Field notes

by Stan Harris

August 17 - September 30

A better-than-average fall migration with enough ‘good’ things reported to force me, once again, to omit migration reports of usual species for lack of space, but please do continue to report these. Only 0.2 inches of rainfall in Sep, things pretty dry, generally good visibility. I received reports on 3 pelagic trips conducted off North Coast waters, one out of Ft. Bragg on 5 Sep and 2 out of Humboldt Bay on 9 and 15 Sep. Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; 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: HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; IB = Interesting Behavior; ID = Interesting Date; IIT = Interesting, if true; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; mo = Many Observers; MS = Monitored Species; NC = Not confirmed by a second party, no details or description; PPSP = Patricks Point State Park.

HIGHLIGHTS: PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER (IN): usually fairly common in fall, the 500-700 recorded off Humboldt on 9 Sep was more than expected (SH, et al.); FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER (FR): 1, 2 miles west of the mouth of Redwood Creek, 14 Sep (PH); 1, 8 miles west of Humboldt Bay, 15 Sep (SH, MJ, et al.); BULLER’S SHEARWATER (IL, IN): expected in fall fairly far offshore in moderate numbers, but the 600+ seen off Humboldt on 9 Sep (SH et al.), and the 80 seen from north jetty, 25 Sep, (GrL), were notable: ASHY STORM-PETREL (FR): The 600+ seen in a raft 13 miles west of mouth, Eel River, 9 Sep (SH, et al.) compared with none in the same place, 15 Sep (SH): and only 3 off Ft. Bragg, 5 Sep (DS, et al.): FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL (IN): At least 400 were in the raft with the 600 Ashy Storm-petrels seen off Eel River, 9 Sep (SH, et al.), the largest flock ever recorded off the North Coast: WILSON’S STORM-PETREL (IIT): 1 reported, no details, off Ft. Bragg, 5 Sep (DS, et al): LITTLE BLUE HERON (FR, NC): 1 immature at Lake Earl, 13 Sep (AB), one of fewer than 5, ever reports: CATTLE EGRET (ID, IL): 1, Trinity Lake, 12 Sep (SG, JH), seems really early and out of place! WHITE-FACED (?) IBIS (ID): 1 reported as “dark ibis sp.”, almost certainly this species, flew over AOP, 24 Sep (EE), for one of the few fall records: BLUE-WINGED TEAL (FR): recovering from the summer molt, these are beginning to be identifiable again, 1, Hookton Channel, 3, Ferndale Oxidation Pond, both 15 Sep (SMcA); and 1, BSLP, 20-28 Sep (SH, BMcI): HARLEQUIN DUCK (FR): up to 8 constantly present at MKSP, 3 Aug-8 Sep (DT, JH), with 1-3 at Glass Beach 14 Aug and 11 Sep (DT) indicating an oversummering population. HOODED MERGANSER (GW): BY reported that 8 nest boxes installed at Big Lagoon held some Hooded Merganser eggs this summer; 4 of these were incubated by Hooded Mergansers (3 hatched), 1 contained 17 unincubated Hooded Merganser eggs, 2 mixed clutches were hatched by Wood Ducks and another mixed clutch was unincubated. BALD EAGLE (MS): 1 imm., mouth of Little River, 30 Aug (EE), and 1 adult, Trinity River/South Fork Junction, 7 Sep (TL) are fewer reports than expected: NORTHERN GOSHAWK (FR, EL): 1, between Horse and Grouse Mountains, 3 Sep (KR, MW): ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (ID): 1, AB, 16 Sep (SB) and 2, Eel River Bottoms, 24 Sep (CW, MV) are on the early side: MERLIN (MS): 4 reports of singles received from AB, AOP, North Spit, Lost Coast Headland, 13-28 Sep (KI, TL, SH, PS): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 4 reports of 1-2 from lower Mad River, AMP, AOP, and mouth of Jacoby Creek, 2-29 Sep (SH, RR, BC, PL, et al.): GOLDEN-PLOVER Sp. (FR): 2 (flyover), ERWA, 10 Sep (KI); 1-7, AB, 23-28 Sep (mo): AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (FR): 1, MKSP, 29-30 Aug (DT); 2-5, AB, 23-28 Sep (mo): PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER (FR): 1, Glass Beach, Ft. Bragg, 15 Sep (DT); 1-4 (?) (at least 2), AB, 23-28 Sep (mo): SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (IL): 1, Trinity Lake, 25 Aug, 12 Sep (JH, JS, BW): SNOWY PLOVER (EL): 20, Ten Mile Beach, 3 Sep (JH): AMERICAN AVOCET (IL): up to 11, Lake Earl, 9-13 Sep (JH, TE, AB): BLACK-NECKED STILT (FR): 2-4, AB, 11, 22 Sep (GL, K &JR); 1, Lake Earl, 14-15 Sep (AB): RED KNOT (FR): 6 reports of 1-18 from lower Mad River, North Humboldt Bay, and MKSP, 1-26 Sep (mo): SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (FR): 1, Butcher Slough, 31 Aug (DF): BAIRD’S SANDPIPER (ED): 8 reports of 1-4 from lower Mad River, mouth of Widow White Creek, Ten Mile River, MKSP, 17 Aug-28 Sep were about the normal number of fall migrant reports expected:

PECTORAL SANDPIPER (IL, IN): 1, Trinity Lake, 12 Sep (JH) was at a location not often searched; coastwise, 8 reports from Lake Earl, ERWA, along Eel River at Holmes, Ten Mile Beach, and MKSP, 3 Sep-29 Sep included flocks of 27 and 37 at ERWA and 30 at Lake Earl! SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (FR): 1, lower Mad River, 4, 8 Sep (FL, JC) was not confirmed by others; 1-2 juv at Jordan Creek near Lake Earl 8-13 Sep (JH, TE, MV, CW, AB); 1, ERWA, 29 Sep (KI): STILT SANDPIPER (FR, NC): 1, Jordan Creek, Lake Earl, 9 Sep (AB): RUFF (FR): reports of 3 separate birds as follows: 1, Butcher Slough, North Humboldt Bay, 30 Aug-16 Sep (SH, et al., mo), possibly also seen 29 Sep (MV); 1, lower Mad River, 1-13 Sep (BD, et al, mo); 1, mouth Jorden Creek, Lake Earl, 8-15 Sep (JH, TE, AB, JG).

COMMON GREENSHANK (GW)

Without a doubt, the bird of the year, this first record for the lower 48 states was found along lower Mad River on 27 Aug by Ken Irwin and seen subsequently by many observers. The last report was 17 Sep by Donna Lusthoff

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (FR): 1, Ten Mile Beach (good written description), 1 Sep (CV, MM, GC, DT); 1, HBNWR, 2 Sep (SMcA), 1, Crab Park, 5 Sep (SMcA): LONG-TAILED JAEGER (IN): 93 (!), up to 16 miles off Ft. Bragg, 5 Sep (DS, et al.): SOUTH POLAR SKUA (FR): 1, off Ft. Bragg, 5 Sep (DS, et al.): SABINE’S GULL (IN; IL): the 500-600 seen off Humboldt Bay 9 Sep had declined to 100-200 by 15 Sep but these were still more than usually seen (SH, et al.); single close-in birds were seen from North Jetty 27 Sep (MW) and in nearshore waters off Trinidad, 30 Aug (EE, PH, BO’B).

The 80 COMMON and 50-60 FORSTER’S TERNS reported in Eureka Channel 18-21 Sep (KI) certainly were noteworthy! ARCTIC TERN (ED): 1, 8 miles off Humboldt Bay, 9 Sep (SH); 52, off Ft. Bragg, 5 Sep (DS, et al.): LONG-BILLED MURRELET (IIT): Singles reported on 13 Aug, 28 Aug, 5 Sep, and 22 Sep in nearshore waters between Big Lagoon and Eel River by Marbled Murrelet survey crews represent an unknown number of individuals; hopefully, more documentation will be forthcoming. XANTUS’S MURRELET (FR, NC): 1, 6 miles off Humboldt Bay, 9 Sep (SH): TUFTED PUFFIN (FR): 1, off Ft. Bragg, 5 Sep (DS, et al.); 1, 8 miles west of Eureka, 15 Sep (SH, MJ, et al): ACORN WOODPECKER (IL): 1, Fairhaven, Ft. Humboldt, 15-17 Sep (MW, GL): LEWIS’S WOODPECKER (FR): 3, Horse Mountain, 3 Sep (KR, MW): WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER (FR): 3, 1 mile north Onion Camp, 7 Sep (TL); 2, 1 mile north Grouse Mountain, 20 Sep (MV, CW): PILEATED WOODPECKER (IL): 1, Arcata, 29 Sep (SK): OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (ID): 1, near Grove’s Prairie, 19 Sep (TL): WILLOW FLYCATCHER (FR): 11 reports from Todd Ranch, mouth of Willow Creek, Mad River at Blue Lake, AMP, AOP, North Spit, Centerville Beach Road , 3-25 Sep (mo) indicates this may be more common than previously thought: LEAST FLYCATCHER (FR): 1, AOP, 17 Sep (JP, DF): CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER (IIT): 1 possible bird, ID based on call, Fairhaven, 11-12 Sep (KI, BMcI): EASTERN PHOEBE (FR): 1, mouth Willow Creek, 7 Sep (TL): SAY’S PHOEBE (FR): 1, Todd Ranch, 24 Sep (TL); 2, 1 mile north Grouse Mountain, 20 Sep (MV, CW, B&NI): RED-EYED VIREO (FR): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 9 Sep (AB); 1, Fairhaven, 11-12 Sep (KI, BMcI), 1, PPSP, 16 Sep (KI): PHILADELPHIA VIREO (NC): 1, Fairhaven, 11 Sep, 1 PPSP, 16 Sep, 1, Fairhaven, 20 Sep (all KI): CLARK’S NUTCRACKER (FR): 1, G-O Road, Del Norte Co., 20 Sep (KS): BANK SWALLOW (FR): 1, AOP, 16-19 Sep (BC, PL, SH): PYGMY NUTHATCH (FR): 1-3, Centerville Beach Road and Centerville Naval Facility, 16-18 Sep (TL, JA, et al.) One of the very few Humboldt County records: SWAINSON’S THRUSH (IN): 50-100 calls per minute reported over Arcata 2200-0400 hours, night of 24-25 Sep by 2 independent observers (BC, GrL): NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD: 1, Garberville, 23 Sep (JS); 1, Fairhaven, 26 Sep (MW) TENNESSEE WARBLER (FR): 1, King Range Parking Lot, 20 Sep (TMcK); 1, Ferndale, 27 Sep (DF): NORTHERN PARULA (FR): 2, PPSP, 16 Sep (KI); 1, Manila, 17 Sep (GL): CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (IN): 8 reports of 7 individuals from PPSP, Trinidad, Shay Park, Manila, Fairhaven, Bayshore Mall, Centerville Naval Facility, 16-26 Sep (mo): MAGNOLIA WARBLER (FR): 1, Bayshore Mall, 14-15 Sep (TL); 1, Salt River, 15 Sep (SMcA); 1, Fairhaven, 18 Sep (KI): PRAIRIE WARBLER (FR): 1, Fairhaven, 25-26 Sep (GrL, MW): PALM WARBLER (EM): 4 reports, AB, AMP, ERWA, Eel River Bottoms, 24-29 Sep (DF, JP, SMcA, KI): BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (FR): 1, Lake Earl, 9 Sep (JH, TE, AB): BLACKPOLL WARBLER (EM): 7 reports from BSLP, Fairhaven, Bayshore Mall, lower Eel River, 12-26 Sep (mo): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (FR): 1, Fairhaven, 11-16 Sep (MW, KI, RLeV, BMcI): AMERICAN REDSTART (FR): 1, near Trinidad, 17 Sep (BMcI), 1, Fairhaven, 15 Sep (BMcI), 1, Eel River Bottoms, 25 Sep (SMcA); 1, Centerville Naval Facility, 16-17 Sep (TL): NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (FR): 1, AOP, 3, 15 Sep (MV, RH); MOURNING WARBLER (NC): 1, Crannell Road, 13 Sep (KI): RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW (FR): 10, vicinity Cain Rock, 18 Sep was a new northcoast high count (MW): LARK BUNTING (FR): 1, Westport, 7 Sep (DT): VESPER SPARROW (EM): 1, ERWA, 10 Sep (KI): LAPLAND LONGSPUR (EM): 1, mouth Lake Talawa, 15 Sep (JH): ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (FR): 1 male, Eel River Bottoms, 16 Sep (SMcA): INDIGO BUNTING (FR): 1, McKinleyville, 18 Sep, (JD, SS): BOBOLINK (FR): 1, AOP, 11-23 Sep (SH, BMcI, RH, DF): RED CROSSBILL (IB): 8 apparently feeding on a clay bank, Trinity County, north of Highway 36, 5 Sep (TL).