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Godwit Days Friday Events
Celebrate the Marbled Godwit and explore the lush Redwood Coast. Observe many bird species and wildlife through our selection of field trips, lectures, workshops, and boat excursions led by experienced local guides.
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FRIDAY EVENTS:
FR09 Dawn Chorus-Arcata Marsh Field Trip 2 - $6 6:30am - 8:30 am
Leader: Chet Ogan
This pre-breakfast trip is planned to catch the dawn chorus in full swing at the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. Birds are on the move at this time, so there will be plenty of birding action. The willows will have songbirds singing and the reed beds will have chattering Marsh Wrens and possibly rails. The leader will explain all vocalizations, from the straight-forward Mallard quack and California Quail “Chi-CA-go” call, to the more intricate sparrow calls and chips. This trip is for everyone and will provide an introduction to the skill of birding by ear.
FR10 Pelagic Tour 1 - $100 6:30am - 3:30pm
Leaders: Daryl Coldren
Aboard the Shenendoah, Pacific Ocean pelagic birds — including Black-footed Albatross, shearwaters, Cassin’s Auklet, Sabine’s Gull, and jaegers — are expected. Marine mammals such as migrating gray whales, dolphins, and sea lions are likely. Rough seas will cancel this trip with registrants receiving a full refund. This boat trip meets in Eureka at the Woodley Island Marina (map will be included in registration packet).
FR11 Shorebird Spectacle at the Marsh - $12 7:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: To be confirmed
Witness the spectacle as flocks of thousands of shorebirds become tens of thousands, and then form a huge milling swarm as the last of the mudflats by the old wharf footing get covered. The birds then fly off low over the Bay toward the west. North Humboldt Bay is a shorebird staging site clearly of hemispherical significance.
FR12 Humboldt Bay Boat Tour 2 - NAC 7:00am - 8:00am
Leader: Chuck DeWitt, Humboldt Baykeeper
Humboldt Bay supports mud-flat-loving shorebirds and wading birds at its tidal edge. While in deep water channels, kept open for boat traffic, fish eating grebes, cormorants, scoters, and mergansers occur year round. Expect to see: Herons, egrets, loons, grebes, shorebirds, and deep water ducks. This trip meets at the Eureka Public Marina next to the Wharfinger Building at the start time (map will be included in registration packet).
FR13 Eureka Waterfront/Woodley Island Field Trip - $12 7:30am - 12:00pm
Leader: Christine Keil
This trip will highlight Eureka locations for birding around the Bay, including Woodley Island, Hilfiker Road, and King Salmon. Particular attention will be paid to two key green, open spaces within the city limits: the Eureka (aka PALCO) Marsh and the Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary/Hiksari Trail. A variety of water and land birds is expected.
FR14 Patrick’s Point State Park Field Trip - FREE 8:00am - 1:00pm
Leader: Jay Harris, California State Parks
Join California State Parks staff for a birding and cultural tour of Patrick’s Point. A State Park Interpretative Specialist will lead participants on a short tour (30 minutes) of Sumeg Village, a reconstructed Yurok village. There will be opportunities to view seabirds and species associated with the park’s Sitka spruce forests and meadows. Participants hopefully will see resident Red Crossbills and Gray Jays, as well as Varied Thrush.
FR15 The Lagoons and Redwood NP, Davidson Road - $20 8:00am - 4:00pm
Leader: To be confirmed
The drive north along Highway101 is one of the most scenic in California as it passes several beautiful coastal lagoons. We will check all these lagoons for waterfowl along our way toward Orick. Here, at the gateway to the old-growth redwoods, the Redwood National and State Parks Visitors Center will be visited, as will the Redwood Creek mouth, as we make our way to Davidson Road. We will likely see Roosevelt elk among the majestic redwoods at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
FR16 Big Lagoon Kayak Bird & Wildlife Watching 1 - $65 8:00am - 11:30am
Leader: Hawk Martin, Humboats Kayak Adventures
Big Lagoon County Park borders Patrick’s Point State Park on the south and Humboldt Lagoons State Park between Trinidad and Orick. We will explore the lagoon and view shorebirds and wildlife from the water on this pristine body of water. Depending on weather we hope to paddle up Maple Creek from the lagoon and may see Roosevelt elk from the kayaks. Call Hawk at 707-443-5157 with questions. This event meets at Big Lagoon at the start time (map will be included in registration packet).
FR17 Birding the North Spit and Woodley Island - $12 8:30am - 12:30pm
Leader: Rob Fowler
The North Spit provides a variety of birding spots out to the Jetty. Here the rocky shore specialists- Surfbird, Black Turnstone, and Wandering Tattler can be found. Woodley Island, Vance Road, and the Samoa Bridge will harbor nesting egrets and mud-dwelling shorebirds. A no-host group lunch is planned at trip’s end at Café Marina on Woodley Island.
FR18 Birding with the Authors - $25 8:30am - 2:00pm
Leader: Ken Burton, Leslie Scopes-Anderson
The Arcata Marsh and now the wider NW California birdlife has been presented in recent books by these authors. Join them to visit the Marsh and other birding areas to get a great insight into our region’s bird species. Both excellent birders and photographers their work will be seen in a signed copy of their recent book that is included in the trip price.
FR19 Birding North to Trinidad with Lunch at Seascape - $20 9:00am - 3:00pm
Leader: Rob Hewitt
Migrant spring passerines like Pacific Slope Flycatcher or Black-capped Chickadee will be sought out in the Blue Lake riparian habitats. We will sweep the Arcata Bottoms and visit Mad River County Park. A lunch break at your own expense at the Seascape Restaurant in Trinidad will refuel the afternoon of birding. We will visit Trinidad Head to see a Common Murre colony, and other areas north of Arcata.
FR20 Birding South to Ferndale with Lunch at Eel River Brewery - $20 9:00am - 3:00pm
Leader: Keith Slauson
Migrant spring passerines like Pacific Slope Flycatcher or Black-capped Chickadee will be sought out in the Eel River riparian habitats. The trip will feature Humboldt Bay NWR and the raptor-rich bottomland pastures of the Eel River. Shorebirds, waterfowl, and other birds of the Bay will be seen. A lunch break at your own expense at the Eel River Brewery will refuel us for the afternoon of birding.
FR21 Spotted Owl Field Trip 1 - $20 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Leader: Green Diamond Resource Company
Visit excellent spots to observe Northern Spotted Owls in their nesting habitat. This trip offers superb photographic opportunities, as the owls have become accustomed to human presence over the years they have been studied. The owls may be seen roadside, but more likely will require a hike along a short but possibly steep forest trail.
FR22 Mad River Slough Kayak Tour 1 - $45 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Leader: Hawk Martin, Humboats Kayak Adventures
The Mad River Slough offers some of the best and easiest paddling in the region. Located in the northern-most tip of Humboldt Bay, this water trail has an easy put-in/takeout point and offers miles of wilderness paddling. The sounds of ocean waves echo across the dunes just west of the slough. Great Blue Herons and egrets stalk fish at the water’s edge. Croaking frogs and flitting dragonflies entice one to kickback and float lazily with the tide. Wonder and discovery wait around the turn of every bend in the slough. Call Hawk at 707-443-5157 with questions. This kayak trip meets in Eureka at the Woodley Island Marina Dock A (map will be included in registration packet).
FR23 Owl Pellet Dissection Workshop for Kids - FREE 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Leader: Karen Reiss
At the Community Center, children and their parents will have fun breaking apart owl pellets to see what the birds have been eating. All materials are provided.
FR24 Opening Lecture - FREE 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Visit the art exhibit and Bird Fair vendor booths. Light hors d’oeuvres will be provided, plus a cash bar with wine from local vintners and beer from Humboldt Beer Distributers.
FR25 Opening Lecture - FREE 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Speakers: Chris West, Terry Shultz
Owls I have Known, Confessions of a Genuine Strigiphile
by Terry Schulz
A brief discussion of how this amazing group of birds are so well adapted for their way of life including Silent flight, Vision, and Hearing. The talk will include photos and a brief synopsis of the natural history and biology of 3 species of owls that the speaker has become familiar with while working with them for over 25 years.
Terry Schulz is retired as a Biologist, Research Associate and lecturer in Zoological Medicine and Wildlife diseases and is the former Supervisor of the University of California at Davis
Raptor Center. Terry lives in Fieldbrook with his wife Kimberley Pittman-Schulz and enjoys Hiking, birding and photographing birds in their natural habitat.
Chris West, Senior Biologist with the Yurok Tribe, will talk about the historical condor range and the ongoing California condor release feasibility assessment being undertaken by the Yurok Tribe. He will cover the work they are doing related to assessments of both terrestrial and marine contaminants of concern to condor recovery, community outreach work needed to prepare for condor arrival, and analysis work being used to determine the adequacy of larger scale habitat features and suitability of specific areas related to situation of potential release facilities.
Chris West was born in California and has lived in Humboldt County for ten years. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the fall of 1999 he interned with the Ventana Wildlife Society, reintroducing and managing California condors in Big Sur, California. His passion for condors led him to his Masters research related to condor behavior at Humboldt State University. His thesis work investigated how sociality, feeding environment, and rearing methods in captive breeding programs influence condor predation risk while feeding at carcasses after reintroduction. He began working for the Yurok Tribe, investigating the possibility of reintroducing condors to the Klamath Basin, in 2008. Chris is now the Senior Wildlife Biologist for the Tribe, heading up condor reintroduction feasibility studies and overseeing community outreach.
FR26 Nighttime Owls Field Trip - $17 7:30pm - 10:00pm
Leader: Sandra Hunt Von-Arb
Based on what the Owl Scouting Trip found, several locations will be searched in the hopes of a call or lucky glimpse of an owl. Hope for the best, but expect nothing. Owls are notoriously difficult to scare up on a field trip. Last year, the trip found quite a few species. Clear weather is best for night-time owling; rain cancels this trip.
FR27 Arcata Marsh Night Hike - $12 7:45pm - 9:15pm
Leader: Denise Homer
Join this tour for a unique perspective from twilight to dark at the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. We’ll look for birds at twilight and signs of mammals after dark, including a bat hunt. Dusk hours are prime mosquito time. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and other protective clothing. Use mosquito repellents containing DEET
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- Phone: 707-826-7050
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