March came in like the proverbial lion, one storm after another for the first 2 weeks. Lousy birding weather generally resulted in a light report this month. Aleutian Cackling Geese continue to swarm over bottomland pastures. True to the historical precedents, many wintering waterfowl left our area this month and swallows, Band-tailed Pigeons, and Rufous/Allen’s hummingbirds continued to arrive. By the end of the period, at least some Western Canada Geese were incubating eggs.

Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AEB = Arcata-Eureka Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; GW = Gee Whiz report: HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; MRSWA = Mad River Slough Wildlife Area; NC = Not Confirmed; ND = No Description; PS = Poorly Seen.

White-fronted Goose: 8, V St. Loop, 4-11 Mar (SC, KR). Black Brant: 1 reported as a “hybrid” brant x cackling goose (no details) at HBNWR, 15 Mar (KR). “Cackling” Cackling Goose: 550, HBNWR, 15 Mar (KR). Dusky Canada Goose: 1, V St. Loop, 26 Feb (KR). Wood Duck: 1 pair, AOP, 25 Feb (SH), only ones of these there so far this spring. Eurasian Wigeon: 1, mouth of Elk River, 23 Feb (SC); 3 males, V St. Loop (9-11 Mar (KR, SC); 1, HBNWR, 12 Mar (DF, JP). Gadwall: at least 100 on North Humboldt Bay near AOP, 28 Feb (SH). Shoveler: Numbers at AOP continued to decline, dropping from 120 on 1 Mar to 15 by 19 Mar (SH). Eurasian Green-winged Teal: 1-2 males, Butcher Slough, Klopp Lake Island, 28 Feb-18 Mar (SH, AL). Intergrade Eurasian x American Green-winged Teal: 2, Klopp Lake Island, 28 Feb (SH). Common Goldeneye: 1 female, Gearheart Marsh, 26 Feb-18 Mar (SH, SC). Hooded Merganser: 7, 2 miles up from mouth of Elk River, 15 Mar (KR); “migrating through Salmon Creek Watershed (Miranda area), seen on many farm ponds, 5 Mar (KK). Common Merganser: 2 males, 1 female, New River at Denny, 1 Mar (LM). Ruddy Duck: numbers declined from 265 at AMP/AOP on 28 Feb to 2 on 19 Mar (SH). Green Pheasant: 1, Old Arcata Road, 6 Mar (CM).

Red-throated Loon: 1, Klopp Lake, 15-18 Mar (EW, MA, SH, AL). American Bittern: 1, Allen Marsh, 17 Mar (SH). Cattle Egret: 1 seen almost daily, Hunt Pasture of AMP, 25 Feb-19 Mar (SH); 1, AMP, 5 Mar (CC). White-faced Ibis (GW, NC, ND, PS): “A flock” reported “floating,” seen without binoculars while driving across Samoa Bridge, 2 Mar (DW). Bald Eagle: 10 reports of 1-2 from Mad River Fish Hatchery, north Humboldt Bay, AEB; Arcata Community Forest, mouth of Redwood Creek, mouth of Salmon Creek (Miranda), HBNWR, 23 Feb-12 Mar (KK, RF, BM, MM, GL, SC, JMcI, JA). Merlin: 1, AMP, 18-19 Mar (SH, et al.). Greater Yellowlegs: maximum of 60, Hunt Pasture, AMP, 26 Feb (SH). Lesser Yellowlegs: 10-12 with “many” Greater Yellow Legs, Loleta Bottoms, 12 Mar (RF, MW). Whimbrel: 1, Eureka Channel, 16 Mar (GL). Wilson’s Snipe: 2-7, Pine Hill x Elk River Road, 24 Feb (KD). Thayer’s Gull: 1 “second year” + 2 “first year” reported, no details on identification. criteria used, Arcata, 10 Mar (RF). Glaucous Gull: 1 adult (photos), mouth Redwood Creek, 23 Feb (JA); 1, first year, Samoa Blvd x I Street, Arcata, 11-15 Mar (SC, RH); 1, first year, Gobel Lane, 12 Mar (MW, RF); 1 second year, Blue Lake Fish Hatchery, 3 Mar (SC). Caspian Tern: 1-5, HBNWR, 12 Mar (RF, MW, DF, JP, et al.). Forster’s Tern: maximum actual counts of 14 at AMP/AOP, 26-28 Feb (SH). Rhinoceros Auklet: 1 dead on Samoa Beach, 7 Mar (HB). Burrowing Owl: 1, mouth Redwood Creek, 23 Feb (JA). Pygmy Owl: 1, Trinidad Head, 12 Mar (SN). Barred Owl: 1, (photos), Denny, 28 Feb (LM). Short-eared Owl: 1-4, MRSWA, 18 Feb, 11 Mar (SC).

Black Phoebe: “1 all winter at Denny,” but increased to “several” in early Mar (LM). Say’s Phoebe: 1, north Eureka, 2-8 Mar (KB, CO, BM); 1, McKinleyville, 6-15 Mar (DJ); 1, Mad River Road, Arcata Bottoms, 16 Mar (KR). Cassin’s Vireo: 1 calling, McKinleyville, 25 Feb (anon from bird box). House Wren: 1, Elk River at Boy Scout Camp, 11 Mar (CO). Western Bluebird: first seen at Denny on 31 Jan, up to 6 seen daily by early Mar (LM); 1, Murray Road exit x HWY 101, 26 Mar (KR); 1, McKinleyville, 1 Mar (BM); 6, Elk River Valley, 11 Mar (CO); 4-15, vic Blue Lake Hatchery, West End Road, 11-15 Mar (SC, RH). Varied Thrush: 1, south of Legget, 22 Feb (HR); 25-30, Hatchery Road, 11 Mar (SC). Northern Mockingbird: 1, NW Arcata, early Mar (BW). Tennessee Warbler: 1, Eureka, 6, 16 Feb (UPDATE), (BS). Orange-crowned Warbler: 1, AMP,11 Mar (SC). Nashville Warbler: 1, Arcata, 11 Mar (SC). Palm Warbler: 1-3, AMP, 15-17 Mar (SH, RH). Black-and-white Warbler: 1 BSLP, 12 Mar (PB, BA). Swamp Sparrow: 1, AMP, 6 Mar (CC). Slate-colored Junco: 1, Arcata, 11 Mar (SC). Lapland Longspur: 8 flyovers, AB, 10 Mar (RF). Hooded Oriole: 1 male, NW Arcata at sugar feeder, 11, 17 Mar (“here all winter,” BW). Red Crossbill: 10, McKinleyville, 25 Feb (anon).

Many thanks to the following who shared their observations with us this period: Brian Acord, Marge Adams, Jeff Allen, Pat Britton, Eve Broughton, Heather Brown, Barbara Burek, Ken Burton, Scott Carey, Chris Conra, Kit Davenport, Rob Fowler, Stan Harris, Rob Hewitt, Dave Juliano, Kyle Spragens, D. & N. Koch, Alexandra Lamb, Gary Lester, Catherine Mace, Jim McIntosh, Bill Miller, Michael Morris, Linda Munk, Steve Norman, Aida Parkinson, Chet Ogan, Carol Ralph, Kerry Ross, Herb Roth, Barry Sauppe, Dan Van Zile, Matt Wachs, Don Wattenbarger, Brenda Williams, Eric Wilson.

Please call new reports to (707) 822-5666 (Arcata Bird Box), to me at (707) 822-3802, mail them to me at 1595 Charles Ct, Arcata, Calif 95521, or write them on the observation board at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary Interpretive Center.