Field Notes

by Stan Harris

19 January - 22 February

Typical winter, early spring weather with some nice days interspersed with rain and mist. Early migration beginning, many wintering ducks have left, Western Canada Geese are establishing nesting territories, early swallows are here, Band-tailed Pigeons began to use feeders again in late January, and Aleutian Canada Geese are moving through the area in large numbers. Abbreviations used: AB= Arcata Bottoms; AEB = Arcata-Eureka Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; EM= Expected Migrant; ES = Escape; FR = Few Records; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; mo = Many Observers; MRWA = Mad River Wildlife Area; MS= Monitored Species; NC= Not Confirmed, No Description.

Red-throated Loon (IN): 80, Humboldt Bay, 23 Jan (DF): Eared Grebe (IN): 60, Fields Landing, 23 Jan (DF): Cattle Egret (FR, MS): 3, AMP, 20 Jan (KR, MW, JT): White-fronted Goose (FR): 1, AMP, 20 Jan (JT, et al.); 1, MKSP, 23 Dec-21 Jan (DT): Emperor Goose (FR, GW): 1, MRWA, 13 Jan-10 Feb (mo): Snow Goose (FR): 1, MRWA, 15 Jan-1 Feb (mo): Ross’s Goose (FR): 1, AB, 23 Jan-5 Feb (DF, RN, EE); 1, Copenhagen Road, 14 Feb (PS): Aleutian Canada Goose (EM): 15 + reports of 85 to 20,000+ from Smith River Bottoms, AB, MRWA, North Jetty, Fields Landing, HBNWR, 12 Jan-21 Feb (mo): Cackling Canada Goose (FR): 3, near Ft. Bragg, 24 Dec-21 Jan (DT); others, mixed in Aleutian Goose Flocks, not specifically separated or reported: Black Swan (ES): 1, Humboldt Bay Waterfront, 20 Jan (anon); 1, ocean at Trinidad, 21 Jan (SS): Bewick’s Swan (GW): 1, first, ever northcoast record, HBNWR, Cannibal Road, 15 Jan-3 Feb (DF, RH, et al.): Tundra Swan (EM): 3-35, AB, 13 Jan-3 Feb (JT, PS, MWk); 60-400, HBNWR, 20 Jan-21 Feb (mo); 300+, Eel River Bottoms, 24 Jan (JD); 50-60, Smith River Bottoms, 24 Jan (JD): Wood Duck (ID): 4, near Pigeon Pt. Road, 25 Jan (FA): Eurasian Wigeon (FR): 1, AMP, 20 Jan (JT, et al.); 1, HBNWR, 23-30 Jan (SL, RD, JT, et al.); 1, AB, 9-12 Feb (FA, RH): Mallard x Gadwall Hybrid (GW, NC): 1 reported at Freshwater Corners, 14 Feb (SP): Blue-winged Teal (FR): 1-3, BSLP, 14-22 Jan (KR, SH): Eurasian Green-winged Teal (FR): 1, AOP, 15-26 Jan (MW. JA): Canvasback (FR): 1 male, AMP, 20 Jan (JT, et al.); 18, Stone Lagoon, 3 Feb (DF, JP): Harlequin Duck (FR): up to 23, Glass Beach, 24 Dec-21 Jan (DT): Common Goldeneye (FR): 3-8, King Salmon, 18 Jan-21 Feb (FT, SH, et al.); 1, Mad River Fish Hatchery, 15 Feb (BY); 1, AMP, 18 Jan (SH): Hooded Merganser (FR): 1 pair, upper Crannell Road, 15 Jan (BY); 1 pair, Big Lagoon, 15 Jan (BY); 1-2 pair, South Fork, Smith River 12-19 Jan (AP): Osprey (ID): 1, Humboldt Bay, 20 Jan, (JT, et al.): White-tailed Kite (IL): 1-2, Mail Ridge, mid Jan (JG, RS); 2 seen on 27 days in Jan, Kneeland (BB); 8-10, MRWA, 1 Feb (EP): Bald Eagle (MS): 13 reports of singles from Bald Hills, Trinidad, Willow Creek, North Fork of Mad River near Korbell, Hatchery Road, AB, near Bayside, Eureka, Kneeland, HBNWR, near Legget, near Willits, 16 Jan-22 Feb (mo): Ferruginous Hawk (FR): 1, AB, North Bank Rd x 101, 13 Jan-14 Feb (KR, PS, EE, RR, BR); 1 Rhonerville, 5 Feb (FA): Rough-legged Hawk (MS): 1-2, MRWA, 13 Jan-1 Feb, MRWA (JT, et al., EP); 1, North Humboldt Bay flats, 20 Jan (JT, et al.); 1, Kneeland, 27 Jan-14 Feb (RH, anon).

Golden Eagle (EL): 2, Mail Ridge, 17 Jan (JG); 1, Bald Hills, 26 Jan (RN); 1, Kneeland, 14 Jan (BB): Merlin (MS): 1, AMP, 13 Jan-4 Feb (JT, et al.); 1, Arcata, 13 Feb (EE); 1, Eureka Waterfront, 5 Feb (EE): Peregrine Falcon (MS): 9 reports of 1-2 from Trinidad, AB, MRWA, AMP, Fields Landing, 13 Jan-13 Feb (mo): Prairie Falcon (FR): 1, Arcata Airport, 3 Jan (MH); 1, Bald Hills, 2 Feb (GB): Wild Turkey (FR, MS): 20, 5 miles north Legget, 26 Jan (DL): Wandering Tattler (ID): 1, Trinidad, 7 Jan (MH): Long-billed Curlew (IN): 250, AB, 23 Jan (PS): Ruddy Turnstone (FR): 2, Trinildad, 7 Jan (MH); 2-5, Fields Landing, 23 Jan-21 Feb (RR, SH, KR, RC): Surfbird (IL): 1-3, King Salmon, late Nov-17 Feb (MW): Rock Sandpiper (FR, EL): 3-5, MKSP, 24 Dec-21 Jan (DT); 1, Trinidad, 27 Jan (MH): Ruff (ID, FR): 1, Fields Landing, 11-15 Feb (MW, KR, RC, JL); 1, Cock Robin Island, 15 Feb (anon): Thayer’s Gull (FR): 1 imm, AMP, 20 Jan-5 Feb (JT, et al., SH); 1 imm, Eureka Waterfront, 21 Feb (JT., et al.): Pigeon Guillemot (ID): 1, off MKSP, 4 Jan (DT): Burrowing Owl (FR): 1, AOP, 20-26 Jan (JT, et al., PS): Short-eared Owl (IN): 6-14, MRWA, 13 Jan-1 Feb (JT, EP): Saw-Whet Owl (FR): 1 (photo), McKinleyville, 9 Jan (DM): Selasphorus Hummingbird sp (ED): 1, Arcata, 5 Feb (JT): Allen’s Hummingbird (EM): 1 male, Cummings Road, Eureka, 22 Feb (TL): Lewis’s Woodpecker (FR): 4-20, Bald Hills (near Schoolhouse Peak), 13 Jan-2 Feb (mo); 3, Horse Mountain, 24 Jan (PL): Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (FR): 1, Ferndale, 20 Feb (TMcK): Yellow-shafted Flicker (EM): 1, 101 x Mad River, 13 Jan (KR); 1, Fay Slough, 26 Jan (DW): Pileated Woodpecker (MS): seen nearly daily in Jan, Willow Creek (PL): Say’s Phoebe (FR): 1, AB, 30 Jan (PH): Northern Shrike (FR): 1 imm, AEB, 18 Jan (DF): Gray Jay (MS): 3, near Elk Head, 22 Jan (KR): Tree Swallow (EM): 3-30, AMP, 27 Jan-18 Feb (PL, EE, SH): Barn Swallow (EM): 2, 10-Mile River, 11 Jan (DT); 1, AMP, 13 Jan (JT); 2, Eureka Waterfront, 5 Feb (EE): Black-capped Chickadee (IL): 1, Fay Slough, 26 Jan (DW): Canyon Wren (historical record): 1, singing, mouth Surprise Creek, South Fk, Trinity River, July 1978 (JW, fide TL): Western Bluebird (MS): 14 reports of 1-10 from Trinidad, Arcata Airport, Manila, Sunny Brae, Bayside, Korbell, Freshwater, Kneeland, Eureka, Eel River Bottoms, 30 Dec-15 Feb (mo): Northern Mockingbird (FR): 1, McKinleyville, 28 Jan (GF); 1, Arcata, 3 Feb (MS): Nashville Warbler (ID): 1, Arcata, 14 Jan (KR); 1, 101 x Van Duzen, 24 Jan (RH): Yellow Warbler (ID): 2, AMP, 20 Jan (JT, et al.): Black-throated Gray Warbler (ID): 1, BSLP, 14-28 Jan (KR, JT, et al.); 1, Elk Head, 15 Feb (MH): Townsend’s Warbler (IN): 30, Elk Head, 15 Feb (MH): Palm Warbler (FR): 1, AMP, 13-20 Jan (JT, et al.): Black-and-White Warbler (FR): 1-2, Elk Head, 27 Jan-15 Feb (DW, MH): Northern Waterthrush (FR): 1, AOP, 15 Jan-12 Feb (MW, DF): Swamp Sparrow (FR): 1, AMP, 13 Jan (JT); 1-2 mouth of Jacoby Creek, 17 Jan (CW); 2, AMP-AOP, 20 Jan (JT, et al.): Lapland Longspur (FR): 6-30, MRWA, 13-18 Jan (JT-CW, MV): Hooded Oriole (ID): 1 male, Ft. Bragg, 23 Dec-21 Jan (DT):