Tweeters,

Here is a report on the Bellingham Christmas Bird Count, held
on 17 December, written by Terry Wahl and forwarded with
permission.

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net


----- Original Message -----
From: Terry Wahl
To: <whatcombirds at lists.wwu.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 4:24 PM
Subject: Bellingham CBC


40th annual Bellingham-Whatcom County Christmas Bird Count, 17 Dec. 2006

Area: 15-mile diameter circle, center at intersection of BNSF Rlwy
and Curtis Rd., including most of Bellingham, northern Bellingham
Bay, Ferndale, Lummi Flats and Bay, Sandy Pt., Lake Terrell,
Wiser Lake, Bloedel Park. 7 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., temperature 28-38 F,
mostly clear, no precipitation, wind NE-SW 5-10 mph, salt and
fresh water open. 68 observers in 24 parties, 13 observers at
feeders. Total party hours, 205 (124 on foot, 81 by car); total
party miles 773 (101 on foot, 672 by car); 7 hours and 25 miles
owling, 34 hours at feeders.

Species

Snow Goose 151
Brant 873
Cackling Goose 8
Canada Goose 950
Trumpeter Swan 1299
Tundra Swan 14
swan sp. 136
Wood Duck 45
Gadwall 111
Eurasian Wigeon 21
Am. Wigeon 17804
Mallard 13098
N. Shoveler 95
N. Pintail 32702
Green-winged Teal 11934
dabbling duck sp. 10025
Canvasback 16
Ring-necked Duck 239
Greater Scaup 830
Lesser Scaup 11
scaup sp. 215
Harlequin Duck 19
Surf Scoter 2135
White-winged Scoter 158
Black Scoter 111
scoter sp. 120
Long-tailed Duck 48
Bufflehead 476
Common Goldeneye 236
Barrow's Goldeneye 148
goldeneye sp. 5
Hooded Merganser 145
Common Merganser 536
Red-br. Merganser 78
merganser sp. 3
Ruddy Duck 190
diving duck sp. 900
duck sp. 550
Ring-neck. Pheasant 2
Red-throated Loon 14
Pacific Loon 5
Common Loon 36
loon sp. 100
Pied-b. Grebe 25
Horned Grebe 86
Red-necked Grebe 16
Western Grebe 783
Brandt's Cormorant 3
Double-cr Cormorant 604
Pelagic Cormorant 4
cormorant sp. 56
Great Blue Heron 128
Bald Eagle 107
N. Harrier 24
Sharp-shinned Hawk 10
Cooper's Hawk 15
Accipiter sp. 3
Red-tailed Hawk 179
`Harlan's' Hawk 2
Rough-legged Hawk 11
Golden Eagle 1
Am Kestrel 9
Merlin 10
Peregrine Falcon 6
Am. Coot 663
Blk-bellied Plover 1
Killdeer 101
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Black Turnstone 50
Sanderling 16
Rock Sandpiper 2
Dunlin 1393
dowitcher, 2
Wilson's Snipe 2
Mew Gull 528
Ring-billed Gull 306
Herring Gull 1
Thayer's Gull 3
Glaucous-wing. Gull 1988
gull sp. 1224
Pigeon Guillemot 18
Rock Pigeon 1415
Mourning Dove 59
Common Barn Owl 5
Great Horned Owl 4
Barred Owl 3
Short-eared Owl 2
Anna's Hummingbird 13
Belted Kingfisher 17
Red-n. Sapsucker 1
Red-br. Sapsucker 10
Downy Woodpecker 83
Hairy Woodpecker 31
`Yellow-s' Flicker 3
`Red-s' Flicker 294
intergrade flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 10
N. Shrike 4
Hutton's Vireo 2
Steller's Jay 231
crow 2071
C Raven 61
Blk-cap. Chickadee 1185
Ch-back. Chickadee 265
Bushtit 249
Red-br. Nuthatch 45
Brown Creeper 38
Bewick's Wren 61
Winter Wren 72
Marsh Wren 9
Am. Dipper 4
Golden-cr. Kinglet 356
Ruby-crown. Kinglet 143
kinglet sp. 2
Hermit Thrush 3
Amer. Robin 531
Varied Thrush 132
European Starling 9461
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 3
Spotted Towhee 405
Am. Tree Sparrow 3
Savannah Sparrow 2
Fox Sparrow 100
Song Sparrow 855
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
White-thr. Sparrow 4
White-crown Sparrow 258
Golden-cr. Sparrow 178
`Slate-col.' Junco 3
`Oregon' Junco 2026
Snow Bunting 14
Red-wing. Blackbird 2132
W. Meadowlark 28
Brewer's Blackbird 862
Brown-head. Cowbird 4
blackbird sp. 50
Pine Grosbeak 29
Purple Finch 26
House Finch 810
Pine Siskin 202
Am. Goldfinch 76
House Sparrow 934

Total individuals recorded: 130869; total species: 125

Five additional species (Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, W. Screech-
Owl, `Audubon's' Warbler and Black-headed Grosbeak) were noted
during Count Period, 3 days prior to and 3 days following the Count
Day). People attending the summing-up at the potluck will note the
absence here of three species seen. The White-fronted Geese are
apparently tame, occurring all-year round. The Mute Swan, though
with wild swan flocks, is not accepted as wild in Washington and is
regrettably not counted. And three Wild Turkeys, noted for some
time locally are not officially wild, either. Maybe by next year
someone will report wild turkey babies.

Appearing just before the count were Pine Grosbeaks, recorded
now on nine of our counts. Among species with all-time high counts
were dabbling ducks, Barred Owl, Anna's Hummingbird, Downy
and Pileated woodpeckers, Steller's Jay, Raven, Brown Creeper,
Dipper and White-throated Sparrow. As in recent years, a number
of species, including Short-eared Owl, were noted in low numbers
and Murre, Marbled Murrelet and Lapland Longspur did not appear
and suggest changes in overall populations. Absent also were Red
Crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks.

Further comments on trends, possible explanations of apparent
changes and problems of interpreting results due to habitat loss
and other factors will come later on.

CBC committee: Joe Meche, Joan Bird, Geri Walker, Paul
DeBruyn, Ronna Loerch, Terry Wahl.