<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Here’s a summary of the 2024 Seattle Christmas Bird Count, organized by Birds Connect Seattle. A more detailed report and complete results will be posted on the BCS website [http://www.birdsconnectsea.org/] next month.<div><br><b>2024 Seattle Christmas Bird Count<br></b>15 December 2024<br><b style="">119</b> species tallied (count day + count week)<br>Count day: 117 species<br>Count week: 2 additional species<br>Individual birds: <b>52,892</b> [51,614 in-field, 1,278 at feeders]<br>Observers: <b>268</b> [224 in field + 44 feeder watchers]<br> </div><div><b>Overview</b><br>The 2024 Seattle CBC was held on December 15, 2024. We managed decent weather and a lot of good birding on familiar sectors and some new routes around the count circle. Our species total of 119 was well below the 10-year average of 128 – the lowest total we’ve tallied in 20 years. Our overall count total on the other hand – 52,892 - was a little higher than usual, with our second highest number of birds recorded of the past decade of counts. With 268 observers including 44 at feeders and 224 in the field, we had fewer participants than the last two years, but still was better than average and our third highest total in our 100+ years of Seattle CBCs.<br> </div><div><b>Highlights</b><br>The highlight birds of this year’s count included a Common Yellowthroat on Bainbridge Island and a Wilson’s Warbler at Discovery Park. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Record high counts<br></b>For the modern period (1972-present), high counts were recorded for eight species. We set or tied record highs for: Common Goldeneye [500], Pelagic Cormorant [126], Hairy Woodpecker [22], Red-breasted Nuthatch [321], Cedar Waxwing [608], Common Yellowthroat [1], Yellow-rumped Warbler [544], and Wilson’s Warbler [1].<br> </div><div><br></div><div><b>Notable misses </b></div><div>Two species were only picked up as count week birds: Brant and Sanderling. Additional notable misses included: Tundra Swan, Redhead, Eared Grebe, Barn Owl, Evening Grosbeak, Savannah Sparrow and Western Tanager.<br> </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>Trends</b><br>Looking at trends over time, here’s how a few groups fared.<br>[numbers in brackets indicate the total number seen and the percentage as a ratio of the 10-year average on the count (excluding 2020). Species with a record-high count are noted with an *. For example, a note of “[100, 50%]” would indicate that 100 individuals were seen, and that this is just 50% of the norm for the past 10 years (the average # seen from 2013-2023 has been 200).<br> </div><div><b>Ducks, geese & grebes<br></b>Goose numbers were mixed. On the low end we found only a single Snow Goose [1, 34%] a couple Greater White-fronted Geese [2, 31%] and Brant only as a count week bird [CW, when our 10-year average has been 99]. Cackling Geese [365, 175%], Canada Geese [1488, 130%] and Trumpeter Swans [21, 131%], by contrast, were all present in stronger than usual numbers.<br> </div><div><b>Dabbling ducks,</b> in general came in below their 10-year average once again this year. The only dabbler above average was Mallard [1638, 116%]. The story for <b>diving</b> <b>ducks</b> was a bit more mixed. A few came in higher than average, including Harlequin Duck [64, 141%], White-winged Scoter [10, 217%], Common Goldeneye [500*, 129%], Common Merganser [714, 182%] and Red-breasted Merganser [467, 149%]. Below-average numbers were reported for species including Canvasback [6, 4%], Lesser Scaup [74, 32%] and Black Scoter [2, 17%].</div><div><br> <b>Grebes</b>: Western Grebes [612, 135%] were found in strong numbers again this year, while Pied-billed Grebe [161, 78%] were at their second lowest number in a decade. Our Eared Grebe miss was only the second time we’ve missed this species in 20 years, despite their very localized small presence in the count circle normally. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Shorebirds & alcids</b></div><div>Killdeer [51, 123%] and Black Turnstone [75, 121%] numbers were high, while Surfbird [27, 44%], Dunlin [1, 3%], Wilson’s Snipe [5, 42%] and Spotted Sandpiper [2, 63%] numbers were below-average, and we found Sanderling only as a count-week bird.<br>Probably impacted by the CBC boat crew being unable to sail, our alcid numbers were below average, with Common Murre [14, 45%] and Rhinoceros Auklet [36, 91%] low, and Marbled & Ancient Murrelets missing altogether. Only Pigeon Guillemot [56, 116%] were present in above-average numbers. Loons & cormorants<br>Loons were found in slightly low numbers as well with Red-throated Loon [14, 70%], Pacific Loon [14, 105%] and Common Loon [6, 76%]. The cormorant story was split: One species came in very low: Brandt’s Cormorant [30, 16%]. One came in right on average: Double-crested Cormorant [831, 102%]. And one came in at record high levels: Pelagic Cormorant [126*, 196%]<br> </div><div><b>Raptors and owls<br></b>Raptor numbers were pretty close to what we normally find, with falcons not quite as cooperative this year: Bald Eagle [111, 104%], Sharp-shinned Hawk [5, 67%], Cooper’s Hawk [25, 102%], Red-tailed Hawk [35, 90%], Merlin [3, 27%], and Peregrine Falcon [1, 11%]. Owls were mostly difficult to find this year, with Barn Owl completely eluding us. Also low were Barred Owl [5, 54%], N. Saw-whet Owl [2, 77%]. Only Great Horned Owl [3, 141%] appeared in higher than usual numbers.<br> </div><div><b>Woodpeckers</b> were present and found in above-average numbers for the most part, including Downy Woodpecker [108. 133%], Hairy Woodpecker [22*, 314%], Northern Flicker [380, 108%] and Pileated Woodpecker [17, 104%].<br> </div><div><b>Chickadees, wrens & kinglets.</b> Our totals for some of the ‘little’ species were pretty solid. Those doing better than average included: Chestnut-backed Chickadee [424, 104%], Red-breasted Nuthatch [321*, 199%], Brown Creeper [138, 136%], Golden-crowned Kinglet [1034, 116%], and Ruby-crowned Kinglet [519, 150%] Those coming in a little below average, included: Black-capped Chickadee [1381, 81%], Bushtit [700, 71%] and Marsh Wren [3, 37%]<br> </div><div><b>Thrush & waxwing: </b>Hermit Thrush [24, 176%] appeared in good numbers this year, as did American Robin [3333, 125%], while Varied Thrush [74, 61%] came in a bit lower than average. Cedar Waxwing [608*, 425%] numbers were almost twice the previous record we’d recorded on the count.<br> </div><div><b>Sparrows</b>: Looking pretty close to their normal showing on the sparrow front, we had: Spotted Towhee [333, 96%], Song Sparrow [887, 99%], White-crowned Sparrow [88, 105%] and Dark-eyed Junco [1895, 102%]. Fox Sparrow [70, 55%] were present in low numbers this year while White-throated Sparrow [10, 195%] and Golden-crowned Sparrow [316, 127%] numbers were strong.</div><div> </div><div><b>Warblers</b>: The Wilson’s Warbler at Discovery Park and the Common Yellowthroat on Bainbridge Island were both only the fifth sighting of these species for the count in over 100 years. Other warblers were out in good numbers as well including Orange-crowned Warbler [9, 180%], Yellow-rumped Warbler [544*, 207%], and Townsend’s Warbler [35, 210%]</div><div><br>All in all, it was another fun day seeing what can be found when over 200 participants come together in a small circle for a day of birding. Thanks to all the participants who contributed to this year’s count.<br> <br clear="all"><br>Matt Bartels<br>Seattle CBC compiler<br> </div></div></div></div></body></html>