Field Notes

by Stan Harris

 January 16 - February 24, 2006

Generally rainy conditions through January but nice, clear, crisp days with frosty mornings so far in February.  Our usual “January thaw” was a month late getting here this year!  Signs of spring include the departure of some wintering ducks and swans, the arrival of Aleutian Cackling Geese, and the sporadic continuation of swallow arrivals; new willow and alder catkins are being investigated by warblers and kinglets and eaten by crowned sparrows, waxwings, and house finches.  RR recorded copulation by his resident pair of White-tailed Kites (Azalea Hill) on 21 Feb, and the Canada Geese have reclaimed the islands on Klopp Lake—eggs any day now.  Arcata city personnel removed marsh pennywort from the AMP and AOP units beginning in mid-Feb.

Abbreviations used:  AB = Arcata Bottoms; AEB = Arcata-Eureka Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BL = Big Lagoon; BRR = Bear River Ridge; BSE Butcher Slough Estuary; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; CBP = Clam Beach Ponds;  CCH = Crescent City Harbor; FB = Ferndale Bottoms; FSWA = Fay Slough Wildlife Area;  FWL = Freshwater Lagoon; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; KS = King Salmon; LC = Lake Cleone; LL = Lewiston Lake; LMR = lower Mad River; MER = mouth of Elk River; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; mo = many observers; MRC = mouth of Redwood Creek; MRFH = Mad River Fish Hatchery; MRSWA = Mad River Slough Wildlife Area; NB = North Humboldt Bay; NJ = North Jetty; RHWY = Reynolds Hwy loop north of Willits;  SB = South Humboldt Bay; x = no numbers reported. 

White-fronted Goose: 5 reports of 5-20+, Ft Bragg to AB, 18 Jan-18 Feb (RH, SFB, DT, KR). Lesser Snow Goose (White form): 6 reports of 1-4, Ft Bragg to AB, 16 Jan-18 Feb (mo). Ross’s Goose: 8 reports of 1-6, Ft Bragg to AB, 18 Jan-18 Feb (mo). Black Brant: Peak of 9,800 reported, KS, 25 Jan (MW); 1 with 2,159 Aleutian Cackling Geese at FSWA, 27 Jan (KR, OH). Aleutian Cackling Goose: “1,000s”, HBNWR, 18 Jan (RH); 10,000-12,000 on AB, 11-17 Feb (KR). “Cackling” Cackling Goose: 12, Bald Hill (Ft Bragg), 27 Jan (DT). Tundra Swan: 250, HBNWR, 18 Jan (RH); 11 in flight, KS, 27 Jan (MW); 12 flying north over Eureka, 29 Jan (HB); 5, Tyee City Pond, 17 Feb (gone the next day; KR). Wood Duck: 50±, CBP, 22 Jan (MV, CW). Eurasian Wigeon: 2, 17 Jan (OH), 1 23 Feb (SC), both at MER; 1, HBNWR, 18 Jan (RH); 1, V St. Loop, 3 Feb (KR). Blue-winged Teal: 1 male, AOP, 15 Feb (SH). Eurasian Green-winged Teal: 10 reports of up to 3 males and 1 female, AOP, Klopp Lake, BSE, 19 Jan-16 Feb (mo). Intergrade Eurasian x American Green-winged Teal: 1-2, BSE, AOP, 16 Jan-11 Feb (SH, AL). American Green-winged Teal: 1 flock of 2,200± on high tide NB, 10 Feb (SH). Redhead: 10, HBNWR, 23 Jan (SFB); 307, maximum count at Field’s Landing, 22 Jan (MW). Ring-necked Duck: 6±, CBP, 22 Jan (MV, CW). Greater Scaup: “a boatload” (come on guys, how many?), LL, 26 Jan (SG, JL). Harlequin: Up to 15, Glass Beach, MKSP, 12 Jan-13 Feb (DT); 2 males, Trinidad, 22 Jan (MM); 1-4, KS, 19 Jan-20 Feb (MW); 2, CCH, 29 Jan (KR, OH). Steller’s Eider (!UPDATE!): 1 male reported, brief, distant view, but reasonable description, KS, 22 Dec 2005 (MW) not found the same day or subsequently by mo, but reported (casual word of mouth reports) to have been seen by duck hunters before this date. White-winged Scoter: 1, LL (!), 26 Jan (SG, JL); 31-47 on 4 dates, 23 Jan-19 Feb, KS (MW). Black Scoter: 1, KS, 25 Jan (MW); 1, CCH, 29 Jan (KR, OH); 1 pair, Pt St George, 4 Feb (KS, et al.); 2, mouth, Redwood Creek, 11 Feb (KR). Long-tailed Duck: 8 reports of singles from KS, 10-mile River, Eureka Channel, Teal Island , 12 Jan-13 Feb (MW, HB, DT, GL, DF, JP). Common Goldeneye: 8 reports of 1-2 from KS, BSLP, AOP; Hauser Marsh, AB, LMR, BL, 18 Jan-24 Feb (DD, KR, TL, SH). Barrow’s Goldeneye: 1 female, KS, 26 Jan (MW); 1 female, LL, 26 Jan (SG, JL). Hooded Merganser: 5 reports of 1-”several” and “numerous” (come on guys, numbers please) from LL, RHWY, AB/AEB, Kinman Pond on BRR, 26 Jan-11 Feb (SG, JL, RH, KR, PH, LB).

Wild Turkey: x, RHWY, 28 Jan (RH). Red-throated Loon: 4-11, KS, 21 Jan-31 Jan; 30-53, KS, 4-20 Feb (MW). Red-necked Grebe: 7-26, KS, 17 Jan-20 Feb (RH, MW). Horned Grebe: 20 (!), Trinity Center, 27 Jan (SG, JL). Clark’s Grebe: 1, KS, 22 Jan, 4 Feb (MW); 1 pair, NB at AOP, 31 Jan (SH, AL). Laysan Albatross: 1 fresh, dead on beach, BL, 19 Jan (TL). American Bittern: 1, BSLP, 23 Jan-15 Feb (BM, SH, KR, SFB); 1, HBNWR, 8 Feb (CC); 1, Copenhagen Road, 7 Feb (DD). Little Blue Heron (!): 1, Alexandre Dairy near Ft Dick, 2-16 Feb (OH, et al., photos). Cattle Egret: 1-2, AB (especially in Hunt Pasture unit of AMP and Moxon Dairy), BSLP willow roost, 16 Jan-20 Feb, seen almost daily (mo). Green Heron: 1, Arcata, 29 Jan (GB); 1, MRFH, 28 Jan (SC). Turkey Vulture: 1, Kneeland (first spring date), 22 Jan (BB, DVZ). Osprey: 9 reports of 1-2 from BL, KS, LC, FWL, 22 Jan-16 Feb (CO, MW, DL, DT, TL).

Delisting??

Bald Eagle: 18 reports of 1-4 from near Miranda to Smith River Bottoms, 15 Jan-20 Feb (mo). Harlan’s Hawk: 1, Bayside Cutoff x Hwy 101, 22 Jan-11Feb (CS, SH, EE, KR). Ferruginous Hawk: 7 reports of 1-2 from AB, BRR, Smith River Bottoms, 20 Jan-11 Feb (mo). Rough-legged Hawk: 1, V St. Loop, 24 Jan-4 Feb (KR, SC); 1, BRR, 11 Feb (PH, LB). Merlin: 1, KS, 4 Feb (MW); 1, AOP, AMP, 8, 13 Feb (SH). Peregrine: 13 reports of 1-3 from AMP, BRR, MRFH, BL, “Del Norte County,” 21 Jan-20 Feb (mo). Prairie Falcon: 1, AB, 27 Jan (KR, OH); singles in two locations along BRR, 11 Feb (PH, LB). Sandhill Crane: 1 “immature” (no details), RHWY, 28 Jan (RH). American Avocet: maximum count at BSE/Klopp Lake, 300 ±, 14 Feb (SH). Lesser Yellowlegs: x (numbers please), AB, 24 Jan (KR). Wandering Tattler: 1, Glass Beach, 12, 26 Jan, 13 Feb (DT). Whimbrel: 1, “Del Norte County” (where?), 16 Jan (RH). Long-billed Curlew: 50-250, FB, 14-30 Jan (AM). Rock Sandpiper: 3-5, Laguna Point, 26-31 Jan (DT). Red Knot: 6, MER, 28 Jan (RF). Red Phalarope: last one of this year’s invasion reported on 19 Jan, KS (MW). Bonaparte’s Gull: up to 30 were hawking emerging midges, swallow fashion, at AOP, 13 Feb (SH). Heermann’s Gull: 1 adult in breeding plumage, flying north past Todd’s Point (Ft Bragg), 12 Jan (DT). The unconfirmed Kumliens’ Gull at MRC, reported 28 Dec by JA was rediscovered 11 Feb (JA), photographed and described, 11-12 Feb (KR, RF, et al.), photos still leave some doubt as to Thayer’s Gull. Glaucous Gull: 12 reports of 1-2 first or second year-birds (maximum of 5 individuals represented) from Arcata, Alexandre Dairy, MRC, 24 Jan-17 Feb (mo). Caspian Tern: 1-2, KS, 19 Jan-16 Feb (MW), 2 presumed courtship display in flight seen on 16 Feb); 1-3 at MER, 17-28 Jan (OH, RF) and HBNWR, 12 Feb (DF, JP). Forster’s Tern: maximum actual counts of 19-36 at AMP/AOP, 25 Jan-15 Feb (36 on 10 Feb, all SH).

Horned Puffin: 1 live bird, good written description, NJ, 21 Jan (IG). Band-tailed Pigeon: 1-11, Sunny Brae, Eureka, Azalea Hill, 16 Jan-22 Feb (SH, TL, RR). Burrowing Owl: 1, South Spit, 23 Jan-18 Feb (SFB, KC); 1, Bald Hill (Ft Bragg), 29, 31 Jan (DT); 1, Kneeland, 15-16 Jan (anon on bird box). Short-eared Owl: 1, Hookton Slough, 19 Jan (DD); 1-5, MRSWA, 28 Jan-18 Feb (SC). Chuck-wills-widow: the bird reported last month at Humboldt Wildlife Care Center was released near Indianola early in Feb after permission to transport it to a more suitable region was denied (release date not given, fide, GF). Allen’s Hummingbird: 1, Arcata, 22 Jan (KB); 1, Eureka, 16 Feb (PB). Say’s Phoebe: 1, Hayfork, 26 Jan (SG, JL); 1, Kinman Pond, 11 Feb (PH, LB). Horned Lark: 2, BL beach, 19 Jan (TL); 9, Trinity Center, 27 Jan (SG, JL); x, BRR, 11 Feb (PH, LB); 1, MRC, 17 Feb (OH).

Tree Swallow: 11 reports of 1-50+ from BL, AMP, AB, FSWA, LL, 16 Jan-24 Feb (mo). Violet-green Swallow: 1, AMP, 15 Feb (DF). Barn Swallow: 5 reports of 1-12 from AMP, Eureka, AOP, 19-29 Jan (EE, SH, PS). Western Bluebird: 1, BL, 16 Jan (MM); 3-6, Hunt Pasture at AMP, 19-27 Jan (EE, CO); 3, Cutten, 31 Jan (RLV); 1-14 seen on 11 of 31 days in Jan at Kneeland (BB, DVZ); “lots” (numbers?), BRR, 11 Feb (PH, LB); 1-2, near Blue Lake 4, 12 Feb (SC, PSe); 4, College of the Redwoods, 19 Feb (JT). Northern Mockingbird: 1, Arcata, 25 Jan (EC). Cedar Waxwing: 15-16, AMP where feeding on Alder catkins, 10-20 Feb (EE, SH). Orange-crowned Warbler: 1-3, AMP, Arcata, (SC, BM, EC, SH). Nashville Warbler: 1, Arcata, 24 Jan (GB); 1, Sunny Brae, 27 Jan (SH). Yellow Warbler: 1, BSLP, 19 Jan-14 Feb (EE, AL, SH, GC); 1, Eureka, 2-7 Feb (GL). Palm Warbler: 1-2, AMP, 4-15 Feb (BM, SC, EE, DF, SH). Black-and-white Warbler: 1 BSLP, 21-23 Jan (SH, JCe, EE). Northern Waterthrush: 1, BSLP, 19 Jan-13 Feb (mo). Clay-colored Sparrow: 1, Arcata feeder, 29 Jan (GB). Swamp Sparrow: 1, AMP, 24 Jan-8 Feb (KR, SC, EE); 1, HBNWR, 8 Feb (CC); 1, Del Norte County, 17 Feb (OH). Lapland Longspur: x (numbers?), BRR, 11 Feb (PH, LB). Snow Bunting: 1-2, BL Spit, 19 Jan-9 Feb (TL). Rusty Blackbird: 1 (“female”—how sexed?; no details on ID), Alexandre Dairy, 4-15 Feb (KS, OH). Hooded Oriole: 1 male, AMP, 24 Jan (KR, photos). Bullock’s Oriole: 1 (holdover, photos), Fortuna, seen almost daily in Jan, latest on 30 Jan (DM, fide, AL).