November 1st, 2012: Redwood National and State Parks

        Today was the longest birding day of our entire trip. We left the house relatively early (although rather late for birding standards), at around 8:30 AM. We drove up 101 nonstop until we reached the Redwood National and State Parks visitor's center. Since I've been to this same visitor's center the previous year, I spent all of the time spent there birding the vicinity. I walked down this boardwalk that led to a marsh, where I found Yellow-rumped Warblers, Song and Fox Sparrows, and even an immature Cooper's Hawk. There were also several grunting Virginia Rails that called from within the reeds. None were seen of course, for that is harder than trying to find a needle in a haystack. Suddenly, several flocks of Cackling Geese flew over. Some even flew rather close to the ground, which really aided with my identification.

         Once we drove out of the parking lot, we kept going up the 101. We then came across a herd of Roosevelt Elk. This mammal is one of the reasons why this national park was created. This species was once overhunted and nearly went extinct, but thanks to the National Park Service, this species thrives in this park, and was seen on several occasions while driving. This herd however was right on the side of the road, and offered fantastic views. Better views than those that I had gotten last year.

Bull Roosevelt Elk

        After several brief stops at various lookouts, we finally arrived at our first legitimate birding destination. We were no longer in Humboldt county, but in Del Norte county, the northernmost county on the California coast. We drove all the way up there to visit the Crescent City harbor. This popular fishing destination is also a good seawatching destination. Once we arrived, I immediately grabbed my scope and headed up the hill that gave a great view of the ocean and the harbor. On the way up, next to the jetty, I noticed a single Common Loon and a single Horned Grebe, both in nonbreeding plumage (which isn't surprising).

Horned Grebe
(notice the white cheek, and the blocky head.)

        We kept on trekking up the hill. This task proved to be much more strenuous and arduous, than we had anticipated. At first the terrain was rocky, with loose gravel, which offered very poor traction. Then we reached a more vegetated area, where there were ferns and other plants. That area was especially damp, and we kept on slipping. Fortunately, nobody fell, because it would have been a

30-foot drop. In this zone where the foliage thrived, we noticed a single Banana Slug, oozing its way onto a rock. It truly is an interesting animal, with its entirely yellow coloring, and long body.

Banana Slug

       Unfortunately, once we reached the top of the hill, there wasn't much to see. There was a single Red-throated Loon, but other than that there were just regular harbor birds. So that intense ordeal that we underwent turned out to be of not much use. However, this letdown was countered by my third lifer of the trip! As I'm scoping within the harbor, I noticed many Western Grebes. But among these myriad grebes, I found a Red-necked Grebe! This is a bird that I actually wasn't expecting to see during this trip. So this find really brought my spirits up!

Red-necked Grebe
(ntocie the yellow bill, the gray cheek,
and the triangular head shape.)

     In the harbor, there was also a number of Steller's Sea Lions. These pinnipeds are humongous, and  are, not surprisingly, incredibly loud. A lot of them were sunning themselves on a large wooden float, while some others were just carelessly swimming around.

Steller's Sea Lions

       We ate at this fish restaurant by the harbor, and while we satiated our ravenous appetites, we admired the numreous sea lions, loons, and grebes.

Western Grebe
(notice the yellow bill, the red eye,
and the black that covers the eye.)

      After finishing our meals, we drove through a redwood forest. These trees were absolutely immense! They towered over us like skyscrapers, except that they were more pleasant to be around, and they were actually supposed to be there. Being around these gigantic trees really made me realize how little and weak us humans are, and reinforced my eternal deference unto the natural world.

Redwood grove

      We decided to walk down the small trail, that led deeper inside the redwood forest. Along this trail we didn't notice many birds at all. I actually only tallied a total of 3 species: Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Common Ravens. Although, to be fair, we were walking down this trail at 2:00 PM, the worst time to be out birding. Birds tend to be more active at dawn and at dusk, because that is when they go out to forage, which makes them more exposed and noticeable.

     Our last stop of the day was really quite a treat, because it was there that I found our most interesting bird of the trip. We went to this place called Fern Creek Canyon. This is basically a small, yet rapid, stream, going down a rocky and sandy trail, in the middle of two tall walls covered in lush and green ferns. At first, the only interesting birds were a large flock of Pine Siskins, with over 30 individuals. But once we walked down the stream, this little gray bird zipped by my feet and landed on a log in front of me. I froze, and stared at it in awe. This little bird was an American Dipper. This is the first confirmed identification I've ever made of this bird, but it wasn't a lifer. Dippers are very interesting birds because they are the only passerines (songbirds) that are capable of swimming underwater. What these birds do is dive underwater, run along little rocks, feeding on aquatic insects and larvae. It was very entertaining to watch this bird dive underwater and pop up again. But our entertainment only increased once another individual joined the first! It was truly a sight to see: to watch two American Dippers diving in the same field of view. What made this experience even more memorable was the proximity at which we were able to admire the birds. One literally stood only 3-feet away from us! This provided some remarkable photo ops:

Juvenile American Dipper
(notice the yellow bill, and the white marks on wings:
both field marks to identify a juvenile of this species.)

     This concluded our wonderful day spent at Redwood National and State Parks. The Red-necked Grebe was definitely the best bird of the day, but the American Dipper was easily a close second. I was pretty bummed out however at the end of the day, because the next day we would leave Humboldt county and head back down to San Francisco. I wasn't even sure if was going to be to go birding again before we left. So I made sure I enjoyed this glorious day in very northern California.

October 31st, 2012: North Spit Jetty Seawatch

          After visiting the Humboldt State University campus (which was fantastic!), we drove out to the North Spit to do a seawatch. North Spit in located where Humboldt Bay ends, and the Pacific Ocean begins. This means that any seabirds that want to enter the bay will most likely pass through this opening, which was good for me. When we first arrived, we parked at the very beginning of the trail that led to North Spit Jetty. However, we didn't realize how long of a walk on the beach it was to reach the jetty. To make this lengthy amble productive, I walked along the concrete slabs that lined the bay, to be able to see the water and the birds that were visible. Sure enough, there were several Surf Scoters that were swimming close to the concrete that I was walking along, but they quickly swam away as soon as they saw me. Oddly though, there were only females and not a single male amongst them. I pondered as to why the males were missing, but couldn't find an answer. Double-crested Cormorants flew inches over the rough waters, while Brown Pelicans soared several meters high, ignoring the fact that the waters were choppy.

Brown Pelican
(notice the obnoxiously large bill, the yellow on the head,
and the large wings.)

      Suddenly, as I noticed some more female Surf Scoters, I saw a smaller looking bird, that was mostly white. I put my binoculars up, only to find my lifer Long-tailed Duck! This arctic bird gave me spectacular views as I took myriad photographs. This species nests in the high arctic, but migrates south to California to winter. There was a female that had spent the entire summer at a local birding hotspot in the Bay Area, that I visit all the time, but for some reason I could never seem to find it. So I was glad to finally find this individual!

Long-tailed Duck
(notice the white head, the black cheek,
the white back, and the gray flanks.)

      Once the bird swam off in the opposite direction, I continued to the jetty. I finally arrived and set up my scope. Many gulls flew over as I did so, mostly Mew Gulls, but there were also a couple Western Gulls that passed overhead. I scoped the horizon and found scores of scoter rafts. There were so many of these ducks at sea. Although, for a big part of them, I couldn't make a positive identification because of the distance, but I assumed that they were mostly Surf Scoters. Western Grebes were also present in large numbers. They really stood out thanks to their white necks and breast, and yellow bills. Every few minutes, several loons would fly past in the distance. Though I didn't get great looks at them, I managed to identify a lot of them by their flight style. There would be some darker loons that flew by, but that had wobbly flights. These were Pacific Loons. Then, more loons of a dark plumage passed by (a little closer to shore), but that had straightforward and direct flights. These were Common Loons. Finally, very light colored loons flew by, and also had rather wobbly flights like the Pacific Loons. These were Red-throated Loons. I learned these helpful field marks while seawatching with my good friend Logan Kahle in San Francisco. 

       Some closer Common Loons would pop out of the water and dive back down almost immediately. At the very end of the jetty, I could see a large murmuration of shorebirds, flying around aimlessly, almost as if they had choreographed the entire movement. Suddenly, a large part of the flock flew to the beach, and I instinctively turned my spotting scope in their direction. The flock was almost entirely composed of Sanderlings, with the exception of a single Dunlin that attempted to pass unnoticed, but to no avail.

Sanderlings and the sole Dunlin

        This concluded my brief stint at North Spit Jetty. The conditions were ideal for a seawatch, which is why I was a little disappointed with my results, but I had a good time nonetheless. The Long-tailed Duck was definitely the highlight of that visit, but the Surf Scoters were also fun to watch. Although I missed a couple of my target birds, I know I will return to that very same spot in the near future, and acheive my goals of finding the species I was after.

October 30th, 2012: Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary

        Since I am a senior, I have started applying to universities. Because of my passion for birds and nature, I want to pursue an environmental or wildlife major. I discovered a school in northern California that is nationally recognized for its tremendous wildlife program: Humboldt State University. Over time, it has become my first choice as a university. However, because I had read so much about it and done so much research on it, I felt that it was essential for me to visit the campus, so that I may make my own opinion. So my parents scheduled a tour of the campus, and I even got to sit in a wildlife class. Although, my campus visit only lasted about two hours, but we stayed for four days. So what is a birder to do in one of the best birding areas of California? The answer may seem surprising, but we (my parents, my sister, and I) went birding a lot.

        We left Pacifica at around 8:30 AM, and arrived in Eureka at around 3:00 PM. We checked into the hotel and settled in. After ten minutes of arriving though, I kept on nagging my parents about leaving the hotel and going to a local marsh. Finally we left, and my norcal birding began.

        Our first stop was at this local marsh called Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. This surprisingly large preserve is composed of various ponds, fields, and salt marshes. In these different habitats, myriad bird species thrive. Once we arrived, the first birds we easily noticed were Yellow-rumped Warblers. These birds were ubiquitous no matter where we went, and especially here. The trail brought us into a riparian habitat with Pine Siskins, Song Sparrows, and Fox Sparrows. We finally reached the first pond, where we found several duck species including the universal Mallard, many American Wigeons, and a single Eurasian Wigeon, a real treat! This duck species is native to the Old World, where it is very common. However, this species yearly migrates to the states and winters here, but in low numbers, and especially in California. This individual was an adult male in breeding plumage. Suddenly, I began hearing loud honking, getting louder and louder. I looked up to find a flock of geese. At first I hesitated with my identification, but after getting a good look at their necks and bills, I confirmed my identification. These birds were Cackling Geese. This species was once just a subspecies of the Canada Goose, but recently became a separate species. These two species look almost identical, but they're nonetheless easy to identify. Cackling Geese have extremely short necks and stout bills, unlike the Canada Geese, that have longer necks and bigger bills. When this flock flew over, I got really happy, because it was my first lifer of the trip.

Flock of Cackling Geese

       We continued our walk and came across a much larger pond, with many more ducks. I decided to scope the area, to verify every species closely. The most common species was the Green-winged Teal, with easily over 200 individuals. The other ducks were obviously Mallards, American Wigeons, and a couple Cinnamon Teals. Although, there was also another Eurasian Wigeon! This is a bird that I've only previously seen once in my life, and now I had seen two within the same hour. This one however was an immature male, due to its more faded coloring.

Eurasian Wigeon
(notice the rufous head, the orangish flanks,
and the dark around the eye.)

       Suddenly, a Northern Harrier flew very low over the pond, and sent many ducks to the air. This predator frightened many of the birds in the pond, but not the non-native wigeon. We left this pond and arrived at another, encircled by tall reeds, almost like a medieval fortress. There were several openings, where we could see the birds that hid behind the reeds. The most common birds were American Coots, but there were also Pied-billed Grebes, Northern Shovelers, and a single female Greater Scaup.

American Coots
(notice the white beak, the entire black body,
and the small and red knob on their fronts.)

       When then reached the extremity of the wildlife sanctuary that gave a view of the vast Humboldt Bay. It was low tide, so there were several shorebirds foraging in the wet sand. There were mostly Willets and Marbled Godwits, but there were also some American Avocets.

Willets on top, and Marbled Godwits on bottom

     As we kept on walking, we passed by some conifers that had some more Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and some Black-capped Chickadees. Black-capped Chickadees are typically eastern birds, but their range extends westward in the north, and their range on the west descends down to Humboldt county, so this is their southernmost range.

     This basically concluded our first day in Humboldt. I visited this wildlife sanctuary last summer, so it was nice to return to this area. After getting my first lifer of the trip, I was anxious to find out what else Humboldt county kept in store for me.

My Proudest Moment in Birding!

          October 30th, 2011 (a year ago), marked the day of my greatest birding discovery. My father and I went birding at this local park called Lake Elizabeth. This park is in Fremont, in the East Bay. After all the research I had done, this park seemed like a birder's paradise. However, I was greatly disappointed once we had actually arrived. The park was full of rowdy and boisterous picnickers, that made enormous messes, and didn't even bother cleaning them up. I was just about ready to leave, but then I saw several Ruddy Ducks swimming around in the lake. These ducks gave me hope that I might perhaps find some interesting birds, despite the myriad dog-walkers and runners. As we walked down the path, we saw birds such as Double-crested Cormorants, American White Pelicans, and even an exposed Sora near some reeds! Suddenly, I looked up and noticed the tall and bare branch erupting from the trees. This bizarre branch had a little bird perched atop. I was about to call it a Say's Phoebe and move on with my day, but then I noticed that it was much lighter than a Say's Phoebe. Curious as to what it may be, I put my binoculars up. What I found made my jaw drop. I was looking at an immature male Vermilion Flycatcher! I was elated once I made this discovery. We finished walking around the lake, and headed home. Once we were at home, I posted my sighting on eBird.org. I almost immediately received a response from a local volunteer that checks to validate odd sightings of birds in the East Bay. She asked me if I was positive about my identification. I sent her the photos I took of the bird, her jaw dropped as well. Not only was it a rarity for the Bay Area, it was also Alameda County's first-ever record of this species. When I found this out, I became even more excited than I already was!

Immature male Vermilion Flycatcher
(notice the the line that goes across the eye, the whitish chest,
and the red vents.)

      The Vermilion Flycatcher is a species of tyrant-flycatcher that inhabits the southwest of the United States, and is found all the way down to South America (there are even some on the Galapagos Islands!). Though it is far from being restricted range-wise, this bird is rarely seen outside of this regular range. As all flycatchers do, this species feeds mainly on little, flying insects, and hunts by flycatching. Flycatching is when a bird is on a perch and looks around for prey. Once it has spotted its prey, it will fly off to snatch it, and return to its initial perch. This bird was doing that so frequently, that it was difficult to get decent shots of it.

       This bird has become my favorite bird, and not only because it's the first rarity I have ever found, but also because it is absolutely stunning once it reaches its adult plumage. The photo above does not do justice to the sheer beauty of this passerine. My mother took this photo while we were visiting Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, in Southern California (in its regular range).

Adult male Vermilion Flycatcher
(notice the small and pointed black bill, the black band across the eye,
the red head, chest and underbelly, and the black back.)

       I couldn't post this on the actual one-year anniversary of this amazing find, for I was visiting a university in Northern California, but I nonetheless celebrated while I was up there. Every birder loves finding rarities, and every birder dreams of finding a county first. Having done this makes me feel fulfilled and proud of myself. Now I can't wait to find my second county-first, and perhaps maybe even a state-first!