Arcata Marsh/Bottoms and North Spit Jetty at Humboldt Bay

All Day Birding Adventure – to see birds of our Northern California Coast

Brant, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Black Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit, Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Sanderling, and Rock Sandpiper are all birds that are not typically seen in our immediate area. These and other birds are possibilities to witness when you visit Arcata Marsh and the North Spit Jetty at Humboldt Bay.
This event is one week after Godwit Days, but we are confident there will still be birds in the area to see on our own. Our chapter has not had a field trip to the Arcata/Humboldt Bay since covid, and we are hoping to make this one of our best trips for the season.
Our predawn departure will start at 5:30 am sharp. We will all meet prior to departing at the Civic Center Auditorium West Parking Lot for a group caravan from Redding directly to Arcata Marsh. We will make one planned rest stop before our first destination, near Willow Creek.
Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary: 8:30 am is our estimated arrival time. There will be plenty of opportunity to stretch our legs by walking the trails at the sanctuary for approx. 2 ½ – 3 hours.
We will then have a quick lunch break before we start our drive through the Arcata Bottoms on Old Samoa Rd. This section of road is narrow with limited room for parking. We will drive slow as we search for birds at every vantage point, but for only one-hour or less on this roadway. Then we head straight to our next destination.
Humboldt Bay–North Spit Jetty: 1:00 pm is our estimated arrival time to the very unique location to view shore and surf birds. We will play here for an estimated 3 hours before we stop to find a place for a fast food meal and then head back home.
We are estimating a return back to Redding between 7:30 – 8:00 pm with smiles on our faces.

All or portions of this trip are subject to change. We are reaching out to local birders of the area to join us for any part of this trip or share any tips on where we should visit for any recent bird sightings of interest. It is essential that we hear from you if you are planning to caravan or if you are looking for a ride share with our group, contact Field Trip Leader (email link) Daniel Bye, or text only at 530 228 9373, if you call, leave a message. Carpooling is highly recommended, and we can only assist in finding riders and we will do our best, but no guarantees. Please let us know if you are planning to drive, and you have room for rider(s) as well. Those willing to ride instead of drive, please be prepared to move your well packed items to another vehicle when you arrive at the west-side parking Civic Center Auditorium. Please pack a lunch, plenty of snacks, comfortable footwear, extra socks, full water container, sunscreen, insect repellant, and your field optics.