After the Christmas Bird Count madness, things have settled down a bit, but early spring migration is already underway, many ducks (and some avocets?) have left us, and Allen’s and Rufous Hummingbirds are arriving, so spring can’t be far behind. Abbreviations used in this report:

AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; ED = Expected Date; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; FR = Few Records; GW = Gee Whiz Report; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; MS = Monitored Species; NC = Not Confirmed; ND = No Details; NPR = No Previous Record; SR = Sample Records:

HIGHLIGHTS: BLUE-WINGED TEAL (FR): 1 pair, AMP, 17 Jan (BK); EURASIAN WIGEON (FR): 1, Orick, 13 Jan (TL); 5 (!), Hookton Slough (Humboldt Bay NWR), 14 Feb (MW): OLDSQUAW (FR): 1 ad. male, MacKerricher State Park, 24 Dec-through Jan (DT); 1, Elk River mouth, 25 Jan (SL); 1 imm. male, ocean off Noyo River, 1 Feb (DT); 1 female, MacKerricher S. P., 3 Feb (DT): HARLEQUIN DUCK (FR): 1-2, North Jetty, 8-10 Jan (PR, EE): 1, South Jetty, 11 Feb (DG): PRAIRIE FALCON (FR): 1, AB, 24 Jan-12 Feb (BC, EE, MM, LG): BLACK-NECKED STILT (FR): 1, Vigo St. Marsh, 15 Jan (BF); 1, Vance Road, North Bay (flyby); 1 Feb (DG): ROCK SANDPIPER (FR): x, North Jetty, 8 Jan (PR); 1-2, MacKerricher S. P., throughout Jan (DT): SLATY-BACKED GULL (GW, NPR, NC): 1, Crescent City, 18 Jan (AB): GLAUCOUS GULL (FR): 1 (first winter), Crescent City, 24 Jan (KN); 1 ad., (ND), Vance Road, 25 Jan (BC); 1 (second winter), mouth Elk River, 31 Jan (MW); 1, Eureka, 7 Feb (RLeV): SAY’S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Friday Ridge Road (Flat), 8 Jan (GH): LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (FR): 1, Loleta, 28 Jan (RC): NORTHERN SHRIKE (FR): 1, Kneeland, 1,16,20 Jan (BB): ROCK WREN (FR): 1, Eel River upstream from Alderpoint; 1, Mail Ridge (both 10 Jan, JH, TL, DF, JP): TENNESSEE WARBLER (ID, ND, NC): 1, McKinleyville, 30 Jan (DG): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (ND): 1, Manila, 17 Feb (DA): NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (ND): 1, AMP, 23 Jan (EE): CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR): 1, Arcata, 7 Feb (LG): RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW (EL, ID): 2, near Cain Rock, 10 Jan (JH, TL, DF, JP): RUSTIC BUNTING (GW, FR, NC): 1, AB, 4 Feb (KI): HOODED ORIOLE (NC, ND): 1, Arcata, 13 Jan (SS): BULLOCK’S ORIOLE (ID): 1, Arcata, 9-13 Jan (EE, Jason); 1 female, AMP, 14 Feb (GG).

LET’S NOT FORGET THESE TOO:

PACIFIC LOON (ID): 1, North Jetty, 13 Jan (RC): RED-NECKED GREBE (EL): 2, South Jetty, 11 Feb (DG): BROWN PELICAN (ID): 43, near 10-Mile River, 5 Jan (DT); "small numbers"along Mendocino coast, all Jan (DT); 1, Fields Landing, 29 Jan (RC): AMERICAN BITTERN (FR): 1 imm., MacKerricher S. P., 6 & 27 Jan (DT): CATTLE EGRET (MS): 2-4, AB, 9 Jan-15 Feb, AB (Moxon Road) (PR. BC, SH, LH): GREEN HERON (FR): 1, Willow Creek Golf Course, 1-8 Feb (TL): WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (FR): 1-8, AB, 24-30 Jan (GB, BC): ROSS’ GOOSE (FR): 2, AB, 24-30 Jan (GB, BC, KN); 1, MacKerricher S. P., mid Nov through 7 Jan (DT): DUSKY CANADA GOOSE (FR): 1, Crescent City, Front Park, 19 Jan (SH, PS): ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (ID): 1-15, AB, 24 Jan-15 Feb (GB, SH, LH): GADWALL (IL): 4, Orick, 13 Jan (TL): REDHEAD (MS, IN): 210, Fields Landing, 30 Jan (MW): COMMON GOLDENEYE (ED, EL): 1 female, Lower Mad River, 12 Feb (BF): HOODED MERGANSER (FR): 1 pair, Bear River Ridge pond, 16 Jan (DoF): WHITE-TAILED KITE (IL): 1 imm. Salyer, 26-28 Jan (TL, GH); 1 ad., Willow Creek, 1 Feb (TL); 1, Kneeland, 4, 15, 19 Jan (BB).

BALD EAGLE (MS): 1 ad., mouth Willow Creek, 7-13 Jan (TL); 1 ad., 1 imm., near Cain Rock, 10 Jan (JH, TL, DF, JP); 1 ad., AB/AMP/lower Mad River, 24 Jan-15 Feb (JP, BC, KN, JS); 1 third year, near Cain Rock, 3 Jan (BD): 1-2, Big Lagoon, 23-25 Jan (BC, EE); 1 ad., Capetown, 7 Feb (MM): HARLAN’S HAWK (FR): 1, Hayfork, 8 Jan (GH): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 24 Jan (KN); 1, AB, 30 Jan-11 Feb (GL, MM): ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (MS): 2-3, Capetown, 7 Feb (MM): GOLDEN EAGLE (EL): 1, Alderpoint, 10 Jan (JH, TL, DF, JP); 2 ad., Capetown, 7 Feb (MM): MERLIN (MS): 1, Arcata, 9 Jan (EE); 1, Rohnerville, 10 Jan (GH); 1, near Crab Park, 30 Jan (BD); 1, AB, 7 Feb (MM): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 1, Mail Ridge, 10 Jan (JH, TL, DF, JP); 1, Eureka, 7 Feb (MM): WILD TURKEY (FR): 21, Fruitland Ridge, late Jan-e. Feb (JG): MOUNTAIN QUAIL (IL): 1 (road kill), milepost 9.0, south of Crescent City, highway 101, 24 Jan (KN): SNOWY PLOVER (FR): 2, Big Lagoon beach, 18 Jan (TL): LESSER YELLOWLEGS (FR): 1, AB, 25 Jan (DF); 2, near Crab Park, 30 Jan (BD): WHIMBREL (ID): 1, Fields Landing, 13 Jan (RC): RED KNOT (FR): 1-2, AMP, 30 Jan-12 Feb (PL); 4, AB, 31 Jan (MV, CW): COMMON SNIPE (IN): 35, Vance Road, 13 Jan (RC): BONAPARTE’S GULL (ID): 8, AOP, 11 Jan (SH): HEERMANN’S GULL (ID): 1 first year, MacKerricher S. P., 17 & 30 Jan (DT): THAYER’S GULL (FR): 1, mouth Redwood Creek, 23 Jan (DF): BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (FR): 1, North Jetty, 10 Jan (EE): RHINOCEROS AUKLET (ID): 1-3, North Jetty, 8-10 Jan (EE, PR): BAND-TAILED PIGEON (ID): 2, Sunny Brae, 26 Jan (SH).

ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Azalea Hill, 15 Feb (GL): RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (EM): 1, Bayside, 18 Feb (DF): SELASPHORUS SP. (EM): 1, Azalea Hill, 11 Feb (LL); 1, east McKinleyville, 15 Feb (GL): YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER (ED): 1, Hookton Road, 11 Jan (DD); 1, Arcata, 16 Feb (GB): MELANISTIC RED-SHAFTED FLICKER (GW): 1, Blue Lake Fish Hatchery, Jan (MV, CW): HORNED LARK (EL): 1, Bear River Ridge, 7 Feb (MM); 1, near Virgin Creek, MacKerricher S. P., 26 Dec-18 Jan (DT): TREE SWALLOW (ID): 2, Lake Earl, 8 Jan (EE): BARN SWALLOW (ID): 1, AMP, 31 Jan (BC, PL); 1, Moxon Road, 6 Feb (PH, KM): GRAY JAY (EL): 5, Fieldbrook, daily at feeder, Jan (BP): WESTERN BLUEBIRD (MS): 17, Azalea Hill, 9 Jan (GL); 6, Kneeland, 4 days in Jan (BB); 9, Willow Creek, 25-26 Jan (TL); 6, Elk Prairie, 31 Jan (BK, MMc); 10, south Eureka, 1 Feb (SN, MD); 4, McKinleyville, 2 Feb (RCh); 3, Hatchery and West End Road, 5 Feb (CK); 3, Fruitland Ridge, 7 Feb (JG); 12, Table Bluff/Hookton Slough, 14 Feb (MW).