CBC 2012

On the 2012 Christmas Bird Count we recorded 119 species, plus one additional species in the count period.  This is a lot more than the 100 species we used to struggle to get on our count.  We did face some negative conditions—continuing drought (a toll on small land birds), mild early winter (some of the exotic gull species apparently were not in yet), and loss of many fields over the years to housing developments (hard on longspurs and sparrows).

Some of the remarkable finds—American Woodcock, by Jimmy Woodard and Nadine Varner; Townsend’s Solitaire, by Patti and Brian Muzny; Red-throated Loon, by Nathan Kuhnert, Zach Poland and Pat Velte; Lesser Black-backed Gull in count period, by Jim Bates; and Short-eared Owl, by Terri Underhill and Brett Bartek.

Thanks to all for a job well done.  A special thanks to Diane Newell and Sally Coates for hosting the Tally Party at the Newell home.  And a special thanks to Pat Velte for data entry—she says that every party list she enters is a pleasurable field trip for her!

CBC data has many uses, very important among them identifying birds with decreasing populations.  On the ducks, for instance, CBC data can be used to help set hunter bag limits—protecting the rarer ones with smaller bag limits. To my surprise we had more individual birding parties, 22, and more people, 54, participate than ever before.  It was a really nice day in several ways, including weather!

Below is a list of the species seen.

— John  Shackford, Compiler