Subject: [Tweeters] County Yearlist Project end-April update available at WA Birder
Date: Mon May 11 06:46:45 PDT 2020
From: Matt Bartels - mattxyz at earthlink.net

Hi Tweeters & Inland NW Birders

An updated version of the 2020 County Year List Project is up and available at Washington Birder. We've updated all counties as of the end of April. Thanks to everyone who has contributed by sending county compilers their sightings &/or posting on eBird.

At this point in the year, with migrants and summer breeders just arriving back, it can be difficult to put too much stock in 'trends' -; some years birds will show up a little earlier or later -; the mid-year check-in will be better for looking at trends -; nevertheless, here's what we've got:

Statewide, 308 species were reported, 8 below last year's 316. We recorded 268 species in Western WA, and 258 in Eastern WA. That's 16 lower in western WA, and two higher in Eastern WA. Basically, the bulk of the difference in totals can be 'blamed' on the Covid-19 interruption of pelagic trips - there are around a dozen pelagic birds that were on last year's list at this point that have not been available to find this year. On land, the numbers are pretty similar to last year at this macro level, though perhaps a couple fewer rarities have popped up thus far….

21 counties have reported higher species counts this year compared with last year. 16 have lower totals this year, and two counties have exactly the same total as last yes [Okanogan and Clark]. 30 counties have totals within ten of last year's total, as with previous years -;a sign that although the macro level totals are low, the individual counties are looking fairly similar to their normal trends.



If you'd like to take a look at where things stand, the list and many other interesting files are at the Washington Birder website:

http://www.wabirder.com/ <http://www.wabirder.com/>

A direct link to the 2020 county year list & the list of county compilers contact info:
http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html <http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html>

Thanks to all the compilers and all those pitching in to sketch a picture of another year's birds in WA.



Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA

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