.png)
NEWPORT – Local volunteers gathered for the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, Dec. 22. “The absence of rain or snow was helpful, but the fog and low clouds were with us throughout the day and our total of 49 species was close to our long-term average,” event organizer John Stuart says.
The counting was done by 10 people in five cars covering segments of the circle and 17 feeder watchers scattered all over the circle. The group found three Clark’s Nutcrackers, a bird that is supremely adapted to stay at high elevations. They also found two Pygmy Owls, a tiny bird that is ubiquitous, but tough to find, according to Stuart. The following list covers the birds that volunteers spotted in the Pend Oreille River Valley during the count:
Canada Goose.................................674 Tundra Swan...................................3 Mallard..............................................130 Gadwall.............................................1 American Wigeon..........................6 Ring-necked Duck.........................16 Lesser Scaup....................................11 Bufflehead........................................40 Common Goldeneye....................185 Barrow’s Goldeneye......................2 Common Merganser....................17 California Quail...............................118 Wild Turkey......................................474 Ruffed Grouse.................................1 Mourning Dove..............................9 Great Blue Heron...........................5 Golden Eagle (all adults).............20 Red-tailed Hawk.............................4 Northern Pygmy Owl...................2 Belted Kingfisher...........................6 Hairy Woodpecker.........................13 Downy Woodpecker.....................11 Northern Flicker.............................17 Pileated Woodpecker...................3 Clark’s Nutcracker..........................3 Canada Jay.......................................9 Steller’s Jay.......................................22 American Magpie..........................13 American Crow...............................74 Common Raven.............................133 Black-backed Chickadee.............330 Mountain Chickadee....................39 Chestnut-backed Chickadee.....67 Red-breasted Nuthatch...............103 White-breasted Nuthatch..........1 Pacific Wren.....................................1 Golden-crowned Kinglet............10 American Dipper...........................1 Cassin’s Finch..................................12 Purple Finch.....................................9 House Finch.....................................51 Red Crossbill....................................16 Pine Siskin........................................15 American Goldfinch.....................59 Evening Grosbeak.........................1 Song Sparrow.................................9 Fox Sparrow.....................................2 Dark-eyed Junco............................19 Red-winged Blackbird.................5
