Field Notes
By Stan Harris
25 September to 23 October
HIGHLIGHTS:
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER (FR): 1, 12 miles off Trinidad, 4 Oct (SH, et al.): NORTHERN GOSHAWK (FR):2, Pack Saddle Ridge, 24 Sep (TL): FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FR): 1, Alexandre Dairy, 30 Sep (AB); 1, Hayfork Valley, 12-16 Oct (JH,GH,GL); 1, AB, 22 Oct (DFa,JW,PH): PRAIRIE FALCON (FR, IL): 1, Trinity Center, 12 Oct (JH,GH):MOUNTAIN PLOVER (FR,NC): 1, Lanphere Road, 10 Oct (CJR,CR): MONGOLIAN PLOVER (GW,NPR): 1, ERWA, 2-3 Oct (SHo, RAE, et al.):SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (FR): 1, ERWA, 26 Sep (KI); 1-3, Lanphere Road, 2-11, 22 Oct (KN,JW, et al.): STILT SANDPIPER (FR): 2, Alexandre Dairy, 27 Sep (KN): BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (FR, NC): 1, ERWA, 2 Oct (SH): WHITE-WINGED DOVE (FR, NC): 1, Crescent City, 8 Oct (AB): BARRED OWL (FR): 1-(3?), Prairie Creek St. Park, 3-9 Oct (Anon, SP): COMMON POORWILL (ID,IL): found dead North Bank Road, 19 Oct (fide 1PSt) COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD (FR,NC): 1 imm male, Bayshore Mall, 16 Oct (GH): LEWIS' WOODPECKER (FR): 1, mouth Willow Creek, 5 Oct (TL): RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (FR,NC): 1, upper Lewiston Lake, 12 Oct (JH,GH):WILLOW FLYCATCHER (MS): 8 reports (10 birds) from AMP, Salt River, Fairhaven, Eureka, Todd Ranch, Howard Creek, Mendocino Co. (SH,SMc,KI, KN,JH,GH,GS): SAY'S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Fountain Ranch, 27 Sep (JH); 1, Hyampom, 12 Oct (JH,GH); 1-2, Kneeland, 13-16 Sep (BB): TROPICAL KINGBIRD (FR): 1-2, North Spit, 8-13 Oct (GH), 1, Eel River Bottoms, 19-22 Oct (GH,TL): SAGE THRASHER (FR): 1, MacKerricher St. Park, 26 Sep (GH,DT): RED-THROATED PIPIT (FR): 1, Lake Talawa shoreline, 30 Sep (AB); 1, AB, 2 Oct (JH): NORTHERN SHRIKE (ED,AD,FR): 1 imm, Pacific Shores, 19 Oct (RR); 1 imm, mouth Willow Creek, 22 Oct (TL): LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (FR, NC): 1, Goble Lane, 20 Oct (Anon): PLUMBEOUS VIREO (FR, NC, AD): 1, Salt River, 18 Oct (KN): PHILADELPHIA VIREO (FR): 1, Fairhaven, 2-3 Oct (DS, BD, J&NW, et al.): RED-EYED VIREO (FR): 1, Smith River riparian, 25 Sep (KS); 1, Fairhaven, 26 Sep (KI); 1, Clam Beach Lagoons, 29 Sep (DFx): TENNESSEE WARBLER (FR, NC): 1, Smith River riparian, 25 Sep (AB): VIRGINIA'S WARBLER (FR, NC,AD): 1, Scenic Drive (Westhaven), 29 Sep (TL): CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (FR): 6 (!) reports (6 birds) from Elk Head, North Spit, Buell Creek, Mendocino Co, Eureka, Little River Drive, 26 Sep-2 Oct (DR,GL,SH,K&PH,DG,KI,GH,TL, et al.): MAGNOLIA WARBLER (FR, NC): 1, Bayshore Mall, 1 Oct (GS,GH): CAPE MAY WARBLER (FR, NC): 1, lower Smith River, 26 Sep (AB): BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (FR): 1-2, North Spit, 30 Sep-14 Oct (KI,TL,BW,GH,MW); 1, Clam Beach Lagoons, 30 Sep (DFx): BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (FR, IN): 1, Smith River riparian, 25 Sep (AB); 1-2, North Spit, 26 Sep-2 Oct (SH, KI, GS, DFx, WFO, et al.): BLACKPOLL WARBLER (FR, IN): 9 (!) reports (9 birds) from Salt River, MRCP, North Spit, Elk Head, Ft. Bragg, Scenic Drive, 23 Sep-13 Oct (SM,DFx,TL,KI,GL,GH,DT, DA,MD): PINE WARBLER (FR,NC,AD): 1, mouth Redwood Creek, 12 Oct (KI): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (FR): 1, Elk Head, 26 Sep (DR,GL, et al.); 1, Eureka, 28 Sep (BW); 1, Bayshore Mall, 2 Oct (GM): AMERICAN REDSTART (FR): 1 male, MRCP, 25-26 Sep (SM,TL); 1, Elk Head, 26 Sep (GL): PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (FR): 1 Scenic Drive, 1-6 Oct (TL, MHi): HOODED WARBLER (FR,NC): 1, Eureka, 12 Oct (PH): SUMMER TANAGER (FR): 1, Smith River riparian, 25-26 Sep (KS,AB): DICKCISSEL (FR, NC): 1, HBNWR, 1 Oct (WFO): AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (FR,NC): 1, mouth Redwood Creek, 12 Oct (SH); 1 North Bank Road 19 Oct (PSt): CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR): 2, Ft. Bragg, 30 Sep (JW); 1, ERWA, 2-8 Oct (GM, KN,SM,GF); 1, Arcata, 7 Oct (GB): BREWER'S SPARROW (FR): 1, ERWA, 8 Oct (KN,SM,GF): LARK BUNTING (FR,NC): 1, Ft. Bragg, 30 Sep (JW): BOBOLINK (FR, IN): 1-14, Lanphere Road, 2-11 Oct (WFO,CJR,CR,MMc): TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD (FR): 1, Moxon Road, 16 Oct (BD, SH): YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (FR): 1, Alexandre Dairy, 25 Sep (AB); 1-5, Moxon Road, 26 Sep-16 Oct (KS,SP,BD,SH): RUSTY BLACKBIRD (FR,NC): 1, Ft. Bragg, 9 Oct (FF-W); 1, Moxon Road, 22 Oct (DFa, JW,PH).
INTERESTING OTHER, MORE USUAL THINGS: COMMON LOON (IL): 1, Trinity Center, 12 Oct (JH,GH): EARED GREBE (EM): 1, AMP, 6 Oct (SH): CLARK'S GREBE (EM): 2, Eureka Channel, 4 Oct (SH, et al.): BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS (IN): 3-4 (only), offshore trip from Humboldt Bay, 4, 11 Oct (SH,RLeV, et al.): BULLER'S SHEARWATER (EN): 3-30, offshore trips, 4-11 Oct (SH,RLeV, et al.): AMERICAN BITTERN (MS): 1, AMP, 4-19 Oct (FF,SH): WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (FR,EM): 2, AB, 2 Oct (WFO); 3, HBNWR, 3 Oct (GH, et al.); 5, Patricks Point flyover, 17 Oct (GH): LESSER SNOW GOOSE (FR): 2 white, 1 blue, HBNWR, 2-20 Oct (SH, L, J); 40, flyover Redwood State Park, 12 Oct (JG): CACKLING CANADA GOOSE (IL): 1, Ruth Lake, 18 Oct (SP): ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE (EM): At least 8 flocks of 80-150 birds in flight over Patricks Point, Azalea Hill, Arcata, mo. Mattole River, 8-18 Oct (GL, GH, SH): RING-NECKED DUCK (IN): 75 (actual count), Butcher Slough Pond, AMP, 6 Oct (SH); 50 (actual count), mouth Redwood Creek, 12 Oct (SH): HARLEQUIN (FR): 3, False Klamath Cove, 27 Sep (KN); 1, King Salmon, 22 Oct (MW): BLACK SCOTER (FR): 1, North Jetty, 26 Sep (SH, K&PH): GOLDEN EAGLE (FR): 1 adult, over McKinleyville, 6 Oct (no details, Anon); 1, south of Grouse Mountain, 9-14 Oct (CO); 4, Bear River Ridge, 12 Oct (TL): MERLIN (MS):9 reports (9 birds) from North Bay, North Spit, Trinity Center, Hayfork, ERWA, Elk Head, Scenic Drive, Eel River Bottoms, 2-19 Oct (MO): PEREGRINE (MS): 6 reports from Fairhaven, ERWA, AMP, Little River, Table Bluff, 30 Sep-20 Oct (MO): BLUE GROUSE (FR, IL): 1, Bear River Ridge, 18 Oct (KN): NORTHERN BOBWHITE: 7, MRWA, 29 Sep (DA, reported to be recent releases for dog training): VIRGINIA RAIL (IL): 7, Lewiston Lake, 12 Oct (JH, GH): SORA (IL): 7, Lewiston Lake, 12 Oct (JH,GH): GOLDEN-PLOVER SP. (FR): 1, AB, 3 Oct (KS,et al.): AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER 1, AB, 23 Oct (RLeV): PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER (FR): 8 reports (15 birds) from ERWA, Eel River Bottoms, MRCP, AB, 2-19 Oct (MO): SNOWY PLOVER (MS): 15, Virgin Creek Beach, 26 Sep (GH,DT); 23-28, Clam Beach, 28-30 Sep (TL): LONG-BILLED CURLEW (IN): 335 (actual census), Humboldt Bay, 4-5 Oct (MC, et al.): SANDERLING (IN): 400, North Jetty beach, 26 Sep (SH,K&PH): PECTORAL SANDPIPER (ED,EN): 6 reports (22 birds) from ERWA, Alexandre Dairy, Westport Oxidation Pond, AB, 25 Sep &endash 3 Oct, (KS,SM,KI,GH,WFO,GL): CALIFORNIA GULL (IL): 1, Sandy Bar, 27 Sep (GL): BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (IL): 1, mouth Big River, Mendocino. Co., 4 Oct (DG): SABINE'S GULL (IL): 1 imm. flyby, MRCP, 4 Oct (GH): MARBLED MURRELET (MS): 2, Elk Head, 2 Oct (TL): SAW-WHET OWL (FR): 1, Fairhaven, 4 Oct (WFO): VAUX'S SWIFT (ID): last seen at a roost chimney, Arcata, 4-5 Oct (CW): WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER (EL): 1, Hayfork Bally, 14 Oct (GL): HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (ID): 1, calling, Howard Ck., Mendocino Co., 25 Sep (GH): PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (ID): 1, Fairhaven, 13 Oct (DA,MD): ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (EM): 1, Alexandre Dairy, 30 Sep (AB): WESTERN KINGBIRD (EM): 1, Eel River Bottoms, 19 Oct (GH,TL): HORNED LARK (EL,EN): 11, Bear River Ridge, 12 Oct (TL): GRAY JAY (EL): x, Prairie Creek St. Park, 9 Oct (SP): SCRUB JAY (IL): 1, Crescent City, 21 Sep (AB); 2, Lower Smith River, 30 Sep (AB):BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (EN,EL): 8 reports (67 birds) from Little River Drive, Blue Lake riparian, MRCP, AB, North Spit, AMP, 25 Sep-19 Oct (DFx,SH, K&PH, DT): WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (IL): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 24-25 Sep (AB,KS): PYGMY NUTHATCH (FR): 10, MacKerricher St. Park, 4 Oct (DG): WESTERN BLUEBIRD (MS): 1-5, Kneeland, 15-30 Sep (BB); 1, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, 9 Oct (JG): TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE (IL): 1, Patricks Point St. Park, 3 Oct (DT, et al.): NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (MS): 1-2, Moxon Road, 3-22 Oct (P&VS,DFa,JWa,PH): CASSIN'S VIREO (ID): 1, Salt River 3, 18 Oct (GH, KN, et al.): PALM WARBLER (EL,ED): 6 reports (11 birds) from Ft. Dick, North Spit, Salt River, AB, ERWA, 25 Sep-16 Oct (MO): VESPER SPARROW (FR): 2, Fountain Ranch, 27 Sep (JH): LARK SPARROW (IL): 5 reports (8 birds) from Ferndale , AB, King Salmon, ERWA, Kneeland, 4 Sep-8 Oct (SM, MM, BW, DG, KN, GF,BB): SWAMP SPARROW (FR): 1, Crannell Road, 2 Oct (KI): WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (EM): 8 reports (11 birds) from lower Smith River, Elk Head, AMP, AB, North Spit, Azalea Hill, Sunny Brae, 26 Sep-19 Oct (MO): LAPLAND LONGSPUR (EM): 2, ERWA, 3-4 Oct (GL, RH): EVENING GROSBEAK (IL,IN): 6 reports (145 birds, including one flock of 75!) from Arcata, Pack Saddle Ridge, Elk Head, Scenic Drive, Prairie Creek St. Park, Eureka, 24 Sep-9 Oct (GL, TL,PH,GH): BOBCAT (GW): 2 (!), mouth Redwood Creek, 12 Oct (KN).