Hi Tweets,

Eastside Audubon held the 30th CBC since 1981 (there were no counts in 1982, 1983 and 1989) on Saturday, December 14, 2013. Nature gave us total cloud cover (and heavy fog in the lowlands), low wind, no rain or snow, and temps in the low 40s.

We added one species to the all-time Eastside CBC list: one WESTERN SCRU- JAY was seen by the Fall City/Preston group. Misses on count day: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Siskin and Red Crossbill. Wood Duck, Wilson Snipe and Evening Grosbeak were seen only during the count week.

High Counts, Compared to the last 15 years (1999 to 2013):

Cackling Goose ? 5210, the highest number counted since we first saw this species in 2005
Lesser Scaup ? 43, the second highest to 59 seen in 2012
American Kestrel ? 2, average number and seen every year but two
Barn Owl, 1, average number and seen half the time
Red-breasted Sapsucker ? 9, second highest to 13 in 2008
Downy Woodpecker ? 22, second highest to 25 in 2011
Pileated Woodpecker ? 8, second highest to 16 in 2008
Steller?s Jay ? 126, highest count since 121 in 2009
Bushtit ? 145, highest count since 139 in 2009
Marsh Wren ? 23, highest count since 22 in 2004
American Dipper ? 11, highest count since 8 in 2011
Fox Sparrow ? 53, second highest to 69 in 2011
Gray Jay ? 6, highest count since 5 reported in 3 years (first counted in 2007 by Gene Hunn at top of Tiger Mountain, and now continued by Scott Ramos)

Low Counts, Compared to the last 15 years (1999 to 2013):

Northern Pintail ? 20, lowest count, average is 214
Rock Pigeon ? 56, lowest count in 15 years, average is 192
Band-tailed Pigeon ? 2, average is 12 Ruby-crowned Kinglet ? 54, average is 78
Lincoln Sparrow ? 1, average is 4 and has been seen 12 out of last 15 years
House Finch ? 78, lowest count, average is 151

Worth Mentioning:

Green Heron ? 1 bird at Issaquah Hatchery; this species has been seen 50% of the time in last 15 years
Merlin ? 1 bird at East Snoqualmie, this species has seen 50% of the time in last 15 years
White-throated Sparrow ? 2 at Fall City/Preston, seen 40% of the time
Thayer?s Gull ? 1 at West Sammamish Trail, seen only one other time in 1996
American Bittern ? 1 at Marymoor, seen only one other time by East Snoqualmie group in 2009
Great-horned Owl - heard 2 at Red-Brick Road in the Marymoor sector

Overall, there were 87 species seen on count day, plus 3 count week birds (Wood Duck, Wilson?s Snipe and Evening Grosbeak), to bring the total+cw to 90, below average (previous high count of 97 in 2011 and 2012). The number of birds seen was 18,166; average is about 15,000, and the highest count ever was 28,674 in 1999.

We had 47 people counting birds, with 1 person at home doing a backyard count within our circle. Thanks everyone!

A complete list of birds recorded by Eastside Audubon on the 2013 CBC, or on any CBC since 1981, is available by email from Sharon Aagaard, scormieraa001 at hotmail.com

Sharon Aagaard
Bellevue WA
scormieraa001 at hotmail.com