Field Notes
By Stan Harris
12 January - 19 February
Rain, Rain, Rain! Spring is gradually arriving anyway to a saturated, soggy world! In spite of the wet landscape and skies, the spring birds are migrating on schedule. Many thanks to all the intrepid birders who got out in spite of the weather and who shared the following observations with the rest of us.
HIGHLIGHTS: YELLOW-BILLED LOON (FR): 1, Fields Landing, 18 Jan (MM, JP, DF, EE, good description): CATTLE EGRET (MS): 8-10, AB, 30 Jan-10 Feb (KN, RJA, GB): BLUE-WINGED TEAL (EL, ED): 2 males, 1 female, AMP, 17 Jan (MM, KN): OLDSQUAW (FR): 1, Lower Mad River, 25 Jan; 1, Pt. St. George, 15 Feb (both SK): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 1, Azalea Hill, 15 Feb (DG): PRAIRIE FALCON (FR): 1, Kneeland Airport, 22 Jan (RJA, MD): RUFFED GROUSE (EL): 1, Tish Tang Ridge, 28 Jan (TL): GLAUCOUS GULL (EL): 1 imm., Fields Landing, 8 Feb (SK, JP, DF); 1, Samoa Beach, 13 Feb (KN): SAY'S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Azalea Hill, 3-13 Feb (RR, BR, GL): LEAST FLYCATCHER (WOW!): 1, South Fork, Trinity River, 9, 18 Feb (TL); identified with good phone description, 20 Feb (DF, JP): BLUE JAY (WOW!): 1, Willow Creek, 27 Jan (SK); UPDATE!, word and photos have arrived of a Blue Jay, near Crescent City, 27 Nov-1 Dec 1997 (C & BS, fide, AB, GL): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (FR): 1 female, still present at AMP, Log Pond, 27 Jan-12 Feb (KN, KB, MaC, MiC photos!): YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (FR): 1, Eureka, 14 Jan (MM): NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (FR): 1, AMP, log pond, 13-27 Jan (SH,EE,BC,CD,SK); 1, Bayshore Mall, 30 Jan (JH): BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (ID): 1, Fortuna feeder, 21 Jan (present since at least Sept, AD,MP): LARK SPARROW (ID, IL): 1, Fortuna, feeder, 26 Jan-4 Feb (RC).
MORE USUAL, BUT STILL INTERESTING THINGS: PIED-BILLED GREBE (IL): 2, mouth Willow Creek, 13 Jan (TL): RED-NECKED GREBE (EL, IL): 2, Stone Lagoon, 13 Jan (DF); 3, Lake Earl, 20 Jan (EE, BC, JM); 1, Klopp Lake, 31 Jan (KN): EARED GREBE (IN): 15, Stone Lagoon, 13 Jan (DF); 2-3, AOP, 1-18 Feb (SH): CLARK'S GREBE (EL): 1, Stone Lagoon, 13 Jan (DF); 2, Hookton Slough, 8 Feb (JP, DF); 1, Fields Landing, 8 Feb (JP, DF): BROWN PELICAN (OW): 2, Fields Landing, 17 Feb (DG): AMERICAN BITTERN (EL): 1, AMP, 17 Jan (KN): TUNDRA SWAN (EL, M): 120, Cock Robin Island, 24 Jan (TL); 1, AB, 21 Jan (MM); 2 (flyby), Luffenholtz Beach, 8 Feb (TL): GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (FR): 6-10, AB, 21 Jan-13 Feb (MM,GB); 1, Willow Creek Golf Course, 17 Feb (TL): SNOW GOOSE (FR): 1, AB, 21 Jan-13 Feb (MM, GB): ROSS' GOOSE (FR): 1, South Spit, 5 Feb (GL); 1, AB, 5-13 Feb (RJA, GH, GB); 1, 7 miles north Ft. Bragg, 7-8 Feb (Jay ?, DT, fide TL): WHITE GOOSE sp: 1, Spruce Point, 22-23 Jan (DL, PH): ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (EM): 6, AB, 13 Feb (GB): AMERICAN WIGEON (IL): 1, Willow Creek Golf Course, 17 Feb (TL): CANVASBACK (IN): 70-90, Stone Lagoon, 13 Feb (DF): REDHEAD (IN): 167, South Bay at Fields Landing, 19 Feb (DF): RING-NECKED DUCK (ID): 3 pair, Starvation Flat, 9 Feb (RC): BLACK SCOTER (EL): 1 female, Pt. St. George, 20 Jan (EE, BC, JM); 1 female, Freshwater Lagoon, 15 Feb (SK): HOODED MERGANSER (EM): 4 females, milepost 24.77, Van Duzen River, 18 Feb (RH): TURKEY VULTURE (EM): 3-5, AMP, 1-18 Feb (SH); 1, Willow Creek, 17 Feb (TL); 3, Fruitland Ridge, 19 Feb (JG): OSPREY (OW): 2-3, Freshwater Lagoon, 13-21 Jan (DF, DL): WHITE-TAILED KITE (IL, IN): 1, Dinsmore, last half of Jan (BS, fide, JH); 75, Cock Robin Island roost, 24 Jan (TL): BALD EAGLE (MS): 1, South Fork, Trinity River, 13 Jan (TL); 1 adult, Arcata/HSU, 19 Jan, 19 Feb (KN, GS); 1 adult, Big Lagoon, 20 Jan (EE, BC, JM); 1 adult, Mad River/299, 23 Jan (GL, AL, KL); 1 adult, Big Bar, 19 Jan (AP); 1 adult, HBNWR, 8 Feb (JP, DF); 1, Orleans, 10 Feb (MD); 1 adult, AB, 15 Feb (KI):
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (ED, EL): 1 adult, HBNWR, 11 Jan (KS): MERLIN (ED, EL): 1, Cock Robin Island, 24 Jan; 1, McKinleyville, 11 Feb (both TL): 1, Arcata, 17 Feb (SC): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 1, Eureka, 22 Jan (AP); 1, AMP, 22 Jan (SH); 1, AB, 25 Jan (DA); 2, Humboldt Bay, 26 Jan (EE); 1, Wedding Rock, 29 Jan (TL); 1, Azalea Hill, 16 Feb (GL): GREATER YELLOWLEGS (IN): 210, actual count!, AB, 19 Jan (DF): SPOTTED SANDPIPER (EM): 1, AB, 25 Jan (DA): RED KNOT (FR): 5, AB, 25 Jan (SK): ROCK SANDPIPER (EL): 1, MacKerricher State Park, 13 Jan (DT): RED PHALAROPE (OW): 1, AMP, 30 Jan (SH); 1, Wedding Rock flyby, 3 Feb (DF); 3, South Spit, 5 Feb (GL); 1-8, AB, 5-14 Feb (RJA, GB, SK): HEERMANN'S GULL (ID, IN): 1 adult, Trinidad, 29 Jan (TL); 1 adult, 4 immature, Eureka, 2 Feb (BC); 1 imm, Trinidad, 6 Feb (TL); 1 imm, AMP, 8-9 Feb (SH); ca 20-30, Eureka to Redwood Creek, 13-15 Feb (KI); 1, Field's Landing, 17 Feb (DG): HERRING GULL (IN): 1, Klopp Lake, 19 Jan (KN); 10, between Luffenholtz and Redwood Creek, 13 Feb (KI): THAYER'S GULL (EL): 1, Klopp Lake, 31 Jan (KN); 1, Eureka, 10 Feb (GH); 2-3, between Luffenholtz and Redwood Creek, 13 Feb (KI): BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (ED): 1-3, Wedding Rock, 13 Jan-6 Feb (DF, TL); 1, Crescent City Harbor, 20 Jan (EE, BC, JM): FORSTER'S TERN (EL, ED): 23-27, AMP/AOP, 9-18 Feb (SH): CASPIAN TERN (ID); 4-5, HBNWR, 8 Feb (JP, DF): MARBLED MURRELET (ID): 2, Wedding Rock, 13 Feb (DF): BAND-TAILED PIGEON (EM): returning migrants, Upper Bull Creek, 30 Jan (JG); Azalea Hill, 20-24 Jan (L&GL); Sunny Brae (20), 19 Feb (SH): MOURNING DOVE (EM): 3, Fruitland Ridge, 19 Feb (JG): GREAT HORNED OWL (IL): 1, AMP, log pond, 26 Jan-12 Feb (CD, HD, RJA, EE, MaC, MiC photos): SPOTTED OWL (EL): 1 roadkill, South Fork, Trinity/299, 20 Jan (TL): SHORT-EARED OWL (EL, EN): 1-3, Fay Slough, mouth Eel River, Cock Robin Island, AB, Kneeland, HBNWR, 17 Jan-8 Feb (mo): ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Azalea Hill, 4 Feb (LL): RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Azalea Hill, 15 Feb (GL): ALLEN/RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD: 1, Elk Head, 14 Feb (MM): TREE SWALLOW (EM): 1, Table Buff, 5 Feb (GL); 3, Fortuna levee, 9 Feb (RC); 3, AMP, 16 Feb (SH): TREE/VIOLET GREEN SWALLOW (EM): 1, AMP, 10-16 Feb (RJA, EE, GZ): BARN SWALLOW (EM): 1-3, AMP, 21 Jan-18 Feb (BC, EE, RJA, SH): BEWICK'S WREN (EL): x, Upper Bull Creek, 30 Jan (JG): NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (OW): 1, AB, 30 Jan (KN): CEDAR WAXWING (EM): 20, Azalea Hill, 16 Feb (GL); 70, Westhaven, 16 Feb (TL); 30, HSU, 17-18 Feb (BA): ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (OW): 1, AMP, log pond, 13 Jan (SH): NASHVILLE WARBLER (OW): 1, Ft. Bragg, 7 Jan (DT); 1, Arcata, 8 Feb (BF): PALM WARBLER (OW): 1, AMP, log pond, 13-27 Jan (SH, SK); 1, Redwood Creek, 12 Feb (KI): COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (OW): 1, AMP, log pond, 27 Jan-3 Feb (RJA, EE): CALIFORNIA TOWHEE (EL): x, Upper Bull Creek, 30 Jan (JG): BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (EM): 75, AB, 30 Jan (KN): RED CROSSBILL (EM): 10, Azalea Hill, 16 Feb (GL): EVENING GROSBEAK (EM): 6, Azalea Hill, 15 Feb (GL).
Many thanks to the following who shared their observations with us: Brian Acord, R. J. Adams, Dave Anderson, JoAnne Bain, Alan Barron, Gary Bloomfield, Kathleen Butler, Max and Michele Cardoza, Bryon Cariss, Sean Conden, Ruth Crane, Monica Davis, Anthony Desch, Colin and Henry Dillingham, Mark Dondero, Elias Elias, David Fix, Brad Freeman, John Gaffin, Dan Garrison, Pete Haggard, Stan Harris, Rob Hewitt, John Hunter, Ken Irwin, Sandy Koonce, Dick Laursen, Tom Leskiw, Amy Lester, Gary Lester, Kelsey Lester, Lauren Lester, Joel Moody, Michael Morris, Kristie Nelson, Steve Pagliughi, Aida Parkinson, Marion Perry, Jude Power, Bonnie Ridenhour, Rich Ridenhour, Greg Schmidt, Bernie Sheer (sp?), Keith Slauson, Carter and Bonnie Swart, D. Tobkin, Gretchen Ziegler.
Please send future reports to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, California, 95521; phone them to me at (707) 822-3802, call them in to the Arcata Bird Box, 822-5666, or write them on the rare bird sheet outside of room 372, Science A, HSU campus.