Oh gosh, I am deeply sorry to say I completely forgot to thank Pete Enzen
who also was out today. I can only blame myself for this oversight. But
he deserves thanks as well.
On Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 8:30:45 PM UTC-6 newtja84 wrote:
> Preliminary Humboldt County CBC results (waiting for some final lists etc
> but based on what I think is the vast majority species list).
> As it stands we had 38 species today. Which is above the average species
> (As of 2024) of 32 (I suspect this will be revised up).
> It was a weird energy day. Lots of species that should have been an easy
> lock, like American Tree Sparrow, were very deficient. A species that given
> the context of other finds today I would guarantee is in the circle was not
> detected, IE the American Robin. We had no Rough-legged Hawk which
> considering I had two in the circle this Wednesday was a bit frustrating.
> No blackbird icterids were seen today. It was also a very slow waterfowl
> day though a pair of Trumpeter Swans were found in a cornfield, but
> otherwise it was Canada Geese and Mallards.
> But on the other side of the weird energy equation we had a lot of species
> that are typically hit or miss...hit... Brown Creeper, Northern Flicker,
> Belted Kingfisher, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk Harris's Sparrow,
> Meadowlark spp, American Kestrel. We were touched with the tiniest crumb of
> boreal irruptive magic and found Purple Finch (two open country instances),
> Red-breasted Nuthatch and Pine Siskin.
> We got some Count circle records this years, one being in the form of a
> small flock of Eastern Bluebirds, and the other being also a County Record
> in the form of the previously reported TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE found at Gotch
> State Park.
> I would like to thank those that helped today, particularly Kevin Murphy
> and Russell Rice. And I really have to say, I appreciate it. This is not a
> very heavily birded county, we don't get lots of attention, and both Dan
> Gifford and I have done this circle alone a few times since it was started
> in 2002. A CBC circle constitutes about 177 square miles of road time, and
> it clear in the data records when I started getting more help from the
> likes of Kevin and Russell, Tyler Harms and Paul Skrade and several others
> who have leant their time and gas, and effort to do this little bit of
> avian frivolity at the solstice over the years.
> And I just want to say...this may not be the most impressive county in the
> state...but there are still places to explore and more now with the
> purchase of the Boone Valley WMA, as well Three Rivers WMA near Thor on the
> eastern frontier of the county and new private wetlands due to FINALLY
> closing the last of the drainage wells along Highway 3 east of Gilmore
> City. We literally have had three county records in the last three weeks
> (and being underbirded means more chances to be the one to find a county
> record).
>
> AS TO THE TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. It was found in Gotch State Park south of
> Humboldt/Dakota City on Gotch Park Road near the confluence of the E and W
> Des Moines River. The Solitaire was found on the north side of the park in
> an area that is largely left over sand quarry pits. The area is off trail
> hiking, and suffuse with interconnected ponds and marshy areas with
> steepish, narrow hills covered in various underbrush including junipers.
> The gates of the park are currently locked due to snow events of the
> previous month(s). So one must park at the gates (where it is icy), you can
> walk the main road for a few yards (the main road is as of today icy) there
> is a small pull in area that has a pile of logs on it, from there you just
> have to navigate the area. Good news is the park is fairly small, but as
> stated the ground is fairly uneven and in places quite wet, and while a lot
> of the ponds and interconnecting marshes/sloughs are partially frozen over,
> with the increasing warm weather be aware that such conditions
> are...potentially ephemeral. One in theory could try and duck in from a
> trail that cuts along the north side of the park, but if I remember
> correctly that is quite hedgy and under-brushy.
>
> Jacob Newton
>
> Ottosen, Humboldt County, IA
>
