Field Notes

by Stanley W. Harris

January 15 - February 23, 2001

A period of rather normal rain, marked by the beginning of spring migration, with some cold, frosty mornings, and relatively little activity by local birders, following the usual midwinter "let down" most of us experience after the intensity of Christmas Bird Counts. Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; FR = Few Records; GW = Gee Whiz Report; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; IB = Interesting Behavior; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; MRWA = Mad River Wildlife Area; mo = Many Observers; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; MS = Monitored Species; NC = Not Confirmed, No Details;

HIGHLIGHTS:

Cattle Egret (MS): 2-3, BSLP, AB, 19 Jan-11 Feb (mo): Taverner’s Canada Goose (FR): 6, AB, 4 Feb (PS): Eurasian Wigeon (FR): 1-2, AB (Old Samoa Road), 14 Jan-8 Feb (GB, RH, et al.);6- 7 (!), North Bay just west of AMP, 8, 24 Feb (EE); 1, mouth Jacoby Creek, 27 Jan (BMI): Blue-winged Teal (FR): 1 pair, BSLP, 17 Jan-5 Feb (mo, gone by 6 Feb): Redhead (MS): 144, Fields Landing, 10 Feb (MW); 50, Fields Landing, 18 Feb (T&SL, DF): Harlequin (FR): 1-2, King Salmon, 19 Jan-10 Feb (MW, KR); up to 10, Glass Beach, 15-24 Jan (DT); 3, Glass Beach, 30 Jan-15 Feb (DT); 5, MKSP, 30 Jan-15 Feb (DT): Long-tailed Duck (FR): 1, Fields Landing, 20 Jan- 18 Feb (MW, GL, T&SL, DF); 2, mouth Smith River, 16 Jan (EE): Hooded Merganser (FR): 9, HBNWR, 19 Jan (DD); 1 pair, South Fork, Smith River, 12 Jan (AP); 6, near Rio Dell, 18 Feb (T&SL, DF): Bald Eagle (MS): 12 reports of 1-2 (mostly adults) from mouth Smith River, Mad River x 101, AB, AMP, HBNWR, near Ferndale, Highway 36 x 101, Phillipsville, Benbow. 16 Jan-22 Feb (EE, KR, BC, DD, TrM, JS, MT, ): Northern Goshawk (FR): 1, diving, apparently in courtship, Cummings Road, 15 Feb (T&SL): Ferruginous Hawk (FR):1, Bald Hill, Ft. Bragg, 3 Feb (GL); 1, Highway 36 x 101, 10 Feb (RH): Prairie Falcon (FR): 1, near Ferndale, late Jan (TrM): Rock Sandpiper (FR): 2-3, North Jetty, 14 Jan-18 Feb (BMI, MM, HB); 1-5, MKSP, 15 Jan-15 Feb (5 on 30 Jan) (DT): Heermann’s Gull (ID): 1 (first year), MKSP, 12 Jan (DT): Glaucous Gull (FR): 1, near Fernbridge, 21 Jan-5 Feb (TrM, KN): Cuckoo sp (Update, GW, NC): 1 reported (second hand report) at Piercy in July 2000 (DM, fide MT, JS): Northern Pygmy-Owl (FR): 1, Benbow, 21 Jan (JS);1, Elk River Trailhead, 21 Feb (RC, MB): Burrowing Owl (FR): 1, Washington Street, Eureka, 9 Feb (KR): Barred Owl (FR): 1 calling, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, 3 Feb (KR): Say’s Phoebe (FR): 1, Trinidad, 16-27 Jan (MeH); 1, Azalea Hill, 27 Jan (LL, AL): Loggerhead Shrike (FR): 1, Alton, 7-18 Feb (PH, RH, T&SL, DF, JP)

Birds from the north

Northern Shrike (FR): 1, near Loleta, 27 Jan (TrM); 1, North Spit, 3 Feb (RH): Northern Mockingbird (FR): 1, Garberville, 28 Jan-12 Feb (JS); 1, Petrolia, 5 Feb (DD): Yellow Warbler (ID): 1, AMP, 19 Jan-16 Feb (BMI, EE, BC): Black-throated Gray Warbler (ID): 1, AMP, 19 Jan-2 Feb (EE, BMI); 1, south Arcata (same?), 16 Feb (EE); 1 Elk Head, 28 Jan (MeH): Hermit Warbler (ID, GW, NC): 1, Elk Head, 28 Jan (MeH): Black-and-White Warbler (FR): 1, Fernbridge, 2 Feb (GG, KN); 1, Highway 36 x 101 (same?), 10 Feb (RH): Swamp Sparrow (FR): 1, Redwood National Park HQ, 2, 11 Jan (Update, KS), 1, Cannibal Island Road, 17 Jan (TrM); 1-2, AMP, 31 Jan-8 Feb (EE): Lapland Longspur (FR): 14-19, MRWA, 14-27 Jan (GB, KR): Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FR): 1, Westhaven, 16 Jan, 4-7 Feb (TM); 1, Garberville, 22 Jan-12 Feb (MT, JS): Tricolored Blackbird (FR): 20, Sandy Prairie Road, 3 Feb (but only 1 on 13 Feb (both JS):

Other Interesting Observations:

Red-necked Grebe (EL): 7-13, King Salmon, 20 Jan, 10 Feb (MW): Brown Pelican (ID): 5, Shelter Cove, 3 Feb (RS); 8, South Humboldt Bay, 11 Feb (DF, JP), 1, MKSP, 12 Feb (DT): Brandt’s Cormorant (ID): 1, North Jetty, 4-19 Feb (HB, MM): Snowy Egret (IB): 40, hunkered down in sun on lee side of willows inside BSLP on a cold windy early morning in a location not usually used, 6 Feb (SH): Turkey Vulture (EM): 1 (first seen for spring), Mail Ridge, 26 Jan (JG); 1, AOP/AMP, 13-20 Feb (SH): White-fronted Goose (FR): 1, AB, 22 Jan-11 Feb (EE, RH, PS); 12, mouth Smith River, 16 Jan (EE): Snow Goose (FR): 1, Smith River, 16 Jan (EE); 1, AB, 4 Feb (PS): Ross’s Goose (FR, EL): 1, AB, 22 Jan-11 Feb (EE, RH, PS): Aleutian Canada Goose (EM): 50-1900, AB, 14 Jan-22 Feb (mo): Tundra Swan (IL) 37-40, AB, 11-22 Feb (PS, KR): Northern Shoveler (IB): 45-200 in active shoulder to shoulder, "swarming" feeding behavior (feeding on Daphnia ?), north AOP, 20 Jan-23 Feb (SH): Evidence of Migration: Ducks wintering on BSLP abruptly abandoned the pond 5-7 Feb. Examples: Ring-necked Duck: 25-35 present daily 16 Jan-30 Jan, only 15 present on 5 Feb, none afterward. 5-6 present on Allen Marsh, 7-23 Feb; and 36 on Starvation Flat Pond, 17 Feb (RC): : Cinnamon Teal: 30-35 present daily, 16 Jan-5 Feb, only 16 present on 6 Feb, none afterward; 2-6 on Allen Marsh 21-23 Feb: Same pattern held true for Mallards, Shovelers, Green-winged Teal, Gadwalls, American Wigeon, and even Coots. Common Goldeneye (FR): 4, King Salmon, 19 Jan (KR).

Osprey (ID) 1, being pursued by a Bald Eagle intent on stealing his fish!, North Bay, 16 Feb (EE, BC): White-tailed Kite (IL): 1, Kneeland, 21 Jan (BB): Rough-legged Hawk: 17 reports of 1-5 from AB, AMP, HBNWR, Cannibal Road, 14 Jan-22 Feb (mo): Golden Eagle (IB): 1 carrying nesting stick, Benbow, 29 Jan (JS): Merlin (MS): 10 reports (at least 3 of pale inland race) from AMP, North Spit, HBNWR, Cannibal Island Road, Highway 36 x 101, near Rio Dell, 17 Jan-22 Feb (mo): Peregrine Falcon (MS): 11 reports of singles from AB, AMP, North Spit, College of the Redwoods, 26 Jan-22 Feb (mo): Semipalmated Plover (ID): 1, North Jetty, 16 Feb (HB): Spotted Sandpiper (ID): 1, Benbow ("always there"), 21 Jan (JS); 1, Trinidad Harbor, 18 Feb (MeH): Long-billed Curlew (IN): 39, Klopp Lake, 21 Feb (SH): Ruddy Turnstone (EL): 2, Fields Landing, 18 Feb (T&SL, DF): Black Turnstone (IL) 20, AMP, 27 Jan (GB): Red Knot (FR): 1-6, Klopp Lake, 28 Jan-6 Feb (JP, SH, RS, EE); 1, King Salmon, 6-20 Jan (MW): Short-billed Dowitcher (ID): 1-4, AMP, 15-19 Jan (BMI, SH): Common Snipe (IL): 2-4, Benbow, 21 Jan-20 Feb (JS): Forster’s Tern (EN): 6-18, AMP/AOP, 16 Jan-22 Feb (SH): Marbled Murrelet (MS): 1, Trinidad Harbor, 4 Feb (MiM): Band-tailed Pigeon (EM): 1-5, Sunny Brae, 31 Jan-23 Feb (SH); 3, Arcata, 21 Feb (GB): Short-eared Owl (FR): 1-3, MRWA, 27 Jan-22 Feb (KR, PS, T&SL, RH) ; 1, AOP, 6-7 Feb (SH, EE).

First Hummingbirds

Allen/Rufous Hummingbird (ID): 1, Ft. Bragg, 15 Jan-15 Feb (DT): Allen’s Hummingbird (EM): 1 ad. male, Root Creek Drainage, upper Van Duzen, 23 Feb (GL): Gray Jay: 9, Trinidad, 26-31 Jan (SB): Tree Swallow (EM): 5, AMP, 26-30 Jan (EE, BC, SH), increased to 40-50 by 7-17 Feb (RH, PS): Violet-green Swallow (EM): 3, AMP, 26 Jan (EE, BC): Barn Swallow (EM) 1-3, AMP, 6-7 Feb (SH, EE, RH): Black-capped Chickadee (IL) 2-3, Elk Head, 28 Jan-3 Feb (KR, MeH): Mountain Chickadee (IL): 1, AMP, 19 Jan-8 Feb (BMI, EE, BC); 7 (!), Elk Head, 28 Jan (MeH): Western Bluebird (MS): 6, Azalea Hill, 27 Jan (GL); 6, Garberville, 28-29 Jan (JS); 2-8 seen on only 3 of 30 days in January at Kneeland (BB); 5, Alton, 8-18 Feb (PH, RH, T&SL, DF, JP); 4, Petrolia, 5 Feb, DD): Nashville Warbler (EL): 1-2, AMP, 27 Jan-16 Feb (GB, BMI, EE, BC); 1, Eureka, 4 Feb (MiM); 2, near Fernbridge, 2 Feb (GG, KN): Palm Warbler: 5 reports of 1-2, AMP, 17 Jan-7 Feb (mo): Townsend’s Warbler (IN): 35 (flock contained the Hermit Warbler mentioned above), Elk Head, 28 Jan, (MeH): Lincoln’s Sparrow (IL): 1, Garberville, 11-12 Feb (JS): Slate-colored Junco (EM): 1-2, south Arcata, 8-16 Feb (EE, BC): Green Sea Turtle, sick on beach at Samoa, 23 Jan (HB).

Many thanks to the following for sharing their reports with us this month. Thea Benson, Ann Black, Gary Bloomfield, Muriel Bramwell, Heather Brown, Suzie Bulger, Barbara Burek, Bryon Cariss, Ruth Crane, Duke Diehl, Elias Elias, David Fix, John Gaffin, Greg Gray, Melody Hamilton, Stan Harris, Pablo Herrera, Rob Hewitt, Sue Leskiw, Tom Leskiw, Amy Lester, Lauren Lester, Gary Lester, Steve Lewis, Brooke McDonald, Tim McKay, Tristan McKee, Bryon McIntosh, Dierdra Moge, Michael Morris, Mark Morrissette, Kristie Nelson, Aida Parkinson, Jude Power, Kerry Ross, Kristin Schmidt, Jay Sooter, Paul Springer, Robert Sutherland, Margaret Taylor, Tyler Vack, Matt Wachs, Bud Widdowson, Ginny Waters, Jim Waters, Sean Wood.

Please call future reports me at 707-822-3802, or to the Arcata Bird Box (707-822-5666), or the Eureka Bird Box (707-442-5666). You can also mail them to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, 95521, or write them on observation sheets at either the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center or in "Ornithology Hall," the Wildlife Building, H.S.U. Campus.