Published: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Birders spot most species ever in annual count
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Michael O'Leary/ The Herald
A bald eagle looks over the Stillaguamish River valley near Highway 530 on April 14, 2004. During the 2008 Christmas bird count by the north Snohomish County wing of the Pilchuck Audubon Society volunteers saw 72 bald eagles in the central and north part of Snohomish County.
MARYSVILLE -- The recent Everett-Marysville Christmas Bird Count tallied 140 species, the longest list of different kinds birds spotted in the local Christmas count's 40-year history.
The bird count totals were released on Monday by the Pilchuck Audubon Society, which sponsors the annual event.
Those who volunteer come from many backgrounds, from back-yard feeder watchers to hikers, said Scott Atkinson, the count compiler.
The one thing the 40-plus volunteers have in common is their love of birds.
"It's great fun," Atkinson said. "We had the second-highest total number of species in the state out of more than 40 bird-count events."
Despite the snow, volunteers fanned out from Island Crossing south to Everett to make the count during the weekend after Christmas. Most drove and walked, but one volunteer circled Jetty Island in his kayak in order to count birds, Atkinson said.
Some of the unusual birds identified last month included a slaty backed gull, a rusty blackbird, a whimbrel, a Bohemian waxwing and a short-eared owl, he said.
In Atkinson's count area between Everett and Marysville, his group of bird-watching enthusiasts spotted 89 species and 9,178 individual birds.
Shorebirds such as Wilson's snipe and the long-billed dowitcher were present in record numbers, Atkinson said.
About 214 birds of prey were recorded, including 72 bald eagles, 11 falcons and 13 owls, he said.
The cold and snowy weather didn't deter the birds or the dogged counters.
The 140-species milestone set by the local bird watchers has been equaled in the state only by volunteers near Sequim and Grays Harbor and nearly matched by those in Bellingham and along Padilla Bay in Skagit County, Atkinson said.
Atkinson said the highlight of the bird count for him was nearly stepping on a surprised short-eared owl midday at the Biringer Farm near the mouth of the Snohomish River.
"The bird's fearsome face leaves a lasting impression," Atkinson said.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Discover more
For more information about the Everett-Marysville Christmas Bird Count, call Scott Atkinson at 425-210-2716.
The bird count totals were released on Monday by the Pilchuck Audubon Society, which sponsors the annual event.
Those who volunteer come from many backgrounds, from back-yard feeder watchers to hikers, said Scott Atkinson, the count compiler.
The one thing the 40-plus volunteers have in common is their love of birds.
"It's great fun," Atkinson said. "We had the second-highest total number of species in the state out of more than 40 bird-count events."
Despite the snow, volunteers fanned out from Island Crossing south to Everett to make the count during the weekend after Christmas. Most drove and walked, but one volunteer circled Jetty Island in his kayak in order to count birds, Atkinson said.
Some of the unusual birds identified last month included a slaty backed gull, a rusty blackbird, a whimbrel, a Bohemian waxwing and a short-eared owl, he said.
In Atkinson's count area between Everett and Marysville, his group of bird-watching enthusiasts spotted 89 species and 9,178 individual birds.
Shorebirds such as Wilson's snipe and the long-billed dowitcher were present in record numbers, Atkinson said.
About 214 birds of prey were recorded, including 72 bald eagles, 11 falcons and 13 owls, he said.
The cold and snowy weather didn't deter the birds or the dogged counters.
The 140-species milestone set by the local bird watchers has been equaled in the state only by volunteers near Sequim and Grays Harbor and nearly matched by those in Bellingham and along Padilla Bay in Skagit County, Atkinson said.
Atkinson said the highlight of the bird count for him was nearly stepping on a surprised short-eared owl midday at the Biringer Farm near the mouth of the Snohomish River.
"The bird's fearsome face leaves a lasting impression," Atkinson said.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Discover more
For more information about the Everett-Marysville Christmas Bird Count, call Scott Atkinson at 425-210-2716.
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