Deception Pass Christmas bird count 2021

I saved a seat next to me in my car so you could go with me to the Audubon Christmas bird count in the Skagit and Island County area., figuratively speaking. This is our contribution to the national bird count in the lower 48 states, Canada and Alaska. The goal is to track how species are doing locally. The data allows tracking for how well species are doing both short- and long-term.

A car is needed to reach our assigned area. For years mine has been the Deception Pass section south of the bridge, including the state park and the adjoining saltwater. My area is designated 12A and is the outside of a large circle that is centered in western Skagit County.

There is a standard form to fill out. The count starts at midnight on the day of the count and continues until dark that day. Observers and mileage both on foot and in cars is noted plus time spent in each category. Our count begins after crossing the Deception Pass bridge. It is 8 a.m. and getting light.

The first order of business is to drive to the parking lot at the end of the road, which gives me a view of the bridge to the east. From here I can see way out into Puget Sound. Our task is counting the high number of red-throated loons feeding on schools of small fish. The loons like to feed when the high tide starts its outflow from under the bridge and the channel. This has been my count area for the past 15 years. It is difficult to get an accurate count because birds are consistently flying in and out and some are diving.

At any time, there may be hundreds of birds in flight going both ways. The feeding area is over two miles in length and one-half to one-mile wide. A larger powerboat heading west makes them all take flight and land in the bay. By counting the flying birds going out past the large island the count was more accurate. This solved the mix-up between birds going in and coming out at the same time.

The highest loon count happened around eight to ten years ago with some 5,000 or more loons on my side of the channel. Another group of counters on the north side of the channel counted an additional 2,000 or more birds. This was significant and the high count for 15 years. Numbers have been declining ever since. A little over 800 birds were present this year.

Red-throated loons come south from Canada and Alaska about November and may stay until March when they migrate north. Back in 1995 an estimated high of 20,000 western geese were seen in Bellingham Bay, tallied from a small aircraft fly over. My count this year at the pass was two birds, the same as last year.

The most interesting species I saw in the Deception Channel was a pair of ancient murrelets.

The total number of species this year was 67, and the total number of birds 1,633. This does not compare well with the past number of red-throated loons alone, which have totaled over 5,000.

The reduced number of land birds present was a result of the very cold and snowy weather that preceded the count. There were very few species in the park’s campground. We counted two song sparrows where normal counts would total in the dozens. Only 10 golden-crowned ringlets were seen where hundreds should be feeding on the ground. The prior bad weather was mostly to blame.

Birds were stressed out, lacking food and protection from the cold and the count showed this.

Backyard bird feeding in cold weather helps, except for the pine siskin, which is social and transmits disease through the feeder. If you feed siskins clean the feeder each day with Lysol spray.