Rare bird sighting on Bear River Ridge
The Times-Standard headline reads Rare bird spotted in Humboldt today for the first time ever:
A sparrow-like bird called a Smith’s longspur was spotted today in Humboldt County, making it the first of its type to ever be recorded in the area.
Biologist Robert Hewitt said it’s not only the first bird of its kind to be recorded in the area, but that it’s the first one ever to be found during springtime in California.
”The birders are loving it,” Hewitt said.. ”It’s right here on the flat open prairies of Bear River ridge.”
Bear River Ridge has also been in the news lately as the place where mega oil corporation Shell wants to develop a wind farm with 25 turbines.
[Image source. More images of the Smith's Longspur (not in Humboldt) here.]
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There have been many sitings of rare birds in recent years, fish that don’t belong in our ocean, disease-caring insects and pests moving in…year-round mosquito infestations…all from changing climates that no longer make the “news”.
If the U.S. cancer, poverty, suicide, crime, foreclosure, bankruptcy, unemployment, and homeless pandemics are any indication, we won’t be reading about it in the newspaper anytime soon.
….and here’s the GOOD NEWS___I bet this tweedy bird (sautéed w/Colonel Sanders special recipe) tastes a lot like the marbled murrelet & the spotted owl….. mmmm-mmm-good!
Screw that green power.
If the pic is correct, that bird is common in this area. I have seen this bird all my life.
If, in fact, it is new, then should we not eradicate it so it doesn’t overtake indigenous species? Could this supposed expanded migration be caused by human influence on the environment? We may need a new tax to cover the cost of migration credits.
I saw an Oregon Junco (Snowbird) in my back yard yesterday. They used to be very common but I don’t recall seeing any for a while.
25 units in a remote location are a tax dodge, not a wind farm.
This will be a great weekend for birders – Happy Godwit Days!
You know if for all the NIMBYs, if you can’t find a rare bird, a rare frog or tick or flea is all you need to stop progress. Countless EIRs and sympathetic green “biologists:” will unearth any number of soon to be extinct critters.
Cute bird, looks a little like a chickadee and a gold finch…so relax you hard asses and just enjoy an occassional peaceful moment watching nature….and, it’s ok if D.O. posted this, we all know he is a regular contributor. tx for this one.
The collective oracle foils me again.
thought that would get a rise
Pretty bird, lovely photo… Avian tourism is on the rise in Humboldt County!!
Since all of the land on Bear River Ridge is private, I really hope this was sighted from the road..
PS..there is no such thing as invasive species.
http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/NativesVsExotics.htm
Eleanor: as part of Godwit days there were scheduled field trips up there with permission, led by Rob Hewitt. There are other nifty “closed” areas that the Godwit field trips have permission to go to, e.g. Lanphere Dunes.
The road is public and a favorite of hikers and cyclists. As long as it stays wind-turbine-free.
W.T.F.
Wind Turbines Fail
Hikers? Really? Please, where do they park their car? There’s no parking on the county road, and you can’t leave the pavement..
In all of the years that I have lived out there I have never seen a hiker nor a bicyclist on Bear River Ridge.. That is private open range land and not really suitable for biking. Just because there’s no fence doesn’t mean you can walk on it; keep your feet on the road!
And if the turbines will get rid of these tresspassers, that’s another plus to us..
Eleanor, which Indians did you steal “your land” from?
No one stole any land, it’s all still right where it’s always been…
Except you built fences to keep out the original owners and everyone else from your “private open range land.”
Bikers and Hikers on the road and/or nearby for school and pleasure, bird watching, etc. Also scenic drives. The whole ridge isn’t just private land and the wind turbine installations would be monstrosities effecting a greater area than their immediate footprint.
It’s a shared planet, ya’ll!
ebeltz.net has taken students there obn field trips
trails dot come has the ridge featured
californiatraveldreams lists it under ferndale attractions
birdingonthenet recommends birding at the ridge
4x4books dot com lists the site
trailsticker dot com offers a momento for hikers who complete the road
krebcyleproducts features the ridge
northcoastbikeriders blog features the ridge
backcountrybyways recommends the drive
sterlingbirds birdwatches there also
“landowners” want to benifit from public roads, but not share the scenery, wildlife, watershed or airshed, hmmm……that doesn’t seem very fair.
It’s a shared planet, ya’ll!
Um, just cause someone “owns” the rights to a tiny plot of land, does that mean they have the “rights” to put something on that land which will harm the rest of the earth?
We saw this bird a couple of days ago in our maple tree. We live across the Eel River from Bear River Ridge. What a beautiful bird..
Saw in the paper recently a senior hike along the road. Sounds like a shared space.
Carol, Thanks for sharing your sighting of the bird. May you enjoy the beauty of the area always.