Crepuscular Marsh

Bordering the west side of the Arcata Marsh is a long strip of fields, brackish, fresh and salt marshes. It's a "superb" (that's for you Britons) area for birding, and from late fall through early spring is packed with raptors. White-tailed Kites can't get enough of it, and often are out foraging until it's too dark to see.

This patch of land is also one of the most reliable places in the state for Short-eared Owl. Unfortunately, they don't really get excited about being out until it's too dark to take pictures.

Photographic handicaps aside, they are still a lot of fun to watch, terrorizing sparrows and shorebirds and rodents, and letting out the occasional "Yip!". 

Short-eared Owls are not afraid to go talon to talon with each other, or Northern Harriers. Too bad my lens' petulant autofocus was busy making sure that I would be unable to actually photograph any of that.

Here is where I'm talking about....this is looking west from the Arcata Marsh towards the Lanphere Dunes. If you are ever birding the marsh, don't forget to hang out until the owls come out.

Get Rad Arcata Marsh

Peregrine Falcons are the expected falcon at the marsh, so it was nice to find this Merlin next to the road, glaring at joggers that went by. She was probably thinking about extirpating the local Dunlin flock. All photos from today are from Arcata Marsh, CA.

Any visiting birder to Humboldt County eventually ends up at the Arcata Marsh. It's the obvious place to go. The marsh is good birding much of the year, is easy to get to, gets rare birds, and handles the town of Arcata's wastewater all at once. It's convenient location right in town makes it accessible to even the laziest, most transportation-deprived birder. The marsh has hosted everything from White-winged Tern to Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher (I've come across Ruff, Tufted Duck, American Tree Sparrow there, among other melters of faces), and is a great spot to see massive concentrations of shorebirds during migration. Basically, it has everything. Sure sketchy dudes sleep in the bushes and some weird shit happens...not dangerous, just weird...this is Arcata, after all...but don't let that deter you. Do not fear the weird, my friends, for this is a quality spot. Don't forget to check the Oxidation Ponds too, which are right next door.

If you are one of those people with some free time and an itch to travel, Godwit Days will be going down next month in Arcata. Godwit Days is a multi-day birding festival with multitudes of field trips and events, and has been running ever since 1996, so those folks know what they're doing. Check it out!

Do you have a local Merlin? Have you made your weekly sacrifice of fresh shorebird blood? Well you better do it soon, because Merlins will soon be pulling stakes and getting northbound.

This Fox Sparrow is ending another creature's life. Can you imagine death by Fox Sparrow? If you ever find yourself hiding in the leaf litter, it won't be long before one of these birds finds you.

A younger Golden-crowned Sparrow. Look at that back pattern...I think I will get that tattooed across my shoulders. Tribal tattoos are OUT, Golden-crowned Sparrows are IN.

At first I thought this was a pure Eurasian ("Common") Green-winged Teal, as I could see no sign of the vertical white breast stripe of American birds. Upon looking at my photos closely, it looks like there is almost a hint of one, but its so bloody faint its hard to say for sure.

Nevermind. There's that horrid stripe. I was wrong! It's a hybrid! Oh well.

What is the deal with this Northern Shoveler? Not only is it in a weird molt, it flies around with it's feet sticking up at a ridiculous angle.

See? Here's a closer look...compare the weird bird's foot position with that of the background shoveler. What are you trying to prove, bizarro shoveler?

Feeding frenzy...many invertebrates are being demolished here. Northern Shovelers, Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal and Buffleheads.

I admit it. It has taken me years to get a good Yellow-rumped Warbler picture, of the "Myrtle" variety (like this one) or otherwise. That's a huge weight off my shoulders. I don't know what I could possibly say about these birds that you wouldn't already know, except they are going to start getting really sexy looking soon and transform into facemelting birds.

Buffleheads are one of those birds that are hard to get tired of, no matter how bloody common they may be. I love the bubblegum pink feet.

Another bird I've seen many thousands of but have no good pictures of are Marsh Wrens. While I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a good picture, I think it kind of shows a Marsh Wren doing what Marsh Wrens do best.

Why Does My Appearance Seem To Have A Somber Tone?

Today is Johnny Cash's birthday, so here is an appropriately dressed Brewer's Blackbird for the occasion.  If you are wondering about the fish carcasses, you would be correct in guessing that this bird was at the Salton Sea.

The year list thing is like a disease.  It always is the most intense in the flu season....right when it starts (January, or in my case, February), and right when it ends (December 31, obvi).  But in fact, its more like herpes.  Just when you thought that you were done with this ugly business, that it may not rear its ugly head ever again.....BAM there it is, worse than ever.  The only difference is that with a year list outbreak, you can still derive pleasure from it....with herpes, you can maybe reflect on how much fun you were having when you first got it, but otherwise its just something you have to come to terms with.  Not that I know much about this first hand, but I can only assume that if you have been stricken and are reading this....you might relate.

When Mew Gulls Attack

I'm at about 151 right now, which to any other year-lister based in California would be a pathetic number.  But since I'm not really trying too hard, why worry?  Besides, anyone who knows enough to scoff at my paltry 151 is so deeply rooted in nerddom that their opinion is, by default, rendered meaningless.  Cassowary and Lizzard, who inspired me to do this, are at least at 203 at the moment, and have birded from Washington all the way down to Orange County...I can only assume they are now moving eastward.  But from what I gathered during out last conversation, they may be being digested in a mountain lion stomach at the moment.

 

I guess Tufted Duck, Virginia's Warbler and Rock Sandpipers are the highlights so far in 2010, but its good to have things like Thayer's Gull and Red-necked Grebe in there too.  The most exotic species is Red-masked Parakeet (the famous parrots of Telegraph Hill).....but since being a biologist takes any joy out of seeing introduced species, its really not a big deal.

A Horned Grebe taking it easy at Lake Merritt.

Word on where I will be spending my summer could potentially come in any day......not knowing adds a shot of suspense into my life, but with much suspense there is always The Fear.

The next dispatch of BB&B will be from southeast Arizona.  Have a good weekend, and consume much whisky.

Part of the Arcata Marsh mural on I Street.  Pretty funny, in my opinion.