[Tweeters] 2022 Wrap: Washington County Year List Project

[Matt Bartels]

Our 16th year of recruiting compilers from every county to track the sightings in WA. The idea behind the project [at Washington Birder] is to get behind the fun of individual county listing to compile a ‘community’ list — rather than just birds seen by a single individual, we attempt to pull together birds seen by anyone over the course of the year. It provides one perspective on the birds of Washington in 2022.

Some 2022 results:
Overall this year, our totals were just about equal to our 16 year average.
394 species were reported statewide. That’s just about right on our average[394.3],  and three above 2021’s total. 
328 species for Eastern Washington. That’s one below last year, and four higher than our average [323.9]
363 species for Western Washington. That’s also one below last year, and two lower than the overall average [364.9].

Record high county totals were recorded for four counties: Jefferson [238], Pacific [254], Whatcom [263, tied with 2012], and Klickitat [260]. 
Ten counties reported higher totals than last year, 28 came in lower than last year, and one was tied [Clallam, w/ 279]. 28 counties tallied more species than their 16-year average, 11 reported lower than average totals.

Species:
82 species were seen in all 39 counties, 170 were seen in 30 or more counties, 226 in 20 or more counties. That’s consistent with recent  years, a sign of the 250-260 species that make up the relatively ‘stable abundant’ portion of the state list. At the other end of the spectrum, 33 species were reported in only one county this year.  
The only species missed in 2022 that are not a Washington Bird Records Committee review-list species were Scripps’s Murrelet, Short-tailed Albatross, Murphy’s Petrel, Mottled Petrel, and Northern Hawk Owl. About 35 species on the WBRC review-list were also reported this year.

In addition to the year list at the link [http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html <http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html>] , I've included a simple sheet that compiles the annual county totals for each county from 2007-2022 -- if you'd like to see how any county has trended over the years, this is the sheet to study.

2023 compiling is underway, and I encourage you to look up the compiler for counties you bird in and send along unusual sightings — most compilers are checking eBird reports already, but eBird still misses a good bit and we appreciate the help making sure we hear about these sightings. You can find a list of the compilers at the above link

If anyone would like to be a compiler for Grays Harbor County this year, please reach out and I’ll tell you more.

Thanks to all the compilers who track each county, and here's to a fun and surprising 2023. If you notice anything not noted on the 2022 list, let us know and  make a resolution to report your sightings to the compiler this year .

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA
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