LONG-TAILED DUCK (FR): 1, lower Mad River, 21 Feb-5 Mar (KD, BC); 1, AMP, 17 Mar (PL); 1, lower Smith River, 25 Mar (CD): HARLEQUIN DUCK (EL): x (both sexes), Castle Rock, 24 Mar (AlGoo): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 1, Highway 101 at Jacoby Creek, 1 Mar (EE); 1, AB, 22 Mar (BC): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 1, Moonstone Beach, 18 Feb (JO); 2, AMP, 15 Feb (SH): 3, Smith River Bottoms, 24 Mar (AlGoo); 1, HBNWR, 24 Mar (SL); 1, Castle Rock, 26 Mar (AlGoo): MERLIN (MS): 2, AMP, 6 Mar (JO); 1, Arcata, 16 Mar (TR, MM); 1, AMP, 21 Mar (BC, SH); 1, Smith River Bottoms, 25 Mar (AlGoo): WILD TURKEY (FR): 20+, southern Humboldt County, 15 Mar (BB, DVZ).
First Spring Ruff
RUFF (FR, ID): 1, Pt. St. George, 24 Mar (RLeV, et al): GLAUCOUS GULL (FR); 2 (first year), lower Smith River, 25 Mar (CD): BURROWING OWL (FR): 1, Eureka, 6 Mar (CO): BARRED OWL (FR): 2, Cal Barrel Road, 21 Feb (SP); 1-2, Walker Road, 17-25 Mar (AB, EC, JH, AlGoo): RED-BREASTED X RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (FR): 1, Bayside, 21 Mar (DF): LEAST FLYCATCHER Humboldt’s first-ever wintering bird continued to at least 3 March (GW): 1, BSLP, 3 Mar (SH, BA): SAY’S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 25 Mar (AlGoo): CASSIN’S VIREO (ID): 1, Shay Park, 29 Feb (CW, MV): NORTHERN SHRIKE (FR): 1 imm., HBNWR, 12 Mar (JP): GRAY JAY (IL): 2, Arcata Community Forest, 12 Mar (JW): MOCKINGBIRD (FR): 1, Garberville, 20 Feb-13 Mar (JS); 1, Arcata, 18 Feb (JO); 1, Briceland, 21 Feb (NW); 1, McKinleyville, 5-7 Mar (P&LR, BK): NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (FR): 1, AMP, 2 Mar (EE): CALIFORNIA TOWHEE (IL): x, Freshwater, 1 Mar (RH): SWAMP SPARROW (FR): 2, AMP, 28 Feb (JP): HARRIS’S SPARROW (FR): 1, Azalea Hill, 20 Feb-14 Mar (GL); 1, Garberville, 30 Jan-27 Feb (JS); 1, Eureka, late Feb (MAP): YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (FR): 1, AB, 18 Feb (GB); 1 adult, AB, 5 Mar (BC): GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (GW): 1 female, AMP, 21-23 Mar (BC, SH): BULLOCK’S ORIOLE (ID): 1, HBNWR, 24 Mar (SL): EVENING GROSBEAK (ID): 2, Arcata, 5 Mar (KN).
STATISTICAL SECTION: RED-NECKED GREBE (FR): 1, Whaler Island, 23 Mar (AlGoo): BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (IN): 225 (actual count); BSLP, 16 Feb (SH): TUNDRA SWAN (ID): 24, flying over McKinleyville, 9 Mar (RB); 12, HBNWR, 12 Mar (JP); none reported at HBNWR, week of 17-25 Mar (SL): BLACK BRANT (EN): 16,480, Humboldt Bay, 17 Mar (SL); 23,500, Humboldt Bay, 23 Mar (SL).
Aleutian Canada Goose
ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (IN): 20 reports of 2-18, 500 from AB, HBNWR, Smith River Bottoms, 29 Feb-23 Mar; careful counts, week of 10 Mar revealed a total of 22,800 in the Humboldt-Del Norte area; by 24-26 Mar, the numbers in the Smith River Bottoms, Del Norte area had increased to nearly 30,000 (PS, SL, VL, et al.). WOOD DUCK: 1, AOP, 25 Feb, 23 Mar (SH); 6, Jacoby Creek Road, 8 Mar (CB); 3, Clam Beach Lagoons, 8 Mar, (P&LR): BLACK SCOTER (EL): 1 male, vic. Crescent City, 24 Mar (AlGoo): COMMON GOLDENEYE (FR): 2, Elk River Lane, 23 Feb (AH); 1, AMP, 5-18 Mar (mo): HOODED MERGANSER (MS): 2, Davison Road, 4 Mar (BK, JK); 1-4, Clam Beach Lagoons, 17 Feb-8 Mar (CW, MV, SB, P&LR); x, McLaughlin Pond, 25 Mar (AlGoo): OSPREY (EM): 10 reports of 1-2 from Benbow, Ferndale, HBNWR, Korbel, North Bay, AMP, Freshwater Lagoon, 18 Feb-19 Mar (mo): BALD EAGLE (MS): 13 reports of 1-2 from Benbow, HBNWR, AB, Arcata, Blue Lake, Junction City, Hayden Flat, McKinleyville, Freshwater Lagoon, 13 Feb-24 Mar (mo): GOLDEN EAGLE (MS): 1, North Fork, Trinity River, 26 Feb (AP); 1, Miranda, 2 Mar (RH); 1, Benbow, 13 Mar (JS): ROUGH- LEGGED HAWK (FR): 1, Bald Hills, 17 Feb (EE); 1, AB, 29 Feb (CW, MV) 1, HBNWR, 24 Mar (SL): AMERICAN AVOCET (IN): 85, HBNWR, 3 Mar (SL): RED KNOT (FR): 3, AMP, 3 Mar (PL).
One Good Tern
FORSTER’S TERN (ED): 1-3, AMP/AOP, 25 Feb-19 Mar (SH, PL): CASPIAN TERN (EM): 1-2, HBNWR, Humboldt Bay, 3, 19 Mar (SL, PL); 7, HBNWR, 24 Mar (SL): MARBLED MURRELET (MS): x, vic. Crescent City, 24 Mar (AlGoo): BAND-TAILED PIGEON (EM): 4-25, Azalea Hill, Westhaven, Sunnybrae, HBNWR, Benbow, 20 Feb-24 Mar (GL, TL, SH, JS, MT,SL): WESTERN SCREECH-OWL (IL): 1 calling, Arcata Community Forest, 29 Feb (CO): NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL (FR): 1, Fortuna, 29 Feb (KW); 1, Mad River Fish Hatchery, 6 Mar (CW, MV): SHORT-EARED OWL (GW): 1 preyed upon by a Red-tailed Hawk, HBNWR, 23 Feb (fide, SL): PILEATED WOODPECKER (IL): 1, Westhaven, 16 Feb (TL): BARN SWALLOW (ED): 1, Orick, 19 Mar (KJH, MB); 1 HBNWR, 24 Mar (SL): BUSHTIT (FR): 4, Korbel, 18 Feb (SC): WESTERN BLUEBIRD (FR): 8, Crannell Road, 11 Mar (anon): CEDAR WAXWING (EM): 30, Fortuna, 23 Feb (KW): PALM WARBLER (EM): 1, AMP, 24 Feb-18 Mar (MM, SH, CO): SLATE-COLORED JUNCO (FR): 1, Etna, 22 Feb (EE): RED CROSSBILL (EL): 7, North Spit, 23 Feb (KI):
Many thanks to the following who shared reports with us this month: Brian Acord, Keith Anderson, Monica Barnes, Alan Barron, Cheryl Bartlett, Sam Bartlett, Kathleen Bentler, Gary Bloomfield, Richard Botzler, Barbara Burek, Bryon Cariss, Sarah Colvig, Eileen Cooper, Brent Critch, Kit Davenport, Duke Diehl, Colin Dillingham, Rick Dimick, Elias Elias, Brad Freeman, Stan Harris, Rob Hewitt, Ann Hubbard, John Hunter, Ken Irwin, Joss Kempe, Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Ron LeValley, Steve Lewis, Paul Lohse, Victor Lyon, Brooke MacDonald, Mark Morrissette, Stephanie Morrissette, Kristie Nelson, Sue O’Connell, Chet Ogan, Jason Osburn, Steve Pagliughi, Aida Parkinson, Mary Ann Pinches, Jude Power, Richard Ridenhour, Terry Roelofs, Terry Ross, Paul and Linda Roush, Jay Sooter, Paul Springer, Margaret Taylor, Margaret Varga, Catherine Walling, Jim Watkins, Kevin Westfall, Nancy Wilson, Bud and Margaret Widdowson, Dave Van Zile. Please send future reports to me at 1595 Charles Court, Arcata, Calif, 95521, call them to me at (707) 822-3802, or call them in to the Arcata Bird Box (707) 822-5666.