[obol] Antone Winter Bird Count results

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

Ten volunteers joined yesterday's Antone Winter (Solstice) Bird Count.
Doing this on the shortest day of the year didn't seem to reduce the
number of birds, as we tied or exceeded count records for 20 of the 48
that were found, most dramatically:

WILD TURKEY              45 (old record was  7)
GOLDEN EAGLE              9 ( "    "     "   6)
WILSON'S SNIPE            3 (only found once before)
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL   4 or 5 (one was seen catching a mouse) 
HAIRY WOODPECKER          5 (old record was just 2)
NORTHERN SHRIKE           9 (three parties had three apiece!)
COMMON RAVEN             99 (60 of them in one field!)
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE      113 (old record was 52)
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH    30 ( "    "     "  17)
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH   7 ( "    "     "   1)
PYGMY NUTHATCH           42 ( "    "     "  12)
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH       92 ( "    "     "  67)

Numbers were also high for BUSHTIT (96), TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE (103),
OREGON JUNCO (267) and, unfortunately, EUROPEAN STARLING (64).

Other notable species included LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (1), ROCK WREN (2),
MARSH WREN (1), LINCOLN'S SPARROW (1), and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (2).

A flock of 11 CANADA GEESE (not often seen on this count) flew up and
down the river valley several times, almost like they were looking for
someone. ;)

Low numbers were recorded for MALLARD (just 3), ROCK PIGEON (just 2) and
AMERICAN ROBIN (134, with most of those concentrated in two flocks --
juniper berries were very sparse).  

We missed COMMON MERGANSERS for just the second time in the eight years
of this count; duck numbers were low in general, despite an ice-free
John Day River.

We also missed MOUNTAIN QUAIL for just the second time. Half a foot of
snow at the higher elevations may have driven some coveys into different
parts of the circle than usual, though luck and timing are always
factors. Despite the good numbers of Northern Pygmy-Owls (most were seen
just perched by the side of the road, without even calling for them), we
got skunked on screech-owls and saw-whet owls.

Thanks to volunteers Judy Meredith, Karla Yates, David Schas, Tom
Rodhouse, Matt Smith, Shirley Hoh, Sarah Herve, Peter Low, and Wil
Geier.

Happy birding,
Joel

--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis