This was a pretty routine month. Most of the fall migration ‘silly season’ is over, the last of the normal wintering birds seem to have arrived, and we are now in ‘countdown mode,’ looking forward to Christmas Bird Count season. Please contact the leaders of your favorite count circles to volunteer –we always need all the help we can get! The local CBCs and schedules appear elsewhere in this edition of the Sandpiper. Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Ponds; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; EW = Expected Winterer; ES = Escape?; FR = Few Records; GW! = Gee Whiz record; IB = Interesting Behavior; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; MO = Many Observers; MS = Monitored Species; NC = Not Confirmed; RES? = Resident?

HIGHLIGHTS: HARLEQUIN DUCK (EW): 1-2 males, North Jetty, King Salmon, 23 Oct-1 Nov (MW); AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (ID): 1, AB, 23 Oct (RLeV); PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER (EM): 1, Cock Robin I., 1 Nov (KN, MW); 1, mouth Elk R., 5 Nov (EE); 23, vic. Crab Park, 7 Nov (KI); GLAUCOUS GULL (FR, EW): 1 imm., Klopp L., 14 Nov (KN); BURROWING OWL (FR, IB): 2, at badger burrows, Kneeland, about 1 Nov (AD); COMMON POORWILL (IL, GW!): 1, Lanphere Dunes, 8 Nov (CJR); LEWIS’S WOODPECKER (IL): 1, Lewiston, 26 Oct (BD); TROPICAL KINGBIRD (FR): 1, Orick, 23 Nov (SM); LEAST FLYCATCHER (FR, GW!): 1, measured and banded, Lanphere Dunes, 29 Oct (KH); SAY’S PHOEBE: 1, Azalea Hill, 8-22 Nov (GL); NORTHERN SHRIKE (FR): 1, Lanphere Rd., 7 Nov (BC); 1, Salt R., 19 Nov (DFx); CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (FR): 1, ‘Airport’ willows, Fairhaven, 24-27 Oct (DFa, PH, GH)(8 this fall!); BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (FR): singles banded, Lanphere Dunes, 14&22 Oct (KH); 1, AMP, 20 Nov (EE)(6 in Humboldt Co. this fall!); BLACKPOLL WARBLER (ID): 1, AMP, 15 Nov (DFx, JP, BC) (24 in Humboldt this fall!).

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (FR): 1, McKinleyville, 18 Nov (GS); LARK BUNTING (FR): 1, AB, 25 Oct (KI); CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR): 1, Eureka ‘tallow-works,’ 28-30 Oct (GH, DFx, JP); 1, Lanphere Rd., 7 Nov (BC); 1, Arcata, 19-24 Nov (GB); HARRIS’S SPARROW (FR): 1, Lanphere Rd. and Seidel Rd., AB, 11 Nov (DFx, JP); McCOWN’S LONGSPUR? (NC, GW!): 1, AB, 23&25 Oct (KI); CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (FR): 1, AB, 23&25 Oct (KI); SNOW BUNTING (FR): 1, AMP, 28 Oct (PL); BOBOLINK (FR): 1, AB, 27 Oct (RLeV); 1, South Spit, 5 Nov (DFa, PH); ORCHARD ORIOLE (FR): 1 female, ‘Entrance patch’ willows, Fairhaven, 24 Oct (DFa, PH); ORIOLE, SP. ("all yellow"): 1, Eureka, 4 Nov (EE); BULLOCK’S ORIOLE (ID): 1 female, Sunny Brae, 25 Oct (DFa et al.); RED BISHOP (ES, GW!): 1 female, Eureka sewage marshes, 28 Oct-12 Nov (GH et al.).

MORE ORDINARY, BUT STILL INTERESTING, REPORTS: PACIFIC LOON (ED, EM): massive numbers, accompained by lesser numbers of RED-THROATED LOONS, flying south past North Jetty, 8 Nov (RH et al.); RED-NECKED GREBE (EW): 1, North Jetty, 24 Oct (DFa, PH); CLARK’S GREBE (EW): 2, North Jetty, 23 Oct (MW); 1, Cock Robin I. bridge, 3 Nov (DFx); NORTHERN FULMAR (EM): 1, sick, Eureka Channel, 28 Oct (DFa); AMERICAN BITTERN (EM): 1, AMP, 26 Oct (SH); 1, mouth Elk R., 2 Nov (JP, DFx); CATTLE EGRET (MS): 1, Klopp L., 25 Oct (PL); 4-5, AB, 1-10 Nov (JP, DFx, P&VS, EE); GREEN HERON (MS): 1, near Glendale, 3 Nov (GL); TUNDRA SWAN (EW): 1, AB, 26 Oct-15 Nov (JP, DFx, GG…RES?); 3, Eel R. delta, 18 Nov (SP); 3, Hookton Rd., 22 Nov (KI); WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (EM): 5, AB, 26 Oct (GH); 3, Cock Robin I., 2 Nov (SPa); 2, Loleta, 11 Nov (TL, SPe); SNOW GOOSE (EM): 2, Lanphere Rd., 27 Oct (DFx).

ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (EM): 18, south past Table Bluff, 3 Nov (DFx); CACKLING CANADA GOOSE (FR): 1, Cock Robin I., 2 Nov (SPa); BLUE-WINGED TEAL (EM): 1 male, 26 Oct-22 Nov (SH, KN, DFa); 1 female, 2 Nov (SH) (all Butcher Slough log pond, AMP); EURASIAN WIGEON (EW): 1, AB, 22 Nov (SP); REDHEAD (EW): 1, Fields Landing, 19 Nov (DFx); CANVASBACK (EW): 1, Klopp L., 28 Oct (JC); COMMON GOLDENEYE (EW): 2, King Salmon, 14 Nov (MW); BLACK SCOTER (EW): 1 male, North Jetty, 24 Oct (DFa, PH); SURF SCOTER (ED): "major migration," south past North Jetty, 8 Nov (RH et al.); HOODED MERGANSER (EW): 1, Klopp L., 1 Nov (MW); 4, AB, 21-22 Nov (JCP); 2, Orick, 23 Nov (SM).

 NORTHERN GOSHAWK (FR): 1, near Eel Rock, 18 Nov (JG); OSPREY (ID): 1, Glendale, 3 Nov (GL); WHITE-TAILED KITE (IL, IB): 2, lower slopes Mail Ridge, 25 Oct (JG); 1, Bear R. Ridge, 31 Oct (KN); 20, roosting with N. Harriers, AB, 11 Nov (DFx); BALD EAGLE (EW): 1, South Fork Trinity R., 19 Nov (TL); ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (EW): 1, Benbow, 8 Nov (JS); 2, Bear R. Ridge, 11 Nov (MM); 1, Rio Dell, 11 Nov (TL, SPe); FERRUGINOUS HAWK (EW): 1, Hayfork Valley, 23 Oct (GL); 1, Azalea Hill, 24 Oct (GL); 1 (same?), AB, 27 Oct-15 Nov (MO); 2, Bear R. Ridge, 11 Nov (MM); GOLDEN EAGLE (MS): 1, Bear R. Ridge, 31 Oct (KN); 1 imm., Mail Ridge, 1 Nov (JG); 1, Bear R. Ridge, 11 Nov (TL, SPe); PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 7 reports from AB and AMP, 20 Oct-10 Nov (MO); MERLIN (MS, EM): 8 reports from AB, AMP, Eureka sewage marshes, Friday Ridge Rd., 25 Oct-9 Nov (MO).

SNOWY PLOVER (EW, MS): 24, Clam Beach, 14 Nov (GL); RED KNOT (EM): 3-5, AMP, 8 Nov (MM); 1, AB, 22 Nov (JP); PECTORAL SANDPIPER (EM): 2, Lanphere Rd., 26 Oct-18 Nov (JP, DFx); LARGE ALBINO GULL (GW!): 1, Klopp L., 1 Nov (MW); BONAPARTE’S GULL (IL): 1, Lewiston L., 26 Oct (BD); HEERMANN’S GULL (EM): migrants south past North Jetty, 8 Nov (RH et al.); THAYER’S GULL (EW): 2, Klopp L., 14 Nov (KN); MEW GULL (EW): 10, AOP, 5-9 Nov (DF, JP, SH); BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (EM): 2, North Jetty, 8 Nov (RH et al.); 20, Wedding Rock, 12 Nov (DFx); FORSTER’S TERN (EM): 2-3, AMP, 29-30 Oct (SH); 10-17, AMP/AOP, 7-9 Nov (DFx, JP, SH); CASPIAN TERN (ID): 1, Klopp L., 7 Nov (JP, DFx); 1, Hookton Slough, 8 Nov (JP, DFx); BAND-TAILED PIGEON (IN): 8, Mail Ridge, 25 Oct (JG); 3, Sunny Brae, 25 Oct (SH); 100, Benbow, 15 Nov (JS); W. SCREECH-OWL (IL): 1, road kill, Caspar, 28 Oct (GL); SHORT-EARED OWL (EW): 3, AB, 11 Nov (DFx); N. SAW-WHET OWL (IL): 1, Hayfork Bally, 19 Oct (GL); HORNED LARK (IL): 1, AB, 24 Oct (KI); 7, Bear R. Ridge, 11 Nov (MM).

BARN SWALLOW (ID): 1-3, AOP/AMP, 26 Oct-4 Nov (SH, EE, KN); COMMON RAVEN (IB): 50 soaring in one kettle, Mail Ridge, 1 Nov (JG); BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (EL): 3, AMP, 30 Oct (SH); WESTERN BLUEBIRD (MS): 10, Mail Ridge, 25 Oct (JG); 3, Grouse Mtn., 3 Nov (P&VS); N. MOCKINGBIRD (MS): 1-3, Moxon Rd., AB, 26 Oct-15 Nov (GH, JP, DFx); 2, Alton, 15 Nov (JS); PALM WARBLER (EM): 2, Westport, 28 Oct (GL); 2-3, AMP/AB, 2-20 Nov (MO); SWAMP SPARROW (IN): 24, many sites between Eel R. delta and Redwood Ck. estuary, 1-23 Nov; many more than usually detected (MO); WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (EW): 4 reports of 1-6 birds each at Azalea Hill, Sunny Brae, AMP, 24 Oct-10 Nov (GL, SH); SLATE-COLORED JUNCO (EW): 1, Arcata, 3 Nov (BF); LAPLAND LONGSPUR (EM): 15-75+, AB, 25-27 Oct (KI); 3, South Spit, 5 Nov (DFa, PH).