Chasing Birds

In November of 2010 Gary Lester and his wife Lauren discovered a very rare
bird while out walking Clam Beach in Humboldt County, California
Gary is a local highly regarded birder and professional biologist was scanning the large ponds that are east of Clam Beach and south of the highway 101 Vista Point overlook. 
He noticed a bird that was definitely not an endemic species and later reported it to the Humboldt County Birder alert as a Brown Shrike.

In the ensuing days word got out to the bird community as fast as lightning and the Shrike rush was on.

Birders from all over the country began to show up to get a glimpse of this very rare bird.

Even local birders became addicted to it as they returned sometimes daily or weekly just to see it again or photograph it.

People who chase birds must be reasonably successful in life because it requires time and money to travel great distances to add a new bird to one's life list.

According to an article in USA Today American birders spend over 32 billion annually on their hobby and 18 million to travel inorder to see birds.

A 2001 study by USFW found that the average age of birders is 49 with above average income and education level.

I met several birders while looking for the Shrike who had traveled from as far away as Boston, MA, Washington State, Arizona and Oregon.

Most were equipped with the best and most expensive binoculars and /or spotting scopes
on the market and clothed in Gortex raingear and waterproof footwear.

Most were friendly but serious and dedicated to their passion of chasing birds.
Birders are collectors in a sense because each new bird is another notch on their lifetime list. 

Many bird chasers are also competitive as well and each new bird gives them bragging rights to their peers.

I have observed birders when they see a new bird for the first time display a keen sense of accomplishment
often with "High Fives", handshakes, and even Tiger Woods like fist pumps.
Others may calmly display a sigh of relief for all their efforts and move on to the next challenge.

The second time that I was out looking for it I ran into a legend in Humboldt County by the name of Dr. Harris a retired professor at Humboldt State University.
He was there with his adult son sitting atop one of highest foredunes scanning the leafless alders hoping to add this bird to his list of Humboldt County birds which tops all other birders.
Neither of us spotted the shrike on that day even though we scanned the habitat patiently for well over an hour.

On the third time that I went out to look for it there were several people who had it in their scope making it easy for me.

While talking to a lady from Sonoma County I mentioned an old friend (Mike Parmeter) who greatly influenced me when I was a boy scout in Guerneville, California. He became a Medical doctor and one of the best birders in California and co authored "Birds of Sonoma County, California" with the late Gordon Bolander.  She knew Mike and we talked about him and birds briefly while walking toward the birders who arrived before us to see the Shrike.

I mention this to point out that birders often meet new people while chasing birds and it  becomes a social gathering of sorts.

                                      Brown Shrike photo courtesy of Wikipedia
As I write this the Brown Shrike has stayed put for over 6 months and apparently finds the area a good place for food and cover. 

This bird has undoubtedly affected our local economy in a positive way since birders who come here most likely use a local motel and restaurants if they stay more than a day.
This years annual "Godwit Days" celebration was a huge success with most all birding trips sold out.

One of the big drawing cards was the possibility of seeing the Brown Shrike and to add it to their Life list.
A good friend of mine and highly regarded naturalist and birder Wayne Laubscher who works with this years keynote speaker Scott Wiedensaul banding Saw Whet Owls in Pennsylvania came out for Godwit days.
 Wayne was excited about the possibilties of seeing  many new birds and ended up with 20 including the  Brown Shrike and Spotted owl.

In constant rain we followed by car our leader Keith Hamm a Associate biologist with Green Diamond up a mountain road for several miles.
About 12 enthusiastic people in rain gear trudged up a slippery slope in riparian mature forest to get a glimpse of the owl that has created controversy amongst environmentalist and the logging industry for over 30 years.
Mr. Hamm explained eloquently the background research that he and others have been conducting for over
20 years.  He told us that most all the owls in this large area owned by Green Diamond have been banded and he knew exactly where to find the owl that we were about to see.

He first  mimiced the call of the owl with a dog like barking described by Sibley as "whup, hoo-hoo, hooo".
Within seconds his sharp eyes picked up the owl that most of the group didn't notice because of it's cryptic coloration making it almost invisible.

He then placed a white lab mouse on the end of a small twig and held it up high above his head.
Within seconds the owl swooped in so close that we could feel the breeze of the silent wing beat as it snatched up the mouse and took it to a nearby branch. One gentleman from Southern California was almost in tears from the overwhelming emotion of seeing the owl for the first time.

Photo of Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) by Wayne Laubscher

Wayne who is an accomplished photographer brought his camera inspite of the wet conditions and I held

an umbrella over him as he photographed the owl.

Mr. Hamm being a father himself next allowed a young boy his sons age
 hold the stick with another mouse on it. 

Someone should have gotten a photo of the boys expression when the owl again swooped down and deftly plucked the mouse from its perch and flew to a nearby branch.
It was priceless!
An experience that this boy will likely remember the rest of  his life.

We signed up for the Brown Shrike trip on Waynes last full day in Humboldt County which was guided
by Gary Lester who originally found it.

                    Gary Lester with a trip participant looking for the Brown Shrike.

 The ponds where the Brown Shrike has remained for nearly 6 months in Mckinleyville, California.

                               Wayne Laubscher scanning for the Brown Shrike
The Shrike was found and all the participants excluding Gary and myself had added another bird to their life list.  
I had a great time and it was good to see a friend from our days living in Pennsylvania once again.
I must add that I am not a "Bird Chaser" and most likely would not fly across country to see a new bird. However, I love seeing new birds and appreciate them from a different aspect and marvel at their diversity, beauty and the many adaptations that have evolved through natural selection.

Looking for Dead Birds

Photo by Kimberley Pittman-Schulz

My wife and I greatly enjoy our proximity to the Pacific Coast and walking along the many beaches here in Humboldt County.
We are volunteers with COASST as citizen scientist looking for dead beached birds that have washed ashore.
We've been involved with the program for a little over one year now and both of us look forward each month to our purposeful walk on "our" beach.


The way I found out about the program is interesting indeed.
I was checking out the mouth of the Mad River in early Febuary of 2009 and found a bottle with a lid and picked it up to see if there was a note in it.

There wasn't so I decided to put one in it and threw it into the river nearly 400 meters from the mouth. Perhaps I thought someone far away in some exotic place would eventually find it.

Gary Lester a local highly regarded birder and COASST volunteer found the bottle with the note and notified me by email the very next day.

Shortly after that I met Gary and his wife in person and he told me of the COASST volunteer program.
I took the COASST training class held in Trinidad, Ca and was assigned Clam Beach south.

It includes the area from the southern parking lot of Clam Beach County Park south to the Vista Point overlook approximately 1.7 Kilometers one way. It is a very flat and wide beach with the mouth of Strawberry Creek intersecting it about a third of the way.


Turkey Vultures and Ravens scavenging a dead Marine Mammal on Clam beach.

We sometimes find dead Marine mammals that have washed ashore including this scavenged Dolphin.

The purpose of the project is to monitor the marine ecosystems health in the Pacific Northwest. It is a cooperative effort by hundreds of volunteers from the Aleutians south to Humboldt County, California.

Assigned beaches are surveyed each month and data is collected on special data sheets. The data is analysed by scientist at the University of Washington and assembled into an annual report.

Data from all of the beaches surveyed reveal patterns which may help biologist make future decisions on the conservation of species of concern.

We enjoy the project for several reasons which include doing something outdoors together as a team and contributing in a small way to our knowledge about the Marine ecosystem.

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)

During our surveys we also enjoy getting close veiws of live birds that frequent our coastal beaches.

Western Sandpiper(Calidris mauri)

I must admit that it isn't always fun when you're hunched over a badly decayed specimen that falls apart at the slightest tug while trying to measure and Identify it in a cold wind.

The majority of birds found have been scavenged to some extent by other birds.

When we find one it is measured (tarsus,wing chord, bill) and identified when possible with the use of a key. We then mark it with color coded plastic cable ties and photograph it. Marking a bird prevents recounting it if it is found again by us or someone else. Thus far we have not stumbled upon anything rare or unusual like an Albatross or a Flesh footed Shearwater.

We have not experienced a "Wreck"* yet either and when and if we do we will be sure to call out the troops for help.

Most days we try to pick up as much litter that we find washed ashore.
Below is an example of a days find that we carried back to the dumpsters.

If I were younger and looking for a job it would be interesting to put this experience on my Resume and wait for a curious response by the potential employer during a interveiw.

*A wreck is a large number of single species, or group of species washed ashore sometimes resulting in 10 to 100 times normal.