Numbers from Christmas Bird Count

Michael, Nancy and Barb counting birds on 12/31/2016 – Tim Dustrude photo

Here’s a note from Barbara Jensen about the recent Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count…

I have finally crunched the numbers for the CBC and even though the weather was not the best, lots of areas were covered and lots of birds seen, here are some of the highlights:

• 81 people participated, in 32 parties and 12 feeder counts.
• They spent almost 80 hours on foot and covered over 75 miles.
• 10 hours were spent on boats and covered over 40 miles!
• Almost 170 miles were traveled by car in 34 hours.

Barb, Max, Blake, Michael, Jeanette and Nancy – Tim Dustrude photo

Species Highlights: Numbers were generally down due to stormy weather but 114 species were seen.
There were several high numbers (highest recorded numbers for any count): Cackling Goose, Black Turnstone, Mew Gull, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Anna’s Hummingbird (124! and only a few years ago they were not on the count), Northern Flicker, Western Bluebird (first year on the count), Townsend’s Solitaire, Slat-colored Junco (a first), White-crowned Sparrow and Red-winged Blackbird.

The White Crowned Sparrow had high numbers on the bird count this year – Tim Dustrude photo

I was surprised there was not the usual Turkey Vulture on Lopez and there was only one Peregrine Falcon in the count. The Burrowing Owl at American Camp left before the count, darn.

I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who braved the weather and especially want to thank Kim Middleton, our Orcas coordinator and Beth St. George our Lopez coordinator as they put so much work and enthusiasm into the project.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope to see you on one of our field trips.

See detailed information here. (PDF)

Downy Woodpecker – Tim Dustrude photo

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