Less wet birds of Arcata Marsh

Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary

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I headed out to the marsh with the tide on its way out and a small hope of maybe recording a few local birds in a non-bird feeder scenario. The low tide may not be the best time for seeing the wading birds as they tend to be out finding food, but I think the land is more interesting when the water recedes. Besides, those aren't the ones that have been hanging out at the feeder. I started off at one of the larger lots near the Interpretive Center and headed for the edge of Humboldt Bay. (It was called Wigi once, if one gets tired of calling everything after Humboldt.)

Tidal Jolly Giant Creek as it flows past the Interpretive Center.

The first bird along was, happily, not one that has been frequenting the bird feeder although, from a certain point of view, it's a perfectly good feeding place. The operator of the feeder gets upset when such feeding happens.

A red shouldered hawk gets in a solid glare after the first camera click.

And then I found some of the waders. Well, floaters, really.

A green-winged teal preens a bit.

Mama green-winged teal had some work to do too.

There are a multitude of habitats to increase the chance of many sorts of birds.

I caught one of the feeder frequenters among the trees that line the trail. I knew it would be a good place for them. The little chickadees were number one on my list to catch is a more wild environment.

The chestnut backed chickadee is not the most cooperative little bird.

Following the gravel path beside Jolly Giant Creek to the mud flats of the low tide Wigi.

Klopp Lake might have a little depth to it, but it still surprised me to find a cormorant diving in it. I've even seen that sort of thing before. They don't have to dive 100 feet just because they can. More surprising was when someone asked me what that bird was because they're one of the ones I've known even before dropping things on iNaturalist.

Klopp Lake with its islands. They have only a few birds now but fill up at other times.

The double-crested cormorant floats more in the water than on it. The deep diving bird has a few solid bones to help it sink.

There's more cormorants on the islands with the geese and sea gulls and ducks.

I took in the mud flats as well. The old bits of raised rail pilons seem to be vanishing fast, or perhaps the mud is higher.

Across the mud and a random bit of rock in the mud to the bridge. The waves suggest the water starts somewhere.

Sand bars in the water cleared mud flats.

Recording the vanishing pilons of old tracks.

Serenaded by a song sparrow in the top of a pine, I headed north along a path where I have seen quail in the past. Marsh says, "Yeah, we got that," for practically everything. Just not today.

Hard and smooth path, carefully groomed.

I crossed I Street, rather busy, to get to the trails along McDaniel Slough. It was a bit breezy and the birds out on the slough weren't quite as comfortable getting watched.

Gearheart Marsh is pretty empty.

Hauser Marsh is the same.

But a little arm of the slough is full of yet more feeding green-winged teals.

A little information on the way to the end of an old levee and the main portion of McDaniel Slough.

Another double-crested cormorant, but it floats better on the mud.

Presumably, one could just walk across to the Mad River Slough Wildlife Area, if one didn't mind getting wet and sinking into the mud. I worked my way along the edge on trails instead, until I ran into the highway.

Salt marsh owl's clover lines the lower edge of the old levees.

A goose and some sleeping northern shovelers on an island in Brackish Pond.

A pair of gadwalls, which I've likely overlooked before.

An American coot hanging out with yet more green-winged teals.

The great blue heron has some preening to do too.

I had to slow down a bit (from not very fast) when it looked like I might have a chance to catch the little yellow bird that was teasing me so.

A common yellowthroat pauses just long enough to become captured in electrons.

The path beside Western Pond and a good place to catch photos of little flittering birds.

I also caught a Lincoln's sparrow.

I found another way over to the Mad River Slough Wildlife Area, but the sign and gate indicated it wasn't an acceptable route.

A song sparrow hides in the radishes behind the gate.

Signs, signs, everywhere signs.

When I got to the highway, I found I didn't want to wander over to the adjacent lands that way either. There's barely a bike lane, and it was taken by some bikes. I turned back and headed around the other side of the Brackish Pond.

The great egret swallows down something freshly caught.

A bumble bee decides to help along the often wind moved willow pollen. Nature fails once again at being binary.

The Canada geese were herding their gosslings toward the hiding growth beside the trail.

A blue-winged teal glides by in Allen Marsh.

The cinnamon teal has a stretch before tucking his head back for a bit more sleep.

Allen Marsh seems to have a bit of open water. And sleeping green-winged teals on a fallen branch.

Then I went to scale the heights of Mount Trashmore! Disappointingly, it is not on Peakbagger. Yet.

Getting in the views from the top of Mount Trashmore.

More of Allen Marsh and Arcata beyond.

A rufous hummingbird circles around some radishes for more nectar.

Orange-crowned warblers were picking at something in the spruce.

I headed down the mountain to follow a mysterious trail marked on the Adventure Lab app's map that turned out to be the no entry "service road" that isn't anything to travel. All the other maps know what "access=no" means. So I headed back over the top of the mountain on a shorter way back. Okay, so only some of those birds weren't the soggy ones that one might typically think to find in a "marsh". I didn't do a very good job of finding the feeder birds either. I did get a few firsts (says iNaturalist), though, and that's even better.

Another common yellowthroat, which is one of those firsts. Well, the other one was.

*photo album*




©2024 Valerie Norton
Written 27 Apr 2024