Jennifer Molesworth found a white-breasted nuthatch on count day.
On Dec. 20, 24 observers braved chilly and snowy weather to participate in Twisp’s 28th annual Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count, a 115-year-old tradition of counting birds during the holiday season, is an effort to track bird population trends throughout the Americas. This year, participants did their part and tallied 66 species within a 7.5-mile radius of Twisp.
Dark-eyed juncos were the most numerous species (552 individuals), along with California quail (475) and common ravens (343). Of note, mountain chickadee numbers were much lower than in previous years; a total of three birds were observed this year versus the more typical total of 86 mountain chickadees recorded last year.
Low mountain chickadee numbers could partially be a result of habitat lost in recent catastrophic wildfires, according to local biologist, Kent Woodruff, but more information is needed to explain the full story of this population decline.
On a brighter note, several species not often seen in the Methow were recorded, including tundra swans, a Savannah sparrow and a prairie falcon. The complete list of species and numbers for this year are as follows:
|
Canada Goose |
6 |
|
Tundra Swan |
4 |
|
American Wigeon |
2 |
|
Mallard |
96 |
|
Green-winged Teal |
9 |
|
Ring-necked Duck |
21 |
|
Bufflehead |
10 |
|
Common Goldeneye |
37 |
|
Barrow’s Goldeneye |
27 |
|
Hooded Merganser |
4 |
|
Common Merganser |
11 |
|
California Quail |
475 |
|
Gray Partridge |
47 |
|
Ruffed Grouse |
1 |
|
Wild Turkey |
223 |
|
Pied-billed Grebe |
1 |
|
Great Blue Heron |
2 |
|
adult |
34 |
|
immature |
20 |
|
unknown |
2 |
|
Northern Harrier |
3 |
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
2 |
|
Cooper’s Hawk |
5 |
|
unknown accipiter |
1 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
18 |
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
1 |
|
unknown hawk |
1 |
|
adult |
3 |
|
immature |
1 |
|
unknown bald or golden eagle |
2 |
|
Rock Pigeon |
44 |
|
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
91 |
|
Mourning Dove |
61 |
|
Great Horned Owl |
1 |
|
Northern Pygmy-Owl |
2 |
|
Belted Kingfisher |
4 |
|
Downy Woodpecker |
31 |
|
Hairy Woodpecker |
19 |
|
Black-backed Woodpecker |
2 |
|
Northern Flicker (red-shafted) |
78 |
|
Pileated Woodpecker |
1 |
|
unknown woodpecker |
3 |
|
American Kestrel |
6 |
|
Northern Shrike |
9 |
|
Steller’s Jay |
33 |
|
Clark’s Nutcracker |
12 |
|
Black-billed Magpie |
88 |
|
American Crow |
32 |
|
Common Raven |
343 |
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
91 |
|
Mountain Chickadee |
3 |
|
unknown chickadee |
4 |
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
143 |
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
37 |
|
Pygmy Nuthatch |
10 |
|
American Dipper |
13 |
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
9 |
|
Townsend’s Solitaire |
6 |
|
Varied Thrush |
92 |
|
European Starling |
43 |
|
Bohemian Waxwing |
1 |
|
Spotted Towhee |
8 |
|
Savannah Sparrow* |
1 |
|
Song Sparrow |
31 |
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
6 |
|
Golden-crowned Sparrow |
2 |
|
unknown sparrow |
1 |
|
Oregon Junco |
548 |
|
Slate-colored Junco |
4 |
|
Brewer’s Blackbird |
8 |
|
Pine Grosbeak |
24 |
|
House Finch |
318 |
|
Cassin’s Finch |
13 |
|
unknown finch |
6 |
|
Red Crossbill |
53 |
|
Common Redpoll |
308 |
|
Pine Siskin |
255 |
|
American Goldfinch |
196 |
|
Evening Grosbeak |
4 |
|
House Sparrow |
81 |
