Field Notes
By: Stanley W. Harris
19 February - 19 March
A rather quiet month with very few surprises reported. Early migrants are beginning to arrive. Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; CR = College of the Redwoods; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; EWM = Expected in winter or migration in small numbers: FR = Few Records: IN = Interesting Numbers: MS = Monitored Species: ND/C = No details or description, not confirmed, identification?
HIGHLIGHTS: GLAUCOUS GULL (FR): 1 (second winter), new mouth Mad River, 13 Mar (GL): BURROWING OWL (FR): 1, South Spit, 12 Mar (MW) (only one reported this winter!): WHITE-THROATED SWIFT (FR): At least 3 returned to the Edward C. Wagner Bridge on Highway 101 just south of Benbow by 7 Mar (JP), not seen there on 1 Mar (J&MS): SAY’S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Glass Beach at Ft. Bragg, 26 Feb & 10 Mar (JH); 1, Big Lagoon, 16 Mar (TL): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (FR): 1, Manila, 22 Feb (DA): NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (FR): 1, AMP, 26 Feb (EE, GZ): CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR): 1, Arcata, 9 Mar (GB).
HOW ABOUT THESE TOO? RED-NECKED GREBE (EWM): 1, South Jetty, 12 Mar (MW): CLARK’S GREBE (EWM): 1, North Bay at AMP, 26 Feb (PL): 1, Liscomb Slough, 27 Feb (PL); 1, Butcher Slough, 3 Mar (PL): at least 8 in a flock of 318 Western type grebes off Field’s :Landing, 9 Mar (MW): AMERICAN BITTERN (MS): 1, Pound Road, south Eureka, 16 Mar (GL): TUNDRA SWAN (EWM): "Some" (how many Bryon?), AB, 14 Mar (BC): ROSS’ GOOSE (EWM): 2, AB, 22 Feb-5 Mar (EE, KN, PS): ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (EWM): 120-900, AB, 22 Feb-7 Mar (EE, KN, DF, JP, PS), 220, AB, 15 Mar (DF): 1, Ft. Bragg, 12 Feb (update) (DT): PINTAIL (IN): 100, AB, 25 Feb (JSe): EURASIAN WIGEON (EWM): 2, AB, 25 Feb (JSe); 1, near Orick, 5 Mar (PF): REDHEAD (FR): 1, AB, 17 Mar (BC): RING-NECKED DUCK (FR): 2-20, Eel River near Fortuna, 9-15 Mar (RC): BLACK SCOTER (MS): 1 female, mouth Klamath River, 21 Feb (GH); 2-12, MacKerricher St. Park, 5 Feb-10 Mar (DT, JH): HARLEQUIN (FR): 2-4, Glass Beach & MacKerricher St. Park, 26 Feb-10 Mar (JH, DT): OLD SQUAW (FR):1, King Salmon, 28 Feb (MW); 1, Big Lagoon, 16 Mar (TL); 1, Ft. Bragg, 10 Mar (JH): COMMON GOLDENEYE (EWM): 1, AMP, 21 Feb (JSe); 1, CR, 25 Feb (BF); 2, AMP, 2 Mar (PL): OSPREY (EM): 1, Big Lagoon, 16 Mar (TL): BALD EAGLE (MS): 1 (age?), Big Lagoon, 20 Feb (BK); 1 ad, 1 imm, Eel River Bottoms, 21 Feb (DF, JP); 1 (age?), Hookton Slough, 21 Feb (CO); 1 adult, Benbow, 15-22 Feb (J&MS); 1 adult, Miranda, ± 20 Feb (J&MS); 1 adult, overhead, Arcata, 25 Feb (GG); 2 adults, South Bay, 9, 17 Mar (MW, RLV): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 1, AB, 26-28 Feb (JS, GL): GOLDEN EAGLE (FR): 1, Kneeland, 20 Feb, (BB): 2, Benbow, 7 Mar (J&MS); 2 adults feeding on a deer carcass near Maple Creek, 17 Mar (KK): MERLIN (EWM): 1(richardsoni), Eel River Bottoms, 21 Feb (DF, JP); 1, AB, 26 Feb (JS); 1, Bald Hills, 5 Mar (PF): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 1
Big Lagoon, 7 Mar (TL); 1 flushed from Blank Rock off Trinidad, 7 Mar (MM); 1
flushed from White Rock off Patrick’s Point, 7 Mar (MM): SNOWY PLOVER (MS): 25
(9 banded), Clam Beach, 20 Feb (GL); 1, Big Lagoon Beach, 16 Mar (TL): SEMIPALMATED
PLOVER (IN): 180, South Spit, 1 Mar (DF, JP): BLACK OYSTERCATCHER (EL): 1,
South Jetty, 12 Mar (MW): SPOTTED SANDPIPER (IL): 1, Trinidad, 22 Feb (TL): RED
KNOT (FR): 3-8, Klopp Lake high tide roost, ± 1 Mar (1 seen taken by a Peregrine, 27
Feb) (PL): ROCK SANDPIPER (EWM): 2, North Jetty, 6 Mar (MW); 2, MacKerricher St.
Park, 1 Mar (DT).
CASPIAN TERN (EM): 1, Patrick’s Point, 11 Mar (TL): BAND-TAILED PIGEON (EM): 5, Azalea Hill, 27 Feb (GL); 2, Sunny Brae, 28 Feb (SH): RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Sunny Brae, 3 Mar (SH); 1, Bayside, 6 Mar (BF); 1, Fortuna, 10 Mar (KW): ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Garberville, 8 Mar (MW): NORTHERN FLICKER (IN): 11 on one lawn at once, Ft. Bragg, 12 Feb (DT); 1 intergrade, Fortuna, 10 Mar (KW): TREE SWALLOW (EM): 4-100, AMP, 24 Feb-6 Mar (MM, EE, GZ, RC): VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW (EM): 2, AMP, 26 Feb (EE, GZ); x, Azalea Hill, 2 Mar (GL); 4, Starvation Flat, 6 Mar (RC): ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (EM): 1, Pound Road, south Eureka, 16 Mar (GL): WESTERN BLUEBIRD (MS): 1, Ferndale, 27 Feb (RC); "some" (how many Bryon?), Highway 101 x Little River, 14 Mar (BC): TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE (IL): 1, Azalea Hill, 1 Mar (GL): NORTHERN SHRIKE (FR): 1, 10-mile River north of Ft. Bragg, 10 Mar (good description, DT): SHRIKE SP? (FR): 1, AB, 11 Mar (BC): LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (ND/C): 1, Bald Hills, 5 Mar (PF): BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (EL): "several", Dry Lagoon, 21 Feb (BC): PALM WARBLER (FR): 1, AMP, ±1-5 Mar (PL, EE): COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (EWM): 1, Pound Road, south Eureka, 16 Mar (GL): WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (EWM): 1, AMP, 5 Mar (EE); 2, Sunny Brae, 6 Mar (SH): LAPLAND LONGSPUR (FR): 1, AB, 25 Feb (DF): EVENING GROSBEAK (EM, MS): x, Azalea Hill, 22-25 Feb (RR); 10-12, West End Road, 22 Feb (EK); 3-14, Blue Lake, 25-28 Feb (CK, SB); 4, Prairie Creek St. Park, 28 Feb (anon); 17, HSU campus, 5 Mar (KN); 7, Hydesville, 6 Mar (I&WC); 10-20, Fortuna, 10-17 Mar (KW); 20, Azalea Hill, 13 Mar (GL).
Many thanks to the following who shared their observations with us this month: David Anderson, Mark Azeme (sp?); Louise Bacon-Ogden, Susan Barnstein, Gary Bloomfield, Barbara Burek, Bryon Cariss, Irene and Warren Crane, Ruth Crane, Elias Elias, Pat Fitzmorris, David Fix, Brad Freeman, John Gaffin, George Green, Stan Harris, Gjon Hazard, John Hunter, Elyse Kelly, Christine Kiel, Brent Kritch, Karen Kovacks, Tom Leskiw, Paul Lohse, Michael Morris, Kristie Nelson, Chet Ogan, Jude Power, Richard Ridenhour, Jay Seegar, Jay and Margaret Sooter, Paul Springer, Dorothy Tobkin, Matt Wachs, Kevin Westfall, Gretchen Zeigler. Please call future observations in to the Arcata Bird Box (707) 822-5666, to me at (707) 822-3802, or mail them to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, Calif. 95521.
Please send future reports to me at 1595 Charles Court, Arcata, Calif, 95521, phone them in to the Arcata Bird Box (822-5666), or to me at 822-3802.