These are the preliminary Home Sector watch counts from the 2022 Cache Valley (Logan) Christmas Bird Count
Sector numbers will be added after the entire count has been submitted to National Audubon.

Contents:

Home Sector Count Summary

Home Sector Species List

Home Sector Seen 2022 but not 2021:

Home Sector Not Seen in 2022 but seen in 2021:

All Species List

All Seen 2022 but not 2021:

All Sector Not Seen in 2022 but seen in 2021:

2022 Logan Christmas Bird Count Graph by Wayne Wurtsbaugh

2022 Logan Christmas Bird Count Narrative by Jim Cane

1956-2022 Logan Christmas Bird Count Summary

Logan Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet

 
Home Sector Count Summary
BAS CBC Home Sector Report 2022

Thanks to Debi Evans for compiling the reports for the home sector of the Christmas Bird Count. Once again the bird watchers at home made considerable contributions to the effort, including adding to the total number of species reported.

Total Participants: 29
Total Number of Homes: 21
Total Effort: 37 hours
Total Species: 26
Total Number of Birds: 708

Special treat rare bird with photo documentation required: Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay.
 

Seen in 2022, but not in 2021:
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii),
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).
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Seen last year (2021), but not his year (2022): Brown Creeper, Common Raven, Cooper’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Blue Jay, Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and White-crowned Sparrow.

 
2022
Blackbird, Red-winged (Agelaius phoeniceus) [2 F]
Chickadee, Black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) [48]
Chickadee, Mountain (Poecile gambeli) [2]
Crow, American (Corvus brachyrhynchos) [10]
Dove. Eurasian-Collared (Streptopelia decaocto) [39]
Dove, Mourning (Zenaida macroura) [7]
Finch, House (Haemorhous mexicanus) [101]
Finch, Cassin’s (Haemorhous cassinii) [4]
Goldfinch, American (Spinus tristis) [39]
Goldfinch, Lesser (Spinus psaltria) [24]
Goose, Canada (Branta canadensis) [31]
Jay, Scrub (Aphelocoma californica) [2) [rare, photo-verified]
Junco, Dark-eyed (Junco hyemalis) [196 total, 1 species; 189 Oregon, 2 Gr-hd, 1 Slate Cl, 4 Pink-sided]
Magpie, Black-billed (Pica hudsonia) [13]
Nuthatch, Red-breasted (Sitta canadensis) [2]
Pheasant, Ring-necked (Phasianus colchicus) [1]
Robin, American (Turdus migratorius) [5]
Siskin, Pine (Spinus pinus) [27]
Sparrow, House (Passer domesticus) [34]
Sparrow, Song (Melospiza melodia) [12]
Starling, European (Sturnus vulgaris) [61]
Towhee, Spotted (Pipilo maculatus) [13]
Turkey, Wild (Meleagris gallopavo) [15]
Woodpecker, Downy (Picoides pubescens) [7]
Woodpecker, Hairy (Leuconotopicus villosus) [1]
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) [12]

Numbers for 2022 are in brackets: [#]
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Home Sector Report Summary 2022 [#] 2020 (2019 in parentheses)
Participation: [23 people] 49 people, [39 hours 15 minutes] 53 hours (in 2019: 31 people, 29 hours; 15 minutes)
Birds Seen: [548 birds] 1738 birds; [ 24 species] 32 species (in 2019: 775 birds; 20 species)
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Combined Sector and Home Sector Counts:

 
Seen in 2022, but not in 2021:
Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) 0 [1]
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes caerulea) 0 [1]
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) 0 [1]
Golden Eagle (Imm.) (Aquila chrysaetos) 0 [1]
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 0 [1]
Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 0 [1]
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttarus) 0 [1]
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) 0 [1]
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 0 [1]
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Seen last year 2021, but not his year [2022]:
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) 0 [20]
Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) 0 [1]
Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) 0 [2]
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) 0 [2]
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 0 [6]
Dark-eyed Junco (Gr-hd) (Junco hyemalis) 0 [2]
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes caerulea) 0 [1]
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) 0 [1]
Golden Eagle (Imm.) (Aquila chrysaetos) 0 [1]
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 0 [1]
Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 0 [1]
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttarus) 0 [1]
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 0 [2]
Mountain Chickadee (Parus gambeli) 0 [12]
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) 0 [1]
Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) 0 [2]
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) 0 [9]
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 0 [4]
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 0 [6]
Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicotti) 0 [3]
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 0 [2]
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 0 [1]
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2022
2021 Comparison, Numbers for 2022 are in brackets: [#]
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) 0 [0]
American Coot (Fulica americana) 29 [20]
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 88 [95]
American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) 6 [5]
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 111 [182]
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 35 [41]
American Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) 34 [7]
American Robin (Turdus migratorus) 215 [205]
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) 25 [34]
American White Pelican (Pelcanus erythrorrhynchos) 0 [0]
American Wigeon (Anas americana) 2 [6]
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 13 [8]
Bald Eagle (Imm.) (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2 [4]
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) 4 [1]
Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) 26 [23]
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) 8 [11]
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 0 [0]
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica) 260 [300]
Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus) 88 [214]
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nyctiocorax) 0 [0]
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 0 [0]
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 0 [0]
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) 0 [20]
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 196 [202]
Brown Creeper (Certhia familiaris) 1 [1]
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 0 [0]
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 1 [4]
Bushtit (Psaltiparus minimus) 0 [0]
Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) 0 [1]
California Gull (Larus californicus) 2 [0]
California Quail (Callipepla californica) 0 [0]
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 968 [804]
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) 0 [0]
Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) 0 [2]
Cassin’s Finch (Carpodacus cassinii) 5 [13]
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 134 [33]
Chukar (Alectoris chukar) 5 [18]
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) 0 [2]
Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) 0 [0]
Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) 2 [1]
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 120 [93]
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 0 [6]
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 36 [84]
Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) 0 [0]
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 4 [3]
Dark-eyed Junco (Gr-hd) (Junco hyemalis) 0 [2]
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (Junco hyemalis) 385 [542]
Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) (Junco hyemalis) 6 [87]
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate Clrd) (Junco hyemalis) 3 [8]
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 0 [0]
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 11 [19]
Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) 0 [0]
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) 0 [0]
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 0 [0]
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 228 [445]
European Starling (Sturnus vulgarus) 64710 [48926]
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes caerulea) 0 [1]
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) 0 [1]
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 0 [0]
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 146 [79]
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) 0 [0]
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 2 [7]
Golden Eagle (Imm.) (Aquila chrysaetos) 0 [1]
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 0 [1]
Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) 0 [0]
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) 0 [0]
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 6 [3]
Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) 0 [0]
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 8 [8]
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) 0 [0]
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 0 [0]
Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) 0 [0]
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 6 [9]
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) 3 [4]
Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 0 [1]
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttarus) 0 [1]
Herring Gull (Larus agentatus) 0 [0]
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 0 [2]
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 65 [4]
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 328 [350]
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 2453 [2915]
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 0 [0]
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 21 [4]
Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) 0 [0]
Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) 0 [0]
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) 52 [74]
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 13 [35]
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 0 [0]
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 0 [0]
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 0 [0]
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) 0 [0]
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) 0 [0]
Mallard (Anas platyrhyncos) 238 [394]
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 3 [1]
Merlin (Falco columbarius) 5 [5]
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) 0 [0]
Mountain Chickadee (Parus gambeli) 0 [12]
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 8 [10]
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 63 [109]
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) 0 [0]
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 39 [9]
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 5 [0]
Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) 2 [0]
Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) 2 [0]
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 56 [162]
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) 0 [1]
Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) 0 [0]
Osprey (Chondrohierax uncinatus) 0 [0]
Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) 0 [0]
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1 [0]
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 8 [7]
Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) 0 [2]
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) 32 [58]
Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) 3 [4]
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) 0 [0]
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 0 [0]
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 6 [14]
Redhead (Aythya americana) 4 [4]
Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) 0 [0]
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 125 [110]
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 154 [371]
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delwarensis) 40 [11]
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 24 [92]
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 15 [31]
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) 383 [241]
Ross’s Goose (Chen rossi) 0 [0]
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) 18 [13]
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 11 [2]
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura dominica) 1 [16]
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) 0 [0]
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 0 [0]
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) 0 [0]
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 1 [0]
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 7 [4]
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) 0 [9]
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 0 [0]
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) 2 [2]
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) 0 [0]
Snow Goose (Chen carulesceus) 0 [0]
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 73 [108]
Sora (Porzana carolina) 0 [0]
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus) 19 [54]
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 0 [4]
Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) 0 [0]
Thayer’s Gull (Larus thayeri) 0 [0]
Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) 19 [68]
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 0 [6]
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 6 [0]
Turkey Vulture (Gymnogyps californianus) 0 [0]
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) 0 [0]
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) 1 [0]
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 56 [38]
Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicotti) 0 [3]
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 0 [2]
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 0 [0]
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophryx) 164 [114]
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) 0 [0]
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 1 [1]
White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) 0 [0]
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca) 2 [0]
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 77 [111]
Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 8 [5]
Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglogdytes) 0 [0]
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 0 [0]
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 0 [1]
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) 37 [8]
Numbers for 2022 are in brackets: [#]
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2022 Christmas Bird Count Narrative per Jim Cane
The 2022 annual Bridgerland Audubon Christmas Bird Count based in Logan, Utah was a welcome thawing of viral threats, allowing us to host some newcomers and flock together for our traditional compilation potluck. Meanwhile, Frank Howe and other board members organized our dedicated crew to continue the long-standing tradition in this, Logan’s 67th annual CBC. Wayne Wurtzbaum ably tackled recording and reporting of this year’s count, aided by Makenna Bird.

After an unusually snowy period leading up to the bird count, the skies cleared but the temperatures plummeted by count day, December 17th. Roads were bare and dry, the sunny still air was a boon for chilly bird watching. A flock of committed, capable observers (still being tallied), plus swelling ranks of feeder watchers, allowed us to find 94 species, which is the average for our counts. Over 58,000 individual birds were tallied, 90% of them exotics, mostly European Starlings (48,926), but hey, that’s 15,000 fewer than last year!

Owlers were quite successful, prowling around in the chilly predawn to hear 4 of the 7 species possible. Robin numbers have been down the past 6 years (about half the average), but we had a near record number of ravens. We had better than average counts of flickers, solitaires and both downy and hairy woodpeckers. For the fourth straight (and only) years, even more great-tailed grackles (41!) were swaggering around too. Has this become a new winter resident for us? Possibly. In 2008 we counted our first lesser goldfinches. Now we count 50-100 annually plus resident breeding populations, even as they retreat from much of their southern range. Several other rarities for our 68 years of counting were also espied, including Bohemian waxwings, 2 pine grosbeaks and both a Harris’ and white-throated sparrow, and among home feeders, a persistent hermit thrush (at a heated suburban bird bath) and a regular duo of western scrub jays. Ornamental white birches were again thronged with goldfinches (lesser and American) and pine siskins, all them extracting the birches’ tiny seeds.

Counts of our web-footed friends (other than Canada geese) were again down ½ or less, much like last year, including: pied-billed grebe, bufflehead, redhead, canvasback, pintail, American wigeon, ring-necked duck, and shoveler. For instance, we usually count 500-4000 gadwall; this year, we saw just 79. We saw only 20 coots too. Coots! Declining sightings of ducks may also reflect warmer weather late into autumn, leaving more open water across the valley these past few counts, which allows birds to spread around to where we don’t see them. Our drought and/or that of the Midwest or California is no doubt diminishing their nesting success too. Gull numbers remain low with closure of the landfill. Snipe, rails and wood ducks were always elusive finds, but remain absent in recent years, succumbing to shrinking or filled wetlands and spring heads. A warm autumn may explain seeing 6 lingering trumpeter swans too, which we last recorded in our 2021 CBC. More golden eagles (8) were seen than usual, but bald eagle numbers were down. Most irruptive species were absent from our count, including crossbills and but one evening grosbeak. Last January, redpolls were seen up Smithfield Canyon working river birches for seed, but as usual, they did not grace our count. They will be well worth a search however!

Conditions in the count circle continue to change. Rampant development on both the benches and valley floor take their toll on habitats. At Guinivah Campground up Logan Canyon, the tree canopy of massive (and non-native) crack willows was cut down. Never productive for CBC birds in the winter, its gradual transformation with time should be reflected in future bird counts.

Our count relies entirely on the keen eyes, identification skills and perseverance of our volunteer birders, and the hours spent organizing and later compiling by Wayne and Debi. We greatly appreciate so many stalwarts sticking with the count despite other demands of the holiday season. It was nice to flock up again to swap tales about tail feathers seen. As a consequence, our local CBC remains an unbroken continuum that stretches back over more than a half century.

Jim Cane

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Logan Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet
2022 Logan Christmas Bird Count Summary All Years
2022 Logan Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet (Download .xlsz file. Participants redacted for Privacy)
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National Audubon 2022 Christmas Bird Count Results
https://www.audubon.org/summary-122nd-christmas-bird-count-2021-2022
Evans, Keith, The 122nd Christmas Bird Count in Utah, National Audubon, December 9, 2022, https://www.audubon.org/news/the-122nd-christmas-bird-count-utah
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