Field Notes

by Stan Harris

19 July - 31 August

A dry, typical summer, rather quiet, but fall migration of our usual birds is beginning and the “silly season” with its vagrants can’t be far behind.  Read on for a few of the early “Sillies.”  Abbreviations used: AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; ED = Expected Date; EM= Expected Migrant; ERWA = Eel River Wildlife Area; FR = Few Records; GW= Gee Whiz Report; ID = Interesting Date; IL = Interesting Location; LMR= Lower Mad River; MKSP = MacKerricher State Park; mo = Many Observers; MS = Monitored Species; NC = Not confirmed by a second party; ND = No Details; NR = Nesting Record.

HIGHLIGHTS:   Yellow-billed Loon: 1, Ft. Bragg, 17 Aug (DS et al., fide RK): Flesh-footed Shearwater :   1, offshore, Ft. Bragg, 17 Aug (DS, et al., fide RK): Manx Shearwater (GW): 1, offshore, Ft. Bragg, 17 Aug (DS, GMcC, MSM, fide RK): Streaked Shearwater (GW): 1, offshore, Ft. Bragg, 17 Aug (DS et al., fide RK) (the first ever reported for the north coast):  Harlequin (ID): 12, Virgin Creek Beach, Ft. Bragg, 19 Jul-22 Aug (DT): Coot (NR): 1-2 downy young, AOP, 14-21 Jul (MW); 2, juv plumage, 13-21 Aug (SH):  Lesser Golden-Plover (type, sp) (FR): 1, Centerville Beach 25 Jul (JD); 3, ERWA, 30 July (JD): Solitary Sandpiper (FR): 2, pond near Lanphere Road, 20 Aug (JT):  Semipalmated Sandpiper (FR): 3-11, Lake Earl, 4-5 Aug (AB, JG, HW, SH, RR); 2, AOP, 3 Aug (MW); 1, AMP, 8 Aug (DF); 1, LMR, 16 Aug (SH, KR): White-rumped Sandpiper (GW, NC): 1 adult, Lake Earl, 4 Aug (AB, JG, HW); 1 juv ?, LMR, 16 Aug (KR) (if true, the first ever records for the northcoast): Buff-breasted Sandpiper (FR): 1, Glass Beach, Ft. Bragg, 22 Aug (DT): Ruff (FR):   1, vic Crescent City, 11 Aug (AB); 1 male, North Bay flats at Klopp Lake, 4 Aug (BC, MV, KR, PL); 1 female, Little River Estuary, 15 Aug (KI): Wilson’s Phalarope (FR): 1, Lake Earl, 4 Aug (AB);  2, bay flats at Klopp Lake, 4 Aug (BC, MV, KR, PL); 1, Caspar Creek Est., 29 Jul (DT): Franklin’s Gull (FR): 1 juv., AOP, 12, 20 Aug (SH): Sabine’s Gull (ED): 15 ±, 3-5 miles west Humboldt Bay, 2 Aug (SH et al.): Least Tern (FR): 1, mouth Elk River, 22 Jul (MW, SH, DF, JP): Caspian Tern (NR): 8-10 flightless juv + adults, Sand Island, 13 Aug (MC):

Pigeon Guillemot (NR): 1 juv., MKSP, 24 Jul (DT):  Xantus’ Murrelet (FR): 4, offshore, Ft. Bragg, 17 Aug (DS et al., fide RK): Yellow-billed Cuckoo (FR): 1 seen and heard, Cock Robin Island, 23 Jul (GF): Black Swift (FR, ND): 3-4, Elk Head, 25 Jul (BA): Red-eyed Vireo (FR): 1, molting, confluence of Van Duzen with the Eel River, 4 Aug (JT): Willow Flycatcher (FR): 1 (update), MKSP, 13 Jun (DT); 2, AMP, 28 Aug (SH, MA); 2, Todd Ranch, So. Fk. Trinity R., 30 Aug (S& TL): Brown Thrasher (FR): 1, Crescent City, 27 Jul-11 Aug (AB, GL, JH): American Redstart (FR): 1 (first year male, Update) MKSP, 13 Jun (DT): 1, Little River Est., 24 Aug (JP): Rufous-crowned Sparrow (FR): 1-2, North Yolla Bolly Mtn, Trinity/Tehama Co. line, summer 2002 (KR): Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FR): 1 (update), Fay Slough Wildlife Area, 25 Jun (JD); 1, Rio Dell, 23-24 Jul (LN): Blue Grosbeak (FR): 1 male, V. st. Log Pond, west Arcata, 24 Aug (BA): Indigo Bunting (NC, ND): 1 pair, Jacoby Creek Road, 1-2 Aug (TJ):  Dickcissel (FR): 1, (Update), Crescent City, 12-13 Jun (MG, GW): 

NOTES FOR YOUR ATTENTION: Black-footed Albatross (IL, GW): 80+ seen from shore, Todd’s Pt., Ft. Bragg, 25 Jul (DT); 50 + 3-5 miles west Humboldt Bay, 2 Aug (SH, et al.): Sooty Shearwater (IL): 30+ (in 30 minutes), seen from shore, Laguna Pt., MKSP, 15 Jul (DT): Pink-footed Shearwater (IL): 2 seen from shore, Todd’s Point, Ft. Bragg, 2 Aug (DT): American Bittern (FR): 1, AMP, 4 Aug (BC, MV, KR, PL):  1, Lake Earl, 5 Aug (SH): Green Heron (MS, NR): 10 reports of 1-6 from Blue Lake, AMP, BSLP, No Name Pond, (includes 2 adults and 4 new young seen 4 Aug),  25 Jul-28 Aug (mo): White-faced Ibis (Update, FR): 31 (1 flock), ERWA, 24 May (JD): Bald Eagle (MS): 4 reports of 1-4 from Freshwater Lagoon, Trinity River, Humboldt Bay, 11 July-11 Aug (BA, JT, JA, “Brian”): Peregrine Falcon (MS): 3 together, circling 4 miles from Garberville, 28 Jul (JS); 1 pair, Lake Earl, 4-5 Aug (SH, RR); 2 at sea 6.3 miles west of Trinidad, 21 Aug (MG, GW): Ruffed Grouse (MS): 1, South Fork Smith River, milepost 13.22, 29 Aug (TL): As usual in late summer both Sora and Virginia Rails have become easy to view in early morning at No Name Pond since about mid-August (mo): Lesser Yellowlegs (EM): 3 reports of 1-11 from LMR, Elk River Est, ERWA, 23 Jul-16 Aug (mo): Black Turnstone (IN, IL): 34, LMR, 16 Aug (KR, SH): Red Knot (EM): 1, mouth Elk River, 22 Jul (DF, JP): Baird’s Sandpiper (EM): 1-2, Lake Earl, 4-5 Aug (AB, et al.); 3, Ten Mile beach, MKSP, 13 Aug (DT): Pomarine Jaeger (EM): 4-6 adults, 3-5 miles west Humboldt Bay, 2 Aug (SH, et al.): Bonaparte’s Gull (EM): 1,  LMR, 16 Aug (KR): Common Tern (EM): 2-5, Elk River Est., 21 Jul-3 Aug (MW, SH, DF, JP, FA): Rhinoceros Auklet (IL): 3 seen from shore, Todd’s Point, Ft. Bragg, 10 Aug (DT); 2 seen from shore, MKSP, 19 Aug (DT): Spotted Owl (IL): 1, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, 21 Aug (JG): Common Nighthawk (MS): 1-2, Stagecoach Road near Trinidad, all July to 17 Aug (MeH): Pileated Woodpecker (IL): 5 reports for singles from Sunnybrae, Bayside, Cummings Road (Eureka), 27 Jul-26 Aug,  probably represent usual post-breeding dispersal (TL, DC, SH): Gray Jay (NR): 4 adults + 5 juv, vic Trinidad, 21 Jun-14 Jul (MeH); 2 Arcata Community Forest, 17 Aug (anon): Purple Martin (EM): 5-6, Azalea Hill, 3 Aug (RR); x, Cummings Road, Eureka, last 10 days in Jul to 2 Aug (TL); x, AMP Tower, 4 Aug (BC, MV, PL, KR): Green-tailed Towhee (EL):   1, North Yolla Bolly Mtn, on Trinity/Tehama County Line, summer 2002 (KR):  Grasshopper Sparrow (EL): x, Mail Ridge, 28 Jul (JS): Lark Sparrow (EL): x, Mail ridge, 28 Jul (JS); 20 (one flock), Mail Ridge, 2 Aug (JG): Lazuli Bunting (IL): 4, Mad River Slough Wildlife Area (by old silo) 19 Jul (JD): Evening Grosbeak (MS): some seen nearly daily all summer, maximum of 12 on 22 Jul, Catfish Lake (MW).