Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary

06/11/2026

Purple Finch is confirmed as a breeder at the Arcata Marsh! At least three fledglings were calling right outside of the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center. We even got to set up the scope on one of the fledglings and many visitors got to witness some history as it happened here! This is the 57th bird species to be documented breeding at the Arcata Marsh!

📷 by Rob Fowler

06/03/2026

The next Arcata Marsh breeding bird survey is tomorrow, 4 June Meet Rob Fowler at 8:00 am at the south g street parking lot at the Marsh for a 2-3 hour survey. Lot's of breeding bird activity right now! This survey will also kick off the Big Weekend for the California Bird Atlas (https://www.californiabirdatlas.org/bigweekend) so come and join us and help document the breeding birds of the Arcata Marsh and contribute to the California Bird Atlas!

Next survey after tomorrow till be Thursday, 18 June. Same time same place!

Some 📷 below from Rob Fowler from the last breeding bird survey:

06/01/2026

Enjoy this super fresh Western Tiger Swallowtail nectaring like crazy on this gorgeous Western Azalea last week. Wish we could add smellivision to this video, too!
📸 Rob Fowler

05/27/2026

Lots of gorgeous natives continue to bloom on the Arcata Marsh native plant garden! Captions in the photos below!
📸: Rob Fowler

05/19/2026

Next Arcata Marsh breeding bird survey is this Thursday, 21 May. Meet Rob Fowler at 8 am at G Street parking lot at Arcata Marsh for 2-3 hour survey of breeding birds in various areas of the Marsh. Help contribute breeding bird data to the Arcata Marsh! Learn how to look for breeding birds and how to code breeding bird activity and how to contribute to the statewide California Bird Atlas (California Bird Atlas - Discover a new world of birding..._)! Anyone can join — from beginner to advanced birders — and start learning how to contribute breeding bird data to the California Bird Atlas while learning more about Arcata Marsh’s breeding birds.

Sixteen species have already been confirmed breeding at the Arcata Marsh this spring, including this adorable fledgling Marsh Wren photographed by Rob on the 7 May survey!

Contact Rob Fowler at [email protected] for more information.

05/15/2026

Happening this Sunday around various locations around the Log Pond. Should be fun!

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

Well golly…after yesterday’s exciting Mink post we’ve got another one for you! A Northwestern Pond Turtle (Actinemeys marmorata) was discovered by Joanie Weiser and later photographed by Tylor Bell-Rogers earlier today at Klopp Lake! This would be the first report of this species for the Marsh in iNaturalist!

Looking at iNaturalist the closest population of pond turtles to the Marsh are up in the Arcata Community Forest. So how did a Northwestern Pond Turtle get to the Marsh!? Hmmmmmmmm……..

📸: Tylor Bell-Rogers

05/12/2026

An American Mink (Neogale vison) was photographed by visting birder, Susan Harmon, on 18 April. This is the first photo-documented sighting of a Mink at the Arcata Marsh. Likely this same individual was seen by Tylor Bell-Rogers on 8 April hunting in the Stanley Hariss No Name Pond! A very exciting mammal to be seen at the Arcata Marsh!!!!!

05/08/2026

We’ve got a few field guides in here at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center, including the newest National Geographic Guides to the Birds of Us and Canada. Come and check them out!