By Ulrike Sliworsky, Creston Christmas Bird Count coordinator
The 23rd annual Creston Christmas Bird Count was held on Dec. 27 in the valley. The National Audubon Society spearheaded this longest-running wildlife survey 121 years ago. This is a winter tradition for many birders, and the ongoing pandemic did not stop 63 volunteers from driving, watching, walking and slipping on ice to look for birds!
Counting bird species year after year contributes valuable information on how winter birds are faring, both in our locale and across the country, to help scientists better understand what needs to be done to protect our birds.
Special thanks to the group of birders from Cranbrook that came to our valley this year. They counted an amazing 45 species on the Kootenay-Speers Roads and Highway 21 to the border. A Western Meadowlark was seen in that area.
This was only the second time a Mountain Bluebird was seen on a Christmas bird count day. It was sitting on a Nick’s Island Road fencepost. These two species must have been reluctant to cross the border!
California Quail seem to be increasing in numbers and Northern Shrikes have been spotted throughout the valley in various locations such as the West Creston flats, Wynndel flats, Canyon and Duck Lake.
More birds were counted this year compared to last year with 79 species (71 species in 2019) and 9,098 total individual birds (6,133 individuals in 2019). There were huge flocks of Pine Siskins everywhere!
The Creston Valley Bird Festival has once again sponsored this event. For more information about our festival, which will hopefully be held May 9 to 11, please see the website at www.crestonvalleybirds.ca or like us on Facebook! Weekly postings on “Where the birds are” in the valley can be viewed. Birdwatching is a great excuse to get out of the house and to go explore our beautiful outdoors!
Creston total — Species
1,461 — Canada Goose
14 — Trumpeter Swan
35 — Tundra Swan
224 — Mallard
4 — Ring-necked Duck
15 — Bufflehead
121 — Common Golden-eye
10 — Hooded Merganser
9 — Common Merganser
40 — California Quail
17 — Ring-necked Pheasant
9 — Ruffed Grouse
1 — Spruce Grouse
220 — Wild Turkey
7 — Great Blue Heron
11 — Mourning Dove
69 — Eurasian Collared-Dove
78 — Rock Pigeon
20 — Bald Eagle – adult
3 — Bald Eagle – immature
1 — Golden Eagle – Adult
3 — Northern Harrier
2 — Sharp-shinned Hawk
2 — Cooper’s Hawk
2 — Northern Goshawk
36 — Red-tailed Hawk
18 — Rough-legged Hawk
13 — American Kestrel
5 — Merlin
3 — Great Horned Owl
9 — Northern Pygmy-Owl
29 — Downy Woodpecker
20 — Hairy Woodpecker
160 — Northern Flicker
24 — Pileated Woodpecker
6 — Northern Shrike
8 — Belted Kingfisher
337 — European Starling
3 — American Dipper
59 — Steller’s Jay
44 — Blue Jay
5 — Canada Jay
2 — Clark’s Nutcracker
50 — Black-billed Magpie
218 — American Crow
133 — Common Raven
606
Black-capped Chickadee
62 — Chestnut-backed Chickadee
13 — Mountain Chickadee
9 — Brown Creeper
151 — Red-breasted Nuthatch
16 — Pacific/Winter Wren
5 — Marsh Wren
22 — Golden-crowned Kinglet
2 — Ruby-crowned Kinglet
8 — American Robin
8 — Townsend’s Solitaire
1 — Varied Thrush
45 — Bohemian Waxwing
1 — Yellow-headed Blackbird
10 — Brown-Headed Cowbird
203 — Red-winged Blackbirds
7 — Spotted Towhee
95 — Dark-eyed Junco – Slate
193 — Dark-eyed Junco – Oregon
13 — Dark-eyed Junco – Unknown
1 — American Tree Sparrow
135 — Song Sparrow
11 — White-throated Sparrow
1 — White-crowned Sparrow
1 — White-winged Crossbill
20 — Red Crossbill
330 — House Finch
103 — Common Redpoll
30 — Evening Grosbeak
39 — Pine Grosbeak
2,961 — Pine Siskin
278 — American Goldfinch
156 — House Sparrow
1 — Mountain Bluebird
1 — Western Meadowlark
9,098 — Total Individuals
