Field Notes

by Stan Harris

March 21 - April 23, 2002

Spring-like weather without heavy rains characterized this past month. The anticipated mix of lingering winter birds, northbound migrants, and arriving breeding birds spiced the report period. Godwit Days, 19-21 Apr, proved enjoyable for many out-of-town visitors as well as local birder-naturalists. Enhanced native plantings as well as increased water flow to wet fields at the Salmon Creek unit of Humboldt Bay refuge has made this location shine in recent weeks. Congratulations to Shannon Smith, Eric Nelson, Steve Lewis and other staff at the refuge for their diligent work and view to the future.

Abrvtns used: AB= Arcata Bottoms, AEB= Arcata/Eureka Bottoms, AMP= Arcata Marsh Project, anon.= we couldn’t understand your name on the phone message (or you didn’t leave it), AOP= Arcata oxidation ponds, BSLP= Butcher Slough log pond, EM= expected migrant, ES= escapee, et al.= and others, FR= few records, HBNWR= Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, ID= interesting date, IL= interesting location, IN= interesting numbers, KS= King Salmon, MKSP= McKerricker State Park, mo= many observers, MRWA= Mad River Slough Wildlife Area, MS= monitored species, ND= no details or description, SRB= Smith River Bottoms.

HIGHLIGHTS: Clark’s Grebe: 1, north jetty, 1 Mar; 1, n.e. Humboldt Bay, 10 Mar; and 13 (!) in sight at once, n.e. Humboldt Bay 23 Mar (all JT); Black-footed Albatross: 30, 2 mi. w. of Pt. St. George, 24 Mar (JH); Short-tailed Albatross: 1 imm., 18 mi. w. Eel R. mouth HUM, 4/?/02 (Tim Peretti fide EE); this is the first modern northcoast report!

Northern Fulmar: 30, 2 mi. w. of Crescent City, 24 Mar (JH); Pink-footed Shearwater: 2, 2 mi. w. of Pt. St. George, 24 Mar (JH); Sooty Shearwater: 15, 2 mi. w. of Pt. St. George, 24 Mar (JH); Short-tailed Shearwater: 1, 2 mi. w. of Crescent City, 24 Mar (JH); Brown Pelican: 1, Castle Rock, 24 Mar (JH); 1, Crescent City, 5 Apr (KGR); Greater White-fronted Goose: 3, Fort Dick, 5-13 Apr (KR); Snow Goose: 1, Arcata Bottoms, 28 Mar (KR); Ross’s Goose: 2, Fort Dick, 29 Mar (KR); 1 there, 14 Apr (KR); 1, continuing, AB, to 20 Apr (m.o.); Emperor Goose: 1, Arcata Bottoms, 10-28 Mar (JT, KR); Western Canada Goose: brood of 6 goslings, mouth Gorman Slough, n.e. Humboldt Bay, 15 Apr (DF, JP); Cackling Canada Goose: 3, Fort Dick, 5 Apr (KR); Aleutian Canada Goose: 13,915, fly-off from Castle Rock, 6 Apr (KR); 240, AB, 13 Apr (PS); Brant: 500, Fairhaven, 31 Mar (MM); Tundra Swan: latest report, 1, AB, 27 Mar (PS); Eur. Green-winged Teal: 1, Butcher Slough, 2 Mar (JT); 1, HBNWR, 14-20 Apr (DF, JP et al.); Mallard X Northern Pintail: 1, Freshwater, 31 Mar (SP); Blue-winged Teal: 1-2, Lake Earl, 5-13 Apr (KR); Northern Shoveler: 350, most believed migrants, HBNWR, 19-20 Apr (DF, JP et al.); Eurasian Wigeon: 1, AB, 13 Apr (FA); pair, identified by gray axillars in flight, mouth Jacoby Ck., 23 Mar (JT); 1, Fay Slough, 31 Mar (MM); Harlequin Duck: 1, north jetty, 1 Mar (JT); 3, King Salmon, 8 Apr (MW); 1, King Salmon, 20 Apr (JP et al.); Hooded Merganser: 2, Crescent City, 13 Apr (KR).

White-tailed Kite: a pair at the big elk meadow in Prairie Creek Redwoods S.P. 22 Apr were the first kites DF had ever seen there in 10 springs; Bald Eagle: 1 subad., mouth Mad River, 19 Apr (JJ); Ferruginous Hawk: wintering ad. in n.e. AB last reported 9 Apr (DF); Peregrine Falcon: 5 reports of 1-3 from Castle Rock to Arcata, 27 Mar-20 Apr (m.o.); Ruffed Grouse: 2, Happy Camp CG, 11 Apr (TL); Pacific Golden-Plover: 17, mouth Eel R., 26 Mar (SM); American Avocet: 5-7 pairs nesting, with 3 clutches being incubated, HBNWR, 14-20 Apr (DF, JP et al.); Lesser Yellowlegs: 1, HBNWR, 14-20 Apr; 1, AOP, 22 Apr (DF, JP et al.); Solitary Sandpiper: 1, HBNWR, 20 Apr (DF, JP et al.); Rock Sandpiper: 4, Fairhaven, 13 Apr (RN, no details); Short-billed Dowitcher: 10, apparent arrivals (the first of many!), mouth Jacoby Ck., 23 Mar (JT); Red-necked Phalarope: 1, Fay Slough, 31 Mar (MM); California Gull: group of 220 migrants, Crescent City, 26 Mar (KR); Thayer’s Gull: 1 ad., mouth Jacoby Ck., 26 Mar (RN); Black-legged Kittiwake: 5 reports of 1-100 from Crescent City to Centerville Beach, 24 Mar-13 Apr (m.o.); Caspian Tern: migrant flock of 350 on schedule at Klamath R. estuary, 14 Apr (KR); Common Murre: 25,000, on Castle Rock, 6 Apr (KR); Marbled Murrelet: 2, Fairhaven, 7 Apr (MW); typical flight activity at Prairie Creek Redwoods S.P., first 3 wks. of Apr (m.o.); Ancient Murrelet: 1, Fairhaven, 7 Apr (MW); Barred Owl: 1-2, Prairie Creek Redwoods S.P., 11 Apr+ (m.o.); Northern Pygmy-Owl: 1, Boyes Prairie, 21 Apr (fide DF); Vaux’s Swift: 4, Arcata, 7 Apr (EE); becoming numerous by 23 Apr (m.o.); White-throated Swift: 1, near colony, Wagner Mem. Br., Hwy. 101 s. of Benbow, 29 Mar (DF); ‘Western’ Flycatcher: 1, Lanphere Dunes, 3 Apr (EE); widespread by mid-Apr (m.ob.); Say’s Phoebe: 1, Arcata Bottoms, 24 Mar (CO); Loggerhead Shrike: 1, Crescent City, 29 Mar (KR); Cassin’s Vireo: 1, Mad River Slough Wildlife Area, 11 Apr (TL); Purple Martin: 3, College of the Redwoods, 17 Apr (KR); Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 1, Salyer, 12 Apr (TL); Townsend’s Solitaire: 1, Brush Mtn., 10 Apr (TL); Northern Mockingbird: 1, Freshwater, 4 Apr (RH); Nashville Warbler: 1, n. Arcata yard, 10 Apr (KR); “lots,” Todd Ranch, 12 Apr (TL); 1, HBNWR, 20 Apr (DF); Black-throated Gray Warbler: “lots,” Todd Ranch, 12 Apr (TL); Common Yellowthroat: 2, Arcata, 2 Apr (FA); 1, lower Smith R., 5 Apr (KR); Black-headed Grosbeak: first reports from n. Arcata and Rolf’s, n. of Orick, both 23 Apr (KR, DF); Vesper Sparrow: 1, Trinidad, 7 Apr (MH); Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow: wintering bird at mouth Jacoby Ck. again seen 20 Mar (JT) and 25 Mar (RN); Swamp Sparrow: 2, AMP, 3 Apr (EE); White-throated Sparrow: 1, AB, 10 Apr (EE); 4, Rio Dell, 13 Apr (LN); Evening Grosbeak: 6, Catfish L., 1 Apr (MW).

OBSERVERS: Frank Anderson, Elias Elias, David Fix, Stan Harris, Rob Hewitt, Matt Hinton, John Hunter, Jeff Jacobsen, Tom Leskiw, Sean McAllister, Michael Morris, Russ Namitz, Laura Nelson, Chet Ogan, Steve Pagliughi, Jude Power, Kerry Ross, Paul Springer, Jim Tietz, Matt Wachs.