Field Notes

by Stanley W. Harris

26 August - 25 September 2000

Fall migration is in full swing, most swallows are long gone, usual fall migrant waterbirds, warblers, and sparrows are arriving: EXAMPLES: GREEN-WINGED TEAL increased at AOP/AMP from 1-5 on 1-2 Sept to 30-40 by 5 Sept, to 60 by 9 Sept and 150 by 15 Sept: SHOVELERS at AOP increased from 5 in late Aug to 150 by 1 Sep: COOTS increased from 1-5 on 1-2 Sept to 25 by 10 Sept and 200 by 21 Sept: AVOCETS increased from 4 on 2 Sept to 100 by 7 Sept and 141 (actual count) on 8 Sept. By the end of the period only a few barn swallows with the odd "white-bellied" were still around. By early Sept a veritable avalanche of YELLOW WARBLERS and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS had invaded the area (30 Yellow Warblers seen at AOP/AMP on 7 Sept (DF): Just think what we might have recorded if the Bird Box had been up and running 100 percent!

ABBREVIATIONS USED: AMP =Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BSLP = Butcher Slough Log Pond; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; ERWA = Eel River Wildlife Area; FR = Few Records; GW! = Gee Whiz Report: ID = Interesting Date; IIT = Interesting, if true, no description submitted; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; mo = Many Observers; MRCP = Mad River County Park; MS = Monitored Species; NC/ND = Not Confirmed, No Description; TDAD = Trinidad.

HIGHLIGHTS

LAYSAN ALBATROSS (FR): 1, 37 miles west TDAD, 25 Aug (PR): FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL (FR): 6, 37 miles west TDAD, 25 Aug (PR); 8-10, 12-17 miles west Eel River , 10 Sep (SH, MJ, et al.): LEACH’S STORM-PETREL (FR): 100, 37 miles west TDAD, 25 Aug (PR): ASHY STORM-PETREL (FR): 10 ±, 12-17 miles west Eel River, 10 Sep (SH, MJ, et al.): GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (EM): 175 ±, overhead, AMP, 21 Sep (SH): LESSER SNOW GOOSE (FR): 1, Hookton Road, 3 Sep (DF, JP): HARLEQUIN DUCK(FR): 3, MKSP, from last winter through 17 Sep (DT); 4, vic. Crescent City, 12 Sep (MM):.

Where are the Eagles?

BALD EAGLE (MS): ?? NO REPORTS !! DID YOU GUYS NOT SEE ANY OR JUST NOT REPORT THEM? ( first time in many months we haven’t had some reports): PRAIRIE FALCON (FR): 1, Caribou Basin, 9-16 Sep (EE, BC): PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (FR): 1, MRCP, 13 Sep (KI); 1, Fairhaven (flyover), 14 Sep (KI); 1, ERWA, 16 Sep (KN, GG): WANDERING TATTLER (IL): 1, well described, 7 miles up South Fork, Trinity River from Highway 299, 9 Sep (MW); 1, MRCP, 21 Sep (MW, TL): SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (FR): 1, mouth Elk River, 16 Aug (KI- update): LEAST SANDPIPER (IL):15, Caribou Basin flyover, 9-16 Sep (EE, BC): BAIRD’S SANDPIPER (EM): 2-5, mouth Mad River, 14 Aug-10 Sep (KI); 1, ERWA, 3 Sep (DF, JP); 1-2, Glass Beach, Ft. Bragg, 7-13 Sep (DT); 1, MKSP, 14 Sep (DT): PECTORAL SANDPIPER (FR): 4-6 feeding/resting on Azolla mat, Allen Marsh, AMP, 1-2 Sep (mo); 6-9 overhead, Klopp Lake/AOP, 2-7 Sep (SH, DF); 2, ERWA, 3 Sep (DF, JP); 1, MKSP, 7-9 Sep (DT); 1 Ten Mile River, 14 Sep (DT): SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (FR): 1-2, ERWA, 16-17 Sep (KN, GG): RUFF (FR): 1 imm., Camp Weott Road, 30 Aug (SMc); 3 (2 males), Smith River Bottoms, 4-5 Sep (RH, ST, AB, CD, photos); 1 male, Klopp Lake, 23 Sep (EE, et al.).

The prettiest gull

SABINE’S GULL (IN): x, 18 miles west Ft. Bragg, 3 Sep (PR); 2 (only), 12-16 miles west Eel River, 10 Sep (SH, MJ); 1 imm., on tip of North Jetty, 23 Sep (SH, et al.): XANTUS’S MURRELET (TYPE): 2, 18 miles west Ft. Bragg, 3 Sep (PR); 4, 20 miles west Ft. Bragg, 11 Sep (fide DT): WHITE-WINGED DOVE (NC/ND): 1, Arcata, 12 Sep (JB): BURROWING OWL (FR): 1, King Salmon, 16 Sep (MW): WILLOW FLYCATCHER (EM): 8 reports ( 9 birds) from Todd Ranch, Blue Lake Bottoms, AMP, Fairhaven, Fernbridge, 10 Mile River, 28 Aug-23 Sep (mo): LEAST FLYCATCHER (NC/ND): 1 reported caught and banded, 2 miles east Groves Prairie, 22 Sep (BF); GRAY FLYCATCHER (NC/ND): 1 reported caught and banded, near Hayfork, ± 14 Sep (fide EE): SAY’S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Kneeland, 8, 11, 13 Sep (BB): CASSIN’S KINGBIRD (GW!): 1, MKSP, 16 Sep (JW, DT, GC, CV; good description; first Mendocino Co. record, third Northcoast record!): RED-EYED VIREO (FR): 1 (hatch year), caught and banded, Groves Prairie, 13 Sep (BF); 1 (adult with red eye), Freshwater, 14 Sep (B&MW): BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (IL): 1, Airport Willows, Fairhaven, 19-21 Sep (KI, MW, TL).

Fall Warblers

TENNESSEE WARBLER (FR): 1, Horse Pasture, Fairhaven, 16 Sep (KI): MAGNOLIA WARBLER (FR): 1, BSLP, 5 Sep (BMcI): BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (FR): 1, Hookton Road, 23 Sept (SMc, AT): PALM WARBLER (EM): 1, AOP, 21 Sep (SH): BLACKPOLL WARBLER (EM): 2, Coast Guard Cypress, 10, 18 Sep (TE, JH, KI); 1, Ft. Bragg, 13, 16 Sep (DT); 1, Airport Willows, Fairhaven, 16 Sep (KI): MOURNING WARBLER (IIT): 1, BSLP, 29 Aug (BMcI): CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR): 1, Hookton Road, 23 Sep (SMc, AT): BREWER’S SPARROW (FR): 1, AOP, 31 Aug (SH): VESPER SPARROW (FR): 10 (!); Pacific Shores, 4 Sep (AB): LARK SPARROW (IL): 1, King Salmon, 14-17 Sep (MW, KN, GG): LAPLAND LONGSPUR (FR): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 4 Sep (AB); 1 (sp?, flyover), Horse Pasture, Fairhaven, 12 Sep (KI): ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (FR):1 male, Ft. Bragg, 18 Aug (update), (DT); 1 male, Arcata, 2 Sep (K&MR, S&MaM):INDIGO BUNTING (FR): 1 female, BSLP, 15 Sep (SH): PAINTED BUNTING (GW!):1 female, Airport Willows, Fairhaven, 10 Sep (TE, JH, green back seen, bunting chip heard):

More Usual Things

Offshore, "normal" numbers of Black-footed Albatrosses, Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwaters were seen in early Sept, but fewer than expected numbers of Northern Fulmars and Buller’s Shearwaters and many fewer Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, Marbled Murrelets, and Cassin’s and Rhinoceros Auklets than normal. "Good" to more than normal numbers of Brown Pelicans, with a lower percentage of adults than expected, (EXAMPLE= only 8 adults in a flock of 40 at AMP, 21 Sep, evidence of better than normal nest success?) Fewer Western Canada Geese than in the recent past, evidence of poor nest success and excessive hunting mortality? GREEN HERON (FR): 1, Salt River, 16 Aug (BS); 1, lower Eel River, 16 Aug (BS); 1, Butcher Slough, 6 Sep (MV, CW): NORTHERN PINTAIL (EM): 30, flyover AOP, 31 Aug (SH); 30, flying south 6 miles offshore, Table Bluff, 10 Sep (SH): RING-NECKED DUCK (EM): 11, BSLP, 24 Sep (SH, MW): WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (IN): 1 (only), Humboldt Bay entrance, 10 Sep (MJ, SH, et al.); COMMON MERGANSER (IL): 1 subadult male, Gannon Slough/Butcher Slough tidal estuary, 1-23 Sep (SH): MERLIN (EM, ID): 1, ERWA, 3 Sep (DF, JP).

Where are the Falcons?

PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): only 5 reports, all at AMP 1-23 Sep (SH, DH, anon) (come on, some of you must surely have more records than this or did they get lost with your Bald Eagle reports?): SORA (EM): showed up and became obvious in No Name Pond (as usual) in late Aug, early Sep, until rain raised the pond level and drove them back into cover, but then Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons moved into the pond and may have eaten them too. By the end of the period both VIRGINIA RAILS and SORAS were common in Hydrocotyle mats at AMP/AOP (mo): SNOWY PLOVER (MS): only 1 report, 30 (!) , on Ten Mile Beach, 14 Sep (DT) (How about some further update Ron?): LESSER YELLOWLEGS (EM): 1, mouth Mad River, 28 Aug (KI); 2, MKSP, 7 Aug (Update, DT); these the only reports in spite of the fact that 25 and 40 or more Greater Yellowlegs were reported respectively at Klopp Lake and ERWA: RUDDY TURNSTONE (EM, IN): "up to 15", lower Eel River ± 10 Sep (BS, fide GB); 6, mouth Eel River, 16 Sep (GB): RED KNOT (IN): 1 (only), MKSP, 4, 11 Aug (Update, DT); 1-4, Klopp Lake, 23-24 Sep (EE, BD, anon): RED-NECKED/RED PHALAROPE (EM): Usual scattering of Red-necked on coastal shore sites: examples: 8, mouth Mad River, 1 Sep (KI); 20-25, AOP, 1-3 Sep (mo). Usual offshore numbers; example: 80 mixed Red/Red-necked seen off Eel River 10 Sep (SH, MJ); in the phalarope gee whiz category, DF and JP reported Red-necked swimming low and fast, creating a bow wave big enough to hide behind as a way to sneak on and catch agile surface swimming shore flies, ERWA, 3 Sep! (More than one way to skin a cat!). PARASITIC JAEGER (IL): 1 juv., AMP/AOP, 24 24 Sep (BD, et al.): HEERMANN’S GULL (IL): usual numbers in the bay and nearshore, but more than expected numbers at baitings up to 15 miles offshore!

One good tern…

ELEGANT TERN (EM): at Humboldt Bay, 23 seen on 20 Jul (update, PR); 250 on 22 Aug (KI), and 140 on 10 Sep (SH): Elsewhere, 20 at mouth Mad River on 1 Sep (KI), and 6 off Laguna Point, MKSP, 16 Sep (DT): COMMON TERN (EM): 1, off Laguna Pt., 16 Sep (DT); 1, Klopp Lake, 23 Sep (EE): ARCTIC TERN (NC/ND): x, 18 miles west Ft. Bragg, 3 Sep (PR): MARBLED MURRELET (MS): only reports were 2 at Crescent City, 12 Sep (MM), and 1 at North Jetty, 14-15 Sep (MW, KN, GG): RHINOCEROS AUKLET (IN): only substantial numbers reported were "at least" 30 off Laguna Point, 24 Aug (DT), and 40 ± near Crescent City, 22 Aug (MM): PILEATED WOODPECKER (IL): 1, Horse Pasture, 12 Sep (KI); 1 pair, Kneeland, 12 Sep (BB, DVZ): GRAY JAY (EL): 1-2, Azalea Hill, 2-13 Sep (GL); 6, one mile north Groves Prairie, 14 Sep (TL); 15±, Coffee Creek, 9-16 Sep (EE, BC): CLARK’S NUTCRACKER (EL): 10±, Caribou Basin ridges, 9-16 Sep (EE, BC, GZ)

Little Kings return

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (EM, ID): 1, Blue Lake Bottoms, 29 Aug; 1, Fernbridge, 30 Aug (both BW): NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (FR): 1, McKinleyville, 6 Sep (KI): AMERICAN PIPIT (EM): 2, Fairhaven, 12 Sep (KI): MYRTLE WARBLER (EM): 1, BSLP, 21 Sep (SH): GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE (EL): 2, Crazy Peak, 1 Sep (AB): CALIFORNIA TOWHEE (IL): 2-3, Ore./Calif. State Line, Ill. River Road at Dunn Creek, 1-7 Sep (AB, GL, RC, CD) (first Del Norte County record?): SAVANNAH SPARROW (IL): x, Caribou Basin in meadows, 9-16 Sep (EE): FOX SPARROW (EM): 2, AMP, 5 Sep (BMcI): LINCOLN’S SPARROW (EM): 1, AMP, 6 Sep (BMcI): GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (EM): 1, one mile north Groves Prairie, 14 Sep (TL); 5-6, AMP/AOP, 21 Sep (SH): RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (EM): as usual, 600-800 at AOP/AMP to eat cordgrass seeds in early Sep (SH): RED CROSSBILL (ID): 2, Arcata, 16 Sep (KR): BLUE WHALE (FR): 1, six miles west Table Bluff, 10 Sep (MJ, SH, et al.): WATER SHREW(FR): 1, Caribou Lakes, 9-16 Sep (GZ, EE, BC).

Many thank to the following who shared their observations with us: Alan Barron, Jay Bishop, Gary Bloomfield, Barbara Burek, Bryon Cariss, George Chaniot, Romaine Cooper, Bruce Deuel, Colin Dillingham, Todd Easterla, Elias Elias, David Fix, Bob Frey, Greg Gray, Stan Harris, Robert Hewitt, Denise Homer, John Hunter, Ken Irwin, Matt Johnson, Debbie Kallish, Tom Leskiw (my apologies to Tom for omitting his name last month), Gary Lester, Sean McAllister, Brooke McDonald, Bryon McIntosh, Cara Millsap, Michael Morris, Mark Morrissette, Stephanie Morrissette, Kristie Nelson, Jude Power, Paul Rouch, Kerry and Megan Ross, Bruce Slocum, Dorothy Tobkin, Amber Transou, Steve Tucker, Matt Wachs, Catherine Walling, Jerry White, Bud and Margaret Widdowson, Dick Van Zile, Margaret Varga, Chuck Vaughn, Gretchen Ziegler. Please phone future reports to me at (707) 822-3802, phone them in to the Arcata Bird Box (707) 822-5666, mail them to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, Calif, 95521, write them on the bird observation sheet at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center or on the sheet in "Ornithology Hall", the Wildlife Building, Humboldt State University Campus.