Christmas Bird Count 2016

Having succumbed to a gentle twist to the arm by Al Stokes (after my third cry of “uncle”), he said thanks for joining Bridgerland Audubon Society and helping with the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This was in the mid-seventies and it has been a joy to freeze your tukas and toes, brave wind, sleet and snow and count birds during the holiday season. Thanks to all who participated in this heralded service to Citizen Science for all these years. We had a fine crew of birders this year who braved the languid temperatures so well known to Cache Valley.

We counted 61,703 birds this year, second highest to 2002 when we counted 85,054 (47,000 starlings and 66,000 starlings, respectively). We identified 85 species this year, second to last (1986 – 84 spp.) over a 30 year span. Our waterfowl counts were 25% to 50% higher than the 20 year mean. We exceeded the previous maximum for ring- necked ducks, 1151 in 2012, 1179 in 2016. Thirty California quail squeaked by the previous high of 27, and 36 yellow-rumped warblers left the prior record high of 25 in the dust. The most interesting record high was 70 lesser goldfinch, a species that numbered two when first counted in 2008. The most interesting decline was three Brewer’s Blackbirds seen this year compared to a twenty year mean of 368 and 1627 seen in 1976. The nomadic waxwings emphasized their random wanderings: Bohemians were zero this year compared to an average of 213 and a standard deviation (mathmatically speakiing) of 487 (quite variable); Cedars totaled 9 in 2016, averaging 234 with a deviation of 204. The rarest species this year is the Swainson’s Hawk, an individual unable to migrate south, all the way to Brazil for some.

There is always much to learn from our feathered friends and Bridgerland Audubon thanks each of you for helping us expand our knowledge of this world. Join us for the next CBC and learn the true definition of cold.

C. Val Grant
Jim Cane
Jennifer Courtwright