300 for California and 250 for Humboldt!

Bullock's Oriole at Blue Lake Cottonwoods is 300 for California, and anti-climatic Brown-headed Cowbird is 250 for Humboldt. Success! Below is the last few for Humboldt County to reach 250. California is now my second state to have seen 300 or more bird species. My first is Texas. Humboldt is now my first county in the United States where I have seen over 250 species in a single county. It is probably one of the best counties in the US to hit this goal. Helping out in this regard is its large size, its diverse habitats and its coastal location. Access to the pacific ocean accounts for a huge chunk of the birds including 4 loons, 5 shearwaters, 1 albatross, 4 Jaegers/skuas, 13 gulls, 5 terns, 4 alcids (puffins and auks). On the various beaches and mudflats there are great opportunities to view shorebirds, with 33 species of sandpipers and plovers seen in the county. Another great county to do this would be Monterey County, CA for many of the same reasons.

242	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea	Alderpoint to Cain Rock Trestle	US-CA	27 Mar 2010
243	MacGillivray's Warbler - Oporornis tolmiei	Arcata Community Forest	US-CA	06 Apr 2010
244	Green Heron - Butorides virescens	Arcata Marsh	US-CA	14 Apr 2010
245	Palm Warbler - Dendroica palmarum	Arcata Marsh	US-CA	15 Apr 2010
246	Bewick's Wren - Thryomanes bewickii	Korbel	US-CA	17 Apr 2010
247	Purple Martin - Progne subis	Arcata Marsh	US-CA	17 Apr 2010
248	Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus	Arcata Marsh	US-CA	17 Apr 2010
249	Bullock's Oriole - Icterus bullockii	Blue Lake Cottonwoods	US-CA	18 Apr 2010
250	Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater	Elk Viewing Area by Red School House	US-CA	24 Apr 2010
251	Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis	Elk Viewing Area by Red School House	US-CA	24 Apr 2010