Christmas Bird Count
Report by Glenn Dreger.
The Kamloops Christmas Bird Count was held on December 17th. There is a three-day window on either side of the count day where birds not seen on the count day can be added. There were 39 participants (one feeder watch) who identified 76 species, well above our average count. The total was 8,433 individual birds. This count was our highest in the past five years. As might be expected, European Starlings made up almost one quarter of the birds seen.
It was a wonderful day to be birding. Counts were up considerably over last year, quite likely due to the milder weather. Temperatures were above freezing, and winds were light and variable. Before we credit global warming, remember that last year was minus 25 and windy when we found 51 species. There will be considerable variation in weather despite the overall warming of the earth.
Thank you to all of the participants. Here are some photos taken on the count.
Yellow-billed loon, Lyn McDonald
Three-toed woodpecker, Donna Nesjan
Red-breasted nuthatch, Glenn Dreger
Northern Shrike, Glenn Dreger
Pygmy Owl, Alan Burger
Crossbills, Alan Burger
| SPECIES | COUNT |
| Snow Goose | 3 |
| Canada Goose | 1414 |
| Trumpeter Swan | 39 |
| Northern Shoveller | 2 |
| Gadwall | 12 |
| American Wigeon | 4 |
| Mallard | 668 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 |
| Green-winged Teal | 7 |
| Ring-neck Duck | 10 |
| Lesser Scaup | 18 |
| Bufflehead | 10 |
| Common Goldeneye | 51 |
| Barrow’s Goldeneye | 21 |
| White-winged Scoter ** | 1 |
| Common Merganser | 15 |
| Hooded Merganser | 8 |
| Chukar | 21 |
| Ruffed Grouse | 1 |
| Rock Pigeon | 618 |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 272 |
| Killdeer | 1 |
| Ring-necked Gull | 227 |
| Herring Gull | 276 |
| Glaucous-winged Gull | 1 |
| Yellow-billed Loon** | 1 |
| Great Blue Heron | 9 |
| Turkey Vulture** | 3 |
| Bald Eagle | 69 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 |
| Northern Harrier | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 3 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 13 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 5 |
| Northern Pygmy Owl | 2 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 17 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 15 |
| American Three-toed Woodpecker** | 2 |
| Northern Flicker | 136 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 7 |
| American Kestrel | 3 |
| Merlin | 4 |
| Canada Jay | 5 |
| Steller’s Jay | 10 |
| Northern Shrike | 6 |
| Clark’s Nutcracker | 13 |
| Black-billed Magpie | 234 |
| American Crow | 273 |
| Common Raven | 147 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 49 |
| Mountain Chickadee | 36 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 31 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 |
| Pygmy Nuthatch | 30 |
| Marsh Wren | 1 |
| Townsend’s Solitaire | 12 |
| American Robin | 7 |
| European Starling | 1912 |
| Bohemian Waxwing | 280 |
| House Sparrow | 567 |
| Evening Grosbeak | 50 |
| Pine Grosbeak | 24 |
| House Finch | 271 |
| Common Redpoll | 91 |
| Cassin’s Finch | 1 |
| White-winged Crossbill | 32 |
| Pine Siskin | 31 |
| American Goldfinch | 52 |
| Snow Bunting | 1 |
| Spotted Towhee | 3 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 3 |
| Song Sparrow | 80 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 6 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 126 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 129 |
| ** indicates birds that may require the rare bird report |