The Sandpiper - Northcoast Environmental Center

The Sandpiper
9th Annual Children’s Issue
JUNE/JULY 2012
Redwood Region Audubon Society www.rras.org
FIELD TRIPS
Every Saturday: Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary.
Our famous rain-or-shine, docent-led field trips at the
Marsh; bring binoculars and have a great morning birding!
Meet in parking lot at foot of South I Street at 8:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 3: Patrick’s Point State Park. Gary Lester
(707-839-3373) will lead a 3-hour walk through forests and
along bluffs of this beautiful park in search of land- and
seabirds. Wear sturdy shoes. Meet in front of Park entrance
at 8:30 a.m.; free parking available along Patrick’s Point
Drive (mind posted signage).
Saturday, June 9: Horse Mountain. Bird high-elevation
Humboldt County from Horse Mtn. to Grouse Mtn. on
Forest Service Rte 1. Target species include Townsend’s
Solitaire, Mountain Quail, Dusky Flycatcher, White-headed
Woodpecker, and Northern Pygmy-Owl. Maybe we’ll even
luck into a Northern Goshawk! Meet at 7 a.m. near Espresso
101 off Giuntoli Lane. Rob Fowler will lead (707-616-9841;
migratoriusfwlr@gmail.com). Bring lunch.
Sunday, June 10: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife
Refuge. A leisurely 2- to 3-hour trip to learn about birds
near Humboldt Bay. Meet at Refuge Visitor Center at 9 a.m.
Call David Fix (707-825-1195) for more info.
Saturday, June 16: eBird Site Survey—Shay Park. Join
Rob Fowler (707-616-9841) to survey the extent of Shay
Park in Arcata for 1-3 hours and count every species. Meet
at 8 a.m. at Shay Park parking lot at eastern end of Foster
Avenue. Waterproof shoes recommended.
Saturday, June 16: Humboldt Botanical Gardens. Chet
Ogan (707-442-9353) will lead this trip for the Humboldt
Botanical Garden Foundation (http://hbgf.org/). Meet at 9
a.m. at the garden entrance. Dress in layers; wear sturdy
shoes. The gardens are located at the north entrance to
College of the Redwoods on Tompkins Hill Rd, Eureka
(Exit 698 off Hwy 101). Park in upper lot and walk to main
gate and up the road to the greenhouse.
Sunday, June 17: Southern Humboldt Community Park.
Naturalist and writer Tom Leskiw will lead this monthly
walk. All ages/experience levels encouraged to participate
in this easy, 2- to 3-hour walk. Binoculars not provided; no
dogs. Meet at 8 a.m. at Tooby Park parking lot (on right
before Sprowel Creek Bridge) in Garberville. More info:
Jay Sooter (707-444-8001).
Sunday, June 17: Eureka (aka PALCO) Marsh. Join
Ralph Bucher (707-499-1247; thebook@reninet.com) for
some great birding in downtown Eureka. Spend 1 to 2 hours
on a flat loop through a variety of habitats from bay and
mudflat to riparian and marshland. Meet in parking lot at
foot of West Del Norte at 9 a.m.
Tuesday, June 26: Salmon Mountain. Visit the highest
point in Humboldt County (nearly 7,000 feet), as well as
where Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties meet.
Look/listen for birds such as Northern Goshawk, Whiteheaded Woodpecker, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Townsend’s
Solitaire, Green-tailed Towhee, and Thick-billed Fox
Sparrow. Hike is about 7 miles round-trip, not too strenuous
but some cross-country scrambling. It’s about a 2.25-hour
drive from Arcata, so a very early start. Call leader Ken
Burton (707-499-1146) by June 19 to express interest and
discuss logistics.
Saturday, June 30: Dragonflies! Trip to Horse Mtn. to
confirm presence of a species with no previous Humboldt
County records: the Black Petaltail. Then, search for
dragonflies and damselflies at seeps, creeks, and ponds.
Bring a bug net and close-focus binoculars and prepare
to wade. Bring sun protection, lunch, snacks, and water/
hydration. A great opportunity for beginners, as we will
catch dragonflies and look at them in-hand. Meet at Espresso
101 in Valley West Shopping Center (Giuntoli exit) at 10
a.m. to coordinate carpools. Return early evening. Contact
Sandra Hunt-von Arb for more info (707-845-5940). This
is the first dragonfly-specific trip sponsored by RRAS! (See
other dragonfly-related event at end of announcements).
Sunday, July 8: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
See June 10.
Arcata Marsh Work Day July 21
RRAS seeks volunteers to help with an Arcata Marsh Invasive Plant & Trash Removal Work Day
cosponsored by the City of Arcata and Friends of the Arcata Marsh. A grant from Toyota’s Together
Green program is providing funding to recruit new volunteers for Audubon chapter events. The work
day will be held Saturday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Expected tasks are removing non-native
invasive plants along South I Street, particularly in the salt marsh restoration area, plus picking up
trash. Volunteers should bring gloves and dress to get dirty; tools and refreshments are provided.
Details remain to be worked out; contact Sue Leskiw (sueleskiw@suddenlink.net; 707-442-5444) for
information closer to the event.
This is the first of 2 Together Green-funded events, with the next one an English ivy removal
day in the Pilot Point Nature Reserve in Trinidad this October. If you would like to serve as coordinator
for the Trinidad event, contact Josée Rousseau (jsr@klamathbird.org; 707-825-2918).
Saturday, July 14: Shay Park. See June 16.
Sunday, July 15: Southern Humboldt Community Park.
See June 17. Jay Sooter and/or John Gaffin will lead.
Sunday, July15: Eureka Marsh. See June 17.
Friday-Monday, August 3-6: CalOdes 2012 Dragonfly
Blitz (Del Norte County). Every year, the California
Dragonfly group picks an undersurveyed county and
conducts a blitz. Del Norte is so undersurveyed that
common species such as flame skimmer have not been
documented there. Sure to be fun & informative. Focus
is documenting species presence of all Odes (dragonflies
and damselflies). Beginners welcome. More info: Sandra
Hunt-von Arb (707- 845-5940).
Friday-Sunday, August 17-19: Lassen Volcanic National
Park. For the 4th year, Wintu Audubon Society (Shasta
County) will host this trip in search of montane species
such as Black-backed Woodpecker, Clark’s Nutcracker,
Mountain Bluebird, and Townsend’s Solitaire. Altacal
Audubon Society (Chico) will occupy the adjoining site,
providing an excellent opportunity for northern California
Audubon interaction. Meet Friday afternoon at Site 3 in
Lost Creek Group Camp, about 4 miles inside park’s west
entrance ($10/vehicle entry fee). Spend late afternoon/
evening and following day (trip to Manzanita Lake,
starting at campground at 8:30 a.m. Saturday) birding the
park. Trip will end around noon on Sunday; optional detour
to McCumber Reservoir on return. Tent camping space for
up to 25 is provided Friday and Saturday nights by Wintu
(water and pit toilets); extremely limited space for pickup
campers but no 5th wheels or large motorhomes. Bring
food and insect repellent. Inform Gary Stacey (530-2415586; gbstacey70@gmail.com) if you are attending.
August & September Pelagics. Dates to be determined.
Contact Rob Fowler (see Shay Park listing) for more info
and to reserve a spot.
Western Field
Ornithologists Conference:
Petaluma, September 26-30
Late September in northern California
is the peak of pelagic birding, ideal for
finding rare songbirds, and a great time
to see an excellent variety of shorebirds.
WFO will have field trips focusing on all
these and more. For details, go to www.
westernfieldornithologists.org and click on
Annual Conference banner.
CHAPTER LEADERS
OFFICERS
President— Jim Clark ….........................… 707-445-8311
Vice President — Chet Ogan …..............… 707-442-9353
Secretary—Adam Brown............................. 707-826-0319
Treasurer—Syn-dee Noel............................. 707-442-8862
DIRECTORS AT LARGE
Ralph Bucher …........................................ 707-443-6944
Joe Ceriani …............................................. 707-476-9127
Rob Fowler ………………..............…….. 707-839-3493
Lew Norton.....................................……… 707-445-1791
Chet Ogan ………………..............……… 707-442-9353
C.J. Ralph ............................................….. 707-822-2015
Josée Rousseau..................................……. 707-839-5763
Ryan Wells………………………….……. 707-496-2177
OTHER CHAPTER LEADERS
Conservation — Chet Ogan ...............….. 707-442-9353
Education/Scholarships — Vacant
eBird Liaison — Rob Fowler …………... 707-839-3493
Field Notes — Daryl Coldren...........…..... 916-384-8089
Field Trips— Rob Fowler ……….......….. 707-839-3493
Historian — John Hewston ...................... 707-822-5288
Membership — Lew & Judie Norton....... 707-445-1791
NEC Representative — C.J. Ralph.......... 707-822-2015
Nominating – Jim Clark …....................... 707-445-8311
Programs --- Vacant
Publications — C.J. Ralph..................….. 707-822-2015
Publicity — Sue Leskiw............................. 707-442-5444
Sandpiper (editorial)
— Tom & Sue Leskiw............................707-442-5444
—Jan Andersen …………………...… 707-616-3888
Sandpiper (layout) — Gary Bloomfield... 707-822-0210
Volunteer Coordinator — Josée Rousseau... 707-839-5763
Website Gatekeeper — Sue Leskiw ......... 707-442-5444
Lake Earl Branch — Sue Calla................ 707-465-6191
RRAS Web Page...........................……..... www.rras.org
Arcata Bird Alert .........707-822-LOON (707-822-5666)
The Sandpiper is published six times each year by
Redwood Region Audubon Society
P.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502.
New Members
Redwood Region Audubon Society welcomes
the following new members and subscribers:
Arcata – Marika Benko, Roseann Densmore,
Erin Lamphear, Seth LaRosa
Bayside – Dorothy McKnight
Blue Lake – Barbara Keating
Crescent City – Rosemarie Afflick
Eureka – Lorrie Bott, Noelani Davis, Karen Isa Kreis,
Marcella McIntosh, Ryan Wells
Forks of Salmon – Geba Greenberg
Loleta – Raymond Costa
McKinleyville – Kathleen Carter
Redway – Karin Marsh
Rio Dell – Barbara Peavey
Trinidad – Barbara Snell
Willow Creek – Barbara Fleming, Ruth Squires
We look forward to seeing you on field trips and at our
monthly programs.
Done & Yet to Do
by Jim Clark, Chapter President
Sandpiper
Done: Due to the high cost of printing and mailing, the RRAS
Board decided to cease printing a 4-page Sandpiper when
interest payments for our loan to the Northcoast Environmental
Center (NEC) were paid off. Thus, this issue will be the last
time this column will appear in a print medium, unless it is
decided to include it in the half-page “Least Sandpiper” that
will be printed in the EcoNews. Switching to a mostly onlineonly newsletter will save RRAS nearly $6,000/year (minus the
EcoNews distribution subsidy to chapter members who are not
NEC members).
To be notified of Sandpiper website posting
by e-mail, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rras/ and
subscribe to the RRAS listserv.
To do: Improve outreach by incorporating social media into our
website and exploring other Sandpiper possibilities.
Partnerships
Done: Donated $2,000 to City of Arcata to help acquire property
to complete the Ridge Trail through the Community Forest.
To do: Work with Arcata to improve bird habitat and make the
nature trail birder friendly.
Done: Donated $4,000 to Northcoast Regional Land Trust
(NCRLT) to help acquire the former Freshwater Farms property.
To do: Work with NCRLT to establish a high-quality nature and
birding trail along Freshwater Slough.
Done: Established that RRAS is interested in helping support a
shared paid position for environmental education. To do: Enlist
an education committee chair to follow through.
Done: Cancellation of Waterfront Drive Extension through
Eureka Marsh and next to Parcel 4. To do: Design a coastal trail
through Parcel 4 that complies with our open space easement
RRAS Banquet Recap
Nearly $1,000 was raised at the Annual Banquet’s Silent Auction
last February. RRAS thanks all donors: A&L Feed, Gloria
Baxter, Bed Bath & Beyond, Susan Calla, Deed Seeded Farm,
Godwit Days, Kokopilau, McKinleyville Central Market, Miller
Farms, Mirador Glass, Sherilyn Mungar, Chet Ogan, Ohana
Organics, George Peyton, Polished Nail Salon, Sequoia Park
Zoo, Shakefork Farms, Strictly for the Birds, Sara Turner, and
Wild Coast Crafts.
Volunteers Needed for
Humboldt County Birding Trail
On April 19, 2012, RRAS agreed to provide information
on 50 birding sites for the Humboldt County section
(HCBT) of the California Redwood Birding Trail www.
californiaredwoodbirdingtrail.org. The HCBT will be designed
concurrently with an update of the Del Norte County section
and be included in an expanded web site. This information will
constitute RRAS’s in-kind HCBT sponsorship. The primary
agency for the project is the Humboldt County Convention and
Visitors’ Bureau
This is a fun opportunity to produce something that
will help visiting birders and contribute to the local economy.
These volunteer positions are available:
• Two team co-leaders to develop various aspects of
site descriptions and liaison with paid project coordinator Jim
Clark.
• One or more lead birders to verify 3-4 significant
species at each site.
• One or more writers to verify accuracy of site
descriptions and directions.
• One or more geographers (Google map fans) to map
areas and routes.
• Several site checkers to verify access, amenities, and
bird species.
An important feature of this project is that it has a
defined goal and, with enough help, can likely be done in a
couple of months. The sites are needed in order to get sponsors
for the project. Contact Josée Rousseau at jsr@klamathbird.org
or 707-825-2918.
while meeting the needs of the City of Eureka to attract people
to the site.
Done: Established as Partner with Department of Interior on
Trinidad Gateway project for California Coastal National
Monument. To do: Develop and finalize the project.
Done: Received Toyota Together Green grant through Audubon
California. To do: Hold two events attracting 25 new volunteers
each [see article on July 21 event, page 1].
Done: Agreed to locate and describe 50 birding sites as in-kind
sponsorship for the Humboldt County section of the California
Redwoods Birding Trail. To do: Find a team of volunteers to
perform the work [see article on volunteer needs, below].
Conservation
Done: Commented on the Draft EIR/EIS for the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement and Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement
Agreement. To do: Involve Audubon California and National
Audubon Society to help get water rights restored to Lower
Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
The above items represent active projects that are works
in progress. RRAS offers a fantastic selection of ongoing
programs, field trips, and conservation accomplishments. It
is, however, “new” projects that have the potential to improve
our chapter and communities. The engine that powers this
improvement is people. Our total membership approaches 900
in a chapter territory of about 165,000, which is about 0.54%
of the population. That is over 2.8 times the National Audubon
membership rate! Maybe the answer lies not in statistics,
but in what we are: not just a birding club, but a society that
promotes environmental conservation, science, and education,
with an emphasis on birds. To do this in a way that keeps pace
with growing demand for a strong conservation voice, we
need to duplicate our high membership rate with a high active
membership rate. Please be active!
Godwit Café Volunteer
Thanks
By Chet Ogan, Café Manager
RRAS thanks all who helped make the Godwit
Café at Godwit Days a success. Josée Rousseau
coordinated the volunteer effort and recruited help
from board members and chairpersons Adam Brown,
Jim Clark, Rob Fowler, Jan Andersen, Syn-dee Noel,
and Ryan Wells. Anita Leipper and Greg Chapman
came early to set up. A special thank you to Jovana
Randelovic,
HSU
exchange
student
from
Sergovia,
who put in 6 hours.
George
Ziminsky,
Donna Clark, Jude
Power, and Sue
Leskiw
helped
during the midday
rush, and Sandy
Anderson
aided
with breakdown and
cleanup.
Jovana and Donna
Conservation News
By Chet Ogan, Conservation Chair
Let’s toast a victory after many years! Eureka City Council
voted to suspend further implementation of a Waterfront
Drive extension through Eureka (aka PALCO) Marsh. Several
conservation groups are working to help Eureka create a multiuse
trail instead.
National Audubon Society President Yarnold
announced this week that conservationists have prevailed in
getting more water allocated for Klamath National Wildlife
Refuge, one of the most important Pacific Flyway stopover
locations for waterfowl and shorebirds.
Student Bird Art Contest Brings Record Entries
Some 721—a new record!—local K-12 students entered the
Ninth Annual Student Bird Art Contest held in association
with the 17th Annual Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird
Festival. RRAS cosponsored the competition with Friends
of the Arcata Marsh (FOAM). Prizes totaling $550 were
given out: 35 monetary prizes plus 29 honorable mention
certificates.
The winners were:
Kindergarten
1st Place: Henry Fulk, Alder Grove Charter, Pileated
Woodpecker
2nd Place: Bella Feinstein, Fuente Nueva Charter, Varied
Thrush
3rd Place: Elana Griffin, Casterlin Elementary, American
Goldfinch
Grades 1&2
1st Place: Owen Harling, River Homeschooling
Collective (Orleans), Marbled Murrelet
1st Place: Eva Stubblefield, Fuente Nueva Charter,
Western Grebe
2nd Place: Daniel House, Morris Elementary, Mallard
2nd Place: Finn Murphy, Union Street Charter, Bald
Eagle
3rd Place: Enza Zeppegno-Mendonca, Fuente Nueva
Charter, American Robin
3rd Place: Roselyn Soto, River Homeschooling
Collective (Orleans), Pileated Woodpecker
Grade 3
1st Place: Anderson Fulk, Alder Grove Charter, Northern
Flickers
2nd Place: Cheyenne Weekly, Pacific Union, American
Kestrel
3rd Place: Alexa Morehouse, Pacific Union, Doublecrested Cormorant
Grade 4
1st Place: Megan Lukasha, Willow Brook Learning
Academy, Spotted Owl
1st Place: Marina Benson, Cutten Elementary, Barn Owl
2nd Place: Acacia Beard, Alder Grove Charter, Peregrine/
Tufted Puffins/Pileated Woodpeckers
2nd Place: Elias Surber, South Bay School, Red-tailed
Hawk
3rd Place: Sam Torgerson, South Bay School, Western
Grebe
3rd Place: Ella Villamor, Union Street Charter, Great
Egret
Grade 5
1st Place: Alexandra Diers-Parker, Union Street Charter,
Anna’s Hummingbird
2nd Place: Jacquelyn Opalach, Arcata Elementary, Wood
Duck
3rd Place: Perrin Turney, Kneeland School, Northern
Flicker
Grades 6&7
1st Place: Olivia Robinson, Sunnybrae Middle School,
Osprey
1st Place: Mina Mayer, Jacoby Creek, Great Egret
2nd Place: Angelica Garrison, Junction Elementary, Great
Blue Heron
2nd Place: Olivia Kline, Coastal Grove Charter, Osprey
3rd Place: Connor Richmond, Homeschooled, California
Quail
3rd Place: Morgan Bailey, Kneeland School, Barn Owl
Grades 8-12
1st Place: Savanah Wick, South Fork High, American
Goldfinch
2nd Place: She’ifa Punla-Green, North Coast Performing
Arts & Preparatory Academy, Spotted Owls
3rd Place: Lucas Woodard, South Fork High, Peregrine
Falcon
Best Depiction of Bird in Its Habitat Award
Isaiah Cappelen, Jasmine Collings, Virginia Houle,
William Logan, Dakota Young
Honorable Mentions
Bianca Barajas, Cassandra Brousseau-Valvo, Megan
Cardoza, Ruby Devoe, Tobias Forth, Kylee Gartan,
Nathan Glass, Eliza Jane Haley, Michelle Holden, Lauren
House, Naomi Huddleston, Holly James, Sierra Kapale,
River Kiener, Fiona Koval, Gwyneth Krierim-Dozier,
Mitchell Lyell, Callie O’Connell, Eva Pearlingi, Emily
Pesch, Tyler Petrusha, Venice Pope, Sienna Radelfinger,
Emily Rogers, Wally Siedschlag, Alison Silver, Iris Van
Bebber-Wiest, Kelen Vasquez-O’Callahan, Crystal Xiong
Perrin Turney, Grade 5, Kneeland School,
Northern Flicker
A Decade of Science Fair Support
For the 10th year, RRAS underwrote an award at the
Humboldt County Science Fair held at HSU in March.
The award was for the best project relating to birds or their
habitat. The winner was Erin Lamphear, a 4th grader at
St. Mary’s School, who did a project called “How Sweet
It Is” that examined the preferences of 3 concentrations of
hummingbird nectar. She found that Anna’s Hummingbirds
preferred a 1:2 and a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water over a
1:4 mix. She conducted her experiment during 5 trials in
September and October and noticed that as temperatures
dropped later in the season, the birds seemed to prefer the
1:1 over the 1:2 mix.
7th Annual Student Nature Writing Contest
By Tom Leskiw, Contest Organizer
The judges were thrilled to see a record 34 entries this
year. Because of this, the judges elected to create 2
divisions: grades 4-8 and high school. The 1st-place
winner of the High School Division was Eric Jones, a
12th-grader at East High School in Fortuna. The 1st-place
winner of the Grades 4-8 Division was Caitlyn Patterson,
an 8th-grader at Sunny Brae Middle School. Eric’s piece
chronicled the defilement of a creek he once knew, and
Caitlyn reflected on the varied nature of clouds. In the
High School Division, the 2nd- and 3rd-place winners
were Forrest Lewis and Brooke Coelho, respectively.
In the Grades 4-8 Division, the 2nd-place winner was
Emelia BensonMeyer, with a tie for 3rd place between
Abigail Brodhag and Megan Lukasha.
The two 1st-place entries appear below. All the
winning entries are posted at www.rras.org.
What Nature Means to Me
by Eric Jones
As I walk down a forest path, I gaze
over trees of emerald. I hear the sigh
of the wind as it ripples through
their branches. My feet travel a path
my father and his father before him
traveled. The trees themselves have
hardly changed at all, and I am, at
Eric Jones
times, capable of glimpsing an era past, an era when
this mighty archaic forest was first seen. I travel down
a hill covered in the remains of past ancients. Bark and
branches lie like remains of a ruined temple.
At my footstep the scent of the earth arises and
hints at what may be. The smell of fertility, of growth
and rebirth. I enter a clearing and am confronted with a
jarring sight. Where once there ran a crystal stream into
a small pond now stands a channel of stone. The place of
my childhood had changed.
I remember; a glittering fall of water poured
from a tunnel and pooled in a bowl of earth. At the
edges lay sand like grains of garnet; further in, it became
a melody of soft greens and baby blues that darkened
until at the center, indigo and violet were king and queen.
Fish swam inside, light glinting and glimmering on their
bejeweled hides. The music of the forest played then
with a carefree dance of life and laughter. This is what
nature means to me.
Now all I see are stone and water. The glittering
pool is diminished and overshadowed, and the fish have
moved away. I lament for the death of my beautiful
paradise.
If I Were a Cloud
by Caitlyn Patterson
Have you ever wondered what it’s
like to be a cloud floating in our
earth’s atmosphere? I think it would
be an incredible experience to be up
in the sky, looking down at everyday
life. Being a cloud would reveal all
the secrets of the sky. I would form Caitlyn Patterson
myself into a shape and watch a little girl as she wonders
what I am.
There are so many different types of clouds,
but 3 of my favorites are stratus, cumulus, and cirrus.
If I were a stratus cloud with its grey, gloomy coast, I
would watch as a couple rushes to the window to see me
in the dark, starry sky. I would search through the world
and find a group of young kids, waiting for something
exciting to happen. I would quickly turn myself into
millions of water droplets, then float down to earth and
dance on the streets, lawns, and sidewalks. Bunches
of kids would race outside in rain boots to jump in my
puddles with joy all over their faces.
So if you look up in the sky and see dark gloomy
clouds, don’t think of them as a bad thing: think of them
as a mystery. Are those clouds just going to sit there, or
will they pour rain drops on the tips of our noses?
What if I were a cumulus cloud, with a bright,
billowy coat? I would float in the sky on a warm sunny
day. Hang gliders would soar all around me like dancers
on a stage. Birds would sing me a song as I thank them
with a rainbow. Kites would reach up to me and give
me a hug. I would look down at the joyful children and
families setting up picnics and playing tag. If I were a
white, fluffy cumulus cloud, I would share my happiness
with the people of the world.
If I were a cirrus cloud, I would have races with
the other clouds. I would run through the sky in wispy
thin lines. People would watch me as I swim through the
sky. I would greet my family and friends when I pass
them by. At the end of the day, when the sun starts to
set, I would turn myself into shades of pink, yellow, and
orange. Painters would set up their easels and paint this
beautiful sight. The sun would soon disappear into the
world below us.
If I were a cloud, who knows where I’d go?
Field Notes
By Daryl Coldren
S U M M A RY O F N O R T H W E S T E R N C A L I F O R N I A B I R D R E P O R T S
March 17 to May 18, 2012
Field Notes is a compilation of bird sighting reports for
Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, and western Siskiyou
counties. Sources include the RRAS bird alert (707-822LOON), the online northwestern California birding and
information exchange (nwcalbird@yahoogroups.com),
eBird (http://ebird.org/content/klamathsiskiyou), and
reports submitted directly to the compiler. Reports may
be submitted to any of the sources mentioned above or to
Daryl Coldren: (916) 384-8089; QuiAvisPetit@aol.com.
FOS = first of season; HBBO = Humboldt Bay Bird
Observatory; HBNWR = Humboldt Bay National Wildlife
Refuge; HO = holdover from previous period; LOS = last
of season; MOb = many observers; NC = not confirmed/
documented; Oxi = Oxidation; RCH = Repositioning
cruise 40+ miles offshore Humboldt; UO = unknown
observer
Greater White-fronted Goose: 2-8, Arcata Bottoms,
18 Mar-27 Apr (MOb) • Snow Goose: 1, Humboldt Hill
Rd, HO-7 May (MOb); 1, Moxon Dairy, 23 Mar (CB,
JR) • Ross’s Goose: Arcata Bottoms, 14 Apr (RF, MOb)
• Aleutian Goose: 1, HBNWR, 17 May (DC, RH, TK) •
Eurasian Wigeon: 3, Arcata Marsh, 21 Apr (SC, MOb) •
EurasianXAmerican Wigeon Hybrid: 1, Arcata Bottoms,
27-28 Mar (KR, RS) • Blue-winged Teal: 2, Arcata Marsh,
3-13 May (JO, TK, MOb) • Tufted Duck: 1, Lakeview
Drive, 8-24 Apr (AB, LB,MOb) • Harlequin Duck: 1-3,
Humboldt Bay, 1-25 Apr (MOb) • Long-tailed Duck: 1-3,
Humboldt Bay, 20 Apr-6 May (MOb) • Laysan Albatross:
1, RCH, 17 Apr (PL) • Murphy’s Petrel: 3, RCH, 17 Apr
(CM, MOb) • White-faced Ibis: 6, Alexandre Dairy, 7
May (LB);12, HBNWR, 16-17 May (UO) • Northern
Goshawk: 1, Whitlow, 7 Apr (JG) • Harlan’s Red-tailed
Hawk: 1, Horse Mt, 22 Apr (KR, RS, MOb) • Roughlegged Hawk: 1 (LOS), Bear River Ridge, 19 Apr (RH,
MOb) • Golden Eagle: several reports of 1-2, Alderpoint,
Bear River Ridge, Kneeland, Redwood Valley, HBNWR
(last report 20 Mar), 19 Mar-21 Apr (MOb) • Gyrfalcon,
1, Fay Slough, 19 Mar (TK) • Sandhill Crane: 2, Shay
Park (flyover), 1 May (AM, JH) • Pacific Golden-Plover:
2-20, Cannibal Island Rd, 17 Mar-23 Apr (MOb) • Blacknecked Stilt: 2, HBNWR, 9 Apr (UO); 1, HBNWR, 18 May,
(RH, DC, TK, MOb) • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, Alexandre
Dairy, 22 Apr (AB); 1-2, Moxon Rd Dairy, 25 Apr-2 May
(RF, CM, TK, MOb); 2, Smith River Bottoms, 1 May (SM);
1 Loleta Wetland, 1 May (TL, MW), 1, Davison Rd Pond,
4 May (RF); 1, Moxon Rd Dairy, 9 May (CB) • Ruddy
Turnstone: 6, North Spit, 12 Apr (CB); 1-6, Arcata Marsh,
19 Apr-9 May (MOb); 1, South Jetty, 22 Apr (RF) • Red
Knot: 1, Arcata Marsh, 19 Mar (JT); 1-4, Arcata Marsh,
21 Apr-10 May (MOb) • Red Phalarope: several scattered
reports of 1-10 along immediate coast; 1, Moxon Rd
Dairy, 19 Mar-5 Apr (DC, TK, CB); 1, Arcata Marsh, 1
Apr (AM, JH, MOb); 1, Arcata Marsh, 9 May (AM, JH)
• Black-legged Kittiwake: 45 (LOS), North Jetty, 22 Mar
(TK) • Franklin’s Gull: 1, HBNWR/Hookton Slough, 1718 May (DC, TK, RH, MOb); Glaucous Gull: 1 (LOS),
Fernbridge, 23 Apr (KB, MOb) • Long-tailed Jaeger:
1, Eel River Canyon, 22 Apr (RF, DC, MOb) • Parakeet
Auklet: 200+, RCH, 17 Apr (PLe, MOb) • Tufted Puffin:
1, RCH, 17 Apr (PLe, MOb) • Horned Puffin 1, RCH, 17
Apr (PLe, MOb) • Long-billed Murrelet: 1, S. Spit, 22
Apr (JJ) • Vaux’s Swift: FOS, Kneeland, 11 Apr (RB) •
White-throated Swift: FOS, Honeydew, Mar 28 (TK) •
Calliope Hummingbird: 1 female, Humboldt Hill, 26 Apr
(DC) • Olive-sided Flycatcher: FOS, Jacoby Creek, 29
Apr (MM) • Western Wood-Pewee: FOS, Sunny Brae,
25 Apr (MN, SA) • Hammond’s Flycatcher: FOS, Blue
Lake Cottonwoods, 3 May (RF) • Gray Flycatcher:
1, Friday Ridge Rd, 4 May (DC, TL, RH); 2, Camp
Creek Flat (Orleans), 5 May (DC, TL, RH, MOb); 3,
Ullathorne River Access, 5 May (DC, TL, RH); 1, Sandy
Bar (Orleans), 5 May (RH, DC); 1, Blue Lake, 6 May
(PLo, KI) • Dusky Flycatcher: FOS, Friday Ridge Rd,
4 May (TL, DC, RH) • Pacific-Slope Flycatcher: FOS,
McKinleyville, 2 Apr (GL) • Ash-throated Flycatcher:
FOS, Garberville, 2 May (AC) • Western Kingbird: FOS,
Arcata, 10 Apr (MM) • Eastern Phoebe: 1, Crescent City,
9 Apr (LB, AB) • Loggerhead Shrike: 1, McKinleyville,
25-28 Mar (RH, KR, RS); 1, Lakeview Drive, 6 May (AB)
• Warbling Vireo: FOS, Alderpoint, 19 Apr (DC, MOb) •
Horned Lark: 1-6, Bear River Ridge, 19-21 Apr (RH, TK,
MS, CO, MOb) • Purple Martin: FOS, Arcata Marsh, 9
Apr (RF) • Bank Swallow: FOS, Fernbridge Colony, 20
Apr (CO); 150, Warswick, 8 May (SM); 2, Arcata Marsh,
9 May (AM, JH, DF); McKinleyville Colony also reported
active • Oak Titmouse: 1, Alderpoint, 19 Apr (DC, MOb);
1, Alderpoint, 6 May (DF, TK, MOb) • White-breasted
Nuthatch: 1-4, Dyerville Loop Rd, 23 Mar-5 May (JG); 3,
Bald Hills Rd, 20 Apr (TK, DC, RF, MOb) • Canyon Wren:
3, North Fork Smith River, 22 Apr (FE) • Rock Wren: 1,
“Rock Wren Rock” (Dyerville Loop Rd), 25 Mar (TK) •
House Wren: 1, Alderpoint, 25 Mar (TK); 1, Friday Ridge
Road, 22 April (TL), 2, Camp Creek (Orleans), 5 May
(DC, TL, MOb); 1, Sandy Bar (Orleans), 13 May (TK, TL,
DC, MOb); 1, Blue Lake Cottonwoods, 15 May (CO); 1,
Friday Ridge Rd, 17 May (SM) • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher:
1-3, Friday Ridge Rd, 14 Apr-4 May (TK, TL, DC, RH);
2, Alderpoint, 18 Apr (GL); 3, Alderpoint, 6 May (DF, TK)
• Mountain Bluebird: 1, Lyon’s Ranch (Bald Hills Rd),
20 Apr (JA, DC, RF, TK, MOb) • Townsend’s Solitaire:
FOS, Davison Rd (Prairie Creek), 2 Apr (RH) • Northern
Mockingbird: 1, Garberville, 28 Mar (JS); 1, Eureka, 4
Apr (GC); 1, Moxon Dairy, 26 Apr (TK); 1, Arcata, 8 May
(CVM) • Sage Thrasher: 1, Pala Rd, 26 Apr (LB) • Brown
Thrasher: 1, Eureka, 25 Apr-6 May, (KJ, DJ, MOb)
Smith’s Longspur , © Jared Hughey,
Bear River Ridge, Humboldt County
SMITH’S LONGSPUR! (1st Humboldt record): 1,
Bear River Ridge, 19-20 Apr (RH, MOb) [Go to www.
rras.org to read Tom Leskiw’s web-only story on Rob
Lawrence’s Goldfinch , © Tony Kurz,
Humboldt County
Hewitt’s finding of the Smith’s Longspur] • Northern
Waterthrush: 1, Arcata Marsh, 27 Apr (TK, JO) • Blackand-white Warbler: 1, Cypress Patch (North Spit), 14
May (TK, WL, DC, MOb) • MacGillivray’s Warbler:
FOS, Eureka, 26 Apr (RF); Northern Parula: 1, Cypress
Patch (North Spit), 14-15 May (TK, WL, DC, MOb) •
Palm Warbler: 1-2, Arcata Marsh, 19 Mar- 5 May (MOb);
1, Eureka, 22 Mar-8 Apr (SM); 1, Shay Park, 25 Apr (JH)
• Yellow-breasted Chat: FOS, Blue Lake, 24 Apr (SC,
MOb) • Vesper Sparrow: 2+, Terwer Valley, 26 Apr (LB)
• Rufous-crowned Sparrow: 2, Cain Rock (Alderpoint),
25 Mar (TK), 2, Cain Rock (Alderpoint), 6 May (DF,TK,
MOb) • Clay-colored Sparrow: 1, Arcata Bottoms,19
Mar-10 Apr (RF, MOb); 1, Crescent City Harbor, 16 May
(AB); 1, Hiouchi, 25 Apr (TA) • Black-throated Sparrow:
1, Sunny Brae, 11 May (WL, MG, DC); 1, Lake Talowa, 11
May (LB); 1, Crescent Beach, 11 May (TA); 1, Orick, 19
May (LB) • Lark Bunting: 1, Lanphere Rd Dairy, HO-24
Mar (JO, MOb) • Grasshopper Sparrow: FOS, Dyerville
Loop Rd, 19 Apr (GC, DC, MOb) • Swamp Sparrow:
LOS, Arcata Marsh, 20 Apr (MN, SA) • White-throated
Sparrow: numerous reports of 1-8 lingering through
reporting period • Lazuli Bunting: FOS, Blue Lake, 22
Apr (TK) • Tricolored Blackbird: 1-5, Moxon Dairy, 19
Mar-9 May (TK, DC, MOb) • Yellow-headed Blackbird:
1, Moxon Dairy, 19 Mar-18 Apr (TK, DC, MOb) •
Hooded Oriole: 2 (nesting), Ernest Way (Arcata), 7 Mayreport period (DQ, RF, MOb) • Lawrence’s Goldfinch:
2-4, Big Rock Airstrip, 12-13 May (RH, GC, MOb); 1,
McKinleyville, 15 May (GL, LL, RF); 5, Dyerville Loop
Rd, 16 May (JG); 8, Big Rock Airstrip, 17 May (DC, MG);
1, Hoopa Community Farm, 17 May (DC)
Thanks to all who have submitted sightings! Terry
Allaway, Jeff Allen, Seth Ausubel, Alan Barron, Lucas
Brug, Camden Bruner, Ken Burton, Scott Carey, Greg
Chapman, Daryl Coldren, Ann Constantino, Forrest
English, David Fix, Rob Fowler, John Gaffin, Megan
Garfinkle, Rob Hewitt, Jared Hughey, Ken Irwin,
Jeff Jacobsen, David Juliano, Kathleen Juliano, Tony
Kurz, Will Lawton, Paul Lehman (PLe), Tom Leskiw,
Gary Lester, Lauren Lester, Paul Lohse (PLo), Mark
Magnuson, Sean McAllister, Annie Meyer, Curtis
Marantz, Mary Normandia, Chet Ogan, John Oliver,
Dave Quady, Jacob Rhea, Kerry Ross, Jay Sooter, Rachel
Smith, Megan Still, Jim Tietz, Carol Vander Meer.