<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;">Time to report on our 18th 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 2024 - Today, most of the reporting comes via eBird, but compilers also look beyond eBird sometimes to find reports from birders more broadly.<div><br></div><div><b>Some 2024 results:</b></div><div>Overall this year, our totals were just about equal to our 18 year average.</div><div><div><b>393 species were reported statewide</b>. That’s just one below our average[394.2], and one below the previous totals for 2023 and 2022.</div><div><b>326 species for Eastern Washington.</b> That’s three below last year, and two higher than our average [324.4]</div><div><b>370 species for Western Washington. </b>That’s also one above last year, and five higher than the overall average [365.4].</div></div><div><br></div><div><b>Record high county totals </b>were recorded for five counties: Jefferson [258], Pacific [260], Benton [245 - tied w/ 2021] Grant [265] and Whitman [249].</div><div>Twenty counties reported higher totals than last year, 17 came in lower than last year, and two were tied [Cowlitz and Lincoln,. 28 counties tallied more species than their 18-year average, 10 reported lower than average totals.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Species:</b></div><div>92 species were seen in all 39 counties, 178 were seen in 30 or more counties, 232 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. Of those ‘39ers’ [species seen in all 39 counties, this included 16 ducks/geese, 5 flycatchers, 5 swallows, 8 soarrows, and 7 warblers [try to guess those before looking maybe?]</div><div><br></div><div>At the other end of the spectrum, 33 species were reported in only one county this year. </div><div>The only species missed in 2024 that are not a Washington Bird Records Committee review-list species were Ruff, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Elegant Tern, Mottled Petrel and Tennessee Warbler. About 37 WBRC review-list species were reported in the state this year.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to the year list at the link [<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html__;!!JYXjzlvb!llpUqVpn9XrEk2w-okT9i5TsuY7nWiHP0PTm-IgrvnxUjt_yDbPVKhd0EGQTz74aiR3x6_VgJfj5Iovrd45oGfTFGb_s$">http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html</a>] , I've included a simple sheet that compiles the annual county totals for each county from 2007-2024 -- if you'd like to see how any county has trended over the years, this is the sheet to study.</div><div><br></div><div><div>2025 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</div><div><br></div><div>If anyone would like to be a compiler for Grays Harbor County this year, please reach out and I’ll tell you more.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to all the compilers who track each county, and here's to a fun and surprising 2025. If you notice anything not noted on the 2024 list, let us know and make a resolution to report your sightings to the compiler this year .</div><div><br></div><div>Matt Bartels</div><div>Seattle, WA</div></div></body></html>