2022 OLYMPIA CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT RESULTS
By Bill Shelmerdine, Compiler
The 2022 Olympia Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on Sunday, December 18. 107 participants counted 39,411 birds of 122 species. Both totals are below average; the average species count over the past 30 years has been 126 to 127 species. The weather was cool with rain and occasional slush/hail; winds calm to light breeze (~5 mph). Temperatures ranged from mostly 30 to 40 degrees F.
Counters consisted of 89 participants in 16 field teams and 18 feeder watchers. Two boat teams covered the south Salish Sea waters of Budd and Eld Inlets and the Nisqually Reach.
Highlights for the count included Redhead, Long-tailed Duck (2), Western Gull, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Lesser Goldfinch. The latter have been seen for 5 of the last 6 years on the count and appear to be established newcomers in the count area. They were first recorded on the count in 2016.
Birds seen during “count week” but missed on count day included eight species: Snow Goose, Black-bellied Plover, Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Bittern, Townsend’s Solitaire, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Black-headed Grosbeak. This brings the total number of species seen to a respectable 130 species which is still short of the record of 134, set in 1993 and 1998.
There were some notable misses on the count including: Eared Grebe, Common Murre, Cedar Waxwing, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Red Crossbill. Northern Shrike was not found on count day and is no longer regular on the count. Prior to 2015, they could be reliably located at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on count day, being missed only twice between 1957 and 2016.
High counts were reported for three species: Trumpeter Swan (27); White-throated Sparrow (9) and Orange-crowned Warbler (3 in 2022 ties high counts in 1995, 2012, and 2021). While not records, Common Ravens (79) and California Scrub Jays (142) were near highs, continuing the trend in recent years. American Pipit numbers (40) were noteworthy, the 3rd highest ever recorded on the count and a high count in recent years.
Low counts were reported for grebes, loons, finches, and some waterbirds. Many observers noted a complete lack of Pine Siskins in their areas. Only one Pacific Loon reported on count day was consistent with the recent declining trend of that species and tied the low counts set in 2005 & 2017. Similarly, Barrow’s Goldeneye numbers (79) were the lowest on record by far since 1961, when significantly fewer counters attended the count. And finally, Purple Finches (8) were hard to find with the second lowest total for the count following a low of 7 reported in 2015.
Thank you to all the participants and volunteers that make this such a successful count year in and year out. Thank you also to BHAS, long time sponsor of the count. Next year we hope to return to the practice of holding a compilation dinner.
Photo credit: Long-tailed Duck, by Mick Thompson.
