Birds of Humboldt County, Part 1

Birds of Humboldt County, California, Part 1
August-October 2025

In August, Chris and I made the momentous decision to rent a house in Arcata, California. It had been five years— to the month—since the CZU wildfire destroyed our home. Since then, we have lived a nomadic life: traveling, camping, staying with friends and family, and housesitting.
In early July, we began our road trip north, moving slowly up the coast toward Canada, hoping to explore a few places that sparked our curiosity—places that might someday feel like home.

The first stop on our list was Arcata. We had never spent time here, but its reputation preceded it: a friendly town, welcoming to artists, writers, lefties, spiritual seekers, nature lovers, and old hippies alike.

This region is separated from the rest of the world by what locals call The Redwood Curtain—a vast stretch of mountains and forests that encircle it on three sides. The fourth side is the Pacific Ocean. So far, it has escaped the overdevelopment that has negatively transformed many other coastal towns in California.

Arcata is a place of water: miles of rugged coastline, expansive bays, quiet lagoons, and wetlands. Rivers flow down from the mountains—the Eel, the Mad, the Little—on their way to the sea. The area is surrounded by a patchwork of national and state parks, county preserves, and wildlife refuges.

After only a few days in Arcata, the weariness of our years on the road caught up with us. Almost simultaneously, we both thought, Let’s stay here. We never made it to Oregon or Washington. We don’t yet know if this will be our forever home, but for now, we plan to stay a year and see how it feels.

With so much water, marshland, and forest, it’s no surprise that Arcata teems with life—especially birds. The Arcata Wildlife Sanctuary, with its blend of habitats, is only a short drive from our house. I go there often.

Below are some of the photos I’ve taken.

Please leave a comment so I know you were here.

You can find photos for purchase here: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-carla-brennan

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