Provisional Results 121st Christmas Bird Count
December 14, 2020 to January 5, 2021
We will post results here as we receive them. If your count has taken place, we’d be happy to post your results. Please leave the count name, species count, highlight species and any additional information you wish to include in the Leave a Reply box at the bottom of this table.
You will find the dates, locations, and contact information for this season’s counts here.
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100 Mile House | Dec 17 | With the warmer weather and open water, the 100 Mile House Christmas Bird Count on December 17 recorded 45 species on count day, with a total of 1,031 birds. Four more species (Ruffed Grouse, Great Gray Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, and European Starling) were observed during count week bringing the total to 49 species, much higher than the average 25.
Fourteen volunteer bird counters in six teams covered the 24-kilometre diameter count circle around 100 Mile House. The day started with a dump of snow, but cleared. A highlight of the day was a Northern Hawk-Owl. Overall, raptors were in short supply, with four Bald Eagles spotted on count day but no hawks. Several volunteers also counted birds at their yards and feeders. Their sightings included Steller’s Jays, Canada Jays, Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, and a slew of woodpeckers. The most abundant species was one flock of three hundred Bohemian Waxwings in town, followed by 164 Black-capped Chickadees totalled from all the count areas. Paul Foth |
Abbotsford-Mission | Dec 29 |
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Apex-Hedley | Discontinued | |
Armstrong/ Enderby |
Jan 3 |
The 7th annual Armstrong — Enderby CBC was held last Sunday, January 3. 11 birders in 5 parties headed out into a lovely day for bird counting, with temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius. Numbers of most species were relatively normal, with two new species for our count, both found by Don Cecile – Hooded Merganser and Virginia Rail.
Total Individuals 5647.
Total Species Reported 55.
Species recorded in highest-ever numbers: 17
Of interest (this year – old high) – COME (13-3), RNPH (29-11), CAQU (141-90), RBNU (49-15!!), AMRO (102-74), EVGR (185-139) and AMGO (423-282).
Species recorded in lowest-ever numbers: 10
Of interest (this year – old low) – MALL (296-569), CORA (87-135), MOCH (1-tied), HAWO (1-tied), PIGR (9-29)
Misses of interest (with how many years we recorded them previously)
PIWO (5), RLHA (5), BRCR (4), SPTO (5), BRBL (4), TOSO (4)
A huge thank you to all those who participated in this count circle where long drives are the only way to cover it.
Cheers, Geoff Styles. Salmon Arm.
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Ashcroft Cache Creek |
Dec 22 |
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Atlin |
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Bamfield | Dec 31 | The weather was clear in the am and no precipitation with partly cloudy skies and light rain in the pm. 19 participants identified 64 species. |
Bella Coola | Dec 19 |
Here are the results of the 2020 Christmas Bird Count for the Bella Coola area, a 25 km circle than encompasses the area from Clayton Creek to Jourdenais Road. We had a record number of 46 different species! Harvey and Carol discovered an unusual Anna’s Hummingbird on the estuary, Wenda had a Northern Goshawk hunting at her bird feeder, Doug found some White-crowned Sparrows, Moira and Ray spotted a Sharp-shinned Hawk and Ralph, Khya and I had sightings of Crossbills.
The weather was more accommodating than in previous years. The ground was bare with snow patches making walking easier. The morning was mostly dry but rain fell in the afternoon. As well, with the generous cast of 21 birders, each party seem to contribute a new specie boosting our count number. During “Count week” both a Merlin and a Northern Shrike were seen but these are not included in the official count day results. Unfortunately, our visits by the Great Grey, Long-eared, Short-eared, and Northern Pigmy (not seen in this circle) Owls didn’t coincide with the official count day but they were lovely surprises during the month of December. It was heartening to see the return of flocks of Pine Siskins that were absent last year. So be aware and careful people as you drive the roads as the flocks pick up grit or salt. Ease off the pedal, deliver a few honks and they scatter.
Again, a big thank you to all the bird watchers who came out and participated in this important world-wide bird count. It doesn’t happen without you.
Canada Goose 53, Trumpeter Swan 2, American Wigeon 3, Mallard 77, Green-winged Teal 9, Lesser Scaup 1, White-winged Scoter 8, Bufflehead 24, Common Goldeneye 7, Common Merganser 11, Duck sp. 2, Ruffed Grouse 4, Great Blue Heron 6, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Northern Goshawk 1, Bald Eagle 32,
Spotted Sandpiper 1, Marbled Murrelet 6, Gull sp. 23, Eurasian-collared Dove 5, Anna’s Hummingbird 1, Belted Kingfisher 3, Downy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Merlin CW, Northern Shrike CW, Steller’s Jay 40, Northwestern Crow 62, Common Raven 15, Black-capped Chickadee 21, Chestnut-backed Chickadee 36, Red-breasted Nuthatch 5, Brown Creeper 1, Pacific Wren 8, American Dipper 2, Golden-crowned Kinglet 7, American Robin 2, Varied Thrush 4 , European Starling 1, Fox Sparrow 1, Dark-eyed Junco 196, White-crowned Sparrow 10, Song Sparrow 6, Spotted Towhee 5, Purple Finch 34, Crossbill sp. 140, Pine Siskins 1149
Total Birds 2028 Total Species 46 Total Participants 21
Mary Tutt.
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Big White | Dec 22 | The Big White CBC was held Dec.22. The results were rather uninspiring, though there were people participating on downhill skis, on snowshoes, on foot, in the car and on a gondola. Are there many other counts out there where gondola is used as a mode of transport? I don’t know. A provisional 19 species is one of the lowest ever for this location, though Big White is not known for its high species counts. 19 species, 218 total individual birds. Chris Charlesworth |
Bridesville | ||
Bridge Lake | Dec 14 | |
Broughton Strait | Dec 27 |
We had a very good turn out but were able to social distance, stay outside and use separate vehicles to be Covid compliant. The good weather helped make it quite enjoyable. Weather was partly cloudy, winds variable up to SE 30 km/hr and 4 degrees C. There were a total of 24 participants that included six that did four feeder/yard counts all within Sointula. Our overall species count at 71 is consistent with past higher counts. The only out of the ordinary species was a sighting of White-winged Crossbills but this year in this area, and the rest of Vancouver Island, it appears to be common.
Total species confirmed 71, total individual birds 5,219. Some of the species seen: Trumpeter Swan 21, Harlequin Duck 102, White-winged Scoter 151, Black Scoter 22, Long-tailed Duck 14, Hooded Merganser 42, Common Merganser 76, Red-breasted Merganser 142, Western Grebe 14, Anna’s Hummingbird 6, Black Oystercatcher 38, Black-bellied Plover 1, Black Turnstone 211, Common Murre 208, Marbled Murrelet 8, Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) 4, Glaucous-winged Gull 355, Red-throated Loon 1, Pacific Loon 37, Bald Eagle 573, Red-breasted Sapsucker 1, American Dipper 1, Hermit Thrush 1, Red Crossbill 87, White-winged Crossbill 25 (in Bear Creek area), Pine Siskin 283, White-crowned Sparrow 7. I have enjoyed this first year compiling so far and learning lots to help make it easier for all participants next year. Lets hope we can have more fun next year without Covid. All the best Happy New Year! Gord Curry |
Bella Bella-Denny Island | Dec 27 | Weather was cloudy with light rain in the am and partly cloud with no rain in the pm. Temperatures ranged from -1 to +6 degrees. 16 participants identified 46 species. |
Cache Creek | ||
Campbell River | Dec 27 Alternate date Jan 3 |
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Castlegar | Dec 19 | The weather was clear with temperatures ranging form 0 to +6 degrees. 14 participants identified 59 species. |
Cawston | Jan 3 | |
Chilliwack | Dec 19 |
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Comox | Dec 20 | The Comox CBC was held on 20 December 2020 in good weather with 65 birders in 29 parties mostly of 1-2 birders. We had a very good count with 114 species and 39951 individuals recorded on count day, and 7 additional species recorded during count week. Unusual species on count day were Clay-colored Sparrow and Bullock’s Oriole and during count week were Rough-legged Hawk, Mountain Bluebird, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. |
Cortes Island | Dec 27
Alternate date Jan 2 |
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Cranbrook | Dec 26
Pre-resgistration required |
The Cranbrook CBC got 47 species, which is above average for us. There were no new species but several rare to unusual ones: American Three-toed Woodpecker, American Tree Sparrow, White-winged Crossbill, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, and a Spotted Towhee. We got new maximums for eight species: Blue Jay (46), Canada Jay, (14) Downy (26), Hairy (22) and Pileated (16) Woodpeckers. To round out the Grand Slam of winter woodpeckers, we got a Black-backed during count week. Also, there were record numbers of Mountain Chickadee (274), Red-breasted Nuthatch (117), and Mallard (629) which continues its trend upward. Bohemian Waxwing (205) was half of average. Common Redpoll was a no-show and numbers for Steller’s Jay (3), Clark’s Nutcracker (13), and Red Crossbill (27) were below average. For excitement, one field counter spotted a Sharpie/Cooper’s packing off a vole for lunch. It is also wonderful to watch 20 Mountain Chickadees popping in and out of a leafless lilac bush from and to a feeder, like little drops of entitled hopefulness. The weather was relatively mild at -6 to -9 C with little or no wind and no precipitation. 21 birders went field counting and 13 feeder watches were contributed. For the first time in the count’s history, due to the current pandemic, there was no pre-count meet-up, no car-pooling, and no post-count potluck. Everything was organized and submitted electronically. We look forward to returning to our familiar and social format next count.
Dianne Cooper
Kimberley, BC
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Creston Valley | Dec 27 | We had a gorgeous day for our CBC! It was slightly above 0 degrees, partly sunny and not much snow!
There were 63 volunteers, 3 of which also did the Kuskanook CBC. The “Fielder” groups were in their comfortable ‘bubble’, driving in separate vehicles , and wearing their masks when necessary. “Feeder” volunteers counted birds in the comfort of their own homes. There were 79 species and 9,098 individual birds. There were very large flocks of Pine Siskins this year. The most unexpected and surprising specie was a Mountain Bluebird. Also a Cassin’s Finch was seen by a thrilled feeder watcher. Some of the other species: Trumpeter Swan 14, Tundra Swan 35, Common Golden-eye 121, California Quail 40, Ruffed Grouse 9, Spruce Grouse 1, Golden Eagle 1, Northern Goshawk 2, Rough-legged Hawk 18, Great Horned Owl 3, Northern Pygmy-Owl 9, Northern Flicker 160, Pileated Woodpecker 24, Northern Shrike 6, Belted Kingfisher 8, Stellar’s Jay 59, Blue Jay 44, Varied Thrush 1, Bohemian Waxwing 45, Yellow-headed Blackbird 1, American Tree Sparrow 1, White-throated Sparrow 11, White-winged Crossbill 1, Red Crossbill 20, Common Redpoll 103, Evening Grosbeak 30, Pine Grosbeak 39, Pine Siskin 2961, American Goldfinch 278, Mountain Bluebird 1, Western Meadowlark 1. Thanks to all, Ulrike. |
D’Arcy-Birken | Dec 14 | In our little community (28 folks) at the foot of Anderson Lake, we had a great count day, sunny off and on, from 0 to 3 degrees. We were short a few counters who come from other communitees (covid).. Our species total was 49 with 706 individual birds. Nothing too extraordinary, nice to see pine and evening grosbeaks. A shoveler on the lake was one we don’t usually get, as was the red-breasted sapsucker. The highlight of the day was the shore lunch (hot soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, smokies, all done on the bonfire, hot coffee, and delicious dessert concoctions). It made the afternoon count pass very quickly. Stay well, Ann Robertson |
Dawson Creek | Jan 2 |
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Deep Bay | Dec 14 |
The Deep Bay CBC was held on 14 December 2020 in good weather with 65 birders in 29 parties mostly of 1-2 birders. We had a very good count with 100 species and 16294 individuals recorded on count day, and 2 additional species recorded during count week. Unusual species on count day were Eared Grebe and Whimbrel. |
Duncan | Jan 1 |
We have the preliminary numbers for the Duncan Christmas Bird Count.
The weather was fairly mild: 7 degrees C at the start, rising to 10 degrees later in the afternoon. There was a light rain which became heavier as the day went on. There was the odd patch of snow from a storm the previous week. The winds were variable – generally southeast at 8 km, with gusts from the southwest at 22 km later in the day.
We had an increase in the number of participants this year – a total of 84, with 24 being feeder counters.
The total number of species counted was 106, with total birds being 30755 (including the feeder count). Please note these are preliminary results only – they have not been finalized by Audubon. The numbers for both species and birds are in general agreement with those from recent years.
Cheers,
Carol Milo.
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Edgewood | Dec 28 Alternate Dec 30 | |
Fauquier | Jan 2 |
There were 18 observers in 5 parties for the count. Weather was cloudy with some light rain and temperatures ranged from +1 to +2 degrees.
32 species were identified and 917 individual birds were counted.
Black-capped Chickadee 71, Chestnut-backed Chickadee 42, Downy Woodpecker 1, American Dipper 5, Northern Flicker 19, Stellar’s Jay 37,Blue Jay 5, American Goldfinch 1, Ruffed Grouse 3, Dark-eyed Junco 10, Pacific Wren 5, Red-breasted Nuthatch 32, Common Raven 46, Pine Siskin 328, Varied Thrush 6, Song Sparrow 22, Bald Eagle 6f, Canada Goose 6, Mallard 1, Evening Grosbeak 16, Pine Grosbeak 23, Bufflehead 101, Common Goldeneye 21, Horned Grebe 6, Gull sp. 1, American Crow 56, Eurasian Collared Dove 1, White-winged Crossbill 36, Belted Kingfisher 1, Northern Pygmy-Owl 1, Golden-crowned Kinglet 1, European Starling 7.
Thank you for your participation. Shelley Bortnick.
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Fernie | ||
Fort St. James | Jan 2 |
14 field observers and 18 feeder watchers participated in the 39th annual Fort St. James Christmas Bird Count on Jan 2nd. COVID 19 meant that field observers were out either alone or with their immediate family. Some new feeder watchers volunteered this year, which was much appreciated. Observers tallied 38 different species and 1,805 birds; a decent result considering the year. The Stuart River level is unusually high this year, and unfrozen. Trumpeter swan numbers were decent at 134. Nuthatch numbers were at a record high this year, 86 total. There were 81 Red-breasted Nuthatches and 5 White-breasted Nuthatches, a species we had not seen for a number of years. Chickadee numbers were also at a record high: Black-capped 499, Mountain 22 and Boreal 7. Both Red Crossbills 31, and White-winged Crossbills 7 have been scattered throughout the count area this winter, feeding on spruce cones. Eurasian collared-dove numbers declined significantly to 4. Notable absences include Bohemian waxwings and European starlings. Sincere thanks to all observers who volunteer their time every year. It is always appreciated. For more information and to view past results, visit the Bird Studies Canada website and search within the Christmas Bird Count link. Joanne Vinnedge, compiler |
Galiano-North Saltspring | Dec 15 |
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Golden | Dec 27 | The weather was cloudy with temperatures ranging from -7.3 to -3.9 degrees. 43 participants identified 42 species. |
Grand Forks | ||
Greater Masset | Dec 27 | |
Harrison River | Dec 14 | |
Harrop–Balfour | Cancelled |
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Hat Creek | Cancelled | |
Hecate Strait | Weather dependant. No date set. | |
Juan de Fuca | ||
Kamloops | Dec 21 |
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Kaslo | Dec 30 | |
Kelowna | Dec 19 | The weather was great, with fairly calm winds, temperatures up to 7 C and a bit of morning sunshine. 1 new species was added to the count, Lesser Goldfinch, and there were many high counts broken for individual species. 115 is the new species high for the Kelowna count. Total individual birds 28,678. Chris Charlesworth |
Kimberley | Jan 3 Pre-registration required |
2020 Kimberley CBC report
We were worried as the forecast called for rain and wind. Instead, we woke up to 20 cm of snow at the higher elevations; but fortunately the snow line didn’t go below 990 m (I’m guessing). The sun shone through by mid morning and the wind didn’t pick up until later in the day. The roads got icy but the birds didn’t seem to mind and all field counters returned safe and sound. The temperature actually got tropical at plus 7 C! Gloves off!
15 birders and 8 feeder counters took part and we got a record number of species – 51 sp! The 2,368 individual birds recorded is around average. No new species were found – we just managed to find most of the unusual and uncommon species, as well as most of the usual and common ones – except we missed House Sparrow. Our Pygmy Nuthatch max was reset this year with 8 being seen. Bohemian Waxwing (589) numbers were low on count day but a flock of 1500 – 2000 was seen a couple of days later – perhaps full of energy after staying put to feed on count day.
Some favourite species seen were: Golden Eagle (1), American Three-toed Woodpecker (1), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (2), Snow Bunting (80, American Tree Sparrow (6), Gray-crowned Rosy-finch (2), Northern Pygmy-Owl (2), Northern Shrike (3), Brown Creeper (3), American Dipper (6), Blue Jay (8), and Pine Grosbeak (50).
Pine Siskin (93) numbers were just above average and Common Redpoll (165) numbers were average; but Clark’s Nutcracker (52), and Evening Grosbeak (30) numbers were low. Eurasian Collared-Dove (27) numbers were above average. Rock Pigeon (115) had a new max but Kimberley numbers are still only half of Cranbrook’s.
Dianne Cooper.
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Kuskanook | Jan 3 | We had a great day for our CBC! It was slightly above zero degrees, partly sunny and not much snow! There were 4 participants, 3 of which also did the Creston Valley CBC. The “Fielder” groups were in their comfortable ‘bubble’, driving in separate vehicles and wearing their masks when necessary. “Feeder” groups were in the comfort of their own homes.
There were 60 species and 4,519 individual birds. The Kuskanook Count produced 14 additional species that were not found in the Creston Valley count. This is because it includes some lake birds such as 2 large groups of American Coots. There were also very large flocks of Pine Siskins this year. Some of the species found were: Common Loon 3, Trumpeter Swan 16, Tundra Swan 26, American Coot 2373, Ring-necked Duck 13, Bufflehead 71, Common Goldeneye 120, Hooded Merganser 79, Horned Grebe 35, Western Grebe 36, Bald Eagle 13, Northern Harrier 5, Rough-legged Hawk 2, Great Horned Owl 1, Short-eared Owl 2, Long-eared Owl 4, Northern Pygmy-Owl 2, Pileated Woodpecker 3, Northern Shrike 2, Black-billed Magpie 15, Black-capped Chickadee 97, Red-breasted Nuthatch 29, Marsh Wren 1, Townsend’s Solitaire 1, Red-winged Blackbird 250, Red Crossbill 25, Common Redpoll 1, Pine Siskin 392, American Goldfinch 33. Ulrike, Kuskanook CBC Coordinator. |
Kitimat | Dec 15 | Weather for the count was very poor with moderate snow and limited visibly. The access to good delta and estuary sites was curtailed. LNGC and Rio Tinto withdrew access due to Covid.
Canada Goose 165, Trumpeter Swan 12, Tundra Swan 1, Gadwall 4, Am Wigeon 18, Mallard 485, Northern Shoveler 1, Green-winged Teal 34, Ring-necked Duck 202, Greater/lesser Scaup 125, Bufflehead 55, Common Goldeneye 33, Barrow’s Goldeneye 2, Hooded Merganser 12, Common Merganser 28, Yellow-billed Loon 1, Great Blue Heron 20, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Northern Goshawk 1, Bald Eagle 228, Wilson’s Snipe 8, Marbled Murrelet 1, Mew Gull 90, Herring Gull 9, Thayer’s Gull 3, Glaucous-winged Gull 360, Northern Pygmy-Owl 1, Belted Kingfisher 6, Northern Flicker 12, Merlin 1, Northern Shrike 1, Stellar’s Jay 11, Northwest Crow 122. 33 species were counted. Total birds recorded 2,053. |
Ladner | Dec 20 | UPDATE (08 Jan): A total of 128 species were recorded on count day, with an additional four species (Black Turnstone, Pileated Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, and Swamp Sparrow) only detected during count week.
Highlights included Willet, Glaucous Gull, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue Jay, California Scrub-Jay, and Northern Mockingbird. Thank you to all who took part and helped ensure we had a safe and successful count. Thanks also to those who joined in on the Zoom call to share your experiences. We’re looking forward to next year. Count-day preliminary total was 125 species. Weather was mainly mild and rain free, although the afternoon wind appeared to make the dicky birds difficult to find. Our teams of ones and twos did a sterling job covering unfamiliar areas under Covid precautions. A big miss this year resulted from being unable to put in teams into Point Roberts, Washington. However, a few very helpful Pt Roberts residents stepped up (Thank you!), and provided some coverage of this key area of the count. |
Ladysmith | Dec 20 |
Holding our first CBC based in Ladysmith, we had a great day birding on December 20. For a new count, we were still able to have 34 adults participate, of which half were solely bird feeder watchers on their own properties. The weather was cooperative, with light southerly winds and a high of 10C. The sun even came out at times! As our 15 mile count circle goes from Chemainus River estuary to Nanaimo Airport and from inland hills to Thetis Island, the area provides habitats for a diversity of bird life. Our preliminary data totalled 84 species on the count day, with another rare species seen during the count week, a Yellow-billed Loon. Highlights on count day were: Cackling Goose 9, Black Duck 6, Virginia Rail 1, Northern Harrier 1, Ring-billed Gull 1, Great-horned Owl 1(heard), Barred Owl 1, American Kestrel 2, and Northern Shrike 1. High numbers for some notable species were: Canada Goose 405, Trumpeter Swan 80, Mallard 1012, Anna’s Hummingbird 169, Bald Eagle 53, European Starling 834, American Robin 257, Pine Siskin 793 and Dare-eyed Junco 1010. I wish to thank the birders involved for their diligence. I hope that we have even greater participation next year. |
Lake Country | Dec 14 | Weather was partly clear, no rain or snow. Temperatures were -4 to +3 degrees. There were 19 participants. 89 species were counted. |
Langara Island | Weather dependant. No date set. | |
Lardeau | Dec 27 |
In a rural area that has been practising physical & social distancing for decades, the opportunity to count birds attracted 30 participants who saw 38 species (total of 941 birds) on December 27th. It was a very favourable weather count day and week, with an additional 6 species for the count week. Some highlights were that there were no Barrow’s goldeneyes nor Evening Grosbeaks reported at all, and that the Golden-crowned kinglet numbers seemed rather low. For the second time and second year in a row, a Marsh wren was recorded at the Argenta slough.
Here are the results for Count Day: Canada Geese 76, Mallard 17, Bufflehead 8, Common Goldeneye 13, Common Merganser 11, Ruffed Grouse 2, Wild Turkey 47, Common Loon 1, Horned Grebe 3, Great Blue Heron 3, Northern Goshawk 1, Bald Eagle 8, Gull sp, 2 Northern-pygmy Owl 1, Belted Kingfisher 2, Hairy Woodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 7, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Gray Jay 4,
Stellar’s Jay 42, Common Raven 58, Black-capped Chickadee 74, Chestnut-backed Chickadee 27, Red-breasted Nuthatch 32, Brown Creeper 7, Pacific Wren 9, Marsh Wren 1, American Dipper 7, Golden-crowned Kinglet 7, Bohemian Waxwing 1, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Song Sparrow 30, Red-winged Blackbird 58, Pine Grosbeak 16, Common Redpoll 2, American Goldfinch 39.
Additions for count week: swan sp., Hooded Merganser, Townsend Solitaire, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Varied Thrush, Snow Bunting.
Thank you to all the enthusiastic participants!
Marlene at Lardeau
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Lasqueti Island | Dec 30 |
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Lillooet | Dec 27 | |
Little R.-Powell R. Ferry | Cancelled due to Covid restrictions | |
Logan Lake | Dec 21 | |
Lower Howe Sound | Jan 1 | |
Mackenzie | ||
McBride | Dec 20 | We had a lovely day for CBC at McBride, and some very good finds. The yellow-rumped warbler at Horseshoe Lake was most exciting.
Common raven 80 Pine Siskin 15 Dec. 23 The four kinds of chickadees are note-worthy, and the owls. Elsie at McBride |
Merritt | Dec 20 |
Following strict anti-covid restrictions, the Merritt CBC went ahead on 20 December, organized by the Nicola Naturalist Society. This was the 22nd count for the Merritt count circle. Thirty people participated (about average for recent years) and, despite gale-force winds, they tallied 61 species and 3,977 birds (also close to average). A further 6 species were added during the Count Week period.
No new species were added to the Merritt count list, but Wayne Weber’s group did manage to call up 4 Virginia Rails at the Coutlee marsh – only the second time this species has been found. A single Marsh Wren was found at Nicola Lake – only the third record in a Merritt CBC. With Nicola Lake and other water areas mostly ice-free, our waterfowl counts were above average for most species and record high counts were tallied for Gadwall (43 birds) and Barrow’s Goldeneye (76). Trumpeter Swans were in high numbers too (75). Away from the water most species had fairly normal count numbers, but high counts well above average were recorded for Pygmy Nuthatches (30 birds – double the average), American Robins (53), European Starlings (405) and American Tree Sparrow (10 – the second highest count in 22 years). Dark-eyed Juncos (115 – double the average) and Pine Siskins (160 – second highest count) were also in high numbers.
Big misses on the count day were Common Loon (previously recorded on 15 of 22 counts), Pileated Woodpecker (previously on 16 counts) and Townsend’s Solitaire (previously on 18 counts), although the loon and woodpecker were later seen during the Count Week period. Notably low counts were American Dipper (only 2 seen, the average is 7) and Bohemian Waxwings (66 seen, well below the average of 460 and the record high of 2,009 birds).
To see the complete count data and photos go here: http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/2020/12/26/merritt-christmas-bird-count-2020/
Alan Burger.
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Naden Harbour | Weather dependent. No date set. | |
Nakusp | Jan 3 |
The weather for the count was partly cloudy in the am and partly clear in the pm. Temperatures ranged from -1 to +4 degrees. We had 14 participants. 43 species and 1006 individual birds were counted. Just slightly above our 44-year average of 41.2 species, but well below our individuals average of over 1400. Nothing particularly outstanding on the day. Unfortunately the Blue Jays were a miss. There are at least 3 in town but they were ‘hiding’ on that day. There were 3 species seen during count week: Great Horned Owl, Blue Jay, Townsend’s Solitaire.
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Nanaimo | Dec 27 |
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Nanoose Bay/Lantzville | ||
Narcosli | Cancelled | |
Nelson | Jan 2 |
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Oliver-Osoyoos | Weather was warm and windy so passerines (and nocturnal owls) were tough to come by. Wind SE 5 to 70 kph. Cloudy with no precipitation. Osoyoos Lake almost completely open. No snow in valley bottom, 50 cm on Kobau. Temps were +4 to +9 degrees. There were 29 observers in 12 to 17 parties. 102 species were seen and total birds counted were 17,588. 102 Species is below the 20-year mean of 108. Count week included Long-tailed Duck and Swamp Sparrow. | |
Parksville-Qualicum Beach | Dec 20 | In Parksville Qualicum we had a beautiful calm day with warm temperatures for our 30th bird count. The 50 participants found a record total of 119 species on count day with an additional 3 found during count week with a total of 31,897 birds. The Common Pochard and Swamp Sparrow were new for this year both found at Morningstar Golf Ponds. Unusual species included the Palm Warbler, Eared Grebe, Glaucous Gull and Brown Headed Cowbird. The cowbird was found by a dedicated birder amongst many Brewer’s Blackbirds and Starlings. This year we had more teams out in the field as the areas were smaller to allow social distancing. The good visibility allowed us to see over 1000 ancient murrelets along the coast as well as 326 Brant, both highs for the area count.
The final count data including 76 feeder counters identified an additional 3 species: American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove and a Jaeger. The Jaeger was another first for the area. The total number of birds seen was a record at 37,893. We would like to thank all of the participants and the community supporters for giving us access to remote areas and promoted the event. Regards, Susan Knoerr. |
Peachland | Dec 29 | The annual Peachland Christmas Bird Count was held on December 29th this year, on a day that saw variable conditions, from rather snowy and chilly early on at higher elevations to mild and almost snow free at the valley bottom. Skies were mostly overcast, with temperatures ranging from -15.5°C to +2°C, with generally little wind. Snow depth ranged from just 3 cm at lake level to 70 cm at the highest points within the count circle.
A total of 23 birders traversed the seven areas of the count circle and tallied a whopping 136.4 km in 78.5 hours of walking, both record totals for this count. Teams in the higher elevation areas noted the forests to be surprisingly quiet overall, but species diversity and abundance in the valleys was well above average. In total, we counted 4735 individual birds of 72 species, which equals the 2018 count for species richness and just passes 2018 for a new abundance record. For reference, the count average is 64 species and 3131 individuals. Five new species for the count were detected: Gadwall, Western Screech-Owl, White-crowned Sparrow (Chris Charlesworth), California Gull (Eva Durance and team), and Mountain Bluebird (Kathryn McCourt)! The overall species total in the count’s eight year history now stands at 108. Other highlights include 2 Cackling Goose (Michelle Hamilton and co.), 3 Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 1 Cassin’s Finch, 1 White-throated Sparrow, 1 Canyon Wren, (Chris. C), 2 Common Redpoll (Alex Bodden and co.) and 8 Northern Pygmy-Owl (various teams). Another observation of note was a group of Gray Partridge at Okanagan Lake Provincial Park a few days before the count (Lois Dickinson). The only notable misses this year were Great Blue Heron and Great-horned Owl. Matthias Bieber |
Pemberton-Mt. Currie | Dec 17 | The Dec 17, 2020 Pemberton-Mount Currie CBC was a very quiet affair without the usual gatherings before and after.Our weather was mild and rather pleasant – with temperatures in the 2 to 4C range all day and no precipitation.
We had 16 “local” volunteers, all of whom were familiar with the routes that they were to cover after 20 years of Christmas counts. Total species recorded on count day was 46 – we added another 8 species during count week to bring the total up closer to the average. Just over 2000 birds were recorded which was a bit under our average. Small birds were not as numerous as in other years – even sparrows were hard to find. Pine Siskins made an appearance this year after an absence in 2019, but not in huge numbers. No sign of Bohemian Waxwings or Grey-crowned Rosy Finches. The most unusual bird of the day was a Rough-legged Hawk which was noted in the northern part of our count circle. This was a “write in” on our report form. We are very grateful that the Lil’wat Nation allowed two of our members access to Reserve Lands to do the count. The Lil’wat wildlife technician who usually leads this portion of the count was not available due to the pandemic, but we were given permission to carry on with our citizen science project. Allen McEwan – Coordinator. |
Pender Harbour | Dec 17 |
30th Pender Harbour CBC 17th December 2020 Compiler: Tony GreenfieldWeather: The count was delayed for one day to avoid inclement weather & then took place in very benign conditions with sunshine and generally calm conditions. Temperatures ranged from 8 to 4.5C Participants: About 30 in 9 separate field parties + feeder watchers. Thanks to John Field for organizing. Highlights: Count day produced 81 species. The 20 year average for the count is 79 sp. The highest species count was 87 in 1993 & 2003. The All-time Count Day total is 138 sp. No new species were added this year. On 15 of 30 Pender Harbour counts the species total has been between 80-84 species.An additional 7 species were reported in count week, making for a total of 88 species for the week. Species Highlights: Bewick’s Wren: recorded on the count for only the 2nd time in 30 years. Last record was in 1992. Spotted Sandpiper is always a good winter record in our area. This was the 7th CBC record Honourable mentions to Peregrine (5th record) & Eurasian Collared Dove (6th record). High counts were recorded for Ring-necked Duck (49), Red-breasted Nuthatch (47), & Pine Siskin (1322). All three of these were the second highest ever counts for the species.Countdown: Normally the counters meet for a convivial meal after the day’s exertions. In the age of covid the countdown was held as a Zoom meeting. Thanks to Rand Rudland for organizing. |
Pender Islands (incl. Mayne & Saturna) | Dec 19 | |
Penticton | Dec 20 |
Penticton Christmas Bird Count: 20 December 2020
Weather ideal: 13.3C, mostly calm in valley, windier at elevation. No snow in valley bottom.56 observers in 25 parties, 121.6 party-hours. 107 Species Highlights Cackling Goose 1 Wood Duck 33 (all time high) Northern Shoveler 3 California Gull 1028 (all time high) Bewick’s Wren 8 (all time high) Spotted Towhee 25 (all time high) Purple Finch 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 (new to count) |
Pitt Meadows | Jan 2 | |
Port Alberni | Dec 27 |
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Port Clements | Dec 18 |
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Powell River | ||
Prince George | Dec 27 |
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Princeton | Dec 19 |
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Quesnel | Cancelled | |
Revelstoke | Dec 19 |
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Rivers Inlet Mouth | ||
Rose Spit | Dec 21 | |
Rossland-Warfield | Dec 20 |
Weather for the count was partly cloudy in the am and clear in the pm. Temperatures ranged from -4 to +2 degrees. 15 participants identified 30 species. |
Salmon Arm | Dec 20 | The annual Salmon Arm Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday December 20. It was a perfect day for birding. In the valley bottom there were overcast skies but the lighting was good and there was no snow on the ground. Higher up there was a trace of mixed snow and rain and about 10 centimeters of snow on the ground. The Lake for the most part was open water and the Salmon River was flowing. Temperatures hovered between zero and plus 5 degrees.
There were 35 participants in 16 groups of 1 to 5 people in each. Because of covid-19 we were not able to participate in large groups as usual but rather, for the most part, each group covered a smaller area. I think that this proved to be more successful as more areas were better covered. Participants on foot spent 24 hours covering 29.3 k. There were 475.3 k driven in a combined total of 38.6 hours. There was a total of 81 species seen, considerably above our average of about 75. In addition 3 species were seen during count week. The total numbers of birds seen was 10,940, much above our average. In comparison last year we had 67 species and 6,880 birds. The most common bird seen was the Canada goose with 2312, a count record; the previous record was 2042 birds seen in 2018. Mallards were the next highest count with 1696 birds. This was also a record high with the previous record of 1454 set in 1989. The open water and mild temperatures probably account for these large numbers. Rounding out the top 5 were 951 rock pigeons, 919 European starling and 804 pine siskins. Although these are not record highs they are still goodly numbers. There were 4 more record high counts: 8 cackling geese, previous high of 2 in 2019; 329 trumpeter swans, previous high of 311 set in 2011; 725 American goldfinches, previous high of 669 set in 2007; and 8 spotted towhees, previous high of 5 set in 2019. Several highlights were mentioned by participants. To note but a few: a cooper’s hawk catching a squirrel; a peregrine falcon posing for an admiring audience; a pileated woodpecker in all its majesty; killdeer and dunlin feeding near the mouth of the river; a pygmy owl watching the watchers; lots of little brown birds feeding under a feeder. I’m sure each participant has a favourite moment which we could add to the list. I would like to thank everyone who participated in this count, whether you were in the field or watching your feeder. With all the restrictions this year imposed by the covid virus we missed all the socialization which is usually part of the count. Hopefully next year it will be more back to normal. Ted Hillary |
Savona-Walhachin | Dec 23 | Temperatures for the count were -10 to -.05 degrees. It was windy 0-30km, and snow depth 6-23cm. There were 5 observers divided into 3 groups. 43 species were identified and there were 1,275 individual birds. There were fewer water species and high counts for American Robins, Ravens and Mountain Chickadees. There were low numbers for European Starlings and Redpolls. New species were Varied Thrush, Red and White-winged Crossbills.
Ray Town. |
Sayward | ||
Shuswap Lake P.P. | Dec 29 |
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Sidney-South Saltspring | Dec 20 |
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Skidegate Inlet | Dec 19 | |
Slocan Lake | ||
Smithers | Dec 27 |
We had 57 people in 26 groups out in the field and an additional 6 people just watching feeders. Weather was very mild, all streams and rivers open; hence interesting waterfowl.
6,524 individual birds and 52 confirmed species.
Here are some of the 52 species seen: Common Goldeneye 12, Ring-necked Duck 6, Bufflehead 2, Northern Pintail 4, Ruffed Grouse 12, Spruce Grouse 2, White-tailed Ptarmigan 1, Golden Eagle 1, Northern Hawk-Owl 3, Northern Pygmy-Owl 9, Great Gray Owl 2, American Three-toed Woodpecker 4, Northern Shrike 7, Canada Jay 25, Stellar’s Jay 26, Common Raven 460, Boreal Chickadee 3, Red-breasted Nuthatch 61, Bohemian Waxwing 204, American Tree Sparrow 2, Pine Grosbeak 555, White-winged Crossbill 404, Common Redpoll 204, Pine Siskin 1947
Count Week Trumpeter Swans, Boreal Owl, Rock Pigeon, Varied Thrush and Brown Creeper
Rosamund Pojar (coordinator).
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Soda Creek | Jan 3 | Weather was cloudy in the am and partly clear in the pm with temperatures ranging from -3 to +4 degrees. 8 participants identified 34 species. |
Sooke | Dec 27 | |
Squamish | Dec 20 |
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Stewart-Hyder | ||
Stuix-Tweedsmuir | Dec 21 | Below is the informal summary of our Stuix Solstice Bird Count (BC-Stuix/Tweedsmuir/BCST) sent to participants last week. While not as well attended as the Bella Coola count, we are 70 kilometres upriver from town and deep in the central coast mountains, happy to involve more folks in birding here (Stuix has a population of 3).
Count week ended Dec. 24 and the data went into the Audubon site on the 25th (will be posted here …. https://netapp.audubon.org/CBCObservation/CurrentYear/ResultsByCount.aspx for Circle BCST) Thanks to all of you for participating. We had 11 people in 5 parties out in Tweedsmuir Park, and while it wasn’t a Big Bird Day, we collectively saw/heard 18 species and 150 individual birds on the shortest day of the year.
Mostly sunny, with temperature around 0 degrees, the half-metre settled snow was great for snowshoeing or walking, and reasonably comfortable for Harvey drifting down the Atnarko and Bella Coola Rivers.
Here is a summary of the day (and Count Week)
12 Mallards
3 Green-winged Teal
1 Hooded Merganser
1 Wilson’s Snipe
15 Bald Eagles
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
7 Common Ravens
5 Steller’s Jays
4 Blsck-cspped Chickadees
2 Brorwn Creepers
9 Pacific Wren
11 American Dippers
2 Golden-crowned Kinglets
63 Pine Siskins
3 Belted Kingfisher
9 Dark-eyed Juncoes
We also recorded Ruffed Grouse, Hairy Woodpecker and Song Sparrow during Count Week.
Dennis Kuch.
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Sunshine Coast | Dec 20 |
42nd Sunshine Coast CBC 20th December 2020 Compiler: Tony Greenfield Weather: For the first time in our 42 year history a decision was made to move the count day at the last minute. Originally the date was to be Saturday the 19th, but a close reading of the weather forecast showed an approaching storm with wind and rain. And so it proved! The count was moved to the following day which proved to be an excellent day for a bird count with a thin overcast, basically calm wind, and warm temperatures which reached 10C in the Sechelt area.The change in date and the weather proved popular with the participants but we apologize to those who could not make the change.The tides were somewhat problematic with a very high tide in the middle of the day. In Porpoise Bay the tide was high all day with no beaches exposed.Participants: 24 in 10 parties. Plus feeder-watchers.Count Day: 99 species (+ 4 Count-week species).Highlights: In the 42 year history of the count only 4 counts have exceeded this year’s total of 99 species. These were: 1988-101, 1997-100, 2009-105, 2011-102. In addition there were 4 Count-week species: Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Pygmy Owl, Barred Owl, Northern Shrike.The “best” species were White-winged Crossbill and two birds that were at Selma Park feeders: Bullock’s Oriole & White-throated Sparrow. Bullock’s Oriole was new to the count, White-winged Crossbill was the 2nd record (last in 1991), and White-throated Sparrow was the 3rd record.The oriole was voted Bird of the Count.It is new to our count, taking the all-time total to 172 species.Other “good” species were: Trumpeter Swan, White-fronted Goose, American Kestrel, Peregrine, American Coot, Band-tailed Pigeon, Great Horned Owl, American Goldfinch, Evening Grosbeak, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Western Meadowlark.High numbers were reported for Red-breasted Nuthatch & Pine Siskin. No surprise as both species have been super abundant recently.Lowlights: We missed a few species on count day that we could reasonably expect to find: Pied-billed Grebe, Wilson’s Snipe, Herring Gull, Hutton’s Vireo.The Countdown. A Zoom countdown was hosted by Rand Rudland. Our thanks to RandNote: The SC count covers the area from Port Mellon through Gibsons to West Sechelt. |
Terrace | Dec 27 |
We had a very pleasant day for the Terrace count. The day was overcast with light fog but no wind and a temperature of 0ºC. Not so good for photography but it was easy to get around because most parts of the circle had very little snow cover. Twenty-two observers covered parts of our circle during count week and twelve spent part of the day watching their feeders. 52 species were identified. 7 species seen in Count Week. Total individual birds counted were 3,376. |
Tlell | Dec 30 | |
Tofino | ||
Trail-Beaver Valley | ||
Tumbler Ridge | Jan 3 | The Tumbler Ridge CBC was completed by 6 participants divided into 3 teams of 2: Kirstie Casey, Charles Helm, Linda Helm, Nigel Mathews, Cres White and Larry White. Due to a team injury and the inability to ski the species count was lower than previous years. Weather was partly cloudy and windy with temperatures -2 to 0 degrees. 241 individual birds and 12 species were seen. 1 additional species was seen during count week. The most unexpected species was the American Crow.
Canada Jay 9, Pine Grosbeak 65, Common Raven 102, Blue Jay 13, House Sparrow 1, Downy Woodpecker 3, Black-capped Chickadee 34, Res-breasted Nuthatch 4, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 3, Boreal Chickadee 2. Species for count week: Dark-eyed Junco 4. |
Valemount | ||
Vancouver | Cancelled due to Covid | |
Vaseux Lake | Dec 27 |
Weather was calm and cloudy with light snow in the afternoon. Temperatures between -1 and +2 degrees. Vaseux Lake was open. There were 27 observers in 10 to 16 parties. There were 98 species counted and 9,876 individual birds. |
Vernon | Dec 20 Tentative due to Covid | Under cloudy skies and temperatures well above freezing (reaching a high of +8), 56 birders and 12 feeder-watchers participated in the 71st Vernon CBC. Lower elevations were snow free and there was plenty of open water.
Many reported a slow day and noted that there were far more birds around in the few days prior. During the day there were periodic bouts of strong winds which may have affected results. Our total bird count was 13,655, about 40% down from 2019. The biggest declines were for the species that are normally the most abundant: Canada Goose -24%, Mallard -84%, California Quail -63%, Pigeons and Doves -45%, Crow family -37%, Bohemian Waxwing -60%, House Finch -74% and Red-winged Blackbird -66%. Starling and Junco numbers were similar to 2019. There were notable increases for Marsh Wren, 1 to 7, and Western Bluebird, 0 to 45. We still managed to find 92 species, just 4 down from 2019. Waterfowl species were down 6 and we missed a few regulars such as Virginia Rail and Short-eared Owl. Species found in 2020 that were not present in 2019 included Tundra Swan, Anna’s Hummingbird, Killdeer and Snow Bunting. The first bird of the morning for Aaron Deans was a spectacular juvenile Western Tanager eating grapes outside the kitchen window at the Bishop Bird Sanctuary. As best as I can tell, this is a new species for the Vernon CBC Rick Bonar, Vernon CBC Coordinator December 23,2020 |
Victoria | Dec 19 |
The Victoria count was held on Saturday, Dec 19. A surprising number of participants (approx. 270—final numbers pending) blanketed the circle in ones, twos, and the occasional three, providing the best coverage we’ve ever had while following Covid guidelines. More than 90,000 individuals were counted of 143 species, including our first Black Phoebe for the Victoria CBC. Other birds of note included Rusty Blackbird, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Rock Sandpiper. Zone by Zone results can be found at http://christmasbirdcount.ca
Ann Nightingale |
Wells & Bowron Lakes | Dec 28 | Hello everyone. We’ve broken our species record again, with 24 species! No raptors this year, but there are a couple of new species to the count. Total # individual birds=238. Total # species=24. Thank you for taking part. Birch Kuch. |
Whistler | Dec 15 |
Because of Covid, we did not open our count to outsiders this year. Whistler has a very seasoned and dedicated core group of birders. We adhered to the recommendations of Birds Canada/Audubon for adapting to these “unprecedented times”.
The weather was not kind to us this year. Heavy snowfall in the morning and fog made visibility poor. These conditions also kept bird activity (sights and sounds) to a minimum.
However, despite the weather, we trudged on and managed to get our count up to 48 species (including count week) and counted 1,850 birds of which 1,050 were pine siskins! One person with a spotting scope was able to identify and estimate 150 White-winged Crossbills to add to his 4 Red Crossbills.
I found the most astounding find on count day to be one ptarmigan on Whistler mountain. How they managed that one in a snowstorm and fog is simply amazing!! Alpine conditions were quite poor all day with very flat light.
Blackcomb counters managed to see their first pileated woodpecker in the Alpine (this was the new bird for Blackcomb mountain (it was a serendipitous find during a pit stop in the woods).
We all bemoaned the fact that we were unable to have our usual social pre and post count gathering. Everyone was finding the numbers down and reported in with apologetic tones. It was an unusual count without the familiar camaraderie however I expect next year should be much better.
All the Best,
~Shawn~
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White Rock | Dec 27 | Fifty-one small teams of counters were greeted to a mild but heavily overcast morning, with rain starting just before noon. A total of 122 species were recorded, and 58641 individuals were counted. Highlights were: Redhead, Yellow-billed Loon, American Tree Sparrows and a White-throated Sparrow. |
Williams Lake | Dec 20 | Weather was partly clear in the morning and clear in the afternoon with temperatures ranging from -4 to +5 degrees. 32 participants identified 53 species. |
Yalakom Valley | Dec 19 |
Fifteen birders went out on December 19, 2020 for our 15th CBC. It was a cloudy day with temperatures between 1 and 7 C. Winds were gusting up to 30 km later in the day. There was no snow over most of the count area. No ice in Bridge River, Yalakom River or the Creeks we surveyed at low elevation. Total birds seen 337 (on the low side), total species 34 (a good number for this area). New species added to our list: Canada Goose. Seventy-six seen in Carpenter Reservoir above Terzaghi Dam! Two interesting additions to the count: a find of two Dusky Grouse eggs and a recording of a Pacific Tree Frog!
Happy New Year! I hope it will be one of good health and interesting birding for you. Eleanor Wright
Grateful to be living on unceded traditional territory of the Northern St’at’imc people
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Yoho National Park | Dec 18 |
A total of 18 species were observed on the Yoho N.P. count this year. This is 7 more species than were recorded last year, and just above the average.
146 total birds were observed. Common Redpoll was the most numerous species with 55 individuals observed, most of which were recorded in flock landing for a drink by a small patch of open water at Deer Lodge. Bohemian Waxwing was the second most numerous with 39 individuals, all of which were observed in one flock in the village of Field.
1 Townsend’s Solitaire in the village of Field was a count day first, with one previous count week record in 1975 . Other highlights were 1 Ruffed Grouse and 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet observed on the Mount Hunter Trail, an American Dipper under the Kicking-Horse River bridge, and a single American Three-toed woodpecker along the Emerald River Trail. Spruce Grouse tracks were observed in the old Hoodoos Campground, but none were observed.
3 additional species were observed on count week: Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker and Bald Eagle – all seen in Field on Dec 16.
Weather conditions were relatively mild this year ranging from -3 to 1 C, snow depth ranged from 10 cm to approximately 1 m within areas searched. The day was mostly overcast with a few scattered flurries in the morning and afternoon and a light breeze.
This was the second count since re-activating the Yoho Count Circle in 2019, following a 12 year absence. Due to Covid-19 restricting travel, only locals to the area participated in this year’s count, and no groups or gatherings occurred. Six participants in four parties of 1-2 people hiked and skied several trails in the lower elevation areas of the count circle and walked around the village of Field. Typical for the winter in the area, the majority of bird species (13/18) were observed in the village, likely due to the presence of bird feeders, mountain ash trees, spilled grain on the railway siding and open water.
Thanks to everyone who participated this year and made the count possible by adjusting their methods to be safe and abide by local health regulations.
James Telford.
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Updated January 22, 2021