Field Notes
By Stan Harris
27 April - 21 August
Space does not permit including all observations submitted in the last four months so if you don’t find your contributions listed here, please do not think they are not important to our overall, long-tem data base to increase our understanding of North Coast bird populations. Please continue to report observations that will add to the seasonal, numerical, habitat, migratory, breeding, or geographic knowledge of even common species. I only have room for some of the highlights from this summer’s observations.
Start with Grebes
CLARK’S GREBE (ID): 1, Hookton Slough, 24 May (MW): CATTLE EGRET (ID): 1-3 (breeding plumage), AB/AMP, 3 May-17 Jul (DA,SH,PL): WHITE-FACED IBIS (NC/D): 1, Elk River, Eureka Slough, 27 Apr (KI): WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (NC/D, ID): 1, Lower Eel River, 7 Jul (BS): LESSER SNOW GOOSE (ID, GW): 2 white, 1 adult blue; HBNWR, 5-7 Jun (SL, G&LL, SH): BLUE-WINGED TEAL (IN,IL): 1-14!, Loleta Pond, HBNWR, AMP/AOP, North Fork of Mad River, mouth of Redwood Creek, Freshwater Lagoon, Smith River Bottoms, Ship-a-Shore, 2 May-13 Jul (MO): BALD EAGLE (IN): 1-2, Weott, Humboldt Bay, Freshwater Lagoon, mouth of Klamath River, north of Weitchpec, South Fork, Trinity River, 11 May-18 Aug, (MO): NORTHERN GOSHAWK (FR): Adults, acting territorial, Trinity Alps, 26 Jun (KS); Hoopa Reservation, 3 Jul (JWa, TB): MERLIN (ID, IL): 1, North Jetty, 9 May (TL, SP); 1, 2 miles so. Hayfork, 3 Jul (JH): PEREGRINE FALCON (MS): 1-2, Cain Rock, Holmes, Centerville Road, Klopp Lake, Azalea Hill, Trinidad Head (acting territorial), Hoopa Reservation, 29 Apr-16 Aug (MO): RUFFED GROUSE (FR): 1-3, vic. Groves Prairie, Tall Trees Trail, Bald Hills, 27 May-13 Jul (TL,BK,CO,DF,JP): BLUE GROUSE (IL): 1, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, 26 Jun (JG): SORA (ID): 1, AOP, 25-27 Jul (SH, ST, DFa); 1, AMP, 31 Jul-3 Aug (SH): GOLDEN PLOVER SP. (ED): 1, ERWA, 13 Aug (SM): AMERICAN AVOCET (GW, ID): Did NOT breed this year at HBNWR for first time in several years (SL,SH); 6, Butcher Slough, 16 Aug (PS): GREATER YELLOWLEGS (ID): 6, ERWA, 22 May (SM); 1 Klopp Lake, 1 Jun (SH); 1, AMP, 29 Jun (DF); 2, Mouth Redwood Creek, 30 Jun (BF): SOLITARY SANDPIPER (ED,EL,FR): 1-2, Fortuna Levee, Loleta Pond, Moxon Road, 27 Apr-3 May (KN,DA,RC,IC,JP); 1, ERWA, 21 Aug (SM): BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW (NPR!): 1, Big Lagoon Spit, 9 May (JH); 1, Crescent City Harbor, 14-16 May (AB, et al.): WANDERING TATTLER (ID): 3, South Jetty, 9 Jun (DD): STILT SANDPIPER (FR): 1, breeding plumage, Smith River Bottoms, 26 Jul (AB): COMMON SNIPE (ID): 1, Hookton Slough, 23 May (MW); x, Scott Valley, 12 Jun (BC): WILSON’S PHALAROPE (FR): 1-6, ERWA, mouth of Jacoby Creek, Butcher Slough, Klopp Lake, Smith River Bottoms, 30 Apr-3 May; 25 Jul-15 Aug (ST,DFa,AB,DF,PL): BONAPARTE’S GULL (ID): 1-8, AMP/AOP, 28 May-4 Jul (SH,DF): FRANKLIN’S GULL (IN): 1-3; Fortuna, Fields Landing, AMP, Lake Earl, Lower Smith River, 5 May-22 Jun (MO): SABINE’S GULL (ED,IL): I ad on shore, MacKerricher S.P., 16 May (DT): ELEGANT TERN (ID): 8-10, North Bay, 29 May (DF); 3-37, Crescent City Harbor, 1-2 Jun (AB); 130, Klopp Lake, 26 Jun (DF); 200, Redwood Creek Mouth, 12 Jul (BF); and 160, Klopp Lake, 17 Jul (PL).
One without white wings
BLACK TERN (NC/D): 2, AMP, 20 May (CK): MARBLED MURRELET (MS): 2-5, North Jetty, Trinidad Harbor, Crescent City Harbor, Pt. St. George, 5 May-1 Jun (MHi,DF,AB); 2-168 (actual count), off Big Lagoon, Pt. St. George, off Ship-a-Shore, 21-21 Aug (AB,CS,MF, ANON): "LONG-BILLED MURRELET" (FR, NC/D): 1, Pt. St. George, 21 Jul, 29 Jul (AB); 1, off Ship-a-Shore, ±20 Jul (CS,MF): XANTUS’ MURRELET (FR, ID!): 1, picked up injured, Samoa Saw Mill Parking lot, 25 Apr, later died (SB,KP,SH,photos): ANCIENT MURRELET (ID): 1-7 at sea off Big Flat (Lost Coast), North Jetty, Trinidad, Stone Lagoon, 30 May-22 Jul (MO): FLAMMULATED OWL (FR,EL,ED): 2, Island Mtn. Road, 9 May (DF,JP): WESTERN SCREECH-OWL (IN): 22 at 17 locations, Bald Mtn to Korbel, 23 Jun (DF): COMMON NIGHTHAWK (IN,EL,ED): 1-3, Arcata, Azalea Hill, Glendale; 1-10, Horse Mtn, Grouse Mtn, Lake Prairie at Snow Camp Mtn, Weaverville, 4 Jun-2 Jul (MO): WHITE-WINGED DOVE (NC): 1, Ft. Bragg, 20 Aug (MP): BLACK SWIFT (FR,ED): 1-9, Table Bluff, North Jetty, vic. Blue Lake, 16-28 May (JM,JL,MW,CO,GB,BH,A,DF): CHIMNEY SWIFT (FIRST CONFIRMED NORTH COAST RECORD!): 1, Smith River, 4-17 Jul (AB, et al.): WHITE-THROATED SWIFT (FR,IL, FIRST APPARENT NESTING RECORD FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY): 2, New River Overlook/Highway 299, 2 May (MaH); 1, 1997 Zenia Bluff nest site, 30 May (JH,GH,TL); 1-15, apparently nesting in drain holes under Highway 101 bridges at milepost 100.0, northern Mendocino County and Edward C. Wagner Memorial Bridge and Benbow Bridge, southern Humboldt County, 19 Jun-8 Aug (DF,JP, et al.).
Little Hummers
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD (FR, NC/D): 1, near Somes Bar, 16 May (SM); 1, Mud Springs, 2 Jun (KS); 2-4, mouth Salmon Creek (eastern Humboldt Co), "Jun" (EE); 1+, Friday Ridge Road, 20 Jun (CO): COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD (FR, NC/D): 1 male, Ft. Bragg, 22 Apr (DT); 1, west of Trinity Mtn, 5 Jun (GB): WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER, Black Lassic, 19 Jul (TL): ACORN WOODPECKER (IL): 1 male, Fieldbrook, 2-3 Jun (CL): WILLOW FLYCATCHER (MS): 1-3, some singing, including some adults carrying food to begging juv, Dyerville Loop Road, Fortuna, Lower Eel River, Sunny Brae, mouth of Mad River, north of Orick, Boyes Prairie, mouth of Willow Creek, Todd Ranch, Hoopa, north Humboldt County, Trinity Center, 18 May-21 Aug (MO): SAY’S PHOEBE (FR,ID,NC/D): 1, Fortuna Levee, 24 May (J&AF); 1, Rio Dell, 28 Jun (IS): EASTERN PHOEBE (FR,GW,NC, oral description only): 1, Mad River Fish Hatchery, 17-18 May, 8 Jul (BH): EASTERN KINGBIRD (FR): 1, Scenic Drive, 4 Jun (KI); 1-2, Pt. St. George, 5-6 Jun (AB,JH,RH,SM): BANK SWALLOW (EL,ED): 100± birds at nest colony, lower Smith River, 5 Jul (SH,PS): PURPLE MARTIN: nine sighting swidely scattered in Humboldt Co., 6 Jun - 21 Jul (mob): OAK TITMOUSE: 1, Cain Rock, 25 Jun (DF): ROCK WREN (FR,EL,ED): 1-6, singing, carrying fecal sacs, Eel River Canyon near Cain Rock, 24-30 May (JH,TL, et al.); 1, upper Trinity Lake, 1, Trinity Dam, 13 Jun (J,K&LH): CANYON WREN (FR): 1, northeast of Hoopa Reservation, 3 Jul (JW,TB): BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (FR): 1 male, Ten Mile River, 19 Apr (DT); 2 (1 carrying food), near Cain Rock, 24-30 May (JH,GH,TL); 2 ad + nest with young, Friday Ridge Road, 21-22 Jun (BR,TL): NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (ED): 1-3, Toroni Road, Moxon Road (nesting pair and 1 newly fledged young), Mad River Fish Hatchery, Trinidad, mouth Redwood Creek, 28 Apr-9 Aug (MO): SAGE THRASHER (FR): 1, AB, 12-25 May (SM, KI): 1, Orick, 25 May (KI): CALIFORNIA THRASHER (FR, EL): 1, Kings Peak, 22 Apr (JG): PHAINOPEPLA (FR,IL!,GW): 1 female with Cedar Waxwings (adequate oral description), McKinleyville, 19 May (JaP); 1 male (NC/D), Gasquet, 25 Jun (MaMo, fide AB): LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (ID): 1, Eel River Bottoms, 7-14 May (RLeV, SM); 1, AB, 26 May (KI).
Lost Vireos and Warblers
PLUMBEOUS VIREO (FR): 1, Crescent City, 4-7 Jun (AB, et al.): WHITE-EYED VIREO (GW!, NPR!): 1, singing, Pt. St. George, 27 Jun (AB,KI): RED-EYED VIREO (FR): Single birds, Arcata, Azalea Hill, Elk Head, Crescent City, Smith River, 21 Jun-5 Jul (TL,GL,AB, RHo, JP,DF): NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER (FR, NC/D): 1, west end of Crannell Road, 20 Jun (KI): MAGNOLIA WARBLER (FR): 1, singing, Elk Head, 6-18 Jun (TL,GL, et al.): PALM WARBLER (NC,ID): 1, V St and Samoa Road, 16 Aug (DaD): TOWNSEND’S WARBLER (ID): 1, Red Mountain (Trinity County), 27 Jul (TL, JS,JH,JL): PRAIRIE WARBLER (FR, NC/D): 1, Fairhaven, 21 Jun (KI): BLACKPOLL WARBLER (FR,ID,NC/D): 1 male not singing, Fairhaven, 5 Jun (GL): BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (FR): 1, McCann, 15 Jun (JG); 1 singing male, mouth Mattole River, 27 Jun (GH): AMERICAN REDSTART (EL,ED): Singing male, Mad River County Park, 26-31 May (BC,KI,RLeV); singing male, Endert’s Beach, 12 Jun (AB); 1 female, Centerville Beach Road, 8 Jul (SM): PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (FR,NC/D): Singing male, Westhaven, 4 Jun (KI): OVENBIRD (FR, NC/D): 1 singing, between Tish Tang Campground and Tish Tang Ridge, 25 Jun (KS): HOODED WARBLER (FR): Singing males, Endert’s Beach, 11 Jun (AB), Azalea Hill, 1-31 Jul (GL, et al.): ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (FR): Single males at feeders, Manila , 6 Jun (NW); Eureka, 16-19 Jul (L& EW, et al.): INDIGO BUNTING (FR): Singing males north of Weitchpec, 14 Jun-8 Jul (DF,JP,JH), and mouth of Van Duzen River, 14-28 Jul (PH,JS,BW): LARK BUNTING (FR, NC/D): 1 female, Pt. St. George, 1 Jun (AB): BREWER’S SPARROW (ID,IL,NC/D): 1, singing, near Crescent City, 2 Jun (AB): CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (FR,ID,NC/D): 1, Smith River mouth, 23 May (AB): RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW (GW, FR): 2-16, including new fledglings, Eel River Canyon from Cain Rock to ± Mendocino County line, 24 May-28 Jun (JH,TL, et al.): VESPER SPARROW (EL): 1, Schoolhouse Peak, 3 May (TL,SP); 2 (carrying food), Lake Talawa, 6 Jun (JH,RH, SM): GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (EL): 1-2, singing, Mattole Road, near Petrolia, near Schoolhouse Peak, 27 Jun-25 Jul (all GL): LARK SPARROW (IL): 1, Prairie Creek S.P., 7 May (BK); 1, Trinidad, 26 May (KI): LINCOLN’S SPARROW (IL): 1 nest above Upper Canyon Creek Lake, 18-19 Jul (G,K&AL): GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (ID!): 1, McKinleyville, 25 May (RLeV); 1, full breeding plumage, Mail Ridge, 23 Jun (SR), 1, Samoa Dunes, 16 Jul (GL): TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD (MS): 1-10, vic. Drake Hill and Sandy Prairie Roads, including evidence of nesting, 28 Apr-16 Jul (JSo, et al.): YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (FR, NC/D): 1, Smith River Bottoms, 28 May (+ "others seen earlier in the month") (AB): ORCHARD ORIOLE (FR, ID): 1 female (adequate oral description), Azalea Hill, 17 Jul (LL): HOODED ORIOLE (MS): 1 male, AMP, 1 May (JSo); 1 pair, 28 Apr, 2 adults and 2 juv, all vic. 14th and I Sts. Arcata (RJA,CW). RED CROSSBILL: fledged young, Humboldt Hill, Jul (PSp).
Some Mammals
MINK: 1, North of Weitchpec, 1 Jul (DF, JP): SPOTTED SKUNK: 1, Island Mtn. Road, 9 May (DF, JP): BOBCAT: 1, North of Weitchpec, 14 Jun (JP, DF): RIVER OTTER: 1-4, AMP, 29 Apr-6 Aug (SH); 4, Mad River Slough at Lanphere Road, 1 Aug (SH, LH, TY).
Many thanks to the following who contributed observations this summer. R. J. Adams, "Amber," David Anderson, Louise Bacon-Ogden, Alan Barron, Roger Bert, Gary Bloomfield, Samantha Brown, Barbara Burek, Tim Burton, Bryon Cariss, Darrel Chinn, Mark Colwell, Eileen Cooper, Irene Crane, Ruth Crane, Warren Crane, Tamar Danufsky, Bruce Deuel, David Danke (sp?), Duke Diehl, Colin Dillingham, Jean Durbin, Elias Elias, Doug and Jill Faulkner, Mark Fisher, David Fix, Brad Freeman, Joe and Ann Friedman, John Gaffin, Dan Garrison, Joe Gartland, James Gast, George Green, Hal Genger, Lorie, Michael, and Stan Harris, Brian Hawes, Gjon Hazard, Bill Henry, Pablo Herrera, Rob Hewitt, Mark Higley, Matt Hinton, Richard Hoyer, Kathy Huffman, John, Kim, and Liberty Hunter, Ken Irwin, Gail Kenny, Christine Kidd, Brent Kritch, Carol Lawrence, Tom Leskiw, Amy, Gary, Kelsey, and Lauren Lester, Ron LeValley, Steve Lewis, Paul Lohse (my apologies for mispelling your name in earlier accounts), John Luther, Sean McAllister, Keller McDonald, Karley Moore, Mark Morgan, Joe Morlan, Michael Morris, Mark Morrissette, Kristie Nelson, Bradford Norman, Brian O’Donnell, Dave Ogden, Steve Pagliughi, Michael Perone, Jay Peterson, Susan Petersen, Kathi Pollard, Jude Power, John Robinson, Bill Rodstrom, Paul Rouch, Steve Rovell, Jay Seegar, Idylene Siipola, Keith Slauson, Bruce Slocum, Jay Sooter, Paul and Virginia Springer, Pete Spruance, John Sterling, Craig Strong, Althea Taylor, Dorothy Tobkin, Steve Tucker, Bill Van Fleet, Margaret Varga, Matt Wachs, Catharine Walling, Justin Ward, Leon and Elaine Warmuth, Bud Widdowson, Nora Winge, Joy Wotherspoon, Tina Yerkes, Gretchen Ziegler.
Please send future reports to me at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, California, 95521; phone them to me at (707) 822-3802, call them in to the Arcata Bird Box, 822-5666, or write them on the rare bird sheet outside of room 372, Science A, HSU campus.