Field Notes
by Stanley W. Harris

February 22 - March 20, 2001

Another quiet month, birdwise. Rather dry with some frosty mornings, some sunny days and strong northwest winds. Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; CR = College of the Redwoods; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; FR = Few Records; GW = Gee Whiz Report; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; McSP = Mackerricher State Park; mo = Many Observers; MS= Monitored Species; NCD = Not Confirmed, No Details.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Cattle Egret (MS): 1, AB, 26 Feb (PS); 2, BSLP, 28 Feb (SH, BC, RS): Greater White-fronted Goose (FR): 22, Smith River Bottoms, 8 Mar (PS): Ross’s Goose (FR): 1, AB, 11 Mar (P&VS): Snow Goose (FR): 1, Loleta Bottoms, 4 Mar (KR): Eurasian Wigeon (FR): 1-2 males, AB, 4-16 Mar (P&VS, RH, RD, SH); 2, Smith River Bottoms, 24 Mar (fide RH): Harlequin Duck (FR): 2, King Salmon, 23 Feb (DR); up to 13, Glass Beach and McSP, 26 Feb-17 Mar (DT): Long-tailed Duck (FR): 1, Fields Landing, 5-7 Mar (KR, RH): Hooded Merganser (FR): 7, Gold Bluff Beach, 18 Mar (EE): Ferruginous Hawk (FR): 2, AB, 3 Mar (P,J,VS): Prairie Falcon (FR): 1, Bear River Ridge, 25 Feb (MM): Ruffed Grouse (FR): 1, Lost Man Creek, 14-16 Mar (KR): Ruff (FR): 1, mouth Eel River, 14 Mar (TMcK): Pomarine Jaeger (ID): 1, offshore, Crescent City, 23 Mar (fide RH): Glaucous Gull (FR): 1, Cannibal Island Road, 5 Mar (RH); 1 (first year), mouth Eel River, 7 Mar (DF); 1 (first year), Fernbridge, 14 Mar (TMcK): Pigeon Guillemot (EM, ID): 1 (breeding plumage), McSP, 25 Feb (very early) (DT); 1, Gold Bluff Beach, 18 Mar (EE): Rhinoceros Auklet (IL): "several", offshore, Crescent City, 23 Mar (fide RH): White-throated Swift (FR, IN, IL): 2-17, Scotia Bluffs, vocalizing and investigating cracks in cliff face, same location as seen last year, 5-20 Mar (LN, DF); 27 (!) Wagner Bridge, So. Humboldt Co., 20 Mar (DF).

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (FR, GW) 1, male studied for prolonged time through spotting scope, well described over phone, definitely not a Red-naped, Sunny Brae, 16-23 Mar (A&PB): Say’s Phoebe (FR): 1, Burnt Ranch, 20 Mar (AW): Solitary (type) Vireo (possible Blue-headed, described as with a gray face and head) (GW): 1, Arcata, 14 Mar (JB): Northern Shrike (FR): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 24 Mar (fide RH): Pygmy Nuthatch (NCD): 10, near Arcata Airport, 15 Feb (report not received until a week+ after the fact), (RD): Mountain Bluebird (FR): 3, Trinity Center, 24 Mar (JH, JS): Tricolored Blackbird (FR): 20, Bald Hill, Ft. Bragg, 28 Feb (DT).

OTHER INTERESTING REPORTS:

Red-throated Loon (EM): 1 adult, North Jetty, 4 Mar (PS); 1, King Salmon, 6 Mar (KR); 8, off Trinidad, 11 Mar (MeH): Pacific Loon (EM): 17, off Trinidad, 11 Mar (MeH): Horned Grebe (IL): 14, Trinity Center, 24 Mar (JH, JS): Clark’s Grebe (FR): 1, Crescent City Harbor, 8 Mar (PS): Red-necked Grebe (FR): 1, King Salmon, 6 Mar (KR): Brown Pelican (ID): 1, King Salmon, 6 Mar (KR); 4, McSP, 26 Mar (DT): Brandt’s Cormorant (EM): 1, North Jetty, 5 Mar (P&VS): Aleutian Canada Goose (EM): 10 reports of 220-7800 from AB, Humboldt Bay, HBNWR, Loleta Bottoms, 27 Feb-16 Mar (mo). This bird was delisted from the Endangered Species list March 19th, having recovered from a population of less than 800 in the early 1970's to 40,000± presently. Tundra Swan (EM): 5, Loleta Bottoms, 27 Feb (KR); 176, HBNWR, 27 Feb (KR); 118 in flight, migrating north, AMP, 16 Mar (SH); 35, AB, 16 Mar (PS): Wood Duck (EL): 2, returned to AMP/AOP after several months’ absence, 15-20 Mar (SH, EE): Greater Scaup (IL): 24 (no Lesser), Lewiston Lake, 24 Mar (JH, JS): Common Goldeneye (EL): 2, King Salmon, 6 Mar (KR): Common Merganser (IL): 2, Bear River, 25 Feb (MM): Osprey (EL): 1, King Salmon, 6 Mar 2, CR, 6 Mar (both KR); 1, Mad River, 11 Mar (P&VS); 2, carrying fish east from North Bay, 20 Mar (KR): Bald Eagle (MS): 5 reports from Mad River x 101, HBNWR, CR, Hawkins Bar, 18 Feb-6 Mar (KR, RH, CC): Rough-legged Hawk (IN): 1-3, AB/AMP, 3-11 Mar (P,J,VS; RH, BMcI); 2-3, Bear River Ridge, 25 Feb (MM): Golden Eagle (EL): 3 (1 pair mating), Bear River Ridge, 25 Feb (MM): Merlin (FR): 1, HBNWR, 27 Feb (KR): Peregrine Falcon (MS): 2, flew from Sugar Loaf Rock offshore at Cape Mendocino, 25 Feb (MM); 1, HBNWR, 27 Feb (KR); 1, AMP, 19 Mar (BMcI, DH); 1 Field’s Landing, 23 Mar (KR): Semipalmated Plover (IN): 106, Manila, 5 Mar (HB): Greater Yellowlegs (IL): 19, Trinity Center, 24 Mar (JH, JS): Lesser Yellowlegs (FR): 1, AB, 3 Mar (KR, MMo): Ruddy Turnstone (FR): 2-7, Fields Landing, 5-20 Mar (KR, DF): Red Knot: 2, Klopp Lake, 10 Mar (BMcI): Rock Sandpiper (FR): 1-4, McSP; 3-7 Mar (DT): Heermann’s Gull (ID): 1, Crescent City, 8 Mar (PS); 1, Eureka, 15 Mar (KR): Herring Gull (IN): 130, mouth Eel River, 7 Mar (DF): Black-legged Kittiwake: 1, Gold Bluff Beach, 18 Mar (EE); small numbers, northern Mendocino County coast, 26 Feb-17 Mar (DT); x, Crescent City, 24 Mar (fide RH): Caspian Tern: 1 Mad River, 12 Mar (EE): Forster’s Tern (EL): 10-12, AMP/Bay pilings, 25 Feb (MM).

Ancient Murrelet (FR): 1, McSP, 25 Feb (MaM): Short-eared Owl (ID): 1, AB, 4 Mar (PS): Rufous Hummingbird (EM): 1, Trinidad, 28 Feb (MeH): 1, Azalea Hill, 3 Mar (GL); 1, Stagecoach Road, 12 Mar (MeH); 1 pair, Trinidad, 12 Mar (MeH); 2, Azalea Park, 23 Mar (KR): Allen’s Hummingbird (EM): 1, Sunny Brae, 15 Mar (SH); 1, Azalea Park, 23 Mar (KR): Yellow-shafted Flicker (EM): 1, Stagecoach Road, 28 Feb (MeH); 1, Arcata, 3 Mar (MC): Gray Jay (MS): 7, Stagecoach Road, 28 Feb (MeH): Horned Lark (EL): 10, Bear River Ridge, 25 Feb (MM): Violet-green Swallow (EM): x, Fortuna, 27 Feb (DD); 6, AMP, 4 Mr (RH); 2, Freshwater, 7 Mr (RH)): Rough-winged Swallow (EM): 1, AMP, 20 Mar (EE): Cliff Swallow (EM): 3, AMP, 26 Mar (SH): Mountain Chickadee (IL): 3-7, Stagecoach Road, 28 Feb-19 Mar (MeH); 1, AMP, 17 Mar (EE); 1 Azalea Park, 23 Mar (KR): Western Bluebird (MS): 1-8 Kneeland, 13-14 Feb (BB): Northern Mockingbird (FR): 1, Elk River Road, 19 Mar (MJ): American Pipit (EL): 2, North Jetty, 4 Mar (PS): Black-throated Gray Warbler (ID): 1, BSLP, 14 Mar (MW): Palm Warbler (FR): 1, AMP, 26 Feb-16 Mar (JK, BMcI, KR, MR): Slate-colored Junco (FR): 1, BSLP, 17 Mar (MeH): Red Crossbill: 8, Freshwater, 7 Mar (RH); 2, Stagecoach Road, 19 Mar (MeH).

Many thanks to the following who shared observations with us this month: Adrienne and Paul Barrett, Jay Bishop, Heather Brown, Barbara Burek, Christine Cahill, Bryon Cariss, Mark Colwell, Ryan Dewitt, Duke Diehl, Rick Dimmick, Elias Elias, David Fix, Melody Hamilton, Stan Harris, Rob Hewitt, Denise Homer, John Hunter, Ken Irwin, Matt Johnson, Bob Keiffer, Josh Koepke, Gary Lester, Tristian McKee, Matthew Matthiessen, Michael Morris, Mark Morrissette, Laura Nelson, Dominic Romano, Kerry Ross, Megan Ross, Dan Ruthrauff, Rosalie Schele, Vern Skjonsby, Jim Springer, Paul Springer, Virginia Springer, John Sterling, Dorothy Tobkin, Matt Wachs, Abe Wilson.

Please report future observations to me at (707) 822-3802, drop a card to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, Calif, 95521, call them to the Arcata Bird Box (822-5666) or the Eureka Bird Box (442-5666), or write them on the observation sheet at the Arcata Marsh Interpertive Center, or on the sheet in Ornithology Hall, the Wildlife Building, H.S.U. Campus. Sorry, I do not have an E-Mail address, but my phone still works.