Bird count reaches near record in species

   Twisp’s 21st annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count drew 21 observers Sunday (Dec. 28), who fanned out from Local 98856 early in the morning.
Weather was cold and snowy when they started, but the afternoon sun brought out many birds later in the day.
   The number of species sighted reached 63, nearly approaching the record of 66 tallied in 1995. Ravens, magpie, black-capped chickadees and Bohemian waxwings were the most numerous species, according to participant Ken Bevis. Bald eagle numbers were slightly lower than the last two counts, he said, but on par with previous years.
   Bevis noted that in this year’s count, 20 species were represented by only one or two individuals, possibly due to the late warm fall that stranded birds that otherwise would have migrated, such as the two Western bluebirds observed near Pipestone Canyon. 
   The Christmas bird count is the longest continuously running biological census in the world, beginning in 1900.
Here are the numbers:

Canada goose        2
Gadwall            1
American widgeon    2
Mallard            45
Green-winged teal    4
Barrow’s goldeneye    2
Hooded merganser    4
Common merganser    9
Bald eagle        33
Sharp-shinned hawk    2
Cooper’s hawk        4
Red-tailed hawk        4
Golden eagle        7
American kestrel        1
Merlin            2
Ruffed grouse        1
California quail        45
Virginia rail        1
Rock dove (pigeon)    46
Mourning dove        1
Great horned owl        2
Northern pygmy owl    1
Belted kingfisher        2
Downy woodpecker    13
Hairy woodpecker    12
White-headed woodpecker    3
Northern flicker        25
Northern shrike        2
Steller’s jay        18
Clark’s nutcracker    80
Black-billed magpie    113
American crow        6
Common raven        172
Black-capped chickadee    102
Mountain chickadee    99
Red-breasted nuthatch    84
White-breasted nuthatch    6
Pygmy nuthatch        8
Brown creeper        4
Canyon wren        1
American dipper        7
Golden-crowned kinglet    1
Western bluebird        2
Townsend’s solitaire    1
American robin        20
Varied thrush        2
European starling        100
Bohemian waxwing    286
Spotted towhee        4
Song sparrow        3
White-crowned sparrow    3
Dark eyed junco        85
Red-winged blackbird    1
Pine grosbeak        70
Cassin’s finch        24
House finch        63
Red crossbill        35
Common redpoll        20
Pine siskin        20
American goldfinch    150
Evening grosbeak    10
House sparrow        28
Wild turkey        74

This eagle, seen near Carlton the day after Christmas, may have been counted on Sunday.
Photo by Sue Misao