These are the preliminary Home Sector watch counts from the 2023 Cache Valley (Logan) Christmas Bird Count
Sector numbers will be added after the entire count has been submitted to National Audubon.
Contents:
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- Home Sector Count Summary
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- Home Sector Species List
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- Home Sector Seen 2023 but not 2022: pending
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- Home Sector Not Seen in 2023 but seen in 2022: pending
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- All Species List pending
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- All Seen 2023 but not 2022: pending
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- All Sector Not Seen in 2022 but seen in 2021: pending
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- 2023 Logan Christmas Bird Count Graph pending
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- 2023 Logan Christmas Bird Count Narrative by Jim Cane
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- 1956-2023 Logan Christmas Bird Count Summary pending
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- Logan Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet pending
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- National Audubon Christmas Bird Count Analysis Tools
Home Sector Count Summary
Bridgerland Audubon CBC Home Sector Report 2023
Thank you 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: 33
Total Number of Homes: 22
Total Effort: 44.1 hours
Total Species: 30
Total Number of Birds: 815
Home Sectors 2023
Common Name (Scientific name)
Mallard (Anas platyrhyncos) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1
American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophryx) 1
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 2
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 4
Mountain Chickadee (Parus gambeli) 6
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 9
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 9
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus) 9
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 9
California Quail (Callipepla californica) 11
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 11
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 12
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 17
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) 18
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 39
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica) 42
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 43
Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus) 44
American Robin (Turdus migratorus) 46
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) 56
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 81
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (Junco hyemalis) 109
European Starling (Sturnus vulgarus) 228
Combined Sector and Home Sector Counts:
Seen in 2023, but not in 2022:
| Common Name (Genus species) | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) | 0 | 1 |
| Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) | 0 | 1 |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) | 0 | 1 |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) | 0 | 1 |
| Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) | 0 | 1 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata) | 0 | 1 |
| Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) | 0 | 2 |
| Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) | 0 | 2 |
| Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) | 0 | 4 |
| Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) | 0 | 4 |
| Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) | 0 | 10 |
| California Quail (Callipepla californica) | 0 | 11 |
| Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) | 0 | 12 |
| Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) | 0 | 30 |
| Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) | 0 | 42 |
| California Gull (Larus californicus) | 0 | 60 |
| Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) | 0 | 1cw |
| Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) | 0 | 2cw |
Seen last year 2022, but not this year [2023]:
| Common Name (Genus species) | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Barn Owl (Tyto alba) | 1 | 0 |
| Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) | 1 | 0 |
| Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) | 1 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) | 1 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle (Imm.) | 1 | 0 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) | 1 | 0 |
| Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) | 1 | 0 |
| Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) | 1 | 0 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) | 1 | 0 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Gr-hd) | 2 | 0 |
| Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) | 2 | 0 |
| Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) | 2 | 0 |
| Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicotti) | 3 | 0 |
| Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) | 4 | 0 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Slate Clrd) | 8 | 0 |
| Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) | 20 | 0 |
All Species for 2022 and 2023
| Common Name (Genus species) | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) | 0 | 0 |
| American Coot (Fulica americana) | 20 | 580 |
| American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) | 95 | 47 |
| American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) | 5 | 4 |
| American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) | 182 | 183 |
| American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) | 41 | 59 |
| American Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) | 7 | 38 |
| American Robin (Turdus migratorus) | 205 | 254 |
| American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) | 34 | 4 |
| American White Pelican (Pelcanus erythrorrhynchos) | 0 | 0 |
| American Wigeon (Anas americana) | 6 | 43 |
| Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) | 8 | 11 |
| Bald Eagle (Imm.) | 4 | 5 |
| Barn Owl (Tyto alba) | 1 | 0 |
| Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) | 23 | 18 |
| Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) | 11 | 13 |
| Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) | 0 | 0 |
| Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica) | 300 | 288 |
| Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus) | 214 | 146 |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nyctiocorax) | 0 | 0 |
| Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) | 0 | 2cw |
| Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) | 0 | 12 |
| Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) | 20 | 0 |
| Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) | 202 | 332 |
| Brown Creeper (Certhia familiaris) | 1 | 9 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) | 0 | 0 |
| Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) | 4 | 57 |
| Bushtit (Psaltiparus minimus) | 0 | 0 |
| Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) | 1 | 0 |
| California Gull (Larus californicus) | 0 | 60 |
| California Quail (Callipepla californica) | 0 | 11 |
| Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) | 804 | 338 |
| Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) | 0 | |
| Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) | 2 | 2 |
| Cassin’s Finch (Carpodacus cassinii) | 13 | 7 |
| Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) | 33 | 66 |
| Chukar (Alectoris chukar) | 18 | 6 |
| Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) | 2 | 2 |
| Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) | 0 | 1 |
| Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) | 1 | 0 |
| Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) | 93 | 119 |
| Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) | 6 | 4 |
| Common Raven (Corvus corax) | 84 | 79 |
| Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) | 3 | 6 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Gr-hd) | 2 | 0 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) | 542 | 484 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) | 87 | 10 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Slate Clrd) | 8 | 0 |
| Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) | 0 | 0 |
| Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) | 19 | 22 |
| Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) | 0 | 0 |
| Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) | 0 | 2 |
| Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) | 0 | 0 |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) | 445 | 573 |
| European Starling (Sturnus vulgarus) | 48926 | 28520 |
| Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes caerulea) | 1 | cw7 |
| Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) | 1 | 0 |
| Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) | 0 | 0 |
| Gadwall (Anas strepera) | 79 | 1730 |
| Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) | 7 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle (Imm.) | 1 | 0 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) | 1 | 0 |
| Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) | 0 | 0 |
| Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) | 0 | 0 |
| Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) | 3 | 10 |
| Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) | 0 | 0 |
| Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) | 8 | 7 |
| Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) | 0 | 0 |
| Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) | 0 | 1 |
| Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) | 0 | 0 |
| Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) | 9 | |
| Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) | 4 | 2 |
| Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) | 1 | 0 |
| Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttarus) | 1 | 3 |
| Herring Gull (Larus agentatus) | 0 | 0 |
| Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) | 2 | 1cw |
| Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) | 4 | 9 |
| House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) | 350 | 420 |
| House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) | 2915 | |
| House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) | 0 | 0 |
| Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) | 4 | 6 |
| Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) | 0 | 0 |
| Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) | 0 | 0 |
| Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) | 74 | 51 |
| Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) | 35 | 92 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) | 0 | 0 |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) | 0 | 1 |
| Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) | 0 | 0 |
| Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) | 0 | 0 |
| Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) | 0 | 0 |
| Mallard (Anas platyrhyncos) | 394 | 388 |
| Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) | 1 | 8 |
| Merlin (Falco columbarius) | 5 | 4 |
| Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) | 0 | 0 |
| Mountain Chickadee (Parus gambeli) | 12 | 15 |
| Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) | 10 | 53 |
| Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) | 109 | 84 |
| Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) | 9 | 108 |
| Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) | 0 | |
| Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) | 0 | 1 |
| Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) | 162 | 81 |
| Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) | 1 | 0 |
| Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey (Chondrohierax uncinatus) | 0 | 0 |
| Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus) | 0 | 1cw |
| Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) | 0 | 0 |
| Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) | 7 | 4 |
| Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) | 2 | 1cw |
| Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) | 58 | 99 |
| Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) | 4 | 4 |
| Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) | 0 | 0 |
| Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) | 0 | 0 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) | 14 | 36 |
| Redhead (Aythya americana) | 4 | |
| Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) | 110 | 179 |
| Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) | 371 | 1783 |
| Ring-billed Gull (Larus delwarensis) | 11 | 260 |
| Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) | 92 | 161 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) | 31 | 34 |
| Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) | 241 | 73 |
| Ross’s Goose (Chen rossi) | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) | 13 | 21 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) | 2 | 8 |
| Ruddy Duck (Oxyura dominica) | 16 | 44 |
| Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) | 0 | 4 |
| Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) | 0 | 0 |
| Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) | 0 | 42 |
| Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) | 4 | 5 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) | 9 | 17 |
| Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) | 0 | 0 |
| Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) | 2 | 0 |
| Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) | 0 | 0 |
| Snow Goose (Chen carulesceus) | 0 | 0 |
| Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) | 108 | 82 |
| Sora (Porzana carolina) | 0 | 0 |
| Spotted Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus) | 54 | 29 |
| Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) | 4 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) | 0 | 0 |
| Thayer’s Gull (Larus thayeri) | 0 | 0 |
| Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) | 68 | 38 |
| Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) | 6 | 2 |
| Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture (Gymnogyps californianus) | 0 | 0 |
| Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) | 0 | 1 |
| Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) | 38 | 49 |
| Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicotti) | 3 | 0 |
| Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) | 2 | 0 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) | 0 | 0 |
| White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophryx) | 114 | 175 |
| 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) | 0 | 0 |
| Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) | 111 | 193 |
| Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) | 5 | 3 |
| Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglogdytes) | 0 | 0 |
| Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) | 0 | 10 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) | 1 | 0 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) | 8 | 16 |
| Extras | ||
| Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) | 0 | 30 |
| Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) | 0 | 4 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata) | 0 | 1 |
| Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) | 0 | 2 |
2023 Christmas Bird Count Narrative per Jim Cane
Participants in Cache Valley’s 2023 annual Christmas Bird Count enjoyed a clear, calm day that warmed into the low 30’s. Eric Bingham and others organized our dedicated crew in continuing the long-standing tradition in this, Logan’s 68th annual CBC. Eric ably tackled recording, powered by our pizza dinner. Eric plus his son Thomas, Debi Evans and Jim Cane continued with compilation and reporting to Audubon. Hilary Shugart and Lyle Bingham devoted hours to locating past participants for recruitment.
The good weather on December 16th was a boon for comfortable bird watching by our flock of committed, capable observers (still being tallied) both in the field and at home feeders. We collectively found 97 species plus 5 more during count week. More than 46,600 individual birds were counted.
A few Old World species comprised ¾ of all the birds that we tallied. Happily, our counts of European Starlings (31,500) were thousands less than in recent years (was a murmuration missed?). The sharp recent decline in our pheasant count continued, but conversely, 193 turkeys was double our 20 year average. Eurasian Collared Dove counts seem to have stabilized at ~400 birds. Our Mourning Dove count was worth cooing about, being double our 20-year average. Maybe they can co-exist with Collared Doves.
Individuals of several summer species had neglected to migrate yet, including record numbers of both Sandhill Cranes (54), Blue-winged Teal (12), and even Long-billed Dowitchers (6), birds we rarely see in any December. What weather cue(s) did they miss? The migratory urge also wasn’t heeded by three Hermit thrushes, two Say’s phoebes and one orange-crowned warbler. Two (Trumpeter) Swans a-swimming too, but no partridge in a pear tree. We hope those laggard migrants have since headed to warmer climes.
Owling was frustrating, with no Short-eared, Screech or Pygmy owls announcing their presence at the usual spots. Conversely, diurnal raptors were in good number, including 10- fold more Harriers tallied (108) than last year and as many Cooper’s Hawks as our previous record. Sparse snow cover should favor good rodent hunting.
For a fifth year, a small local flock of Great-Tailed Grackles were seen swaggering about, joining the ranks of established winter newcomers, including both the Eurasian Collared Dove as well as our own Lesser Goldfinch. Several eastern vagrants showed up too: a White- Throated Sparrow plus two Eastern Bluejays that were seen during counting week and at feeders earlier in the month.
Some species are counted in many sectors and in consistent numbers every year. These include: Downy Woodpeckers, Magpies, Juncos, Northern Flickers and American Kestrels. American Tree Sparrows were scarce (4) out in the valley, only ¼ of our usual tally. Declining sightings of Wilson’s Snipe over the last 10-15 years reflect loss of remnant wetlands to paving, piping and draining, particularly for subdivisions on the benches. Old haunts of Wood Ducks have likewise disappeared (with none counted in a decade), but our roamers found 10 hanging out in a previously unchecked spot near Willow Park! A record 57 Buffleheads were also seen. The elusive Pacific wren was only seen during count week. They’re never common. Irruptive species were absent from our count, although Evening Grosbeaks and Cassin’s Finches have been seen this December. Last year’s massive flocks of snazzy Bohemian Waxwings only showed up later in winter. Interestingly, 275 of those also graced the first count here back in 1956, when Cache County’s human population was only 35,000.
Our count relies entirely on the keen eyes, identification skills and perseverance of our volunteer birders. We thank Eric and Debi for fussy hours spent organizing and later compiling the count for Audubon. We greatly appreciate so many stalwarts sticking with our count, particularly sector leaders, plus returning new regulars. Unlike the bad Covid years, we were able host some newcomers too. As a consequence, there is no gap in the continuum of our local CBC over the past half century.
Jim Cane
Logan Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet
2023 Logan Christmas Bird Count Spreadsheet (Download .xlsz file. Participants redacted for Privacy)
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National Audubon Christmas Bird Count Reports & Analysis Tools
Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count Results-Year 124
Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count-Historical Results By Count
Where Have All The Birds Gone? Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count Trend Viewer
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