The 117th CBC in British Columbia

Despite the weather, British Columbia’s 117^th Christmas Bird Count Season was a great success. Though turnout was down slightly from last year, bird diversity was significantly higher. Ninety-six count circles were completed across the province, with 2816 field observers and 640 feeder watchers taking part. Observers walked, drove, flew, ATVed, boated, skied, and snowshoed almost 29,000 kilometers for over 7000 hours to count 816,938 individuals of 222 species. This year, Victoria had both the highest species count, with 141, and the highest participation, with a commendable 239 field observers and 91 feeder watchers. The Stuix-Tweedsmuir, Tumbler Ridge, and Wells-Bowron counts tied for fewest species with 17 each. Nocturnal effort was low this year, although Sidney-South Saltspring braved the elements to tally nearly 12 hours of effort with 23 owls of three species to show for it.

Atlin, BC’s most northerly circle, had record highs in species totals (24), effort (13 observers) and temperatures (-8 to -3).  In contrast to this, many coastal counts experienced unusually large amounts of snow through most of the count period. Much of the rest of the province was predictably cold and snowy.

The most abundant birds this year were Mallard (71,691), Canada Goose (56,407), European Starling (49,568), Glaucous-winged Gull (41,683), and American Wigeon (39,832). The most widespread species across BC count circles were Common Raven (94 circles), Bald Eagle (93 circles), Downy Woodpecker (82 circles), Red-breasted Nuthatch (82circles), and Song Sparrow and Mallard (both 81 circles).

Goose and Swan numbers were relatively stable this year with some notable exceptions being an unusually high count of 29,685 Snow Geese, 21,863 of which were observed in Ladner, and a 20-year low of 40 Tundra Swans. Despite the cold temperatures and generally low diving duck counts (especially Black Scoters at 750 and Ruddy Ducks at 56), Common Goldeneyes (29,685) and Red-breasted Mergansers (4,405) were both at 12-year highs. Common Goldeneye numbers were high across the province, while the high Red-breasted Merganser count was driven by a major influx in the Salish Sea.

Grebes, loons, cormorants, and herons were all present in predictable numbers. For the most part Galliformes were as well, although both Sharp-tailed (71) and Ruffed Grouse (229) were at all time high counts and Sooty Grouse was absent entirely.

Turkey Vulture numbers, much like those over the past two years, were higher than usual with 57 observed. Most of these were from southern Vancouver Island, but both the Kelowna and Shuswap counts encountered single birds. Bald Eagles were common and widespread, with 8237 counted. Parts of the south coast encountered large numbers this year with Ladner alone counting a record 1574. Most other raptor species were not unusually distributed, although Cooper’s Hawks continue to increase with 373 counted, a record 74 of which were seen on the Nanaimo count.

Outside of large numbers of Killdeer (1201) on the south coast and low numbers of Greater Yellowlegs, shorebird numbers were not out of the ordinary. Band-tailed Pigeons were at an all-time low of 12, and both Eurasian Collared-Doves (5600) and Barred Owls (82) continue to increase across the province with record highs and first occurrences on several counts for both.

Alcid numbers normalized slightly with Ancient Murrelets back up to 2582 from last year’s dip to 281. Common Murres were down to 8001 from last year’s influx of 10,679 and were much more evenly distributed along the coast than last year, when 70% of the total came from Haida Gwaii. Gull numbers were also back up slightly from last year, exceptions being Black-legged Kittiwakes, which dropped off the map, and Bonaparte’s Gulls, which were at an 8-year low of 150 and were found almost strictly in the Strait of Georgia.

Though most woodpecker numbers were not abnormal, Red-breasted Sapsuckers irrupted along the coast. This year’s sapsucker count was more than the next two highest years combined. This may have been the result of the high snow levels and cold temperatures driving this species out of the mountains into more coastal areas. In total 728 were seen across most coastal and in some interior counts, with record numbers in many circles from Haida Gwaii to southern Vancouver Island.

Considering the cold weather, songbird numbers were surprisingly predictable. Both Black-billed Magpies, at 2876, and American Crows, at 6700, were higher than usual whereas Steller’s Jays were down to a 17-year low of 2776. Though their overall count was not unusual, Bohemian Waxwings irrupted in parts of the south coast.

White-throated Sparrows were more abundant and widespread than they have been in the past. At 82, twice as many were encountered this year as in the year with the previous highest count. Spotted Towhees were also much more abundant this year than they have been in the past, with 8734 observed.

Finch diversity and numbers were both down this year for most counts. Evening Grosbeaks were at a record low number (620) and occurred in only 24 circles.   

Regional, provincial, and national rarities showed up in BC on this year’s CBC. A Ruddy Turnstone was observed in Skidegate Inlet and a Red Knot on the Sidney-South Saltspring count. Ladner picked up the first Black-headed Gull in BC Christmas Bird Count history, and two interior counts (Lake Country and Kelowna) and one Kootenay count (Kaslo) all picked up Anna’s Hummingbird. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Rock Wren both wintered in Ladner, and a Prairie Falcon in Pitt Meadows. The only flycatcher this year was an Eastern Phoebe on count week in Vancouver, and the only unusual corvids were a pair of California Scrub-Jays spotted in White Rock. Two other major rarities were a Red-flanked Bluetail, which showed up for several weeks in Comox, and a late Swainson’s Thrush which was photographed on the Lake Country count. Single Northern Mockingbirds were seen and photographed in both Duncan and Skidegate Inlet. Haida Gwaii hosted a late Wilson’s Warbler in Greater Masset, Skidegate Inlet had this year’s only three Lapland Longspurs, and Port Clements had a vagrant Rustic Bunting. On southern Vancouver Island, a Clay-colored Sparrow was spotted in Victoria and a Palm Warbler in Duncan. Fort St. James and Williams Lake both picked up single Rusty Blackbirds this year and the Merritt count had its first Lesser Goldfinch.

A big thank you to all the compilers and counters this year who volunteered their time to make the 117^th Christmas Bird Count possible.