114th CBC Washington/Oregon Regional Summary

By Mike Patterson

We saw unseasonably cold weather and early snowfalls in the first two weeks of December which may have affected bird distribution before the count period.  Most counts east of the Cascades reported colder than average temperatures and the numbers of species reported in those areas were believed by compilers to reflect the wintery conditions.  West of the Cascades the weather was more forgiving and species totals were at or above average values.

We did not see a third year of Snowy Owl invasions.  It was, apparently the East Coast’s turn to shine this season.  Only one was reported during the count period at Tri-Cities, WA where it remained for some time.   The colder than average conditions east of the Cascades failed to produce any spikes in irruptive winter finch species either, with relatively few reports of redpolls or grosbeaks throughout the region.

The dedicated seawatch attached to the Tillamook Bay, OR count reported a small, white-bellied shearwater among the 120 or so dark-bellied shearwaters seen.  The observer listed it as Black-vented/Manx Shearwater.  Given the increase in reports of Manx Shearwater along the Oregon and Washington Coast in recent years, probability favors that species.

A Tufted Duck was found at the Monmouth Sewage Lagoons in the Dallas, OR circle.  A King Eider was noted on the Yaquina Bay, OR where it spent most of the winter with other sea duck in the surf north of Newport.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls have become nearly annual in Eastern Washington.  One was reported this year from Tri-cities, WA.  A wintering Brown Thrasher at Coquille Valley, OR rounds out the list of well documented extralimital species for the season.

A Snowy Egret was reported on one the Columbia River islands at Wahkiakum, WA.  The description was sketchy and the bird could not be relocated.  Snowy Egrets are very rare any time of year west of the Cascades, so the report was met with considerable skepticism by both the count compiler and the regional editor.  A well described Snowy Egret reported 30 or so miles upriver later in the week, possibly this same bird, leant enough support to the sighting to keep it in the database with caveats.

Species totals west of the Cascades were average with coastal counts and those with higher participant rates doing a bit better than average.  Counts east of the Cascades reported lower than average numbers, and generally most compilers blamed the unusually cold temperatures that persisted through the count period.  In all, 21 of 41 counts in Washington reported over 100 species and 20 of 47 counts in Oregon saw over 100 species.  Coos Bay, OR once again put up the largest species total for the region with 154.  Sequim-Dungeness, WA reported 146 followed by Coquille Valley, OR at 142.  Everett, WA was the second highest count in Washington at 132.  East of the Cascades, Lyle, WA posted 109 followed by Tri-City, WA at 108, Hood River, OR at 100 and Klamath Falls at 94.

I did not make very many significant editorial changes this season.  I changed the status of an Iceland Gull to Iceland/Thayer’s Gull, because the photos posted of this bird, available on line, were labeled as such.  I followed suit.  I have every confidence the Washington Bird Records Committee will sort out the particulars.  An undocumented flock of Red-necked Phalaropes was downgraded to phalarope species.  I deleted an undocumented House Wren and all counts reporting Winter Wrens were changed to Pacific Wren.

As usual, efforts made by compilers to get documentation for rare or unusual species were very good.  There were a couple species I had to chase documentation for with a bit of “googling” and some by sifting through region list-serve archives.  As always, I ask folks not to make the assumption that the details, once posted to OBOL or Tweeters, become common knowledge.  I cannot be depended upon to catch every post on the list-serves regard unusual sightings nor can I be certain whether they were or were not connected to a particular Christmas Bird Count.

Thank you to all compilers who continue the challenging and often uncomfortable task of getting observers to properly document their claimed sightings.