This past Tuesday, 30 April 2013, I had the great opportunity to share some of Northwestern California's birds with some birders from the East Coast, Bruce and Jean Webber from Connecticut. Bruce and Jean had found my website online and were coming to San Francisco to visit their son and during their visit wanted to get away for 3-4 days to visit the Redwoods in Northwestern California and do some birding. They looked at my "Species of Interest" page and came up with a list of species that would be "lifers" for them.
We met a bit after 0700 in the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center parking lot and made our way out to the Blue Lake area to look for some of their needed birds like: Band-tailed Pigeon, Cassin's Vireo, Vaux's Swift, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, McGillivray's Warbler, and Lazuli Bunting. We started at the Blue Lake Cottonwoods, one of the best locations in Humboldt County for for neotropical migrants that breed and migrate through, like some of the ones mentioned above.
We started off looking at the Mad River opposite of the Cottonwoods and had SPOTTED SANDPIPER fly by and had at least 3 LAZULI BUNTINGS singing on the other side of the river but, despite much scanning, couldn't get any looks at the birds. We then went into the Cottonwoods and worked on deciphering some of the birds singing like our lutescens ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and BEWICK'S WREN, before picking up the first "lifer" for Bruce and Jean, CASSIN'S VIREO! A pair of CASSIN'S came down nice and low in response to my pishing and provided really nice and close views at eye level. While enjoying the CASSIN'S we also had some looks at a WARBLING VIREO and heard a migrant WESTERN TANAGER singing a bit to the east. While enjoying the Cassin's I heard a male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER singing a bit to the west of us and after a bit of work we tracked it down for a couple of decent looks. After enjoying the Black-throated Gray for a bit we continued on, enjoying some other birds along the way with decent looks at some male ALLEN'S and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, a couple of "singing" male "RED-SHAFTED" FLICKERS, a couple of CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, and flushed a male CALIFORNIA QUAIL.
We met a bit after 0700 in the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center parking lot and made our way out to the Blue Lake area to look for some of their needed birds like: Band-tailed Pigeon, Cassin's Vireo, Vaux's Swift, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, McGillivray's Warbler, and Lazuli Bunting. We started at the Blue Lake Cottonwoods, one of the best locations in Humboldt County for for neotropical migrants that breed and migrate through, like some of the ones mentioned above.
We started off looking at the Mad River opposite of the Cottonwoods and had SPOTTED SANDPIPER fly by and had at least 3 LAZULI BUNTINGS singing on the other side of the river but, despite much scanning, couldn't get any looks at the birds. We then went into the Cottonwoods and worked on deciphering some of the birds singing like our lutescens ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and BEWICK'S WREN, before picking up the first "lifer" for Bruce and Jean, CASSIN'S VIREO! A pair of CASSIN'S came down nice and low in response to my pishing and provided really nice and close views at eye level. While enjoying the CASSIN'S we also had some looks at a WARBLING VIREO and heard a migrant WESTERN TANAGER singing a bit to the east. While enjoying the Cassin's I heard a male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER singing a bit to the west of us and after a bit of work we tracked it down for a couple of decent looks. After enjoying the Black-throated Gray for a bit we continued on, enjoying some other birds along the way with decent looks at some male ALLEN'S and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, a couple of "singing" male "RED-SHAFTED" FLICKERS, a couple of CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, and flushed a male CALIFORNIA QUAIL.
Singing male Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens). Blue Lake Cottonwoods 30 April 2013.
Our next target bird here at the Cottonwoods was BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, which is a common breeder here. Usually this species is pretty easy to get here but for some reason it took us a bit of work to get nice looks. But once we did get good looks of the male they were high quality! There aren't many birds more striking than a male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in fresh alternate plumage with that almost vivid rich orange overall color turning into intensely fiery orange around the face. I never tire of looking at this species and Bruce and Jean really got to soak in this lifer! While enjoying the orioles we also had numerous TREE SWALLOWS (common breeders in the numerous cottonwood cavities here) and brief looks at Bruce and Jean's lifer VAUX'S SWIFTS flying overhead, along with the seemingly-regular WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS that are nesting under the bridge that goes over the Mad River adjacent to the Cottonwoods. This latter species has just showed up in Blue Lake in the recent 3 years, or so, and are the most northerly WT SWIFTS that breed along the coast in California. These WT Swifts are a very local population with the next-nearest breeders being found under bridges on Highway 101 in southern Humboldt County. Amazingly, neighboring Del Norte County to the north of Humboldt has never recorded White-throated Swift! We stood on the bridge and had really nice studies of the White-throated and better studies of VAUX'S with both species flying low enough to see all the identifying features of both.
eBird list from the Blue Lake Cottonwoods.
eBird list from the Blue Lake Cottonwoods.
male Bullock's Oriole. Blue Lake Cottonwoods 30 April 2013.
After birding the Cottonwoods we headed a bit south to the Mad River Fish Hatchery to look for the remaining birds from the list above and found pretty much all of them with ease. First lifer up was MCGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER which was uncharacteristically accommodating! We had frame-filling views a territorial male! I really can't imagine how we could have gotten better looks at this somewhat skulky species!
Male McGillivray's Warbler Mad River Fish Hatchery 30 April 2013.
Same male McGillivray's Warbler Mad River Fish Hatchery 30 April 2013.
While enjoying the "Mac Attack" we also had a couple of other decent looks at another male BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER. We then decided it was high time to bag the LAZULI BUNTING that was on their need list and made it out to some of the river bars along the Mad a bit to the north of the fish hatchery property. On the way out from the fish hatchery proper a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT that stayed out of view burst into song, a first of the season for all of us. We also heard a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER on the way out and also had some nice looks of "AUDUBON'S" and "MYRTLE" YELLOW-RUMPED WARLBERS, along with close views of some PURPLE FINCHES. Within minutes of walking out to the river bar where Lazuli's are usually present we started hearing a male singing, and, it took a bit of work but we finally got scope views of the bird from a fair distance. With our good luck continuing for the day the bird decided that it should come a bit closer and give us even better looks, which it did from maybe only about 30 feet away! Unfortunately, my battery died in my camera and I couldn't photograph this gem-of-a-bird as I had left my spare in the car. DOH! Can't photograph them all, I guess.
After enjoying their lifer looks of the Lazuli, and with our stomachs growling a bit, we sat down for a brief lunch break at one of the many picnic tables at the fish hatchery. While eating lunch we had a pair of WILSON'S WARBLERS foraging actively nearby and finally got close looks at a nice male foraging in some Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana) and got Bruce and Jean their lifer PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER while eating our sandwiches!
Here's the eBird list from the fish hatchery.
After enjoying their lifer looks of the Lazuli, and with our stomachs growling a bit, we sat down for a brief lunch break at one of the many picnic tables at the fish hatchery. While eating lunch we had a pair of WILSON'S WARBLERS foraging actively nearby and finally got close looks at a nice male foraging in some Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana) and got Bruce and Jean their lifer PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER while eating our sandwiches!
Here's the eBird list from the fish hatchery.
Male Wilson's Warbler peeking out from Cascara, Mad River Fish Hatchery 30 April 2013.
After leaving the fish hatchery we made a quick stop in Blue Lake for Band-tailed Pigeon and found a flock of about 40 that had been present at the corner of south Railroad Ave X Broderick Lane every time I've passed by here recently. Much more satisfying looks of this lifer for Bruce and Jean were had and enjoyed.
Seventeen of the forty Band-tailed Pigeons that were present at the corner of s. Railroad Ave X Broderick Lane, Blue Lake 30 April 2013.
After Blue Lake we made our way back to Arcata to visit the Arcata Community Forest to look for a couple of other lifer possibilities for Bruce and Jean, namely Pacific Wren, Varied Thrush and Hermit Warbler. Getting out of their rental car I immediately heard a HERMIT WARBLER a bit to the east of the parking lot. We hiked up the trail a short distance and I played a couple of brief Hermit Warbler songs and down came the male, providing us with smashing views from just about 10 feet away.
Male Hermit Warbler Arcata Community Forest 30 April 2013.
After enjoying their lifer looks of the Hermit Warbler we made our way back down the trail to look for the other two species of interest. Just then a beautiful male VARIED THRUSH landed on the trail about 10 feet from us! As we were watching the male, and then a female (!), a PACIFIC WREN began singing about 60 feet to the west of us. After filling up on views of the Varied Thrushes we went searching for views of the wren and got spectacular looks of TWO of these little wrens from only five to ten feet away!
eBird list from the Arcata Community Forest.
eBird list from the Arcata Community Forest.
Front view of male Varied Thrush. Arcata Community Forest 30 April 2013.
Back view of male Varied Thrush. Arcata Community Forest 30 April 2013.
Following our rapid success at the Arcata Community Forest we headed to my favorite local patch, Shay Park, to look for a HUTTON'S VIREO that had been present and singing constantly at the location for weeks now. We got to hear the bird singing constantly from seemingly the same location but we couldn't get it to come into view so decided to move on.
We then took a brief drive through the Arcata Bottoms to look for maybe some lingering Aleutian Cackling Geese. We couldn't come up with any Aleutian's (most are gone by now) but we did refind one of the SOLITARY SANDPIPERS that has been present of late in some of the wet areas near the Moxon Lane dairy. This location has been the most consistent location to find this rare shorebird every spring and we had exceptional views of this bird out in the open about 20 feet away from the car.
eBird list from the Arcata Bottoms.
We then took a brief drive through the Arcata Bottoms to look for maybe some lingering Aleutian Cackling Geese. We couldn't come up with any Aleutian's (most are gone by now) but we did refind one of the SOLITARY SANDPIPERS that has been present of late in some of the wet areas near the Moxon Lane dairy. This location has been the most consistent location to find this rare shorebird every spring and we had exceptional views of this bird out in the open about 20 feet away from the car.
eBird list from the Arcata Bottoms.
Solitary Sandpiper Moxon Lane, Arcata Bottoms 26 April 2013. Maybe the same bird we had on this tour.
After cruising through the bottoms for a brief time we headed out the north jetty to look for some West Coast rocky shorebirds like Surfbird and Wandering Tattler that Bruce and Jean hadn't seen before. When we got out there we quickly realized that we were not going to be walking out too far onto the jetty since the tide was coming in and the high winds were causing waves to regularly lap over the jetty itself. We ended up not spending much time here but did have a nice RUDDY TURNSTONE land on the jetty in front of us and there was also a nice flock of some migrant CALIFORNIA GULLS, along with some CASPIAN TERNS, roosting on the beach just to the east of the jetty. We also had a couple of flocks of various shorebirds migrating by but we just couldn't get out the jetty to look for the target rocky shorebirds, though I did spot a flock of BLACK TURNSTONES with one SURFBIRD flying around the north end of the jetty but views were brief and I couldn't get Bruce and Jean on them.
eBird list for the north jetty.
eBird list for the north jetty.
Alternate-plumaged Ruddy Turnstone north jetty, Humboldt Bay 30 April 2013.. This species is a a regular, but uncommon, spring migrant through Northwestern California.
After the jetty we made a brief stop at the Samoa Boat Ramp County Park to look at the BLACK BRANT that were close off the parking lot here, a subspecies the Webbers hadn't seen before. There were also some very nice alternate-plumaged COMMON LOONS and one HORNED GREBE. A female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and our only GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW of the day rounded out the species seen here.
eBird list from the Samoa Boat Ramp
eBird list from the Samoa Boat Ramp
Black Brant Samoa Boat Ramp, Humboldt Bay 30 April 2013.
After our brief stop at the Samoa Boat Ramp we headed to the Arcata Marsh, hopefully just in time to witness the "Shorebird Spectacle" that takes place in Humboldt Bay just to the south of the Marsh. Humboldt Bay is THE most important coastal migration stopovers in California north of San Francisco for spring shorebirds with probably over a couple of millions of shorebirds stopping off here to replenish fat reserves for their journeys north to their arctic breeding grounds. During the rising tide, as the mudflats of north Humboldt Bay get covered up, the thousands of shorebirds foraging in the bay start to get concentrated in tight flocks and get flushed up into sometimes tight masses of birds flying around in almost uncountable numbers. Typically, the peak in numbers happen right around the 3rd or 4th week of April and it's a phenomenon that not many people know about, let alone witness. Local "Bird Guru," David Fix, who kind of discovered this phenomenon and pressured the local birders to get out and enjoy this spectacle, told me he estimated around 350,000 shorebirds flying off of north Humboldt Bay on the 23rd of April this spring! He had one flock of birds that was a kilometer long and what estimated consisting of about 200,000 birds, with the flock being mostly Western Sandpipers! If you are familiar with the Aleutian Goose Flyoff that happens early-March every year here that event can almost not even hold a half-burnt candle to this event! The only difference is is that this shorebird migration event is so ephemeral that you have to spend 2-4 days at least during the peak period to see the numbers that Fix observes or you just have to be there on the right day. Fix talked about this phenomenon in depth and his observations and unanswered questions in a posting to NWCALBIRD last year; read it here. Anyways, this shorebird spectacle is really one of Humboldt's most awe-inspiring annual natural events and really deserves much more attention than it currently receives!
So, here on 30 April we were past the peak but nonetheless the spectacle was still pretty phenomenal and the Webbers and I were moved by it! I stitched together 3 videos that I took of the action to partially paint the picture of what we were seeing and I hope it gives you insight into what we and others experience here watching this phenomenon take place. This annual event is so amazing that it deserves 100's of people lined up on the Klopp Lake dike here watching this phenomenon but this afternoon it was just us and the Webber's and 1 other person that noticed it.
Please note that I make no claims to be any sort of videographer and there were probably a couple of parts I could have edited out but it is what it is and I hope this gives you an idea of what takes place here in north Humboldt Bay every spring. [Music in the video by Luke Plumb (mandolin) and James MacIntosh (percussion).
So, here on 30 April we were past the peak but nonetheless the spectacle was still pretty phenomenal and the Webbers and I were moved by it! I stitched together 3 videos that I took of the action to partially paint the picture of what we were seeing and I hope it gives you insight into what we and others experience here watching this phenomenon take place. This annual event is so amazing that it deserves 100's of people lined up on the Klopp Lake dike here watching this phenomenon but this afternoon it was just us and the Webber's and 1 other person that noticed it.
Please note that I make no claims to be any sort of videographer and there were probably a couple of parts I could have edited out but it is what it is and I hope this gives you an idea of what takes place here in north Humboldt Bay every spring. [Music in the video by Luke Plumb (mandolin) and James MacIntosh (percussion).
Being almost done with day, the Webbers drove me back to my car at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center parking lot and I had one last bird to show them: a GREEN HERON on a nest. Green Heron's have nested at the Marsh regularly in years past but this is probably the first actual nest to be discovered here. We got decent, but obscured, looks at the bird and enjoyed it through my scope for a bit before ending the day. Our last bird of the day was a GREAT EGRET foraging in the slough east of the Interpretive Center and after that Bruce, Jean, and I said our goodbyes and parted ways. It was a real treat to have the opportunity to show some East Coast birders some lifer West Coast Specialties and treat them to the amazing birds that Humboldt County has to offer! I hope to bird with them again someday.
Green Heron on nest. Arcata Marsh 30 April 2013.
Great Egret. Arcata Marsh 30 April 2013.
Below is the species list for the day. We had 103 total species in 10 hours:
Brant
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
American Avocet
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Western Gull
California Gull
Caspian Tern
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
White-throated Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Cassin's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Brant
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
American Avocet
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Western Gull
California Gull
Caspian Tern
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Vaux's Swift
White-throated Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Cassin's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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