114th CBC British Columbia Regional Summary

By Richard Cannings

A total of 100 counts came in from British Columbia this year, up nine from last year and a new record high.  New counts came in from Atlin, Bella Coola, Elkford, Peachland, Rivers Inlet Mouth, and Sparwood; the Lake Windermere count reported after a long absence. 

The species total for BC counts jumped to 232 this year, the best showing in a decade. Victoria traded places with Ladner to come out on top this year with 146 species.  In the Interior, Oliver-Osoyoos had 102 species, well down from last year’s 110 but still enough to be best in that region. 

Non-Canada geese were in good supply this year with 58 Greater White-fronted (including 19 at White Rock), 17,055 Snow (12,883 at Ladner), 4952 Brant (2839 at Ladner), and 4787 Cackling (2052 at Chilliwack). Trumpeter Swans were well down from the healthy numbers of the last couple of years, with only 5808 reported.  Chilliwack tallied a record-high total of 939 Wood Ducks.  Rare duck sightings included a Cinnamon at White Rock and two Eurasian Green-winged Teal at both Skidegate Inlet and Greater Masset. 

Most of the 240 Chukar reported came from the Thompson-Fraser area, with Kamloops topping the list at 95.  Oliver-Osoyoos had 11 Gray Partridge, the lone report of that species this year.  Single White-tailed Ptarmigan were seen at Revelstoke and Whistler; while Smithers reported White-tailed and Rock Ptarmigan for count week.  Sharp-tailed Grouse were seen on four counts, including 16 at Kamloops. 

Nine Yellow-billed Loons were reported on three counts:  seven at Hecate Strait and singles at Greater Masset and Comox.  A healthy total of 2004 Western Grebes at Skidegate Inlet was a hopeful sign for a species that has shown steadily declining wintering numbers on the BC coast over the past two decades.  Two Black-footed Albatross at Greater Masset marked the first time this seabird has been reported on a Canadian count.  Other interesting tubenose sightings from Haida Gwaii included Northern Fulmar (2 at Rose Spit); Sooty Shearwater (13 at Rose Spit, 2 at Hecate Strait); Short-tailed Shearwater (5 at Rose Spit, 4 at Greater Masset).  A single Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel at Sidney-South Saltspring was a real surprise.  Even more unusual was a well-described Red-faced Cormorant at Rose Spit, another first for Canadian Christmas Bird Counts.

Bald Eagle numbers increased to 8919, up from last year’s 8153; this time Harrison River had the high count (1368) with Squamish (1145) close behind.  A single Gyrfalcon was at Abbotsford-Mission and the only Prairie Falcon was at Cawston.  The only Sora report came from Victoria, while single Pacific Golden-Plovers were seen at Greater Masset and Ladner.  A Red Knot was at Victoria, while Greater Masset reported a Red Phalarope and a Slaty-backed Gull.

Eurasian Collared-Doves added another thousand to their continually rising total, this time from a record 67 counts across British Columbia.  Snowy Owl numbers crashed back to normal after two remarkable winters, with four seen on three counts.  Seven Northern Hawk Owls were seen on five counts, including two at McBride.  Anna’s Hummingbirds were back up in numbers with 972 at Victoria and 2746 overall—more than 1000 above last year’s total.  Two at Terrace and another at Kitimat were the most northerly of the lot.  More surprising perhaps, were the multiple reports of lingering Rufous Hummingbirds—eight were seen, including four at Pender Islands alone.

Grand Forks is in the core of the Canadian breeding range for Lewis’s Woodpecker but has had few wintering birds, so one hardy bird there was a good find.  A Black Phoebe found at Chilliwack is part of a pattern of increasing sightings of this southwestern flycatcher in BC, and another Christmas Count first for Canada.  A similar pattern of steadily increasing reports is also apparent for Western Scrub-Jay in BC; this year two were tallied at Pitt Meadows.  Bewick’s Wrens are also spreading steadily into the southern Interior of BC; this year Oliver-Osoyoos reported five, Penticton two, and there were singles at Cawston and Lake Country.  Mountain Bluebirds were scattered on four coastal counts, including four at Skidegate Inlet.

In the rare warbler department, Victoria had two Palm Warblers and Vancouver a Black-and-white; the latter first discovered on the CBC for Kids before the count period.  The most remarkable pair of long-staying rarities in BC this year was the odd combination of a Dickcissel and Hooded Oriole in the same yard at Port McNeill; luckily both were tallied on the Broughton Strait count.  Tlell had a Brambling, a near-regular wintering species on Haida Gwaii.

Forest finches were essentially absent.  Only 129 Pine Grosbeaks were found on 15 counts.  Apex-Hedley reported 117 White-winged Crossbills, almost the entire provincial total of 129.  The BC total count of Pine Siskins was 5427, down somewhat from last year’s 75,236.  But the most striking slump was in the numbers of Common Redpolls.  After last year’s 12,466 tally, only 502 were found this year.  Evening Grosbeak numbers dropped from 2548 last year to 702.  These species likely spent the winter in the northern parts of British Columbia, feeding on wild seed and berry crops, but I certainly look forward to next year’s count to see if they bounce back accordingly.

On a final sad note, we deeply regret the recent untimely death of Ryan Cathers, the compiler of the Nanaimo count.  This young man will be deeply missed in the birding community of British Columbia.