Field Notes
by Stanley W. Harris
6 January - 18 February 2000
Winter is winding down, the wintering ducks are leaving (or have left), the "white-bellied" swallows are arriving, as are the first summer hummers. Any day now we can say spring has sprung!
Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; EKWA = Elk River Wildlife Area; EM = Expected Migrant; FR = Few Records; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; GW = Gee Whiz Report; IB = Interesting Behavior; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; MS = Monitored Species:
HIGHLIGHTS: Short-tailed Shearwater (FR): 1, after a long sea watch, Wedding Rock, 17 Feb (DF): Cattle Egret (FR): 2, 5, AB, 31 Jan, 12 Feb (MV, CW, KN): Ross's Goose (FR): 1, AB, 6 Feb (DF, JP, EE): EURASIAN WIGEON (FR): 1, Hookton Slough overflow, 15 Jan (SH, CD): OLD SQUAW (FR): 1, Big Lagoon, 18 Jan (TL); 1, lower Mad River, 31 Jan (CW, MV): BALD EAGLE (MS): 10 reports of 1-2 from lower Mad River, Stevens Bridge (Smith River); lower Jacoby Creek, HBNWR, AB, AOP, Eureka, 15 Jan-18 Feb (JP, AP, DF, SL, KN, MW, CW, MV, MM): PRAIRIE FALCON (FR): 5 reports of 1, AB, 21 Jan-12 Feb (PS, DA, EE, MM, DF, JP, KN): RED KNOT (FR): 1-3, AB, 11 Jan, 3 Feb (DF, SH); 12, Klopp Lake, 29 Jan (MM): BURROWING OWL (FR): 1, Big Lagoon Spit, 18 Jan (TL): 1, Eureka waterfront, 10-17 Feb (fide, DS): LONG-EARED OWL (FR): 1, EKWA, 15 Jan (MW); 1, HBNRW, 22 Jan (SL); 1 road kill, Crannell Road, 9 Feb (MM).
Hummingbirds return
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Bayside, 7 Feb (DF, JP); 1, Fortuna, 8 Feb (KW): ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Garberville, 5 Feb (JS): SWIFT SP (PROB. VAUX'S (ID): 1, near Azalea Park, 26 Jan (KI): LEAST FLYCATCHER (GW): 1, BSLP, 15-26 Jan (KN, SH, MB, MV, CW): SAY'S PHOEBE (ID): 1, Azalea Hill, 22 Jan (GL): TREE SWALLOW (EM): 5-100, AMP, 11 Jan-18 Feb (DF, KN, SH): VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW (EM): x, AMP, 11 Jan, 13 Feb (DF, BA): BARN SWALLOW (EM): 1-3, AMP, 11 Jan, 1 Feb (DF, EE): BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (FR): 1, Blue Lake, 13 Feb (EE): WILSON'S WARBLER (ID): 1, BSLP, 20 Jan, 8 Feb (MB, SH): CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR): 1, Mckinleyville, 3-9 Feb (JD); 1, AB, 12 Feb (KN): FOX SPARROW (GRAY-HEADED INLAND RACE) (IL, ID): 1, Azalea Hill, 12 Feb (GL): HARRIS'S SPARROW (FR): 1, Azalea Hill, 15 Jan-17 Feb (GL): GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (GW): 1, King Salmon, 15 Jan-18 Feb (SH, CD, KN): BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (ID): 1 imm. male, McKinleyville, 16 Feb (JH):
STATISTICAL SECTION: LESSER SNOW GOOSE (FR): 1-6, AB, 24 Jan-6 Feb (BC, DF, JP, EE); 1-3, HBNWR, 15 Jan-18 Feb (SL, "Jay"): GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (FR): 5, 21, HBNWR, 18 Jan, 15 Feb (SL): ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (EM): 340-1460, HBNWR, 15 Jan-18 Feb (SL); 125, AB, 21 Jan (PS): WOOD DUCK (MS): 2, Davison Road, 5 Feb (AP); 4, Clam Beach Lagoons, 9 Feb (MM): COMMON GOLDENEYE (FR): 2, King Salmon, 26 Jan, 18 Feb (CW, MV, KN): HOODED MERGANSER (FR): 1, Clam Beach Lagoons, 9 Feb (MM): WHITE-TAILED KITE (IB): 1, carrying sticks, Humboldt Hill, 6 Feb (JS, fide SL).
Hawks still here!
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 8 reports from HBNWR, Jacoby Creek, AB, AMP, EKWA, Kneeland, 15 Jan-17 Feb ("Jay", BA, SL, KN, P & V S, CB, KK, BB): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 1, Arcata, AB, 14 Jan-17 Feb (TR, SM, MV, CW): GOLDEN EAGLE (IL): 1, HBNWR, 4 Feb (BH): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 1-2, AB, AMP, HBNWR, 29 Jan-17 Feb (KN, SL, P&VS, SH): MERLIN (MS): 1, AB, North Bay, AMP, HBNWR, AOP, 21 Jan-18 Feb (SH, MA, SL): SNOWY PLOVER (MS): 37, 5, Clam Beach, 23, 27 Jan (DF, JP, MW): AMERICAN AVOCET (IN): 479 (baywide census), 13 Feb (MC): GREATER YELLOWLEGS (IN): 30, AB, 11 Jan (DF): LESSER YELLOWLEGS (ID): 1, AB, 3-12 Feb (SH, KN): THAYER'S GULL (FR): 1 adult, EKWA, 1-2 Feb (KN): FORSTER'S TERN (EM): 8-9, AMP and vicinity, 15-17 Jan (P&VS, SH); 2, AOP, 15-18 Feb (SH): CASPIAN TERN (ID): 2, HBNWR, 6 Feb (SL): PYGMY OWL (FR): 1, Fortuna, 1 Feb (KW); 1, McKinleyville, 7 Feb (JD): SHORT-EARED OWL (EM): 5-6, Mad River Wildlife Area, 8-17 Feb (prey exchange seen on 17 Feb (CB, KN): MOURNING DOVE (IN): 40, EKWA, 8 Feb (CB): GRAY JAY (IL): 2, Headwaters trailhead, 15 Jan (MB); 2, Patrick's Point State Park, 27 Jan (KI): TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE (IL): 1 (sound shot only), Bayside, 26 Jan (DF): WESTERN BLUEBIRD (MS): 2, Cutten, 5 Jan (BS); 1-7, Kneeland, Jan (BB): NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (FR): 1, AB, 22 Jan (DA); 1, Garberville, 5 Feb (JS): CEDAR WAXWING (ID): 6, Fortuna, 5 Feb (KW): PALM WARBLER (EM): 6 reports of 1-2, AMP, 15 Jan-18 Feb (P&VS, SH, MV, CW): SLATE-COLORED JUNCO (FR): 1, Arcata, 13 Feb (EE).
Many thanks to the following who shared observations with us this period: David Anderson, Mark Azine, Mark Baily, Charles Bartolota, Barbara Burek, Bryon Cariss, Mark Colwell, Colin Dillingham, Jean Durbin, Elias Elias, David Fix, Brad Freeman, Stan Harris, Bill Hine, Jake Houck, Ken Irwin, Karen Kovacs, Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Steve Lewis, Stephanie Morrissette, Michael Morris, Kristie Nelson, Aeida Parkinson, Jude Powers, Terry Ross, Dave Seegar, Idylene Siipola, Jimmie Smith, Jay Sooter, Paul and Virginia Springer, Bill Strickland, Nick Toroni, Margaret Varga, Matt Wachs, Catherine Walling, Kevin Westfall. Please call future reports 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.