Christmas Bird Count 2009

By Wink Gross, compiler, Portland Christmas Bird Count

 “I heard the birds on Christmas Day, their unfamiliar chip-notes say!”  OK, OK, every year it gets harder to think up a new lead for this article, and it gets harder to break the record for number of species seen.  But the Portland Christmas Bird Count has broken that record 2 years in a row!  Last year’s 173 participants found 120 species, topping the previous year’s record 118.  Can we get to 125 this year?   Maybe so--with your help!

The 110th Christmas Bird Count season is upon us.   All over the Americas, Audubon chapters will be conducting one-day bird counts between Dec 14, 2009 and Jan 5, 2010.  Audubon Society of Portland held its first Christmas Bird Count in 1926.   This year our 84th Count is on Saturday, January 2, 2010.  Birders will comb the parks, open spaces, wetlands, rivers and neighborhoods all over Portland looking for birds.  At the end of the day we’ll get together and share what we found.

Think you would like to do a Christmas Bird Count but aren’t sure you’re “qualified”?  Not to worry!  We’ll match up beginners into teams with skilled birders. The more eyes, the better.  There’s a long tradition of beginning birders spotting unusual birds on the Christmas count.  People unable to participate out-of-doors can provide valuable observations as feeder-watchers if they live within the count circle.  Feederwatch 2009 (pdf)

The Christmas Bird Count is a great way for birders of all levels to enjoy a day in the field and sharpen their birding skills.  You will also have the opportunity to meet others who share your interest in birds and to discover some good local spots to find birds.  And you will contribute to scientific knowledge.  In fact, the Christmas Bird Count is one of the best ways for the amateur birder to advance ornithology:  the data are sent to the Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University, where over the years Christmas Bird Count records have been used to study changes in bird populations and wintering ranges.   A recent study of CBC data shows that most birds are wintering farther north now than they did 40 years ago, perhaps the result of global warming.  National Audubon Society info on using CBC data to plot wintering range changes.

Each Christmas Bird Count attempts to count all the birds in a 15 mile diameter circle on one given day.  In addition to the Portland Count, roughly 50 other Counts will be conducted in Oregon and SW Washington this year during the 3 weeks surrounding the holidays.  Some of the counts in NW Oregon are listed below.  Complete list of Oregon Counts

Want to participate in the Portland Christmas Bird Count?   Look at the map of the Portland CBC circle below and pick an area you would like to help cover.  (It does not need to be where you reside.)  Contact the area leader, who will tell you where and what time to meet on January 2.  The area leaders will put together teams to balance birding skills and cover as much of their area as possible.   Most teams go out for the whole day, 7AM until 4PM, but you can usually make arrangements if you need to stop earlier.  Can’t decide which area?  Contact me, Wink Gross, at winkg@hevanet.com or 503-226-3842.

Can’t do the Portland Count on Jan 2?  Check out the other Counts around the state.  Pick one that suits your schedule, and contact the compiler directly.

What to bring:  binoculars, of course!  Be prepared for a day outdoors in Oregon in the winter.  That means warm clothes, rainwear, and waterproof shoes.  The Counts are generally held as scheduled, rain or shine.  Bring a bag lunch and snacks.  Each participant over 18 years of age is asked to contribute $5 to defray the expense of publishing the results and sending you a summary.  And, last but not least, bring an enthusiastic attitude and a willingness to search quietly and patiently for birds.

Almost every Christmas count turns up an unusual bird.  Often as not, it’s first spotted by a new birder.  Last year, first time Christmas Bird Counter Matt Crumbacker won the “Eagle Eye” award by finding the Best Bird: an American Dipper on Balch Creek.  Perhaps this year you will be the person who finds the bird that makes us all say, “Wow!  We never expected that!”

Wink Gross, compiler
Portland Christmas Bird Count
winkg@hevanet.com
503-226-3842

Feeder watchers needed, too!

A day tramping around in the cold and wet doesn’t appeal to you?  You may still be able to participate.  Most Christmas Counts solicit reports from “Feeder Watchers”.  Feeder Watcher observations are very important for certain species, such as hummingbirds and goldfinches.  If you happen to live within the Count Circle and maintain a birdfeeder, the compiler will want to know what you saw on Count Day.  Remember, only birds seen on the actual day of the Christmas Bird Count “count”.  Contact the Count compiler for details.

For the Kids!

Nothing will dampen a child’s enjoyment of nature more than standing around in cold, wet weather, trying to be quiet, with a bunch of intense birders.  For this reason, we don’t recommend bringing young children (under 12) along as field observers.   However, during the Portland Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Jan 2, youngsters are welcome to come to Audubon House (5151 NW Cornell Rd) any time between the hours of 10AM and 2PM and help us count the birds at our feeders.  Weather permitting; there will also be a birdwalk through the Sanctuary.

Portland CBC Circle displayed on Google Maps
Oregon CBC Circle (for use with Google Earth) Washington CBC Circle

Portland CBC “Count Circle”

Christmas Bird Count Map

Area Leaders for Portland CBC

Area 1 (Columbia Riparian):
John Fitchen
503-775-0928
jfitchen@aol.com

Area 2 (Southeast Portland):
Pat Muller
503-236-6711
neptunea2@cs.com

Area 3 (Lake Oswego):
Lynn Herring
503-635-8030
lynnhe@comcast.net

Area 4 (Beaverton):
Lori Hennings
503-797-1940 or 503-329-5003
lori.hennings@oregonmetro.gov

Area 5 (Northwest Hills/Forest Park):
Sam Pointer
503-655-9107
OCMossBack@aol.com

Oregon Field Ornithologists' Birding Calendar (displaying dates for all Oregon and SW Washington Counts)

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS IN OREGON, 2009-2010
 
Thursday, December 17
Hart Mountain
 
Saturday, December 19
Bend
Grants Pass
John Day 
Klamath Falls
Medford
Roseburg-Sutherlin
Salem 
Tillamook Bay 
 
Sunday, December 20
Albany-Airlie
Coos Bay 
Illinois Valley
Lyle, WA
Sisters
Wallowa County
 
Tuesday, December 22
Corvallis
 
Saturday, December 26
Brownsville 
 
Sunday, December 27
Port Orford 
Sauvie Island
 
Tuesday, December 29
Wahkiakum
 
Thursday, December 31
Prineville 
 
Friday, January 1
Cowlitz-Columbia 
Santiam Pass 
 
Saturday, January 2
Columbia Hills-Klickitat Valley, WA 
Coquille Valley
Portland 
Umatilla County
Yaquina Bay 
 
Sunday, January 3
Eugene
Hood River