The Kamloops CBC was held on Dec. 15, 2018. We tallied 75 species and 15,185 individuals. Highlights included Snow Goose, Sandhill Crane, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a bumper crop of Robins. A Belted Kingfisher was seen during the count period. The order below follows the 7th edition of the AOU checklist plus recent supplements to 2017.

• Snow Goose – 1
• Canada Goose – 2817
• Trumpeter Swan – 63
• Northern Shoveler – 43
• Gadwall – 10
• American Wigeon – 3
• Mallard – 1684
• Green-winged Teal – 26
• Ring-necked Duck – 4
• Greater Scaup – 44
• Lesser Scaup – 3
• Bufflehead – 46
• Common Goldeneye – 27
• Barrow’s Goldeneye – 27
• Hooded Merganser – 1
• Common Merganser – 1
• Ruddy Duck – 4
• Chukar – 1
• Ruffed Grouse – 1
• Rock Pigeon – 611
• Eurasian Collared Dove – 176
• American Coot – 1
• Sandhill Crane – 1  (present since early December)
• Wilson’s Snipe – 1
• Ring-billed Gull – 320
• California Gull – 2
• Herring Gull – 129
• Glaucous-winged Gull – 4
• Common Loon – 1
• Great Blue Heron – 2
• Bald Eagle – adult – 30 – immature – 8
• Northern Harrier – 3
• Sharp-shinned Hawk – 4
• Cooper’s Hawk – 1
• Red-tailed Hawk – 21
• Rough-legged Hawk – 5
• Golden Eagle – 1
• Great Horned Owl – 2
• Short-eared Owl – 6
• Downy Woodpecker – 11
• Hairy Woodpecker – 11
• Northern Flicker – 116
• Pileated Woodpecker – 6
• Merlin – 3
• Northern Shrike – 7
• Steller’s Jay – 8
• Clark’s Nutcracker – 7
• Black-billed Magpie – 201
• American Crow – 289
• Common Raven – 152
• Black-capped Chickadee – 67
• Mountain Chickadee – 53
• Red-breasted Nuthatch – 28
• White-breasted Nuthatch – 1
• Pygmy Nuthatch – 23
• Marsh Wren – 4
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 1
• Townsend’s Solitaire – 11
• American Robin – 394
• Varied Thrush – 1
• European Starling – 4146
• Bohemian Waxwing  – 523
• House Sparrow – 422
• Evening Grosbeak – 1
• House Finch – 284
• Red Crossbill – 42
• Pine Siskin – 1212
• American Goldfinch – 53
• Snow Bunting – 160
• Spotted Towhee – 7
• American Tree Sparrow – 5
• Song Sparrow – 33
• Dark-eyed Junco – 622
• Red-winged Blackbird – 128
• Brewer’s Blackbird – 28

 

Here are a couple of photos of birds of interest on the count.

This Snow Goose was been seen at or near Riverside Park before our count and we were fortunate to see it on count day. They are an uncommon migrant in our area and I have never seen one in mid-winter before. They winter in abundance at the mouth of the Fraser River.

There were 4 Glaucous-winged Gulls at the Kamloops landfill. All were sub-adults like this one. Common at the coast, we seem to get a few moving inland every winter, possibly following the salmon runs. They are a large gull, being noticeable compared to the more common Herring and Ring-billed Gulls that we see here.

Although not rare, I thought this was another interesting plumage of a sub-adult Bald Eagle, likely 2 years old. They show great variation before attaining their typical adult plumage after 5 or more years.

Thanks again to all who participated this year. Here is a list of the 40 participants in no particular order.

Rick Howie (compiler), Clara Ritcey, Ralph Ritcey, Frank Ritcey, Bruce Ritcey, Vanessa Isnardy, Terry Burkatsky, Maxine Grass, Teresa Corboy, Cory Dixon, June Kitanura, Kats Kitamura, Heather Stalberg, Ian Barnett, Isaac Nelson, Dave Whiting, Ruth Lidster, Ralph Heinrich, Doug Burles, Tom Dickinson, Nancy Flood, Steve Joly, Cara Snell, Glenn Dreger, Richard Doucette, Olivia Doucette, Darrel Frolek, Susan Weilandt, Peter Weilandt, Alan Burger, Ken Lipinski, Marina Lipinski, Cindy McCallum, Bryce Coombs, Richard Wright, Karen Willies, Jo Chipperfield, Tom Beeke, Barry Harman, Ellie Hill.