Field Notes
By Stan Harris
30 November - 11 January
This period was marked by the annual Christmas Bird Counts. Arcata had 175, Del Norte 162, Centerville 180, and Willow Creek 88 species respectively. Recently, more than 2400 dead birds (mostly coots) have been picked up by California Department of Fish and Game personnel from Arcata and Eel River Bottoms, dead, apparently from Fowl Cholera. In this long report, some observations have been summarized to save space. This does not mean that your continued observations of these species are not of interest for the long term data base, so please continue to report them even if you don't find the details here. Abbreviations used are as follows: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; anon = Phone record in which caller failed to leave his/her name or phone number; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; CBC = Christmas Bird Count; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; ERWA = Eel River Wildlife Area; ESRWA = Eureka Sewage Riparian Wildlife Area (along mouth of Elk River, foot of Hilfiker Lane); FR = Few Records; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; mob = Many Observers; MS = Monitored Species.
HIGHLIGHTS: BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER, (FR): 4, MacKerricher State Park, 4 Dec (DT): EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL (EM): 1 male, No Name Pond, 30 Nov-13 Dec (SH,CO, et al.): BLUE-WINGED TEAL (FR): 1 male, 1 female, 29 Nov-13 Dec (RS,SH,CO,KS, et al.); 2, AMP, 1 Jan (MaM): HARLEQUIN DUCK (FR): 1 male, North Jetty, 6 Dec (MW); 1 female, King Salmon, 28 Dec (SH,RR): OLDSQUAW (EM): 1-4, Cock Robin Island, 30 Nov-28 Dec (CO, et al.); 1, North Jetty, 6 Dec (MM,MW): BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (FR): 1, Lewiston, 10 Jan (GH, SR): OSPREY (ID): 1, Big Lagoon, 6 Dec (SH, et al.); 1, Mad River at Blue Lake, 13 Dec (JO,JW): 1, North Bay, 9 Jan (MK).
Kite Roost!
WHITE-TAILED KITE (IN): The discovery of a roost west of Cock Robin Island, 30 Nov-2 Dec that contained 120 birds on 2 Dec and 105 on 28 Dec (actual counts) (PS,VS,HP,SH,DF,JP, JS, CD), the most ever recorded at a single roost along the northcoast: BALD EAGLE (MS): 1 (second year), Wedding Rock, 4 Dec (KI); 1, Benbow, 16-25 Dec (JS); 1 ad, Lake Earl, 8 Jan (PS,DJ,SF): 1-2 ad, 1 imm, vic. Willow Creek/Salyer, 1 Dec, 3 Jan (TL, L & SH, T & L H-H): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 2, Ferndale Bottoms, 13-28 Dec (PH, JK, GM, CD, SS, TM, KT): 1-2, AB/Azalea Hill, 12-20 Dec (RC,GL): 1, Blue Lake Bottoms, 20 Dec (MM); 1, Table Bluff, 28 Dec (TL, JH); 1, Smith River Bottoms, 8 Jan (PS,SF,DJ): PRAIRIE FALCON (FR): 1, Trinity Center, 6 Dec (GH,JH,GS): 1, ERWA, 13 Dec (PH,JK,GM); 1, near Hayfork, 19 Dec (JH, et al.); 1, South Jetty, 28 Dec (T&L H-H): RUFFED GROUSE (FR): 1, 1.5 miles north junction of French Camp Road and Bald Hills Road, 27 Dec (MRg, MMe): PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (FR): 2, Ferndale Bottoms, 28 Dec (RLeV, SM); 1, Lower Eel River Delta, 28 Dec (BS,GB,EE): HEERMANN'S GULL (ID): 2-3, Eureka Waterfront, 7-20 Dec (RJA, DA, JSt); 1, Crab Park, 28 Dec (DF, JP, JS, CD); 50 (!), Shelter Cove, 3 Jan (GH): GLAUCOUS GULL (FR): 1 ad, 3 first year, Wedding Rock, 4 Dec (KI); 6 (!, no details); Wedding Rock, 4 Jan (KI); 1 (no details), Klopp Lake, 13 Dec (CO); 1 (?), Arcata CBC, 20 Dec: LONG-EARED OWL (FR): 1, Elk River Road, 28 Dec (SH,RR,CH, T&L H-H): YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (FR): 1, Willow Creek, 25 Dec (JH et al.); 1, Ferndale, 28 Dec (GL).
Winter Flycatchers are good!
"WESTERN" (PACIFIC SLOPE?) FLYCATCHER (ID): 1, Wildcat Road, 28 Dec (RJA,DA,RB): SAY'S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Azalea Hill, 20 Dec (GL); 1, Capetown, 3 Jan (GH); 1, Hayfork, 10 Jan (GH,SR): TROPICAL KINGBIRD (FR): 1, Ferndale, 28 Dec (GL); 1, Westhaven, 5 Jan (KI): BLUE JAY (FR): 1, north of Willow Creek on Patterson Road, 2 Dec-3 Jan (BB, et al.): ROCK WREN (FR): 1, Wedding Rock, 4 Dec, 4 Jan (KI): CANYON WREN (FR): 1, junction of Mad River and Wilson Creek, 6 Dec (MC, photo): LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (FR): 1, Ferndale Bottoms, 21 Dec (JSt, GH); 1, Centerville Beach, 28 Dec (BC): NORTHERN SHRIKE (FR): 1 imm., Hookton Slough, 11 Jan (JP, DF, et al.): CASSIN'S VIREO (FR): 2, Ferndale Bottoms, 28 Dec (RLeV, SM): PLUMBEOUS VIREO (FR): 1, V Street Log Pond, 6-7 Dec (MM, JH); 1 (same bird?), Zhender Ave, west Arcata, 5 Jan (GB): TENNESSEE WARBLER (FR): 1, Eureka, 20 Dec (JSt); 1, ESRWA, 22 Dec (AB); 1, Trinidad Lighthouse, 5 Jan (KI): LUCY'S WARBLER (FR): 1, Bayshore Mall, 30 Nov (RS): PARULA WARBLER (FR): 1 female, Bayshore Mall, 30 Nov-2 Dec (RS, KN,SMc): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (FR): 1 female, AMP, 9-25 Dec (RA,JW,RJA,KN,EE): MACGILLVRAY'S WARBLER (ID): 1, Eureka, 20 Dec (JSt): NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (FR): 1, Butcher Slough Log Pond, 25 Dec-7 Jan (EE, SMc): COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (ID): 1, AMP/Arcata CBC, 11 Dec-5 Jan (KN,EE, et al.); 1, Del Norte CBC, 21 Dec: 1, Centerville CBC, 28 Dec (AB, MG): HOODED WARBLER (FR): 1 male, ESRWA, 21-22 Dec (BA, WS, JSt, SH, T & L H-H, et al.): ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (FR): 1 male, Eureka, 1-5 Dec (BS, fide JHe); 1 female, Westhaven, 18-25 Dec (TM); 1 male, Elk River Valley, 3-5 Jan (JSi): BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (ID): 1 winter male, Fortuna, Sep through at least 9 Jan, seen at sunflower feeder almost daily (MP): INDIGO BUNTING (FR): 1 winter male, Eureka, 10 Jan (JA): CHIPPING SPARROW (ID): 1, Arcata, 5 Dec (GB); 1, Willow Creek, 3 Jan (SH): FOX SPARROW (ID): 1 (red race), Trinity Center, 6 Dec (GH, JH, GS); 1 (gray headed race) singing, AMP, 19 Dec, 29 Dec (SH, et al.): HARRIS' SPARROW (FR): 1, Scotia, 1-11 Dec (anon); 1, Willow Creek CBC, 3 Jan (PS): TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD (ID): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 21 Dec (RE):
Good Grebes
MORE USUAL GOOD STUFF: RED-NECKED GREBE (IL): 1, Trinity Dam, 6 Dec (GH,JH,GS): EARED GREBE (IN): 12-20, AMP/AOP, 11-16 Dec (SH, KN): CLARK'S GREBE (IL): 1-8, Humboldt Bay Entrance, 6-28 Dec (MM,SH, RR, L&T H-H); 1-2, Lower Eel River, 26-28 Dec (JP,DF, JS,CD,GB, et al.); 2, vic. AOP, 16 Dec (KN): SHORT-TAILED/SOOTY SHEARWATER (EM): 1, seawatch from Table Bluff, 28 Dec (TL, JH): BROWN PELICAN (IN): 348, mouth of Eel River, 30 Nov (BS); 260, Del Norte CBC, 21 Dec; 250, Centerville CBC, 28 Dec: AMERICAN BITTERN (FR): 9 reports from usual coastal locations throughout period (mob): CATTLE EGRET (MS): Only 4 reports! 5, AMP, 29 Nov (RS); 1-3, AB, 16-20 Dec (SH, et al.), 5 Jan (KI): GREEN HERON (FR): 1, Fortuna (AD, MG), 1, Salt River (SMc), both 28 Dec; 4, Willow Creek CBC, 3 Jan (SH, T & L H-H, RJA): TUNDRA SWAN (ID): Our usual wintering birds arrived late this year; only 140 could be found during an aerial census from False Cape to Smith River, 11 Dec (MK), but 700+ were reported on Eel River Bottoms/HBNWR, 28 Dec (Centerville CBC) and 700-800 were counted there, plus 60-70 on Arcata Bottoms, and 180 on Smith River Bottoms during an aerial survey on 9 Jan (EB, MK, SH); 30 were reported flying north past Wedding Rock, 4 Jan (KI).
Great goose sightings
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (FR): 1, AMP, 1 Dec (SH); 1, AB, 13 Dec (SMc); 1, Willow Creek Golf Course, 3 Jan (SH, LH, T & L H-H): SNOW GOOSE (FR): 1, AMP, 1 Dec (SH): ROSS' GOOSE (FR): 2, AMP, 1 Dec (SH); 1, AB, 29 Nov (RS): TAVERNER'S CANADA GOOSE (FR): 10-12, AMP, 1 Dec (SH); 1, Lanphere Road, 16 Dec (SH): ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (ID): 170, Smith River Bottoms, 6 Dec (none present on 13 Dec) (PS, SH, et al.): CACKLING CANADA GOOSE (FR): 3, AMP, 1 Dec (SH); 2, Smith River Bottoms, 6 Dec (PS, SH, et al.); 1, AB, 13 Dec (SMc); 1, Willow Creek Golf Course, 3 Jan (SH, T & L H-H): GADWALL (IL): 1 female, Willow Creek Golf Course, 25 Dec (JH, et al.): EURASIAN WIGEON (EM): 6 reports of males, from AMP, AB, Orick, HBNWR, and south Humboldt Bay, 30 Nov-28 Dec (mob): REDHEAD (IL): 3, Trinity Center, 3, Lewiston Lake, both 6 Dec (GH, JH, GS); 2, Lewiston Lake, 10 Jan (GH, SR); 4 reports of 1-19 from coastal locations, 13 Dec-6 Jan (mob): BLACK SCOTER (EL): 1-2 Entrance, Humboldt Bay, 6 Dec-28 Dec (T & L H-H, MW, SH, RR); 1 pair off Redwood Creek, 7 Jan (MM): COMMON GOLDENEYE (IN): 60, Lewiston, 10 Jan (GH, SR): HOODED MERGANSER (EL): 5 reports of 1-4 from AOP, AB, Eureka sewage marshes, King Salmon, Lake Earl, 2 Dec-8 Jan (mob); 7, Willow Creek CBC, 3 Jan (SH, et al.).
Raptors again
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (EM): 8 reports of single birds from AB, Eel River Bottoms, HBNWR, Hayfork, 19 Dec-5 Jan (mob): MERLIN (EM): 11 reports from AB, Eel River Bottoms, King Salmon, Table Bluff, South Spit, Hayfork, 6-28 Dec (mob): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): Reports of at least 17 individuals from AB, mouth of Elk River, mouth of Jacoby Creek, South Jetty, Eel River Bottoms, McKinleyville, Wedding Rock, near Willow Creek, Benbow, 4 Dec-9 Jan (mob): MOUNTAIN QUAIL (IL): 8, McCann, 1 Dec (JG): SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (IN): 30, near AOP, 16-17 Dec (KN): SNOWY PLOVER (IL): 3, South Spit, near the jetty, first report there in several years!, 28 Dec (T & L H-H, et al.); 2, Arcata CBC, 20 Dec (only the second ever report for this count circle): AMERICAN AVOCET (IL): 20, Lanphere Road, 16 Dec (SH); 1, Ferndale Bottoms, 28 Dec (RLeV, SM); 56!, HBNWR, 28 Dec (BD): RED KNOT (ID): 9, AB, 2 Jan (SMc): ROCK SANDPIPER (EL): 1-3, North Jetty, 3 Dec-1 Jan (KS, MW, SMc); 1, South Jetty, 28 Dec (T & L H-H): DUNLIN (IL): 1, Trinity Center, 6 Dec (JH, GH, GS): COMMON SNIPE (IL): 1, near Hayfork, 19 Dec (JH, et al.): HERRING GULL (IN): many more than usual, examples: 14, Wedding Rock, 4 Dec (KI); 25-41, Crab Park, 26-28 Dec (DF, JP, et al.); 50, South Bay, 28 Dec (SH, et al.); 35, Wedding Rock, 4 Jan (KI): THAYER'S GULL (IN): many more than usual: 7, Wedding Rock, 4 Dec (KI); 1, Crab Park, 26-28 Dec (JP, DF); 7, South Bay, 28 Dec (MK, T & L H-H, CH); 5, Wedding Rock, 4 Jan (KI); 1 imm, Big Lagoon Spit, 10 Jan (JP, DF): BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (IN): 5 reports of 1-4 from South Jetty, Crab Park, mouth of Redwood Creek (mob).
Winter Terns
CASPIAN TERN (ID): 6, Hookton Slough, 11 Jan (DF, JP); 2, Centerville CBC, 28 Dec: FORSTER'S TERN (IN): actual counts of 35 (30 Nov), 33 (11 Dec), 45 (16 Dec), from AOP (SH, KN), the most ever recorded here in winter: BAND-TAILED PIGEON (IN): 20-65, South Fork, Trinity River, 3-22 Dec (TL); 200, near Benbow, 25 Dec (JS); 16-17, Whale Gulch, 26 Dec (JS); 1, Sunny Brae, 6 Jan (SH): WESTERN SCREECH-OWL (FR): 3, Elk River Road, 28 Dec (SH, et al.): NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL (FR): 1, Elk River Road, 28 Dec (SH, et al.): SPOTTED OWL (FR): 2, Elk River Road, 28 Dec (SH, et al.); 1, near Fortuna, 28 Dec (AD, MG); 1, Arcata, 9 Jan (RG, et al.): WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER (EL): 1, Horse Mountain 3 Jan (KL); HORNED LARK (IL): 1, Trinity Center, 6 Dec (GH, JH, GS): GRAY JAY (EL): 5 reports of 2-11 from College of the Redwoods, Tompkins Hill, Poole Road, Elk River (RS, JD,PH, MW, RJA, DA, RB, JF): BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (EL): 10 reports of 1-14 from expected coastal locations north of Ferndale (mob): WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (IL): 1, Del Norte CBC, 21 Dec: AMERICAN DIPPER (FR): 1, below Little Pine Creek Bridge, 27 Dec (MRg, MMe): TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE (FR): 1, Del Norte CBC, 21 Dec: NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (FR): 5 reports (4 locations) of singles from Arcata, AB, Loleta, 8-28 Dec (mob).
Wintering Warblers
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (EL): 17 reports of 1-15 from Ft. Bragg north to Del Norte County, all coastal locations (mob), except one at Willow Creek, 3 Jan (L H-H): NASHVILLE WARBLER (EL): 10 reports of 1-5 from Ferndale, Fortuna, Eureka, Arcata, 30 Nov-5 Jan (mob): BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER (ID): 1, Eureka, 6 Dec (BD): YELLOW WARBLER (ID): 1, Salt River, 28 Dec (SMc); 1, Ferndale, 28 Dec (GL): PALM WARBLER (EM): 17 reports of 1-7 from expected coastal locations near water, 30 Nov-7 Jan (mob): CALIFORNIA TOWHEE (EL): 1, Blue Lake levee, 20 Dec (MM); 2, Jacoby Creek, 20 Dec (JP); 4, Tompkins Hill, 28 Dec (PH, MW); 3, Fortuna, 28 Dec (AD, MG): SWAMP SPARROW (EM): 6 reports of singles at AMP, mouth Jacoby Creek, South Bay, Loleta Bottoms, Ferndale, Salt River, 6-28 (mob): SLATE-COLORED JUNCO (EM): 1, Willow Creek, 4-13 Dec (TL, et al.): LAPLAND LONGSPUR (EM): 32, scattered along Centerville Beach, 28 Dec (BC).
Many thanks to the following who submitted reports this period: Brian Acord, R. J. Adams, Richard Albers, Jim Allen, Dave Anderson, Louise Bacon-Ogden, Alan Barron, Roger Bert, Gary Bloomfield, Jim Booker, Bob Botley, Muriel Bramwell, Elizabeth Buelna, Richard Candis, Max Cardoza, Bryon Cariss, M. Davis, Anthony Desch, Bruce Deuel, Colin Dillingham, Jan Doward, Carol Dunning, Ray Ekstrom, Elias Elias, Jeanine Ficard, David Fix, Brad Freeman, Steve Funderburk, John Gaffin, Dan Garrison, Marie Granshaw, Rocky Gutierrez, Christy Harris, Lorie Harris, Stan Harris, Larry Harris-Haller, Tonna Harris-Haller, Gjon Hazard, Pablo Herrera, Rob Hewitt, John Hewston, Mark Higley, Maggie Hostetter, John, Kim, and Liberty Hunter, Ken Irwin, Debra Jacques, Jeff Kidd, Mary Kuehner, Bob Landris, Tom Leskiw, Gary Lester, Kelsey Lester, Ron LeValley, John Luther, Glen Mathis, Sommer Mateu, Sean McAllister, Tim McKay, Mike Memos (MMe), Mark Morrisette (MaM), Michael Morris (MM), Kristie Nelson, Chet Ogan, Dave Ogden, Jason Osburn, Marian Perry, Herb Pierce, Roy Poucher, Jude Power, Richard Ridenhour, Mike Robbins (MR), Mike Rogers (MRg), Greg Schmidt, Doug Shaw, John Sievert, Sue Sniado, Keith Slauson, Bruce Slocum, Jay Sooter, Paul Springer, Virginia Springer, Rich Stallcup, John Sterling (JSt), Bill Strickland, Ken Terrill, Dorothy Tobkin, Matt Wachs, Justin Ward, Roger Weiss. Please call future reports to the Arcata Bird Box (707) 822-5666, to me at (707) 822-3802, send them to me at 1595 Charles Ct, Arcata, CA 95521, or write them on the rare bird sheet outside of room 372, Science A, Humboldt State University campus.
Please call future reports to the Arcata Bird Box (822-5666), to me at 822-3802, or send them to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, 95521.