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Abundant Bohemian waxwings elevate annual bird count numbers

53 birders count 4,975 birds from 55 species during BV Naturalists Christmas Bird Count

What a beautiful day for the Annual Christmas Bird Count.

The temperature was cool, but not cold, the sun shone, and the valley was spectacular in its snowy whiteness.   

There were 53 birders in 23 parties out in the field counting the birds as well as a few watching feeders at home. Many new birders, some of whom came specifically from out of town, joined us. Welcome and thanks for helping us.

Every year birders tell me there were “not many” birds or it was very “quiet out there,” but we still seem to get around the same number, around 4,000 individual birds.

This year’s total was bigger largely due to the high number of Bohemian waxwings gorging on all the fermented tree fruits – what a party they were having!

Yet again the Smithers count got the ‘grand slam’ of seeing all four chickadee species. In the past, we have been the only count in B.C. that got all four.

Lots of tiny, but fierce, northern pygmy owls were out hunting, and we watched one scare off a large flock of waxwings – birds that are twice their own size.

The number of red-breasted nuthatches was up this year. Apparently, their numbers are cyclical, and this was a high year.

The presence of open water meant we also saw quite a few different waterfowl.

Not often seen on the count was a goshawk (I prefer the name northern goshawk!), one great gray owl and one barred owl, as well as a single varied thrush.

If anyone remembers seeing any other species during Count Week, but not listed as being seen on count day, please let us know at 250-847-9429.

On behalf of the BV Naturalists, thank you to everyone who participated in this successful Christmas Bird Count.

Bulkley Valley Naturalists

2024 Annual Christmas Bird Count

Dec. 27, 2024

Total Number of birds 4,975

Total number of species 55

Plus 3 unknown identification

CW = count week

Mallard 8

Common Merganser 4

Ring-necked Duck 4

Scaup sp. 2

Common Goldeneye 7

Waterfowl sp. 15

(American) Bald Eagle - Adult 20

(American) Bald Eagle - Immature 20

(American) Northern Goshawk 1

Cooper's Hawk 1

Sharp-shinned Hawk 2

Ruffed Grouse 7

Spruce Grouse 2

Willow Ptarmigan CW

Eurasian Collared-dove 36

Northern Pygmy Owl 5

Barred Owl 1

Saw-wet Owl CW

Great-horned Owl 1

Great Gray Owl 1

Northern Hawk Owl 1

Hairy Woodpecker 35

Downy Woodpecker 32

Three-toed Woodpecker 1

Pileated Woodpecker 2

Northern Flicker 56

Woodpecker sp. 3

Northern Shrike 3

Canada Jay 8

Steller's Jay 12

Clark's Nutcracker CW

Black-billed Magpie 19

Common Raven 348

American Crow 403

Black-capped Chickadee 1,030

Mountain Chickadee 3

Boreal Chickadee 15

Chestnut-backed Chickadee 2

Red-breasted Nuthatch 50

Brown Creeper 3

Golden-crowned Kinglet 6

American Dipper 3

American Robin 26

Varied Thrush 1

Townsend's Solitaire 3

Bohemian Waxwing 1,473

Dark-eyed Junco 286

Song Sparrow 6

Brewer's Blackbird 170

Red-winged Blackbird 2

Pine Grosbeak 181

Purple Finch 1

Common Redpoll 141

Pine Siskin 58

White-winged Crossbill 86

Finch sp. 56

Evening Grosbeak 21

European Starling 90

House Sparrow 202