Bird Counts
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By Suzy Whittey ~ Organizer ~ Long Beach, WA
I want to thank the 23 property owners who live around Willapa Bay and other key locations that granted the 42 birders in 8 sectors access to count birds on December 20, 2014 for the 115th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The information gathered in the Christmas Bird Counts that happened all across North America is invaluable to ornithologists who monitor bird populations.
The hardy birders, some who traveled over 100 miles to have the opportunity to count birds in Pacific County braved a wet and windy day with posted high surf advisories that did not allow the Pacific beach to be counted this year. But the stormy weather brought species like Red Phalaropes, Western Sandpipers and Snowy Plovers inland to be seen in puddles along G Street in Surfside and the Beach Barron Field on Sandridge Road. The Bay Center Group saw 7 Snow Geese and 16,000 Dunlin in Willapa Bay. But, their highlight was a rare sighting of a Townsend Solitaire. Other groups documented a Barred Owl, Wilson Snipe, Canvasback Ducks, Eurasian Widgeon, White-winged Scoter, Trumpeter Swans and Spotted Sandpipers just to mention a few.
Even though the number of birds and the number of species were down this year, most of it can be attributed to the stormy weather. Thank you birders for your time and expertise in making the Leadbetter Christmas Bird Count a huge success. I also want to thank the Berry Patch Restaurant in Ocean Park and the Hunters Inn in Naselle for serving us breakfast and dinner.
We had several high counts: 3 American Bitterns, 32 Great Egrets, 221 Buffleheads, 69 Ruddy Duck,s 306 Eurasian Collared-Doves, 24 Belted Kingfishers, 29 Anna’s Hummingbirds, 20 Common Ravens 13 Brown Creepers, 25 Western Meadowlarks.
Seen during count week: 5 Cinnamon Teals, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Ring-billed Gulls, 1 Horned Larks, 3 Cedar Waxwings.
New to the count this year: 1 Sora, 1 Rusty Blackbird
Thank you to Don Coggswell, Darrel Whipple, Stephen & Irene Bachhuber, Jeff Jendro, Julius & Sue Strid, Rachelle Rogers, Ramona Leber, Russ Koppendrayer, John & Margaret Green, Rachel Perry, Sam Sudar, Denise & James Caldwell, Charlotte Persons, Mary Huels, Becky Kent, and Pat & Bob Reistroffer for a great job.
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2014 Great Backyard Bird Count February 14 - 17 The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers |
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December 30, 2014, was the Wahkiakum Christmas Bird Count. The count circle straddles the lower Columbia River, including Puget Island, Cathlamet, Skamokawa, and the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge in Washington and Westport, Nicolai Mountain, Brownsmead, Knappa and the Lewis & Clark National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.
The day dawned clear and 28 degrees F, with a light east wind. Twenty-five volunteers found 120 species plus two additional count week species, equaling our highest previous total. The most abundant species in the circle, for the third straight year, was Cackling Goose, with over 16,000 found. This was a new high count for this species.
We had high counts for ten other species, most notably Double-crested Cormorant, European Starling, and Horned Lark. Whites Island is our local breeding area for the endangered (and recently federally listed) “Streaked” Horned Lark, and the count of 45 more than doubled our previous high count. New to the count this year was a Barrow’s Goldeneye found by Mike Passmore on the Wahkiakum ferry trip to Westport. A Redhead was in Net Rack Slough. The Northern Mockingbird that was at 80 North Welcome Slough on Puget Island on last year’s count spent the entire year there and was seen on this one as well.
Other species that have been expanding their range northward, Black Phoebe and Red-shouldered Hawk, continue to remain established here. Seven Trumpeter Swans flew over the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge. We missed Virginia Rail for the first time in the Wahkiakum CBC’s seventeen years. The Snowy Egret reported on Sunday was not relocated. Thanks to all volunteers!
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The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is citizen-science at its best and this year's will be the 114th. You can help with this effort, whether you have ever gone bird watching or not. You will have the opportunity to meet new people with interests in birds, or spend time with friends from previous years. Again this year WHAS sponsors the following CBC's:
- Leadbetter CBC on Saturday Dec 21th: contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before December 10th
Count Circle areas include the Pacific Ocean beaches on the Long Beach Peninsula, Willapa Bay’s east shore mid-point on the peninsula to the tip of Leadbettter point on the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge and the west side of the bay from the Naselle River north to Bay Center, WA. - Wahkiakum CBC on Sunday Dec 29th: contact
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Count Circle include portions of the Skamokawa, Puget Island, Cathlamet, and Brownsmead areas. - Cowlitz Coweeman Columbia CBC on Wednesday January 1st: contact
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Count circle areas include East Oregon, West Oregon, South Washington, East Washington, West Washington, and North Washington
This is your chance to help collect the information which will direct decisions in the future, decisions which will affect how much natural beauty, including birds, remains for future generations.
Bring your binoculars if you have some, boots, warm clothes and a lunch, and join us for a day outside, looking closely at some of Nature's most interesting creatures, sharing the day with people who have similar interests.
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Leadbetter CBC 2012
This was the Christmas bird count that almost did not happen. When I discovered in mid-November that no one was organizing the Leadbetter CBC that I had participated in for years, I volunteered for the job. I could not imagine a Christmas without counting birds. I also, could not imagine the job, or I might not have tackled it.
Continue reading to see the results for Cowlitz-Columbia and Wahkiakum County circles.
- Details
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is citizen-science at its best. You can help with this effort, whether you have ever gone bird watching or not. You will have the opportunity to meet new people with interests in birds, or spend time with friends from previous years. Again this year WHAS sponsors the following CBC's:
- Leadbetter CBC on Saturday Dec 15th: contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Wahkiakum CBC on Friday Dec 28th: contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Cowlitz Coweeman Columbia CBC on Tuesday January 1st: contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is your chance to help collect the information which will direct decisions in the future, decisions which will affect how much natural beauty, including birds, remains for future generations.
Bring your binoculars if you have some, boots, warm clothes and a lunch, and join us for a day outside, looking closely at some of Nature's most interesting creatures, sharing the day with people who have similar interests.