Subject: [Tweeters] preliminary Wahkiakum CBC summary
Date: Dec 30 21:04:31 2009
From: Andrew and Audrey - aceasp at pacifier.com


2009 Wahkiakum CBC preliminary summary

On Tuesday, December 29, 20 volunteers participated in the twelfth
annual Wahkiakum Christmas Bird Count. The Wahkiakum Count straddles
the Lower Columbia River, including the Julia B. Hansen and Lewis &
Clark National Wildlife Refuges and the towns of Brownsmead, Knappa &
Westport in Oregon and Cathlamet, Puget Island and Skamokawa on the
Washington side. Though the temperature rose into the low 40?s from
the morning?s freezing temperatures, a cold east wind blowing over 20
mph in many parts of the circle made it hard to find birds. Some
afternoon rain and snow didn?t help either. We did pretty well,
considering.

The preliminary species count is 102, five below our average, plus
two additional count week species. Two species were new to the
Wahkiakum CBC. EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES are now well-established on
Puget Island, where 10 were found on count day. An EMPIDONAX SP.
FLYCATCHER was found near the east end of East Birnie Slough Road,
Puget Island. I attempted to relocate it this morning, but did not
succeed.

Other uncommon finds for our circle included an EARED GREBE, RED-
SHOULDERED HAWK and 31 SNOW GEESE in Brownsmead, a CLARK'S GREBE in
Knappa, a SAVANNAH SPARROW in the J.B. Hansen Refuge, a GREAT EGRET
on Tenasillahe Island, and a beautiful dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
on Puget Island. Two STREAKED HORNED LARKS were seen on Pillar Rock
Island; White?s Island, their other stronghold within the circle, was
not covered.

The most abundant bird in the circle, for the twelfth
straight year, is Greater Scaup with 10,434 recorded. That number is
about 5000 below last year, which had similar coverage. Low numbers
were recorded for many species. Only 24 Western Grebes were found,
the lowest number in the history of the count. The average is 105.
The average number of Marsh Wrens for the first ten years of the
count was 24; last year we found four, and this year, one. We missed
Tundra Swan for the first time; our average number is 88. Also missed
for the first time were Mew Gull and Western Gull. Gulls of any kind
were few and far between during this count. Other misses included Red-
throated Loon, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Hutton?s Vireo, Pileated
Woodpecker and Red Crossbill.

-Andrew Emlen, compiler
Skamokawa, WA
aceasp AT pacifier DOT com
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