Tillamook County Christmas Bird Counts
2023 Tillamook CBC
The 2023 CBC was very successful! Thanks to Allison Anholt for leading it this year and for providing the summary below.
Overall, 25 field observers and 3 feeder-watchers counted 39,266 individual birds across 148 species on the count day. We also recorded 4 count week-only birds (Clark's Grebe, Harlequin Duck, Yellow warbler and Canada Jay). The sum total of 148 birds has only been beaten in two prior years since the count began in 1964: 2010 (155 species) and 2004 (154 species) and matched in 2006 and 2011.
Particularly notable species were super high counts of Black Phoebe and Mourning Dove (see below), and records of Northern Waterthrush and Wilson's Warbler. We also saw 8 White-tailed Kites, the highest number since 2015.
Since 1964, 238 species have been recorded on the count- this doesn't include the different forms of dark-eyed juncos, for example, or when people record it as a greater/lesser scaup or gull species, etc. It also combines the former Northwestern Crow into American Crow. This year, we recorded 62% of these species. In the full dataset, 24 species have only been recorded one time (3 snowy owls were seen in 1966) We did not record any new species to the count this year, though we recorded a whopping 19 high-counts- the highest number of individuals recorded of a species ever in the history of the count.
High Count Species in 2023:
Surf Scoter- 1496 (previous record 1140 in 2013)
Bufflehead- 2503 (previous record 1795 in 2011)
Barrow's Goldeneye- 6 (previous record 3, set last year)
Greater Yellowlegs- 40 (previous record 14, set in 2007)
Rock Pigeon- 366 (previous record 265 set in 2004 and 1998)
Mourning Dove- 12 (previous high count of 4, set in 2017)
Red-breasted Sapsucker- 5 (previous record 3, set last year)
Hairy Woodpecker- 26 (previous record 15, set last year)
Black Phoebe- 77 (previous record 59, set last year)
Western Scrub Jay- 89 (previous record 59, set last year)
Common Raven- 95 (previous record 89, set in 2018)
Black-capped Chickadee- 243 (previous record 140, set last year)
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 78 (previous record only 25, set in 1990)
Northern Waterthrush- 1 (seen during count week last year, and seen only once before, during the count in 1995)
Townsend's Warbler- 97 (previous record 81, set last year)
Wilson's Warbler- 2 (only seen once before, in 1980)
Fox Sparrow- 497 (previous record 392, set in 1984)
Dark-eyed Junco- 895 (previous record 840, set in 1971)
Spotted Towhee- 219 (previous record 119 set in 1992)
There were a few misses as well- Canada Jay, which we've seen 29 of 59 prior years, wasn't spotted until the next day to be counted on our count week list, Rough-legged Hawk, which we've seen 43 of the 59 years, and Great Horned Owl, which we've spotted 36 times in the past.
If you are interested in participating in the 2024 CBC, contact Allison Anholt at [email protected]
The 2023 CBC was very successful! Thanks to Allison Anholt for leading it this year and for providing the summary below.
Overall, 25 field observers and 3 feeder-watchers counted 39,266 individual birds across 148 species on the count day. We also recorded 4 count week-only birds (Clark's Grebe, Harlequin Duck, Yellow warbler and Canada Jay). The sum total of 148 birds has only been beaten in two prior years since the count began in 1964: 2010 (155 species) and 2004 (154 species) and matched in 2006 and 2011.
Particularly notable species were super high counts of Black Phoebe and Mourning Dove (see below), and records of Northern Waterthrush and Wilson's Warbler. We also saw 8 White-tailed Kites, the highest number since 2015.
Since 1964, 238 species have been recorded on the count- this doesn't include the different forms of dark-eyed juncos, for example, or when people record it as a greater/lesser scaup or gull species, etc. It also combines the former Northwestern Crow into American Crow. This year, we recorded 62% of these species. In the full dataset, 24 species have only been recorded one time (3 snowy owls were seen in 1966) We did not record any new species to the count this year, though we recorded a whopping 19 high-counts- the highest number of individuals recorded of a species ever in the history of the count.
High Count Species in 2023:
Surf Scoter- 1496 (previous record 1140 in 2013)
Bufflehead- 2503 (previous record 1795 in 2011)
Barrow's Goldeneye- 6 (previous record 3, set last year)
Greater Yellowlegs- 40 (previous record 14, set in 2007)
Rock Pigeon- 366 (previous record 265 set in 2004 and 1998)
Mourning Dove- 12 (previous high count of 4, set in 2017)
Red-breasted Sapsucker- 5 (previous record 3, set last year)
Hairy Woodpecker- 26 (previous record 15, set last year)
Black Phoebe- 77 (previous record 59, set last year)
Western Scrub Jay- 89 (previous record 59, set last year)
Common Raven- 95 (previous record 89, set in 2018)
Black-capped Chickadee- 243 (previous record 140, set last year)
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 78 (previous record only 25, set in 1990)
Northern Waterthrush- 1 (seen during count week last year, and seen only once before, during the count in 1995)
Townsend's Warbler- 97 (previous record 81, set last year)
Wilson's Warbler- 2 (only seen once before, in 1980)
Fox Sparrow- 497 (previous record 392, set in 1984)
Dark-eyed Junco- 895 (previous record 840, set in 1971)
Spotted Towhee- 219 (previous record 119 set in 1992)
There were a few misses as well- Canada Jay, which we've seen 29 of 59 prior years, wasn't spotted until the next day to be counted on our count week list, Rough-legged Hawk, which we've seen 43 of the 59 years, and Great Horned Owl, which we've spotted 36 times in the past.
If you are interested in participating in the 2024 CBC, contact Allison Anholt at [email protected]
2022 Tillamook Bay 58th CBC Report
Thirty-four birders helped make this the most successful Tillamook Christmas Bird Count in years. We ended up with 144 species, the most since 2011. Unlike last year, the weather cooperated- it was cold (in the low to mid 30s all day), but it did not rain. That, plus the number of really expert birders we were blessed with combined to give us a result which was well above the 136 running average for the count.
The Tillamook Bay count circle is 15 miles in diameter, covering about 177 square miles, centered in Bay City. Birders divided into parties concentrating on various sectors of the circle to count all the birds in that sector on count day.
Over the 58 years of the Tillamook Bay count, approximately 242 species have been seen.
New count highs:
Anna’s Hummingbird: 176! Eurasian Wigeon: 36, Ancient Murrelet: 70, Bald Eagle: 90, Red-shouldered Hawk: 13, Downy Woodpecker: 34, Hairy Woodpecker: 15, Black Phoebe: 52, California Scrub-jay: 59, Black-capped Chickadee:140, Brown Creeper: 12.
Notable misses:
Sharp-shinned Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Western Sandpiper, Redhead, Western Bluebird, Black Scoter, Northern Shrike
Thank you to Audubon of Lincoln City for sponsoring the count, to Kathy Krall for coordinating, and to Dawn Villaescusa for compiling the data.
To review more historical data on the Tillamook CBC, click here.
The 2023, 59th annual Tillamook Bay CBC should be another great event.
If interested, contact Allison Anholt at [email protected].
Thirty-four birders helped make this the most successful Tillamook Christmas Bird Count in years. We ended up with 144 species, the most since 2011. Unlike last year, the weather cooperated- it was cold (in the low to mid 30s all day), but it did not rain. That, plus the number of really expert birders we were blessed with combined to give us a result which was well above the 136 running average for the count.
The Tillamook Bay count circle is 15 miles in diameter, covering about 177 square miles, centered in Bay City. Birders divided into parties concentrating on various sectors of the circle to count all the birds in that sector on count day.
Over the 58 years of the Tillamook Bay count, approximately 242 species have been seen.
New count highs:
Anna’s Hummingbird: 176! Eurasian Wigeon: 36, Ancient Murrelet: 70, Bald Eagle: 90, Red-shouldered Hawk: 13, Downy Woodpecker: 34, Hairy Woodpecker: 15, Black Phoebe: 52, California Scrub-jay: 59, Black-capped Chickadee:140, Brown Creeper: 12.
Notable misses:
Sharp-shinned Hawk, White-tailed Kite, Western Sandpiper, Redhead, Western Bluebird, Black Scoter, Northern Shrike
Thank you to Audubon of Lincoln City for sponsoring the count, to Kathy Krall for coordinating, and to Dawn Villaescusa for compiling the data.
To review more historical data on the Tillamook CBC, click here.
The 2023, 59th annual Tillamook Bay CBC should be another great event.
If interested, contact Allison Anholt at [email protected].
Upper Nestucca CBC
Ruffed Grouse Photo: dawn villaescusa
This count is located in the beautiful Coast Range of northwestern Oregon, in Tillamook and Yamhill counties. Much of the area is composed of steep ridges, punctuated by swift-flowing streams. The count is centered on the Nestucca River drainage, but also includes portions of the Trask and South Yamhill River drainages. Elevations range from around 200 feet along the lower reaches of the Nestucca River, to over 3,000 feet atop Bald Mountain and Grindstone Mountain.
We welcome new participants. Please contact the compiler if you wish to join us next year!
Contact: Don Albright [email protected]
We welcome new participants. Please contact the compiler if you wish to join us next year!
Contact: Don Albright [email protected]