Field Notes

by Stan Harris

21 February - 27 March 2005

The period was characterized by dry weather with some rain late in the period. One pelagic trip in the fog went out from HSU, on 12 Mar. It was slow for birds, but at least 20 Gray Whales were seen.

Abbreviations Used: AB= Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; BRR = Bear River Ridge; EL= Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; EN = Expected Numbers; EWSN = Expected in winter in small numbers; FR = Few Records; GW = Gee Whiz Report; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; KS = King Salmon; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; MRWA = Mad River Slough Wildlife Area,; mo = Many Observers; MS = Monitored Species; NC = Not confirmed by a second party; ND = No details or description; x = number not reported.

White-fronted Goose (IN): 3, Lake Cleone, 26 Jan-20 Mar (DT); x, HBNWR, 4 Mar (EN); 61, Loleta Bottoms, 5 Mar (AD, et al). Snow Goose (EWSN): x, HBNWR, 4 Mar (EN); Ross’s Goose (EWSN): x, HBNWR, 4 Mar (EN); 2, AB, 7 Mar (SC); Aleutian Cackling Goose (EN): 1-50, vic. Ft. Bragg, reported as “Cackling Canada Geese,” 20-28 Feb (DT); 1000's, AB, HBNWR, 22 Feb-20 Mar (mo); Tundra Swan (EM): flocks of up to 50 reported flying north over Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, 3-13 Mar (mo); Eurasian Wigeon (EM): 1, HBNWR, 17 Feb (DD); 1, AB, 7-12 Mar (SC, RF, et al.); 1, North Bay, 21 Feb (EE); 1, mouth Jacoby Creek, 15 Mar (SC); Eurasian Green-winged Teal (FR): 1, HBNWR, 12 Mar (RF); 1, AB, 12 Mar (RF); 1, Klopp Lake, 11 Mar (SH); Tufted Duck (FR): 1 male, South Bay, 14 Mar (JTo); Ring-necked Duck (EL): 2, Alton Pond, 3 Mar (RC); 4, Freshwater Lagoon, 12 Mar (JK); 3, Dry Lagoon, 26 Mar (JK); Harlequin (EN): 1-3, KS, 12 Feb-16 Mar (MW, RF); 2-18, Ft. Bragg beaches, 14 Feb-9 Mar (DT); Long-tailed Duck (FR): 1, Fields Landing, 21 Feb-16 Mar (MW); 1, AMP, 10-12 Mar (BMcN, CO, et al,); Hooded Merganser (FR): 3, KS, 21 Feb-3 Mar (MW); 4, Gold Bluff Beach, 7 Mar (KS); Mountain Quail (EL): 1 calling, Mail Ridge, 25 Mar (JG); Red-throated Loon (EM): 30-100, South Bay, 2-16 Mar (MW); 1, Klopp Lake, 13 Mar (SH); Pacific Loon (EM): 1, Humboldt Bay Channel/South Bay, 21 Feb-12 Mar (MW, SH); Horned Grebe (ED): 80, South Bay, 16 Mar (MW); Red-necked Grebe (EN): 7-8, South Bay, 12-16 Mar (SH, MW); Eared Grebe (IN): 304 (actual count, more too far away to ID); South Bay, 16 Mar (MW); Western Grebe (EN): 280, South Bay/Entrance Bay, 16 Mar (MW); Clark’s Grebe (EL): 1, bay at AMP, 21 Feb (EE); 1, Eureka Channel, 12 Mar (SH); 1, mouth, Jacoby Creek, 15 Mar (SC); Black-footed Albatross (EL): 17 responded to bait, 8 miles west of Eureka (only ones seen all day), 12 Mar (SH, et al.); Short-tailed Shearwater (ID): 5, responded to 8 mile baiting, only shearwaters seen all day, 12 Mar (SH, et al.); Dark Shearwater sp.: 1 reported from tip of North Jetty, 5 Mar (SC); Brown Pelican (ID): 1, MKSP, 22 Feb (DT); American Bittern (FR): 1, BSLP, 1-25 Mar (EE, BC, PL); Green Heron (FR): 1, Sunnybrae, 1 Mar (“John”).

Osprey (EM): 1, Samoa Bridge, 5 Mar (SC); Bald Eagle (MS): 6 reports of singles from Big Bar, Benbow, South Spit, Mad River Hatchery, North Bay, 20 Feb-25 Mar (mo); Northern Goshawk (FR, ND, NC): 1 immature reported, Willow Creek, 21 Feb (J &JM); Merlin (MS): 6 reports of singles at AMP, mouth Jacoby Creek, MRWA, 3-15 Mar (mo); Peregrine Falcon (MS): 1, HBNWR, 17 Feb (DD); 1, Benbow, 28 Feb (JS); 1, Garberville, 21 Feb (JS); 1, South Spit, 16 Mar (MW); 1-2, AMP, 11-24 Mar (SH, CO, DH); Prairie Falcon (FR): 1, MRWA, 2 Mar (RF); 1, AMP, 5 Mar (RF); Avocet (IN): 50, South Bay, 3 Mar (MW); Red Knot (FR): 2, Klopp Lake, 21 Feb (EE); 1, Samoa Bridge, 5 Mar (SC); Rock Sandpiper (FR): 1-4, Laguna Point, 7-8 Feb (DT); 2, North Jetty, 5 Mar (SC); Wilson’s Snipe (IL): 1, BRR, 15 Mar (SMcA); Pigeon Guillemot (ID): 7, 2-3 miles offshore, 12 Mar (SH); Marbled Murrelet (MS): 2-4, North Jetty, 21 Feb-12 Mar (MW, SC, SH); Glaucous Gull (FR): 1, Crab Park, 27 Feb (RF, MW); 1 (first year), Ft. Bragg, 1 Mar (DT); 1 (first year), Eureka, 22-23 Mar (GL); Black-legged Kittiwake (EM): 2, Crab Park, 27 Feb (RF, MW); 4-5, 8 miles offshore, 12 Mar (SH); Caspian Tern (EM): 2, Crab Park, 27 Feb (RF, MW); 3, mouth, Jacoby Creek, 15 Mar (SC); Pygmy Owl (FR): 1 calling, Eureka, 10 Mar (TL); Burrowing Owl (FR): 1, Bald Hill Area, Ft. Bragg, 26 Jan-7 Mar (DT).

White-throated Swift (EL): 7-10, Wagner Bridge, x 101, 7 Mar (JH); 4, 101 bridge in northern Mendocino County, 7 Mar (JH); Rufous Hummingbird (EM): 1, AMP, 2 Mar (EE, PL); 1, Redwood Valley, 6 Mar (FA); 1, Sunnybrae, 14-15 Mar (SH); Allen’s Hummingbird (EM): 1, Sunnybrae, 2 Mar (SH); 3, Blue Lake Hatchery, 13 Mar (SC); Yellow-shafted Flicker (FR): 2, north McKinleyville, 23 Mar (RD); Pileated Woodpecker (FR): 2, Arcata Community Forest, 38 Feb (EP); 1, Mail Ridge, 25 Mar (JG); Least Flycatcher (FR): 1 (hold over), 8th and N, Arcata, 5-12 Mar (RF, SC, et al.); Say’s Phoebe (FR): 1, V St. Loop, 2-5 Mar (JT, RF, et al.); Blue Jay (GW): 1, Redwood Valley (holdover), 21 Feb-19 Mar (BA, RF, CL, et al.); Horned Lark (EL): 6 pairs, BRR, 15 Mar (SMcA); Tree Swallow (EM): up to 100's, AMP 6-19 Mar (mo); 1,000, HBNWR, 27 Feb (RF); “loads,” Gold Bluff Beach, 7 Mar (KS); Violet-green Swallow (EM): 5-10, AMP, 23 Feb-19 Mar (mo); 2, HBNWR, 27 Feb (RF); 4, Ferndale, 1 Mar (GL); x, Wagner Bridge, 7 Mar (JH); Rough-winged Swallow (EM): 1, Arcata Community Forest, 9 Mar (BC); several, AMP, 19 Mar (SC); Barn Swallow (EM): 1-10 at HBNWR, Manila, AMP, 27 Feb-19 Mar (RF, SC); Mockingbird (FR): 1, north Arcata, 5 Mar (RF); Orange-crowned Warbler (EM): 1-2 singing, AMP, Shay Park, Arcata, 23 Feb-12 Mar (SC); several singing, Dry Lagoon 26 Mar (JK); Nashville Warbler (EWSN): 1, Shay Park vic, 5-10 Mar (BA, SC); 1 AMP, 25 Mar (EE); Yellow Warbler (ID): 1, AMP, 21 Feb-10 Mar (EE, PL, BC, RF); Palm Warbler (EWSN): 1-4, AMP, 21 Feb-25 Mar (mo); Northern Waterthrush (FR): 1, BSLP, 25 Feb-25 Mar (BC, EE, PL); White-throated Sparrow (EWSN): 1-2, Redway, Sunnybrae, Eureka, Redwood Valley, 3-19 Mar (DG, SH, TL, CL); Lapland Longspur (FR): 2, MRWA, 2 Mar (RF); Chestnut-collared Longspur (FR): 11, BRR, 15 Mar (SMcA); Bullock’s Oriole (ID): 1, AMP, 4 Mar (PL); Red Crossbill (EL): x, Gold Bluff Beach, 7 Mar (KS).