Field Notes

by Stan Harris

28 June - 29 August 2004

Summer has gone, fall is here and so are some migrants.  Our fall shorebirds are arriving right on schedule  The northcoast list was enlarged by 2 species this period.  The Great White Fathers of the A.O.U Checklist committee have issued more decrees and rearranged the order of our birds a bit more and have split the Canada Geese into 2 species, so I guess we get yet another species by administrative edict.  We now have large forms under the species “Canada Goose” and small forms under the species “Cackling Goose.”  A pelagic trip in mid July was not very exciting, the ocean waters were abnormally clear without much of a plankton bloom, The nearshore water temperatures were a warm 59 degrees.   Abbreviations used: AMP = Arcata Marsh Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BBHR = Base of Bald Hills Road; ED = Expected Date; EL = Expected Location; EM = Expected Migrant; ERWA = Eel River Wildlife Area; FR= Few Records; GW = Gee Whiz report; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge; ID = Interesting Date; IIT = Interesting, if true; IL = Interesting Location; IN = Interesting Numbers;   IP = Interesting Plumage, MKSP, MacKerricher State Park; mo = Many Observers; MRWA = Mad River Slough Wildlife Area; MS = Monitored Species; NC: Not Confirmed; ND = No Details or Description; PDO = Partial Description only; PPSP = Patricks Point State Park: SSO = Sound Shot Only.

Black Brant (ID): 1, Big Lagoon, 10 Jul (MM); 1, lower Mad River, 24 Jul (ST):  Gadwall (FR): 1 brood with 8 young, Class IIB (5 weeks old), HBNWR, 11 Jul (DF, JP): Blue-winged Teal (ID): 1 pair, Allen Marsh, 12 Jul (SH); 1, AOP, 25 Aug (SC, details?); 1, mouth Mattole River, 26 Aug (DW, RS, details?): Harlequin (FR):  up to 9 throughout Jun; 7 males, 2 female types in eclipse plumage, 22 Jul (all at  MKSP; DT); 2-5, Crescent City, 12-13 Jul (AB, FA); 1 female, mo. Elk River, 29 Aug (SC).

Arctic Eider Makes News

Common Eider (GW): 1 stunning adult male in full plumage, Crescent City 5-18 Jul (CV, et al. many photos), reported to begin molting before it left.  A first ever northcoast and state record.  Surf Scoter (IN, ID): est 900 with 50 White-winged Scoters, just offshore, Patricks Point to Klamath River, 5 Aug (EE, et al.).  Hooded Merganser (FR): 1, lower Mad River, 24 Jul (ST); 1, AOP, 1 Aug (GB): Wild Turkey (IL): 1, PPSP, 29 Jun (KI): Leach’s Storm Petrel (IL): 1, Eureka Channel, 17 Jul (MJ, et al.); Green Heron (EL, ED): 4 reports from Freshwater Creek, AMP, 30 Jun-31 Jul (DH, S & JN, SL, GC)  Bald Eagle (MS): 4 reports from Humboldt Bay, near North Fork of Trinity River, Douglas City, 10-24 Jul (MM, AP, MK): Golden Eagle (EL): 1, upstream from Eel Rock, 27 Jun (GB); 1, Wildcat Road, 2 Aug (DH):  Crested Caracara (GW): 1 at deer road kill with Turkey Vultures, Westport, 21-22 Aug (RHo, et al.): Peregrine (MS):   10 reports from AMP, MRWA,  mo. of Elk River, North Fork of Elk River, flying out to sea at mouth of Mad River, ERWA, 29 Jun-18 Aug (mo): American Golden Plover (ED):  1, Klopp Lake, 28-29 Aug (JT, EE, RF): Pacific Golden Plover (ED): 1, breeding plumage, near Fernbridge, 20 Jul (ST): Snowy Plover (MS): 3 nests on 10 Mile Beach, 6 chicks hatched, 1 fledged by 22 Jul (DT); rumor of birds on lower Mattole River bars this summer (fide, DW, RS):  Black-necked Stilt (FR): 1 ad, 4 juveniles, Vigo St. Marsh, 14 Aug (RLeV): Long-billed Curlew (IN): 100±, Woodley Island, 17 Jul (FA): Red Knot (ED): 4 reports of 1-6 from Klopp Lake, Stone Lagoon, 20 Jul-29 Aug (mo): Sanderling (ID):  1, Ft. Bragg, 10 Jul (DT):  Baird’s Sandpiper (ED): 9 reports of 1-4 from Big Lagoon, Clam Beach, lower Mad River, MRWA, mo. Elk River, HBNWR, Fernbridge, MKSP, 1-29 Aug (mo):  Semipalmated Sandpiper (ED):   1, Vigo Street Marsh, 14 Aug (RLV): Pectoral Sandpiper (ED): 2, lower Eel River, 28 Aug (KI):  Stilt Sandpiper (FR):   1, Elk River mouth, 24 Jul (MW, EMcB, PH, BS): Wilson’s Phalarope (ED, IL): 1, South Fork Eel River, Garberville, 29 Jun (AC); 1-2, Butcher Slough, 17 Jul (BA, FA); 1, AOP, 8-11 Aug (FA, EE); 1, ERWA, 22 Aug (JT): Mew Gull (ID): 1 badly faded, frayed summer derelict taught us once again that you are never too old to learn something new, 27 Jul-18 Aug, mouth of Elk River (mo), beware of calling summer derelict gulls!  Sabine’s Gull (IL, ID): 1 on south spit beach, flew away, 23 Jul (SMcA): Caspian Tern (IN): 180, South Spit, 23 Jul (MW): Royal Tern (IIT, NC, PDO): 1.  lower Eel River estuary, 28 Aug (KI): Common Tern (ID):  1-8, mouth, Elk River, 27 Jul-22 Aug (mo): Forster’s Tern (EM): 1, mouth of Elk River, 27 Jul (SMcA).

Skimmers Finally Arrive!

Black Skimmer (GW): 2, mouth Elk River, 17-27 Aug (MW, et al), wow another new bird for the all time northcoast list.  Long-billed Murrelet (FR; ND, NC): 1 in “near breeding plumage”(how identified?) 500 m. west mouth of Eel River, 15 Jul (EE, et al.): Ancient Murrelet (FR): 1, 3 miles SW Crescent City, 24 Aug (EE): Tufted Puffin (FR):  1 juv, Castle Rock, 11 Jul (MeH):  Black Swift (FR): 6, Salmon Creek and Borden Creek, Trinity Co., 3 Jul (GL): Vaux’s Swift (EL): 1 nest with 5 chicks, inside Chimney, Fieldbrook, 12 Jul (BY): Willow Flycatcher (EM):   7 reports of 7 birds from Redwood Creek estuary, near 101 bridge on Klamath R., Big Lagoon, Shay Park, AMP, 29 Jun-29 Aug (KI, JT, et al.). Philadelphia Vireo (FR): 1, Mad River Bottoms, 1-2 Jul (KI, et al. photos): Red-eyed (?)Vireo: 2, one being chased by the other, reported as Yellow-green Vireos, but identification disputed by some, near 101 bridge, Klamath River, 5-6 Jul (KI, et al.); 1, BBHR, 23 Aug (KI): Bank Swallow (FR): 1, mouth Mattole R., 26 Aug (DW, RS); 1, Lanphere Dunes, 29 Aug (JT): White-breasted Nuthatch (FR):  1, Kneeland, 5 Jul (BB, DVZ):  Brown Thrasher (second record for Mendocino County) Chadbourne Gulch near Westport, MEN 21 Jun (RLeV); Gray Catbird (FR, ND; NC): 1, Blue Lake Bottoms, 9 Jul (KI):  Northern Parula (FR): 1, south of Centerville Beach, 28 Jun (SMcA); 1, Blue Lake, 1 Jul (DM); 1, Pacific Shores, 30 Jun (AB, et al.):  Chestnut-sided Warbler (FR): 1 each, Dry Lagoon (28 Jun), Westhaven (6 Jul), Big Lagoon (12 Jul), Klamath River Est (7 Jul) all KI.:  Black-throated Gray Warbler (EM): 1, Cooper Gulch, 29 Aug (T&SL):  Black-and-white Warbler (FR): 1, Trinidad, 1 Jul (KI): American Redstart (FR): 9 reports from Centerville Beach Road, Bayshore Mall, Arcata Bottoms, Orick Dump, BBHR, Enderts Beach Road, 28 Jun-24 Aug (SMcA, JT, KI, TL, AB, EC).  Hooded Warbler (FR):   1 caught, photographed, banded, Eureka, 7 Jul (BP, fide LG):  Summer Tanager (FR): 1, Blue Lake Bottoms, 4 Jul (SC):Green-tailed Towhee (EL): 2 worn adults (breeders?), Salmon Mountain, 7 Aug (DF, JP): Spotted Towhee (IP, IL, ID):  1 in juvenile plumage, Azalea Hill, 17 Jul (bred locally? Do they migrate in this plumage? GL): Rufous-crowned Sparrow (IL) 2 ad and 1 new fledgling, 2.5 miles upstream from Eel Rock, 27 Jun (GB): Clay-colored Sparrow (EM, ND, NC; would be earliest record ever by 2 weeks): 1, AMP, 25 Aug (RF): Lark Sparrow (EL): 1 juv, Kneeland, 10-11 Aug (BB, DVZ): Grasshopper Sparrow (EL): 1-2 adults, 1-3 juv seen on 17 days in Jul, Kneeland (BB, DVZ).

Sparrow Species To Be

Thick-billed Fox Sparrow (FR): 1, Salmon Mtn, 7 Aug (DF, JP):  Lincoln’s Sparrow (ID): 1, AMP, 28 Aug (JT, et al.): Lapland Longspur (SSO, NC, IIT; would be the earliest record ever by 3 weeks):  1 reported flying over Eureka, 18 Aug (BS):   Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FR): 1, BBHR, 3 Jul (KI): Indigo Bunting (FR): 1, AMP, (holdover), 29 Jun (GC); 1 male photos, Kneeland, 2-7 Aug (BB, DVZ): Bullock’s Oriole (EL): 1 female with 2 young, Douglas City, 2 Jul (DK): Hooded Oriole (FR): 1 male, Arcata, 30 Jun (SC); 1 pair and 2 young, Arcata, 30 Jul (BA, KR); 1 female, probable (ID not 100 %), Westport, 22 Aug (JW, DT).  Lawrence’s Goldfinch (FR):   1 male feeding 2 fledglings, Kneeland, 1-13 Aug, photos (BB, DVZ): Evening Grosbeak (MS): 5 reports of 1-6 from Fieldbrook, east of Trinidad, Azalea Hill, Eureka, 3-27 Jul (CL, KI, GL).

Many thanks to all who shared reports with us this summer: Brian Acord,  Frank Anderson, Tim Arnard (sp?); Alan Barron, Gary Bloomfield, Barbara Burek, Scott Carey, Mark Colwell, Gail Coonen, Eileen Cooper, Ann Constantino, Ruth Crane, Gary Crites, Bruce Deuel, Elias Elias, David Fix, Rob Fowler, John Gaffin, Luke George, Melody Hamilton, Stan Harris, Pablo Herrera, Stacy Hintz, Roger Hoestery, Denise Homer, John Hunter, Ken Irwin, Matt Johnson, Dale and Margie Kuhn, Dick Laursen, Carol Lawrence, A. Lauvent (sp?); Tom and Sue Leskiw, Gary Lester, Ron LeValley, Sylvia Maldee, Cheryl Millet, Dan Maxwell, Sean McAllister, Erica McBride, Wendy Mellberg, Michael Morris, Michelle Forys,  J & S Nelson, Chet Ogan, Aieda Parkinson, Becky Pierce, Jude Power, Krystal Rogers, Kerry Ross, S. Salmo, Barry Sauppe, Robert Sutherland, Jim Tietz, Dorothy Tobkin, Steve Tucker, Dan Van Zile, Margaret Varga, Chuck Vaughn, Matt Wachs, Doug Wallace, Matt Whinny, Jerry White, Jared Wolfe, J Wright, Bryan Yost.

Please send future reports to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, Calif, 95521, phone them to me at (707) 822-3802, or to the Arcata Bird Box, 822-5666, or write them on the observation sheet at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center, South G. St., Arcata. My apologies to anyone who I left off or whose name is misspelled.  It is not always possible to get the spelling right or even the name right because many times the Bird Box calls are garbled and I can’t always read your writing on the sheet at the interpretive center. If I have messed your name up, please give me a call and set me straight.