S
The
andpiper
SEPTEMBER 2007
Redwood Region Audubon Society
FIELD TRIPS
Carpooling to and on RRAS field trips is strongly
encouraged. It’s economical, it’s fun, and it’s the right
thing to do! Impromptu carpools to trips meet in the
following parking lots at the times indicated in the trip
announcements: Trinidad (Park & Ride, Main Street exit,
W side of 101), HSU (NW corner of Harpst and Rossow
Streets, opposite Student Services), Eureka (Park &
Ride, Herrick Avenue exit), and Fortuna (Park & Ride,
Kenmar Road exit). Be there a few minutes early and see
if anyone else is there for ridesharing. If you would like to
prearrange a carpool, try using the RRAS listserv. Please
offer your driver gas money.
Every Saturday. Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary.
These are our famous rain-or-shine field trips at the
marsh; take your binocular(s) and have a great morning
birding! Meet in the Klopp Lake parking lot, S end of I
Street, at 8:30 a.m. Call Kerry Ross ([707] 839-4365) for
more information. Carpools: Trinidad 8:10 a.m., Eureka
8:05 a.m., Fortuna 7:45 a.m.
Sunday, September 9. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife
Refuge. This is a wonderful, 2- to 3-hour trip for people
wanting to learn the birds of the Humboldt Bay area.
It takes a leisurely pace with emphasis on enjoying the
birds! Beginners are more than welcome. Meet at the
Refuge Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Call Jude Power or David
Fix ([707] 822-3613) for more information. Carpools:
Trinidad 8:10 a.m., HSU 8:25 a.m., Eureka 8:45 a.m.,
Fortuna 8:45 a.m.
Saturday, September 15. Hiller Park. Join Kerry
Ross ([707] 839-4365) for some fun morning birding at
this great local park. We will bird a variety of habitats,
including shore pines, willows along the creek, and ponds
at the water treatment plant, and do a seawatch from the
bluff. Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot, off Hiller Road
just W of 101 in McKinleyville (take School Road from
the south or Murray Road from the north). Carpools:
Trinidad 7:45 a.m., HSU 7:50 a.m., Eureka 7:25 a.m.,
Fortuna 7:10 a.m.
Sunday, September 16. Southern Humboldt
Community Park. Jay Sooter ([707] 444-8001), Robert
Sutherland, and/or Doug Wallace (peregrinenation@asis.
com) will be leading this monthly walk. All ages and
experience levels are encouraged to participate and revel
in the beauty of the park and its avian inhabitants on this
easy 2- to 3-hour walk. Binoculars are not provided, and
dogs are not allowed; field guides are usually available,
but please provide your own, if possible. Steady rain
cancels. Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot on Kimtu
Road in Garberville. Carpools: Trinidad 6:30 a.m., HSU
6:50 a.m., Eureka 7:05 a.m., Fortuna 7:25 a.m.
Sunday, September 16. Eureka Marsh. Join the first
of this season’s monthly walks for some great birding in
downtown Eureka. We will spend an hour or 2 on a flat
loop that will take us through a variety of habitats from
bay and mudflat to riparian and marshland. Meet in the
parking lot at the foot of W Del Norte Street at 8:30 a.m.
Call Pablo Herrera [707] 845-8166) for more information.
Carpools: Trinidad 7:55 a.m., HSU 8:10 a.m., Fortuna
8:05 a.m.
Laysan & Black-footed Albatrosses © Kerry Ross
Saturday, September 22. Pelagic Trip. David Fix
([707] 822-3613) and Gary Lester ([707] 839-3373) will
lead a foray onto the open ocean aboard the Shenandoah
in search of tubenoses, jaegers, alcids, cetaceans, and
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM
Join Onik Arian for a digital video presentation of Point Pelee National Park, Warbler Capital of North America.
Although it is the smallest of Canada’s national parks, it attracts birders from all over the world. This tiny jewel
is a peninsula that sits on the north shore of Lake Erie, strategically positioned at the convergence of 2 major
flyways for migrating eastern songbirds. Despite its size, it contains a variety of habitats, including beaches,
marshes, and Carolinian forest, providing food and sanctuary for migrating birds. On an average day in midMay, one can expect to see over 20 species of warblers. On a great day, when the conditions are just right, that
number can approach and even exceed 30 warblers as well as a host of orioles, grosbeaks, tanagers, thrushes,
and cuckoos. Arian has accumulated over 200 days at Pt. Pelee, witnessing the miracle of migrating eastern
songbirds. Come and see why it is his single favorite place to go birding.
The program will be held on Friday, September 14th, starting at 7:30 p.m. at
the Humboldt County Office of Education near the Burre Center at Myrtle and
West in Eureka. Bring a mug (or purchase one there) and enjoy shade-grown
coffee.
Thank you for ensuring that our meetings are fragrance-free.
www.rras.org
other pelagic specialties. The boat will depart Eureka at
6:00 a.m. and return around 2:00 p.m. To claim a space,
send your name, phone number, e-mail address, and $55
(made out to RRAS) to Ken Burton, 1207 Gassoway Rd.,
McKinleyville 95519. Additional information will be sent
to those who make the list.
Semipalmated Sandpiper
© Kerry Ross
Saturday, September 29. Cock Robin Island. Sean
McAllister ([707] 496-8790) will lead a half-day
exploration of this Eel River estuary island managed
by the Department of Fish and Game. We’ll view birds
on the river from a historic bridge, walk through stands
of maturing willows in search of migrant songbirds,
and study shorebirds on tidal mudflats. Plan for lots of
walking, some in mud and sand. Participants may opt
out of the more rigorous hiking on mudflats by leaving
early or spending more time birding along the road. Meet
at 8:00 a.m. at Pedrazzini Park; from Eel River Drive in
Loleta, take Cannibal Island Road west, then Cock Robin
Island Road south to the river. Carpools: Trinidad 7:00
a.m., HSU 7:15 a.m., Eureka 7:40 a.m., Fortuna 7:40 a.m.
Sunday, September 30. Humboldt and Arcata Bays.
Rob Hewitt ([707] 269-0271) will lead a half-day tour of
some of the north bay’s birding hotspots for shorebirds
and waterbirds. Meet at Samoa Boat Launch County
Park (just N of the Samoa Dunes entrance) at 8:00 a.m.
Carpools: Trinidad 7:15 a.m., HSU 7:30 a.m., Eureka 7:30
a.m., Fortuna 7:15 a.m.
Saturday, October 6. Ferndale & Loleta Bottoms.
Combine excellent birding and fine dining on this year’s
Feathers & Food trip, led by Shana Stearn ([707] 4421461). After searching the farmland, riparia, and beaches
of the area for fall migrants, the group will convene
at Curley’s Grill in Ferndale for lunch. There may be
additional postlunch birding if there’s sufficient interest.
Meet at the Eureka Park & Ride at 8:30 a.m. Carpools:
Trinidad 7:50 a.m., HSU 8:05 a.m., Fortuna 8:10 a.m.
CHAPTER LEADERS
OFFICERS
President—Tracy Cline..........................268-8052
Im. Past President- Pablo Herrera........845-8166
President-Elect-- ....................................................
Secretary—Adam Brown.......abrown@prbo.org
Treasurer—Frances Madrone...............840-9808
DIRECTORS
Jan Andersen ........................................444-3501
Ken Burton
........................................839-5179
Kerry Ross
........................................839-4365
Shana Stearn ........................................442-1461
C.J. Ralph
........................................822-2015
Jay Sooter
........................................444-8001
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Arcata Marsh Docents-Kerry Ross.......839-4365
Conservation—Chet Ogan
............442-9353
Education— Shana Stearn
............442-1461
Field Trips—Ken Burton
............839-5179
Historian—John Hewston
............822-5288
Membership—Lew & Judie Norton......445-1791
NEC Representative—C.J. Ralph.........822-2015
Observations—Stan Harris
............822-3802
Programs—C.J. Ralph...........................822-2015
Publicity-G.Bloomfield/Sue Leskiw.......442-5444
Sandpiper—Jan Andersen
............444-3501
—Gary Bloomfield ............822-0210
Volunteer Coordinator...............HELP NEEDED
Lake Earl Branch—Sue Calla...............465-6191
Birds in the Balance—Rob Hewitt........269-0271
RRAS Web Page..............................www.rras.org
Arcata Bird Alert .............822-LOON (822-5666)
The Sandpiper is published ten times each year by
Redwood Region Audubon Society
P.O. Box 1054, Eureka, CA 95502.
Thinking of Joining the
National Audubon Society?
If so, please use the coupon below. By sending in your
membership on this form, rather than replying to solicitations from National Audubon, $20 is sent directly to RRAS.
This is how NAS rewards local chapters for recruiting
national members. (Otherwise, the RRAS dues share per
new member is only a couple of dollars.) Thank you.
Chapter Membership Application
Yes, I’d like to join.
Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon
Society and of my local chapter. Please send
AUDUBON magazine and my membership card to the
address below.
My check for $20 is enclosed. (Introductory offer)
NAME_______________________________
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CITY _______________________________
STATE____________ZIP______________
email _______________________________
Local Chapter Code:
C24
7XCHA
Please make checks to the National Audubon Society.
Send this application and your check to:
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Chapter Membership Data Center
P.O. Box 51001
Boulder, Colorado 80322-1001
--------------LOCAL CHAPTER------------REDWOOD REGION AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 1054
EUREKA, CA 95502
North Trinity Mountain Trip
Report—Butterflies No-Shows
By Cindy Moyer
On Sunday, August 19, 2007, a hardy group of birders
traveled to the NE corner of Humboldt County for a hike
to Water Dog Lake on North Trinity Mountain. Although
billed as a “Birds and Butterflies” trip, a constant light rain
prevented the butterflies from putting in an appearance.
Gary Falxa, our co-leader and butterfly expert, assured us
that it truly is an excellent place for butterflies, so hopefully
we will have another chance some other year. With the
butterflies missing-in-action, the trip quickly turned into
a Birds-and-Botany walk instead. Co-leader Ken Burton
and participants C.J. Ralph, David Fix, and Jude Power
assisted less-experienced birders with visual and aural
identification of birds, while David, Gary, and Carol Ralph
helped us with plant ID.
Highlights of the trip included a family of Sooty
Grouse, good views of a Brown Creeper, Mountain Quail,
Nashville Warbler, and MacGillivray’s Warbler. On the
botany front, the rarities included Sadler oaks, gentians,
and a mystery pine that sheltered us during our lunch break.
Because the trail runs through an area that burned about 3
years ago, we saw plenty of open areas that were full of
wildflowers, including gorgeous yellow-orange buckwheat
and deliciously strong-smelling coyote mint. Right next to
the gentians at Water Dog Lake, we saw a water dog (a
rough-skinned newt) taking a stroll through the rain, and
not far away, we found several large, vigorously leaping
mystery crickets.
Lake Earl Coastal Lagoon
Kayaking Expeditions
The Tolowa Dunes Stewards and North Coast Redwood
Interpretive Association offer 2 kayak/canoeing expeditions
in September on the Lake Earl Coastal Lagoon in Del Norte
County. The summer of 2007 has seen higher water levels
in Lake Earl, providing excellent kayak and canoeing
recreation and bird-watching opportunities.
Sunday, September 9, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wildlife
biologist/botanist Wendell Wood and bird researcher Terri
Klemetson lead a daylong expedition to look for birds
and view water plants, exploring some of the least-visited
northern sections of the 5,500-acre lagoon and into Tolowa
Slough. Expect to see Red-necked Phalarope, resident
herons and fall-migrating birds. Also learn about water
plants and how to tell sago pondweed from wigeon grass.
This kayak/canoe trip is about 6 miles roundtrip
on the water and is recommended for experienced paddlers
with their own watercraft and gear. The trip will include
some “squeezing” around logs and dead willow branches
and a bit of hard paddling over vegetation.
Sunday, September 30, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Terri
Klemetson and Dick Goss with California State Parks will
lead a shorter excursion along the lagoon’s wetland edges
and marshes to look for arriving fall migrating waterfowl
and ducks. This shorter trip is designed for beginners, and
kayaks will be available for a modest fee.
The size of each expedition is limited, and
preregistration is required for both. A donation of $15.00
per person is requested. Kayak rental is an additional
cost. Contact Susan to register at (707) 465-6191 or
focusonature@jeffnet.org. Bring sunscreen, proper clothing
and gear, a change of clothes and shoes, and a lunch plus
drinking water.
Keep Up-to-Date Through RRAS Listserv
Be reminded about field trips and programs and learn about
upcoming meetings, public hearings, and symposia of interest
to RRAS members and other concerned nature lovers. Subscribe
in 1 of 2 ways: through a Web page link at http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/rras or by e-mail to rras-subscribe@yahoogroups.
com. Postings should have complete information. This listserv
is not for posting bird sightings.
Redwood Region Audubon Society
welcomes the following new
members and subscribers:
Arcata – Christine Mateer, Charles Moon, Brian
O’Donnell, Laurel Peterson
Crescent City – Susan Carter, Cope, E. Sprague
Eureka – Barbara DeLorme, Jo Bilderback, Carol Craig,
Mark Ellis, Roz Keller, Julie Olsen, Alice Sheldon
Ferndale – Katherine Gurnee
Fortuna – Ken Asper
Garberville – Lyn Lollar, Doug Wallace
Klamath – Aaron Funk
Loleta – Sharon Morgan, Kim Nash
McKinleyville – Charolette Frankie, Joyce Houston, Nancy
Jioras, Edward Stewart, Lindy Wolf
Miranda – David Gurley
Myers Flat – Diane McQuinn
Redway – Fred Bauer, Janis Tillery
Smith River – Michael Sine
Trinidad – Gary Vose
Whitethorn – Peter Galvin
We look forward to seeing you on field trips and at
our monthly programs.
RRAS CAN USE YOU!
Be an active part of the RRAS community and help us
with our many projects. Attend Conservation Committee
meetings every third Thursday at noon at Golden Harvest
in Arcata and have lunch while hearing about various
conservation activities RRAS is involved in or monitoring.
Help us with periodic mailings, writing thank you letters,
bringing cookies to monthly meetings, helping to sell
products at meetings and other events—you decide what
you’d like to do, and we’ll find the project. The following
are more defined needs:
Treasurer – We are looking for someone to assume
treasurer’s duties February 2008. Accounting experience
is helpful but not required. According to our current and
outgoing Treasurer, Frances Madrone, the ability to
balance a checkbook is all that is really required. This is
a board position, so the Treasurer would be expected to
attend the monthly board of directors’ meetings. Interested
persons should call President Tracy Cline ([707] 2688052) or Past-President Pablo Herrera ([707] 845-8166).
Annual Banquet – Those who attended the February
2007 banquet extraganza at the Wharfinger Building
know that this highly successful event was all done with
volunteer help. We always need help with the banquet for
various and fun jobs, like helping with the art auction or
coordinating the banquet itself. If you like to organize
parties, this job is for you!
RRAS Conducts Classes at
Summer Environmental Fairs
By Shana Stearn
On May 24 and 25, 2007, Redwood Region Audubon Society
again participated in the 2-day Redwood Environmental
Education Fair (REEF) program held annually at College
of the Redwoods. This year’s activity was discussing owl
ecology, dissecting owl pellets, then identifying the bones
and animals that we found inside. In all, we taught 8 classes,
reaching about 160 students from Humboldt County.
For the first time, RRAS was invited to participate in
the huge Hoopa Fish Fair on June 1, 2007. We taught about
how certain birds can act as indicator species for a healthy
riparian habitat, then went down to the creek across from
the Hoopa school complex and conducted a sample point
count. About 120 students, from grades 4-8, participated
in the 6 classes we conducted. We’re looking forward to
getting invited back again next year!
If you have a group or school that is interested
in environmental education programs presented by
local RRAS members, please contact Shana Stearn,
Environmental Education Chair, at (707) 442-1461.
Remembering Paul Springer
A Frigatebird Behind the Redwood Curtain!
By C.J. Ralph
April 25, 1922-May 2, 2007
“One life stamps and influences another, which in turn
stamps and
influences another, on and on, until the soul of human
experience breathes on in generations we’ll never even
meet.”
-- Mary Kay Blakely
It was with sadness that we learned of Paul’s passing this
spring. My thanks to all who contributed to this remembrance:
Frank Anderson, Tim Ayres, Larry Barnes, Bruce Deuel,
Richard Erickson, Dr. Stan Harris, John E. Hunter, Aryay
Kalaki, Gail Kenny, Gary Lester, Jerry Martien, Greg
Mensik, Chet Ogan, John Sterling, Dan Yparraguirre, and
especially Paul’s son, Pete Springer. Space limitations in
the print version of the Sandpiper prevented all from having
their say here. I encourage you to read the entire tribute to
Paul online at www.rras.org
As I studied each tribute from family, friend, and colleague, the
attributes used to describe Paul were remarkably consistent:
integrity, attention to detail, his gift for sharing, and his love
of family, community, and the Creator. Paul mentored many
students during his time here. However, because his traits
are among the most noble to which we can aspire, Paul’s
influence extends far beyond those he formally mentored.
My sense of loss was somewhat lessened as I came to better
understand how fortunate we all are to have known him. -Tom Leskiw (Eureka)
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of pairing up with Paul
for the south spit of Humboldt Bay portion of the CBC. As
we started to scope the south bay, I realized that Paul was
quite familiar with this area and was impressed at how agile
he was in maneuvering the terrain to get a good viewspot
at which to set up the scopes. Once we started looking, he
confided in me that he really couldn’t make out the details
anymore, so could I be his eyes? He then proceeded to guide
me through a review of Redhead, Canvasback, and other
winter south bay inhabitants, always praising me if I picked
out something new. Of course, he had done this many times
in the past with no assistance needed, and yet he made me
feel quite important and useful. He was a delightful person.
-- Frank Anderson (Arcata)
Paul influenced me during an impressionable time in my life
by hiring me to monitor Aleutian Canada Geese. He often
sent Christmas cards over the years and had an interest in me
that went beyond my relationship to him through work. That
friendship, I’m sure was much the same for many people.
At 23 years old or so, I remember being mildly awed and
baffled by the many piles of papers on his desk and wondering
what he actually did aside from lead in the recovery of ACG.
He was often there in his office and if I dropped in he might
chat a bit but might also ask about a particular band sighting
that I had made several months or years earlier, among
hundreds of others. I’m afraid I might have disappointed
him on more than one occasion for my memory lapses. I
remember his visits to Crescent City and the Central Valley
to check up on the geese and those monitoring them. He
was always good natured and positive, enjoyed the people
he met, and loved the land and its wildlife. We were eager
to please him, not just because he hired us, but because he
was kind and respectful and, at least for me, possessed the
qualities of the kind of man I wanted to be. Paul left the
world having made a big and positive difference in it. He
Probable subadult female Lesser Frigatebird, Lanphere
Dunes, Arcata, 15 July 2007. Note the delicate pink
bill typical of Lesser Frigatebird, and the partial collar
developing around the neck, indicating a subadult
female. Photograph by Brian Sullivan.
On the evening of July 15, 2007, four of us (eBirders)
were seawatching from Lanphere Dunes near Arcata,
counting shorebirds and seabirds, including the
hundreds of male Common Murres attending their
piping juveniles. We had walked out to the beach
through a glorious dune mat flower display to the
unusually flat calm sea on a warm, overcast day.
Looking up along the beach, Peter Ralph
noticed a female-plumaged frigatebird gliding toward
us, just along the beach. Naturally, as all focused on it,
it immediately turned and headed directly away to the
north, out of camera range. Within a few moments,
we had phoned it into the Arcata BirdBox and called
another observer on the slough a mile inland to get
ready with a camera.
After drifting north for a couple miles, the
bird banked back inland and then to the south, setting
in motion a frenetic chase as it moved along the forest
edge just inland from the slough. The bird outwitted
the chase crew as, racing up the road, they had
focused attention on the slough, but the frigatebird
dipped and swerved just a few dozen yards toward
the coast. Meanwhile, the beach crew sprinted across
the sandy dunes, spreading out with cell phones. They
kept the frigatebird in sight and were able to watch
the bird dipping down among the trees and diving
had a long-term and committed relationship, a rich family
life, a long and fulfilling career, and he shepherded a
species from endangerment to recovery. What a great life
to have intersected with, if only briefly. -- Larry Barnes
(Healy, Idaho)
My memories of Paul are mostly associated with the
Aleutian Goose recovery program. Paul was the inspiration
and driving force behind this effort. He was tireless,
dedicated, and passionate in his work. I always admired
these qualities, and I know he transferred some of them to
many of the student researchers that worked on the project,
a number of whom are still active in the field of waterfowl
management. -- Bruce Deuel (Red Bluff)
Paul Springer was one of my favorite people. If my notes
are to be trusted, our first day in the field together was
on a boat trip off Humboldt Bay on 30 September 1973.
The following day we both enjoyed the Blue-winged x
Brewster’s Warbler backcross at Fairhaven. My notes from
the early 1970s indicate that we saw a number of other rare
birds together in Humboldt County, but more memorable
are trips we took together: a record-setting county big
down on something several times, perhaps ravens,
and finally dropping down just a mile away. To our
great surprise the bird landed in a Shore Pine just
above Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory’s “park”
banding site. Minutes later, six of us (Marshall
Iliff; Steve Kelling; Peter, C.J., and Carol Ralph;
and Brian Sullivan) were getting great views from
50 yards away, setting up telescopes, and getting
close-up photos. After several minutes, the bird left
the pine tree, lapping back and forth to gain a bit
of altitude, then set its wings and glided toward the
beach and out of sight, not to be seen again. Within a
few minutes, the first of the BirdBox-alerted birders
arrived, and by dusk, more than a dozen birders
went out along the beach looking for the bird.
Because frigatebird ID can be difficult
(and Magnificent should never be assumed), the
story got even more amazing the next day when
photos were uploaded, references were checked,
and experts were consulted: the decision was a
Lesser Frigatebird! This megararity is restricted to
the southwest tropical Pacific and a limited portion
of the tropical Atlantic; it had appeared just 3 times
before in mainland North America, with previous
records from Maine, Michigan, and Wyoming.
Keep in mind that any eBirding effort could produce
a shocker, even a first state record!
In this perched view of the Lesser Frigatebird, the pink
bill and eye ring are evident, as is the retained tawny
mottled chest. Photograph by Marshall Iliff.
day in May 1974 and (appropriate for him as a U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service employee) scouting and conducting
the Alderpoint Breeding Bird Survey in May/June 1974,
featuring a Phainopepla in Garberville. In those days, I
remember Paul as being calm and cautious—but never
condemning or condescending—
in the face of the birding, and other, excesses of the time.
But I grew to appreciate Paul more in subsequent decades.
While living in Del Norte County in the 1980s, I was
fortunate to interact regularly with Paul concerning bird
observations associated with the Aleutian Goose work
he oversaw on Lakes Earl and Tolowa. In those years he
led me to a much fuller appreciation of goose biology
and diversity. My irregular visits to Arcata were often
enriched by time spent talking with Paul in his office.
Although it has been many years since I last saw Paul,
we communicated by phone or e-mail right into 2007. I
continued to seek his opinion concerning subspecific goose
identifications, but now with birds in southern California
or on the Baja California Peninsula. I will always cherish
the memory of Paul’s warm smile and gentle ways, and I will
miss his wise counsel. -- Richard Erickson (Orange County)
be and how I’ll forever remember him: patient, giving of his
time, kind, a good listener and keen observer, and a person
with a genuine concern for the creatures that share this planet
with us. Emblematic of his thoroughness, he soon mailed
me an article on the fine points of small-form Canada Geese
identification. I miss him.
-- Tom Leskiw (Eureka).
As word of the passing of retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife
biologist Paul Springer spread, the news was met with
feelings of profound loss and words of deep respect for a man
universally held in highest regard in the natural resources
community.
During my enrollment as a graduate student at HSU, I
worked as a temporary employee for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
As such, I shared an office with Dr. Springer and assisted
with work on Aleutian Canada geese and black brant. These
projects introduced me to many of the realities of resource
management, as well as a number of the individuals with
whom I continue to work and correspond to this day. Dr.
Springer’s dedication, passion and quest for the “most accurate
picture” set a wonderful standard for all of us. In addition,
Paul and his wife Virginia’s devotion to each other, their
family, and compassion for the many HSU students whose
lives they touched, was outstanding. Through his actions,
Dr. Springer demonstrated that to lead a more complete life,
a person should be contributing to “the bigger picture” at a
number of levels. I consider myself extremely fortunate to
have known and spent time with Paul and his family. -- Greg
Mensik (Willows)
What was unusual about Paul, and perhaps remarkable, was
that he was a man to be taken seriously. If he put in a call
to the sheriff, he expected a call back. Yet he was also softspoken, incredibly humble, and devoid of the elitism often
found in agencies. He had enormous respect for the public,
and expected officials to be responsive to them, to do their
job. He operated on principle, not politics. In his memory, we
can all strive to do the same. -- Aryay Kalaki, Tim Ayres, Jerry
Martien (Manila)
I have many memories of Paul, but the one that stands out
with the most vivid detail is this. My personal definition of
a “GREAT BIRDER” is one who not only know his birds
10 ways to Sunday, but must be a critical, careful observer
of detail so as to be able to identify what he hears or sees in
the field, he must also keep accurate records of the what, how
many, when, where, behavior, and conditions under which the
observation was made, but most of all, he must be genuinely
willing to SHARE his observations and knowledge with the
rest of us without being coaxed to do so. It is this willingness
to share that separates the really great birders from the merely
competent ones.
In this respect, Paul was one of those very few really “Great
Birders.” When it came to bird information, he had the greatest
need to know EVERYTHING about a particular observation,
down to the minutest detail, of anyone I have ever known. He
wanted to know every single detail of a particular observation
and would bore in with the, sometimes exasperating tenacity
of a bulldog in draining your memory dry of every scrap of
information, even down to the details of the branch the bird
might have been sitting on. At the same time, I have never
known anyone who was more willing to SHARE what he
knew about a particular issue with others. If he did not have
the answer to your question at his fingertips, he would let no
stone go unturned in researching the answer for you until he
was satisfied he could go no farther. People like that are very
rare. He was a true gentleman, a true friend in the best and most
complete sense of the word. Paul deserves our highest level of
respect and I miss him greatly. -- Dr. Stan Harris (Sunnybrae)
I knew Paul Springer in quite a number of different
capacities over the years (fellow birder, respected professor,
accomplished endangered species biologist), but really got to
know him during the Humboldt County Breeding Bird Atlas
project. When fieldwork on the project started in 1995, Paul
was one of the many local birders that quickly signed up to
help. What set Paul apart from many of the others was his
level of commitment to finishing what he had started. When
he knocked those first blocks out, he called for more—and
we gladly assigned them to him knowing for certain that they
would get done. By the end of the fieldwork, he and Virginia
completed 11 blocks and contributed over 365 records to the
final database, making him one of the top contributors to the
Atlas dataset.
In the Mad River Hatchery block, Paul recorded an astounding
93 possible, probable, or confirmed breeding bird species.
About 35 of Paul’s breeding bird observations were deemed
significant enough to be directly included in the species
account discussions. One of the biggest highlights of the
Atlas project was on 1 June 1997 when Paul and Virginia
discovered an ongoing Lawrence’s Goldfinch invasion in
the Showers Pass area (and thanks for the new bird on my
Humboldt list!). Not satisfied with that accomplishment,
Paul and Virginia kept working the area and finally confirmed
breeding for Lawrence’s Goldfinch on 15 July 1997.
Paul’s attention to detail and interest in producing quality
data was another thing that made Paul really stand out. He
called me on a regular basis asking smart questions about
Atlas methodology. His questions helped us to become
aware (and rectify) that less skilled observers must certainly
be encountering the same issues or are unaware of the nuance
involved. During preparation of the book, Paul helped out by
reviewing and providing good input on some of the species
accounts, providing some historical data, and funding Atlas
artwork. I know the Atlas project was a tiny speck in the
biological career of Paul Springer, but it gave us the opportunity
to get to know the man a bit and gain additional respect for a
dedicated biologist. -- John E. Hunter (McKinleyville)
I first met Paul Springer on July 12 1986 after he found a
2nd year Little Gull on Klopp Lake. He contacted Doc Harris
who called Ron LeValley who called Linda Doerflinger then
working at Redwood Sciences Lab. We all met at Klopp Lake
and waited for the gull to fly so we could verify its ID. Over
the next several years I joined Paul and Virginia several times
on the Del Norte CBC. Paul was working on Aleutian Goose
recovery and knew many landowners on whose property we
were able to bird as well as having road access to the dunes
trail and along the dike road on the north side of Smith River.
It was on these counts that I was first introduced to a fate that
awaits many aging male birders—high frequency hearing
loss. Paul explained that he could no longer hear singing or
calling Golden-crowned Kinglets. I now share that fate with
him.
I first met Paul when a college class mate of mine, Larry
Barnes, was working for Paul on the Aleutian Geese study
back in 1982-3. Later I knew Paul from RRAS meetings.
Later when we would see each other we would exchange
information about Larry who lives out of the area but who
kept in touch with both of us. I found Paul to be a sweet and
gentle man, very interested in how I was doing and a pleasure
to be around. He will be missed. -- Gail Kenny (Trinidad)
Paul often attended RRAS Conservation Committee
meetings where we first entertained getting Humboldt
Bay designated as a Ramsar site, a goal we would still
like to attain. Instead, with Paul’s help we have been
recognized as a WHSRN (Western Hemisphere Shorebird
Reserve Network) site. Later, in renewing our mission
in Pacific Coast Joint Venture, I reviewed several
documents Paul had written on Humboldt Bay’s ecology.
I first met Paul when he came up to Crescent City to help with
the re-kindled Del Norte Christmas Bird Count. He later asked
me while I lived there, to help with the seasonal monitoring of
the Del Norte staging grounds of the Aleutian Canada Geese
that he discovered. Paul also assisted with the Fish & Wildlife
surveys of the California seabird colonies I worked on for two
years. Paul was eager to hear of our discoveries whether they
were ornithological or botanical.
Paul and I often had time to talk at various RRAS banquets
and meetings. Paul and I had time to talk briefly at the last
Aleutian Goose Festival, March 2007. Paul was a dear friend
and a mentor. I feel lucky to be able to know both Paul
and Virginia Springer over the past 20 years. -- Chet Ogan
(Eureka)
© Gary Bloomfield
While conducting goose surveys in Del Norte County I recall
Paul and I having an audience with a major landowner who
was instrumental in allowing access for monitors to the geese
staging grounds. The landowner was willing to allow the
access but was proposing to convert the staging grounds to
cranberry bogs or residential housing. Paul was polite and
professional while listening to the development plans but
inside I knew he was seething. Paul lived to see those staging
grounds preserved for all of us to enjoy through his and others’
quiet but effective efforts.
I was always moved by Paul’s broad knowledge and his
willingness to share that and so much of his time. He was
even willing to submit to a hearing experiment conducted by
my daughter that monitored his and Virginia’s vitals while
listening to loud rock & roll versus Chopin. We are lessened
by Paul’s loss and yet are much the better for what he gave to
each and all of us. -- Gary Lester (McKinleyville)
When I was relatively new to birding, I located some smallform Canada Geese at the Willow Creek Golf Course. I
checked my references for the ID marks that separate Dusky,
Cackling, and Aleutian. However, I knew that a phone call to
Paul would quickly clear up any uncertainty in my mind. His
manner during that phone call was as he always seemed to
© Gary Bloomfield
I have many fond memories of Paul Springer that start when
I first met him as a freshman at Humboldt State University
in 1979. He had found a Golden-winged Warbler out at the
Airport Willow Patch on the North Spit that I was able to
see. And I met him in his office shortly afterwards. I was
anxious to work on research projects in order to learn from
the professional ornithologists and I sought his advice. We
talked for hours and I made several trips to his office during
that first year. In the ensuing years, we spent a bit of time
birding together, but I mostly remember having discussions
about careers and research ideas. Paul was a gentle, kind
person who gave generously of his time to me. He and
Virginia seemed like the perfect role models for a good, solid
marriage as well. They were two of a kind. I last saw Paul
three years ago during Godwit Days when we reminisced
about the “old days” back in the late 1970s and 1980s when
birding in the county was far different from what it is now.
-- John Sterling (Woodland)
When I think of Dad, the first words that come to mind are
character and integrity. You often hear politicians talk about
the importance of family values and religion, but Dad was
a true leader and example to us all because he didn’t just
talk about these things, he lived his life that way. Dad lived
a Christian life, and God and family were always his top
priorities.
One of the things that I most admired about Dad was that
he was such a dedicated husband and family man. Mom
and Dad had the most solid marriage of anybody I’ve ever
known over the course of the last 57 years. They were a team
in every sense of the word offering each other love, respect,
friendship, faith, and strength.
Dad always loved the outdoors. Nothing made him happier
than being out in nature and appreciating the beauty around
him. Dad absolutely loved his work as a wildlife biologist and
his passion as a birder was passed on to Mom and my brother,
Jim. I remember traveling to some of the most remote places
on Earth when Dad was tracking a bird. One of my earliest
memories as a boy was going with him on bird counts. We’d
get up at 4:00 in the morning when it was still dark and he
would sometimes take one of us along to count birds with
him. He would share some hot soup from his thermos from
me and I would think this is just about the coolest thing I
could be doing with my dad. My role in these expeditions
was simply to be the recorder. We would get out on some old
unpaved road somewhere and we would stop every mile or
so and he would report to me what he was seeing through his
binoculars.
My job was to put the number of birds that he saw next to the
various species. I still remember him calling out: lark bunting
—3, red wing blackbird —5, morning dove —7. I was always
so impressed that he could not only identify all these different
species by sight or sound but count them all at the same time.
Part of the deal was that he had a time limit to identify all the
birds he could see in like a three minute period. When he got
back in the car he would tell me something like “you can tell
the western meadowlark apart from the eastern meadowlark
because of the brighter yellow on its breast.” Here I was
having trouble just seeing the birds and he was telling me
about their personal characteristics and habits.
Dad taught us so many lessons in life that I could go on and
on. One thing that I will never forget was that he was very
thrifty when it came to spending money. When we would
be on a family vacation and have to stop for gas he would
drive from station to station looking for the cheapest gas. I
also remember when Dad sent a letter to the phone company
with a 20 cent stamp on it asking for them to refund his dime
because the pay phone had malfunctioned and had taken his
money. It wasn’t that Dad was a tightwad with money, he
was just a man of principle who believed that you should get
what you paid for. He actually was extremely generous with
money. He wasn’t the kind of dad who would just hand you
$10 if you asked for it, but he was the kind of dad who would
think of a way that you could earn the money.
On one occasion I remember being about 11 years old and
there was a neighbor who was looking to have her grass
mowed. It turned out that the job was very lengthy because
she had a large piece of property that hadn’t been mowed for a
long time. It was so long that I couldn’t bag it with the mower
so I had to rake up the grass and put it in lawnbags when I was
done. I remember working hard on this job for over 5 hours,
but with a lot of sweat, blisters, and determination I managed
to finish the job. We had never discussed the price of mowing
her grass ahead of time and when I came home with only $3
for all my efforts I remember Dad calling her up to discuss
the situation because he thought that it wasn’t fair. Despite his
efforts, the neighbor wasn’t willing to pay me any more. After
he hung up, I still remember him paying me because he felt I
had earned it. To this day my three brothers and I are all hard
workers, and I think a lot of this is a reflection of inheriting
our dad’s work ethic.
Aleutian geese—asking about every thing the geese did that
day. His attention to every punctuation mark in my master’s
thesis, while I am sure made the writing better, usually had me
scratching my head in wonder. I couldn’t imagine then that
“sweating all that small stuff” could really matter. However,
as my career progressed, I learned that paying attention to
details matters, that setting high expectations of subordinates
matters, and that being engaged, truly caring, about the
professional efforts one undertakes usually provides better
results. I like to think that the subliminal training I received
from Paul has made me a better biologist. -- Dan Yparraguirre
When Dad was in the hospital I was helping Mom in any (Woodland)
manner that I could think of. I went through the mail that
had been piling up to help pay the bills. As I was going
through the mail, I could not believe the enormous amount
of organizations and charities that Dad gave to. I guess that I
shouldn’t be surprised because Dad was not the kind of man
who tooted his own horn about things. But Dad did so much
more than give money, he gave the greatest gift, the gift of
himself whether he was in the role of husband, dad, grandpa,
friend, parishioner, or community member. I think a true test
of a person’s character is did he/she make the world a better
place by being there, and there is no question that Dad did.
-- Pete Springer (Eureka)
Even though I was one of Paul’s graduate students, it took
me quite a few years to learn one his best lessons. Paul was a
stickler for details, often calling in the evenings for the daily
update about the field work I was doing in the late 1970s on
© Gary Bloomfield
Field Notes
Late Summer, Early Fall (21 Jun - 22 Aug 2007)
This report covers 2 months without much room for embellishment,
but many reports of new fledglings were received (too many
species to list individually). My apologies in advance to anyone
whose observations had to be omitted. Please do continue to
submit reports even if I didn’t have room for them; they are all
vital additions to our long-term database and add to our evolving
understanding of bird populations in the region.
Abbreviations used: AB = Arcata Bottoms; AMP = Arcata Marsh
Project; AOP = Arcata Oxidation Pond; BLR = Blue Lake riparian;
BRR = Bear River Ridge; BSE = Butcher Slough Estuary; CCH
= Crescent City Harbor; CR = College of the Redwoods; CRI
= Cock Robin Island; ERB = Eel River Bottoms; ERWA = Eel
River Wildlife Area; HB = Humboldt Bay; HBNWR = Humboldt
Bay National Wildlife Refuge; HO = hold over from previous
report; KL = Klopp Lake; KS = King Salmon; LMR = lower
Mad River; MER = mouth of Eel River; mo = many observers;
MRFH = Mad River Fish Hatchery; NB = North Humboldt Bay;
NC = not confirmed; ND = no details; NJ = North Jetty; PPSP =
Patrick’s Point State Park; PSG = Point St. George; SJ = South
Jetty; SP = Shay Park, Arcata; SRB = Smith River Bottoms; SRE
= Smith River Estuary; SS = South Spit.
Critter highlights: Badger: 1, 4 miles W of Honeydew, 24 Jun
(GL). Blue-winged Teal: 1 female with 4+ ducklings, Loleta
Pond, 5 Jul (good description of female) (AL). Harlequin: 1
female, CCH, 23 Jul, photo (CW); 1, SJ, 9 Aug (SP). Surf Scoter:
150+, KS, eating fish! 3 Aug (MW). Long-tailed Duck (HO): 1,
SRE, 28 Jun (AB). Common Goldeneye (HO): 1 female, AOP,
21 Jun-21 Aug (mo). Hooded Merganser: 1 hatch year, AMP,
2-21 Jul (SH, KR, et al.). Ruddy Duck: 1 male, AOP, 16-30 Jul
(SH, AL, et al.). Sooty Grouse: 1 in open, BRR, 2 Jul (KR);
1 hooting, Bald Hills, 6 Aug (RR, LD, et al.). Ruffed Grouse:
Singles reported from near Bluff Creek, McKinleyville, and Tall
Trees Trail, 26 Jun, 1, 6 Jul, respectively (CO, G&LL, SN, LB).
Red-throated Loon: 1, KS, 8 Aug (MW). Pacific Loon: 1, CCH,
23 Jul (CW); 2, Elk Head, 23 Jul (CW); 1-9, KS, 14 Jul-20 Aug
(MW). Western Grebe: 341, 320, KS, 7, 22 Jul, respectively
(MW). Clark’s Grebe: 1-5, KS, 29 Jun-9 Jul (MW); 2, SS, 8 Aug
(KR). Black-footed Albatross: 60-100 seen from tip of SJ, 28 Jul
(RF, MW). Buller’s Shearwater: 60, 5 miles off Humboldt Bay,
13 Aug (PRo). Pink-footed Shearwater: 1, SJ, 28 Jul (RF, MW).
Sooty Shearwater: 20, 1, seen from tip of Humboldt Bay Jetties,
28 Jul, 11 Aug, respectively (RF, MW, KR, RS). Brown Pelican:
400-450, 300, KL, feeding by swimming and dipping, 19, 27 Jul,
respectively (SH et al.); 680, KS, 15 Aug (MW). Double-crested
Cormorant: 24-36 nests, Big Lagoon, 24 Jun (GB); 630, KS, 15
Aug (MW); 2,000+, BSE, 9 Aug (SH). Frigatebird sp: (possibly
a Lesser, the ID Jury is still out) 1, Lanphere Dunes, 15 Jul (PRa,
C&CJR, BS, MI, SK; photos). American Bittern: 1 new fledgling
with down on head, HBNWR, 21 Jun (SL, fide EN). Cattle Egret:
1, KL, 20 Aug (KR). Green Heron: 1, Big Lagoon, 26 Jun; 1,
BLR, 20 Aug (both AL). Turkey Vulture: 2-46 daily, including
at least 1-2 juv, KS, 17-20 Aug (MW). Bald Eagle: 13 reports of
singles (both adult and juv represented) from Big Lagoon, AMP,
NB, Korbell, Eureka, KS, near CR, MER, Briceland, 22 Jun-18
Aug (mo). Sharp-shinned Hawk: 2 chasing 2 Cooper’s Hawks,
Titlow Hill Road, 8 Jul (JR, PM). Golden Eagle: 1 ad, 1 juv, near
Alderpoint, 28 Jun (fide JoG). Yellow-headed Caracara (ND,
NC): 1 reported, ERB, 27 Jul (RHe). Crested Caracara: 1, SRB,
26 Jun-19 Aug (AB, et al.). Peregrine: 28 reports of 1-2 (includes
new juv) from CCH, AB, AMP, HB, South Fork of Trinity River,
KS, ERWA, Mail Ridge, 29 Jun-22 Aug (mo).
Black Skimmer
© Kerry Ross
In late summer-early fall (1Jul-21Aug), many species of shorebirds
return to the North Coast from distant breeding grounds. Right on
historic schedules, the period just passed included numerous
reports of newly arrived molting adult and new juv Black-bellied
and Semipalmated Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, Willets,
Whimbrels, Marbled Godwits, both Turnstones, Surfbirds,
Western and Least Sandpipers, and Short-billed Dowitchers. In
addition, we received the following reports. Pacific GoldenPlover: 1 in molt, SS, 17 Jul (SMcA, AT); 3, PSG, 19 Aug (AB).
Snowy Plover: 1 female with 3 fledglings, SS, 14 Aug (KR).
Black-necked Stilt: 1, Van Duzen gravel bar, 10 Jul (TK).
Avocet: 4, BSE, 21 Aug (AL). Lesser Yellowlegs: 2, ERWA, 5
Aug (RF, MW); 4, KL, 21 Aug (SH). Red Knot: 25,1, SS, 14, 31
Jul, respectively (KR). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 8 reports of
1-12 from SRB, Crescent City, LMR, KL, ERWA, CRI, 5 Jul-19
Aug (mo). Baird’s Sandpiper: 1 juv, Lake Tolowa, 27 Jul (LB).
Pectoral Sandpiper: 1flyover heard only, CRI, 29 Jul (RF, et al.).
Stilt Sandpiper: 1 juv, SRB, 20 Aug (LB); 1 juv (separate bird),
mouth of Elk Creek, Crescent City, 22 Aug (AB). Buff-breasted
Sandpiper: 1, Lake Tolowa, 20 Aug (LB). Wilson’s Phalarope:
10 reports of 1-23(!), from SRB, AB, KL, AOP, BRR, 11 Jul-9
Aug (mo). Red-necked Phalarope: Among the many reports of
onshore passage birds 20 Jul-22 Aug (mo) were 605 counted from
NJ, 11 Aug (KR, RS) and 240+ at AOP, 21 Aug (SH); and of 2 at
Echo Lake, Trinity Alps, 16 Aug (JuG, fide CO). Parasitic
Jaeger: 1 seen from NJ, 28 Jul (RF, MW); 1, KS, 8 Aug (MW).
Laughing Gull: 1, mouth of Elk River, 21 Jul (BS). Heermann’s
Gull: maximum numbers reported included 1,025 at NJ, 11 Aug
(KR, RS), and 700-800 at KS, 12 Aug (MW). Juvenile California
Gulls returned right on schedule at river mouths and sewage
ponds. KR reported 1st-year Glaucous Gulls at Vance Road and
South Spit, 11, 14 Jul, respectively, for 2 of the very few
midsummer records ever. Elegant Tern: Beginning with 5, mouth
of Elk River, 30 Jun (RF), numbers increased to 200-300 or so by
8-18 Aug (KR, MW, AL, et al.). Black Skimmer: A 1-day stand
at CCH, 13 Jul (LB et al., photos by many) made history for Del
Norte Co. Common Murre: The usual appearance of fathers and
chicks in nearshore waters and bays was reported far and wide,
but most intriguing was a report with a ~description of a possible,
but not confirmed, Thick-billed Murre off Wedding Rock, 7 Jul
(SS). Marbled Murrelet: Only 6 reports of 1-6 at CCH, NJ, SJ,
KS, 23 Jul-17 Aug (mo). Ancient Murrelet: 2, off Cape
Mendocino, 17 Jul (EE); 1, CCH, 23 Jul (photo, CW). Rhinoceros
Auklet: 1-8, seen from NJ/SF/KS, 27, 28 Jul, 17 Aug (AL, RF,
MW, ScC) and 1 at CCH, 23 Jul (CW). Horned Puffin: 2 live
birds in CCH, 22 Jul (SuC, AB, SS, et al). White-winged Dove:
1, Trinidad, 15, 17 Jul (MeH). Eurasian Collared Dove: The
invasion continues: 10 reports of 1-10 from ERB, Table Bluff, SP,
McKinleyville, Trinidad, Smith River, 7 Jul-20 Aug (mo). Yellowbilled Cuckoo: 1, CRI, 14-25 Jul (EE, SMcA, DC, MM).
Flammulated Owl: 1, Grouse Mountain, 19 Jul (BS). Saw-whet
Owl: 1 fledgling seen, Korbell, 27 Jul (BZ, AG). Common
Nighthawk: 3, Blue Creek Mtn (Del Norte), 26 Jun (CO); 1, 5,
Horse Mountain, 19 Jul, 13 Aug, respectively (BS, TL, GB).
Common Poorwill: 1 calling, Hennessy Ridge Road, 24 Jul
(RF). Whip-poor-will (HO): calling near Willow Creek, 21 Jun
through at least 1 Aug (mo, fide RF). Black Swift: 2, Blue Creek
Mtn, 26 Jun (Del Norte) (CO). White-throated Swift: x (photos,
1 Jul, KR); 5 or so (2 seen to enter separate drain holes under the
bridge), 10 Jul (AL); both reports at Wagner Memorial Bridge S
of Benbow. Calliope Hummingbird (ND, NC): 1, Orick Dump,
24 Jun (KI); 1 female, Titlow Hill Road, 7 Jul (FO). Rufous
Hummingbird: 1 male, Kneeland, 9 Jul (BB, DVZ). Selasphorus
sp.: 3-15 seen daily at Kneeland in Jul (BB, DVZ); 4, Oak Bottom
campground (Siskiyou); 7-10, inland Humboldt County, both 13
Aug (TL). Pileated Woodpecker: 1 ad, 1 juv, Kneeland, 5 Jul
(BB, DVZ); x, Titlow Hill Road, 7 Jul (FO); x, Dillon Road
(Siskiyou), 8 Jul (FO); 1 juv following an ad, Trinidad, 13 Jul
(MeH). Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1, SP, 18 Aug (SC). Willow
Flycatcher: 8 reports of 1-2 from Mill Creek (Del Norte); near
Orleans, lower Redwood Creek, BLR, MRFH, CRI, 15 Jun-20
Aug (mo). Least Flycatcher (ND, NC): 1, HWY 101 x Bald
Hills Road, 24 Jun (KI). Eastern Kingbird: 1, SRB, 14 Jul (RF,
CO, et al.). Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (ND, NC): 1 flyby reported,
AMP, 18 Aug (fide KR). Red-eyed Vireo: 1, BLR, heard only 13
Jul, 4 Aug (RF, KI, respectively), seen and heard, 18 Aug (KI).
Gray Jay: 4, 13 Jul (LaB); 2 ad feeding 3 juv, 20 Jul (CK), both
at Arcata Community Forest; 2 adults, 1 juv at Headwaters Trail,
2 Aug (AL). Purple Martin: 2, Cape Mendocino, 21 Jun (KR);
adult carrying food to a nest in power pole, Klamath Glen, 15 Jul
(LB); 1 male and 2 new fledglings, BLR, 28 Jul (KI); 4 (family
group?), Aldergrove Road, 29 Jul (KI); about 36, going in and out
of Indian Arrow Tree on Maple Creek Road (not there 2 hours
later), 31 Jul (L&JN); 3 males, 2 females, AMP, 7 Aug (AL).
Violet-green Swallow: Presumed nest in a horizontal crevice,
Wagner Bridge, 10 Jul (AL); evidence of postbreeding flocking as
follows. 1 flock of ~60 with new fledglings, Titlow Hill Road, 25
Jul (AL); single flocks of 283 and 290 on wires along Kneeland
Road, 23 Jul, 2 Aug, respectively (BB, DVZ). Cliff Swallow: 75
or so at nesting colony at Kneeland through 23 Jul, but only 2
present on 24 Jul (BB, DVZ). White-breasted Nuthatch: 1, Red
Mountain (Del Norte), 23 Jul (KR, DC, BZ). Pygmy Nuthatch:
2 seen and heard, W of Hayfork, 9 Aug (RF); 2 heard only in an
oak (!) tree, 2 miles W of Lewiston, 16 Aug (EE). Rock Wren: 1,
Kneeland, 31 Jul (BB, DVZ). Dipper: 2, near Orleans, 8 Jul (JR,
PM); 1 juv, near Klamath Glen, 5 Aug (LB). Ruby-crowned
Kinglet: 1, road 13N35 off Dillon Road (Siskiyou), 8 Jul (FO); 1,
Ruth Lake, 18 Aug (SMcA). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 1,
Underwood Mountain Road (FR 60), just E of Burnt Ranch, 25
by Stan Harris
Jun; 1, 10.4 miles up FR 60 at 1300 m elevation, 25 Jun (both
TL); “lots,” Dogget Road (46N42) (Siskiyou), 8 Jul (FO). Western
Bluebird: only 1 male and 1-3 juv seen at Kneeland in Jul, nest
boxes apparently unused where normal production is good, 1
dead female in 1 box (BB, DVZ). Townsend’s Solitaire: x-2,
Blue Creek Mountain (Del Norte) & Bluff Creek, (Humboldt),
both 26 Jun (CO); 3, Red Mountain (Del Norte), 23 Jul (KR, DC,
BZ); 1 adult, 25 Jul, 1 juv, 6 Aug, both Titlow Hill Road (AL).
Gray Catbird: 1 heard only, BLR, 16 Jul (PL). Mockingbird: 1,
Eureka, 10 Aug (CO); 1, SS, 14 Aug (KR). California Thrasher:
x, Yreka-Walker Road (Siskiyou), 8 Jul (FO). Northern Parula:
1, Patrick’s Point Drive; 1 Rim Trail, PPSP, both 24 Jun (KI); 1, 2
miles W of Honeydew, 24 Jun (GL). Chestnut-sided Warbler: 1
male, 7-14 Jul; 1 female, 11 Jul, all Klamath Glen (LB, AL, RF, et
al.). Magnolia Warbler: 1, PPSP, 24 Jun (KI). Black-and-white
Warbler: 1 singing, SP, 19 Jul-21 Aug (LM, RF, et al.). American
Redstart: 1, Endert’s Beach Road, 23 Jun (AB); 1, Dry Lagoon,
24 Jun (KI); 1, Crannell Road, 21 Jun (KI); 1, Manila, 26 Jun
(KI); 1, CRI, 24, 29 Jun (SMcA, MB); 1, Eureka, 30 Jun (BS).
Hooded Warbler: 1, ID based on tail spots seen directly overhead,
BLR, 21 Aug (RHe, KB). Green-tailed Towhee: 10-12 reported,
Summit of Red Mountain (Del Norte), 23 Jul (KR, DC, BZ).
California Towhee: 1-2, MRFH, 29 Jun, 15 Aug (AL); 2 at
feeder, Chezum Road, Redwood Valley, 8 Jul (FA); x, Doggett
Road (46N42) (Siskiyou), 8 Jul (FO). Brewer’s Sparrow (ND,
NC): 1, ERWA, 15 Jul (LM); 1 Eel River near Founder’s Grove,
20 Aug (KB). Lark Sparrow: 1, BRR, mid-Jun (BS); several
Alderpoint BBS, 1 Jul (KR); 1, Kneeland, 22 Jul (only 1 seen all
month) (BB, DVZ);1, Trinidad Beach, 18 Aug (RF). Savannah
Sparrow: 1, inland Humboldt County, 15 Aug (TL). Grasshopper
Sparrow: 16 reports of 1-6 from SRB (Pala Road), Klamath Glen
airport, BLR, Table Bluff, BRR, Cape Mendocino, Southern
Humboldt Community Park, Mail Ridge included singing adults
and new fledglings, 21 Jun-15 Aug (mo). Fox Sparrow: 1 singing,
Blue Creek Mountain (Del Norte), 26 Jun (CO). Rose-breasted
Grosbeak: 1, Cutten, 2 Jul (DMcC); 1 male near Weott, 25 Jul
(LS). Indigo Bunting (HO): 1-2 singing males, BLR, 22 Jun-13
Jul (RF, AL); 1, Arcata, 24 Jun (KI); 1, Crescent City, 28 Jun
(AB); 1 hybrid Indigo x Lazuli Bunting, Hoopa, 25 Jun (AL).
Western Meadowlark: 1 only all month, 9 Jul, at Kneeland (BB,
DVZ). Great-tailed Grackle: 6, SRB, 25 Jun (LB). Orchard
Oriole: 1, Bayside, 18 Jul (DF). Red Crossbill: 1, Elk Head, 23
Jul (CW). Lawrence’s Goldfinch:1 male, SRB, 26 Jun, 19 Aug
(AB, EC, LB); 1 imm., SRB, 14 Jul (RF et al.); 1 male, feeder in
Eureka, 28 Jun (BS); 2 pair, Mail Ridge, 29 Jun (JoG); 1, feeder,
Arcata, 2, 15 Jul (RF).
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
© Kerry Ross
Contributors
Many thanks to the following who shared reports with us
this period: Frank Anderson, Onik Arian, Louise BaconOgden, Stephen F. Bailey, Ron Barkley, Alan Barron, Gary
Bloomfield, Matt Brady, Laura Brinkhurst, Lucas Brug, Noah
Bunnell, Barbara Burek, Ken Burton, Sue Calla, Scott Carey,
Daryl Coldren, Eileen Cooper, Gary Crites, Duke Diehl,
Linda Doerflinger, Mary Eagen, Elias Elias, Gary Falxa,
David Fix, Robert Fowler, John Gaffin, Justin Garwood, Greg
Gaser, Steve Glover, Ann Graham, Haille, Melody Hamilton,
Robert Hardy, Stan Harris, Owen Head, Robert Hewitt,
Denise Homer, Marshall Iliss, Ken Irwin, Lois Juodeika,
Steve Kelling, Christine Kiel, Terri Klemetson, Alexandra
Lamb, Fritz Leberson, Tom Leskiw, Gary & Lauren Lester,
Steve Lewis, Paul Lohse, Peggy Macres, Larry Maurin, Sean
McAllister, Dick McCarter, Mark Morrissette, Eric Nelson,
Steve Norman, Lew & Judie Norton, Chet Ogan, Francis
Oliver, Steve Parterny, Jude Power, Carol & C.J. Ralph,
Peter Ralph, Richard Ridenhour, Kerry Ross, Paul Roush,
Jennifer Rycenga, Sal Salerno, Barry Sauppe, Larry Siemens,
Keith Slauson, Rachael Smith, Shana Stearn, Tim Stuerer,
Brian Sullivan, Amber Transou, Dan Van Zile, Matt Wachs,
Ron Ward, Chris Welsh, Nancy Wilson, Ben Zyla, George
Zyminsky. Please call future reports to the Arcata Bird Box
(707) 822-5666, to me at (707) 822-3802, send them to me
at 1595 Charles Ct., Arcata, 95521, or write them on the
observation board at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center.