Hi Tweeters and Inland NW Birders -

An updated version of the 2021 County Year List Project is up and available at Washington Birder. Thanks compilers for all your work, and thanks everyone who has contributed.

This update, coming at the end of August and as Fall Migration is ongoing, is less 'stable' in timing that some of the other updates - some migrants might show up just a little earlier or later and bend the numbers - nevertheless, it is interesting to see where things stand.

Here's how things look compared with recent years:

We've tallied 372 species statewide as of the end of August in 2021. That's six below last year at this point, 4 better than 2019's total.

For Western WA, our 340 total is 4 lower than last year, but the same as our count in 2019.

For Eastern WA, our 317 total is 5 better than last year, and 17 better than 2019!

So, a bit lower for Western WA find, but doing well in Eastern WA seems to be the broad story.

23 counties are higher than they were at this point last year, 13 are lower, and 3 [Clark, Douglas & Spokane] are at exactly the same total as last year's check-in. 28 Counties have a total within 10 species of the check-in at this point last year. I continue to be impressed that despite so many disruptions and problems over these past two years, our overall species totals observed seems to remain relatively consistent, even at the county level.

72 species have been seen in all 39 counties, and 164 species have been found in 30 or more counties.

Overall, the year looks pretty similar thus far -; We seem to have had another underwhelming fall migration for shorebirds - not a single WBRC review list shorebird has been reported since the White-rumped Sandpipers of June. Passerine migration is still underway, so we don't know how that will pan out - another fall without Neah Bay access [for good reason], though, will no doubt leave us longing for pre-covid excitement.

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/ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFyODa5qw$>


A direct link to the 2021 county yearlist & the list of county compilers contact info:
http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFgZPFJVA$>


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

Good birding,



Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA
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