The Rocky Mountain Naturalist's early morning birding outing leaves every Wednesday (usually) at 8AM and returns (usually) by 11:30AM.  If you would like to join us please contact Jim H. via our request tab on the Home Page.
Thanks to Jim H., Lyle G., Bob W.and Greg R. for the Great Photos!

Photos by Stewart Wilson

Left photo
As September advanced, the warm days dwindled, & summer faded from the Rockies. On the east side of Mount Broadwood, beneath the China Wall, sunlight illuminated an aspen grove as the trees were bowed by an upslope breeze.  September 8th, 2018.

Right photo
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), looking south from above Spectrum Pass Creek canyon (north side) to the Tchaikazan River (upstream), Friendly Peak (center), & Carefree Mountain (right, in cloud); Tsylos Provincial Park, BC.  August 19th, 2013.
Dan Hicks photos

Mount Broadwood & the lower Wigwam River are within the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Elk Valley Heritage Conservation Area.  A September survey by a small party of Rocky Mountain Naturalists revealed that the whitebark pine seedlings, planted by dedicated Rocky Mountain Naturalists on this very slope two years previously, had perished in the dry heat of succeeding summers.  Picturesque whitebark pine is the highest elevation pine, a source of seeds & habitat for various subalpine creatures, its numbers have been much diminished, & its very existence threatened, by white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle (aided by rising temperatures), & an absence of cyclic low-intensity surface fires.  In montane ecosystems, surviving as a tree is challenging, but growing to become one is even more daunting. 
​
By Dan Hicks

RDEK / RMN Bird Checklist updates to Oct 2018
Edited 14-Oct-2018 (now 314 species)
By Dianne Cooper
 
With the recent publishing of the Checklist of British Columbia Birds by British Columbia Field Ornithologist (BCFO), and the sighting of another new species in the East Kootenay, I thought I would tally up the changes over the past 2 ½ years to our newest bird checklist published in 2016.
 
The East Kootenay Bird Checklist was published May of 2016 in preparation of the BCFO meeting that month in Cranbrook.  Every BCFO member in attendance received a free copy.  Our 2016 checklist replaced the previous one published in 2003.  The earlier one covered the traditional Rocky Mountain Naturalist birding area from the US border to Canal Flats and from halfway to Creston to the Alberta boundary.  The new checklist, with the advent and popularity of eBird, covers the Regional District of East Kootenay, the “administrative” area used by eBird.
 
The BCFO checklist records 301 species in Ecoprovince #4, which includes the RDEK.  The Southern Interior Mountains ecoprovince goes north almost as far as Prince George and west to the other side of the Monashee Range, bordering on the Okanagan.  There are many species further west and north that we haven’t gotten yet.
 
36 species found in Ecoprovince # 4 have not yet been found in the RDEK.  Perhaps some of these are more likely to show up here?  Watch for:
 
Prothonotary Warbler
Crested Caracara
Northern Parula
Lucy’s Warbler
Summer Tanager
 
What will show up next!  There’s always something new!
 
The BCFO records 265 species of what we do have.
EK birds not on the BCFO checklist number 48 species.
 
At time of publishing our last checklist, we had 303 species.
Now (12 Oct 2018) we have 313 species.  We also have 4 hybrids, but we won’t count those.
Now (14 Oct 2018) we have 314 species! (see below: Species not on eBird but seen prior)
 
Species that were seen after May 2016 are:
 
Black Scoter
- Oct 2016, Wasa Lake, Dean Nicholson

Anna’s Hummingbird
- Nov 2016, Wycliffe, Lil McPhail (Dean Nicholson)

Northern Cardinal
- Nov 2017, Cranbrook, Katrin Powell (Greg Ross)

Curve-billed Thrasher
- July 2018, Canal Flats, Gord Littlejohns

Ovenbird
- Aug 2018, Fernie, Mike Bentley, Liz Creighton

Lesser Goldfinch
- Oct 2018, Wycliffe, Dianne Cooper, Joe Rothermund

 
Of course, these are all classified as “accidentals” – one or two individuals sighted in the past couple of years.  They are all recorded on eBird.
 
Species documented after May 2016 – but seen before then
 
a.  Now on eBird
These are historical records entered into eBird by people documenting their own or others’ birding journals, much like I did with Mildred White’s records.  The oldest “new” species (added after May 2016) goes back to 1984 (Pacific Golden-plover, Harmer Ridge, 26 Sep 1984, David Fraser).  The oldest “first” record on eBird goes back to 1930. 
 
Pacific Golden-plover
- 1984, Sparwood, David Fraser

Costa’s Hummingbird
- 1992, Fort Steele, Doug Brown

Connecticut Warbler
- 1997, Richard Guillet

Chestnut-sided Warbler
- 1998, Michael Preston

Black-throated Sparrow
- 1984, Mildred White

 
 
b.  Species not on eBird but seen prior
eBird records 301 species in the RDEK but not all species on our checklist are on eBird.  Missing on, or not included on eBird are:
 
Ring-necked Pheasant
- escapees, sightings discouraged on eBird

Least Bittern
- 2010, Ta Ta Creek, reported to the Breeding Bird Atlas

Yellow Rail
- 2010, Columbia Lake, Jason Rogers

Upland Sandpiper
- 1919, Newgate, Birds of British Columbia

Arctic Tern
- 1944, Columbia Lake, Walter B. Johnstone, specimen, Royal BC  Museum (RBCM)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- 1915, Cranbrook, unknown collector, specimen, RBCM

Eastern Phoebe
- 1976, Spillimacheen, Birds of BC

Chestnut-collared Longspur
- 1930, Tobacco Plains, R. M. Anderson, specimen National Museum of Canada (NMC)

McCown’s Longspur
- 1930, Tobacco Plains, Rand, specimen, NMC

Mourning Warbler
- 1996, Spillimacheen River, unknown obs, Birds of British Columbia

Black-throated Blue Warbler
- 2002, Kimberley, Ruth Goodwin

Black-and-white Warbler
- 1971, Wasa Park, Neil Dawe, in Dawe 1971

Grasshopper Sparrow
- 1997, Cranbrook, G. Ross, G. Ross, J. Lawrence, G Davidson, in Am. Birds, Vol 51 No 4 Fall 1997

 
The BCFO Checklist lists 522 species for British Columbia and eBird records 517.
We have contributed some eBird firsts for the province.
Go to https://ebird.org/canada/region/CA-BC?yr=all and click on “First Seen” to see the BC list on eBird. 
 
There was the Northern Cardinal last winter of course, and the Curve-billed Thrasher last July.  Also (but maybe more, and it’s always changing as more people upload historical data):
 
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- 1992, Fort Steele, Doug Brown

American Avocet
- 1967, Forst Steele, Tom Briggs

Red-headed Woodpecker
- 1998, Dutch Creek, Cam Gillies

Lewis’s Woodpecker
- 1930, Newgate, Ian McTaggart-Cowan

 
In summary, changes to our checklist to date are:
 
chart section of RDEK 2016 checklist   245
 

accidentals                                      58
 

RDEK 2016 checklist total                        303

seen and added after 15 May 2016              6
 

seen before, added after 15 May 2016         5
 

RDEK total to 13 Oct 2018                     314

 
PS  EXPLORE!
If you have an eBird account, for some fun online browsing of birds of the world, head to the eBird “Explore” tab at:
https://ebird.org/canada/explore
- hit the “Surprise me!” link under the box: “Enter species name”, to see a randomly selected world species.
- hit the “Change species” link at the top right, then in the popup, again hit “Surprise me!” to see another.
It’s so fun!  I didn’t know there was such a thing as a “Melancholy Woodpecker”!  It lives in Ghana.  Or a “Quailfinch Indigobird”.  What the heck is that!  There are only a handful of records of it on eBird and no photos.  It is from Cameroon.
 
This feature is in development on eBird and hopefully will soon be available to the general public.
 
And don’t forget the RMN Photo page at:
http://www.rockymountainnaturalists.org/nature-photos-by-us.html
 
Happy birding and um, er, naturing!
 
Dianne C.

​July 24, 2018
Leaders:  Wendy Hogg and Gretchen Whetham

On a warm summer morning fourteen members set off up Maus Creek and arrived at the Maus/Tanglefoot trailhead parking lot with only one flat tire.  It was changed very quickly and we set off up the trail. The low early sunlight made the Indian Hellebore and Cow Parsnip radiant and the woods were noisy with Pacific Wrens and Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes. Jo Ellen compiled a plant list (68 species of flowers and shrubs) and Katrin kept a bird list (20+ species).  We also saw mule deer, pikas, marmots, and a frog and tadpoles. 

After a leisurely lunch at the Tarns, we retraced our steps and explored the entry of the old Victor Mine on our way back to the trailhead.  By mid-afternoon the temperature was up to the high 20's and we enjoyed ice cream before returning to Cranbrook.

Cranbrook and Kimberley Christmas Bird Counts
2 January 2018
By Dianne Cooper, Compiler

-edited and finalized results 9 Jan 2018

The 20th annual Cranbrook and Kimberley Christmas Bird Counts were held on Wednesday December 27th and Saturday December 30th, 2017 respectively.  Twenty-two people took part as field observers on one or both counts, and 20 people contributed feeder counts.  Most field observers live in Cranbrook or Kimberley but some came from Fernie and people from Edmonton and Burnaby, visiting family in the area, also helped out.  Cranbrook and Kimberley people also participate in counts in other areas; this year they went to Fernie, Creston, and Eureka, Montana.

On Count Day, teams of counters cover as much of the 24-km diameter circle as possible to tally all birds they see; feeder counters tally the highest number of a species in their yard.
 
Count Week extends three days either side of Count Day.  Any species NOT seen on Count Day but seen during Count Week can be included in the official report to Bird Studies Canada but numbers of individuals of “count week” species are not added to the count tally.
 
Cranbrook Results
Count day:  27 December 2017
Count week: 24 – 30 December 2017
Audubon / Bird Studies Canada Count #118 BCCB
Total species, count day: 52
Total species, count week:  54
Total individuals: 2,922
 
The weather for the Cranbrook count was cold, as usual, with temperatures ranging from -22 C to -15 C.  Moyie Lake and the Cranbrook sewage lagoons were partly unfrozen.  People going out into the field, driving, cross-country skiing, or walking numbered 14 intrepid birders and 13 people counted at their feeders.  The 24-kilometer diameter circle goes from St. Eugene Mission to Green Bay on Moyie Lake and from Old Wycliffe to Gold Creek.  Also included is the Trans-Canada Trail to Rampart Rest Area.
 
Fifty-two species were recorded on count day.  This ties the record of 52 species from December 2012.
 
During count week (3 days before and after count day), two additional species were seen: Brown Creeper, which has been relatively abundant this fall, and a Brown Thrasher, another new species for the count circle.
 
The Brown Thrasher is a rare visitor to Cranbrook, having been seen twice previously, in the early months of  2013 and 2015.  The bird here this year has been visiting a feeder adjacent to Joseph Creek north of the Rec Plex since the 9th of December; but was not seen on count day.
 
Another rare bird in Cranbrook this winter was a female Northern Cardinal.  This is the first confirmed record for the species in British Columbia.  She too, was living along Joseph Creek from the 7th of November to the 8th of December.  Several birders from all over the province have driven or flown to Cranbrook to view her to add her to their British Columbia life list.  It would have been nice to see it on count day but she has not been spotted for a while.
 
The total number of individual birds counted was 2,922 which is about in the middle range (1,000 – 6,000).
 
Bohemian Waxwing (825) was the most numerous species, as usual.  Other numerous birds included Mallard (406), Rock Pigeon (246), Common Redpoll (268), House Finch (176), Common Raven (148), and American Crow (147).
 
Record high counts were recorded for Bald Eagle (17), Northern Flicker (37), and Blue Jay (27).  The 406 Mallards counted were the second highest ever and the 246 Rock Pigeons counted were the fifth highest.
 
Only 1-3 individuals were seen for 24 species such as American Goldfinch, American Robin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Black-billed Magpie, Mourning Dove, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, Great Blue Heron, and Common Merganser.
 
For only the third time in the count’s history, Hoary Redpoll (1), Common Merganser (1), and American Wigeon (2) were sighted.
 
Our favourite feeder birds such as Black-capped (125) and Mountain Chickadee (113), Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Stellar’s Jay, Song Sparrow, House Finch, and Pine Siskin were counted in their usual numbers over all, even if scare at some feeders.  Evening Grosbeaks (3), low in number over the past several years, seem to have been replaced by their red-hued cousins, the Pine Grosbeak (74).
 
Species whose numbers appear lower than usual were Common Raven (148, average 259), Mourning Dove (1), Clark’s Nutcrackers (5), Dark-eyed Junco (7), Red Crossbill (2), and House Sparrow (11).
 
Notable species seen, and always nice to get were Norther Shrike (3), American Dipper (7), and Townsend’s Solitaire (13) – all showing average numbers.   Two Chestnut-backed Chickadee were recorded – they sometimes frequent feeders here in the winter, having come down from higher elevations where they breed.  A few American Robins may not go as far southward as the rest – only one was recorded this year, as was one American Goldfinch.
   
Northern Pygmy-Owl, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Brown Creeper are normally seen on count day but were not to be found this year, although the Creeper was spotted during count week.
 
The Count-up potluck was graciously hosted by Bob and Gretchen again this year and much warm and good food was provided and consumed.
 
Thanks to field counters, drivers, recordists, skiiers, hikers, feeder counters and everyone that helped make these counts successful once again!  Mark your calendars for similar dates next year!
 
Cranbrook Christmas Bird Count #118 – Complete list of species – 27 Dec 2017

1         American Wigeon 2
2          Mallard  406
3          Green-winged Teal  2
4          Common Goldeneye  27
5          Barrow's Goldeneye  1
6          Hooded Merganser  2
7          Common Merganser  1
8          Ruffed Grouse  2
9          Great Blue Heron  1
10        Golden Eagle  1
11        Northern Goshawk  1
12        Bald Eagle  17
13        Rough-legged Hawk  1
            hawk sp.  1
14        Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  246
15        Eurasian Collared-Dove  2
16        Mourning Dove  1
17        Downy Woodpecker  19
18        Hairy Woodpecker  13
19        Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  37
20        Pileated Woodpecker  9
21        Merlin  4
22        Northern Shrike  3
23        Gray Jay  3
24        Steller's Jay  7
25        Blue Jay  27
26        Black-billed Magpie  1
27        Clark's Nutcracker  5
28        American Crow  147
29        Common Raven  148
30        Black-capped Chickadee  125
31        Mountain Chickadee  113
32        Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2
            chickadee sp.  9
33        Red-breasted Nuthatch  50
            Brown Creeper  cw
34        American Dipper  7
35        Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
36        Townsend's Solitaire  13
37        American Robin  1
            Brown Thrasher  cw
38        European Starling  69
39        Bohemian Waxwing  825
40        Dark-eyed Junco  7
41        Song Sparrow  5
42        Red-winged Blackbird  5
43        Evening Grosbeak  3
44        Pine Grosbeak  74
45        House Finch  176
46        Cassin's Finch  2
47        Common Redpoll  268
48        Hoary Redpoll  1
49        Red Crossbill  2
50        Pine Siskin  14
51        American Goldfinch  1
52        House Sparrow  11

 

 
Kimberley Results
 
Count day:  30 December 2017
Count week: 27 December 2017 – 2 January 2018
Audubon / Bird Studies Canada Count #118 BCKB
Total species count day: 44
Total species count week:  44
Total individuals:  2,203
 
The weather for the Kimberley count was cold, as usual, but a little warmer than for the Cranbrook count and warmer than some of the previous years.  Temperatures ranged from -15 C to -11 C.  Significant amounts of snow overnight meant that some participants could not attend and side roads were still unplowed. Open water was visible only on the Saint Mary’s and Kootenay Rivers.
 
People going out into the field, driving and walking, numbered 12 intrepid birders and 7 people counted birds at their feeders.  The 24-kilometer diameter circle, although named “Kimberley”, goes from Alpine Crescent on the ski hill eastward include Bummer’s Flats, and from Wycliffe northward to Wasa.
 
Forty-four species were recorded on count day, which is an average number of species for the Kimberley Circle.  
                  
Two new species were added to the all-time species list for the Kimberley circle.  One Cooper’s Hawk was spotted in Ta Ta Creek and one Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, often seen at a feeder on Wycliffe Cherry Creek Rd in winter, was finally gotten on count day.  This now puts Kimberley’s total number of species seen on count day at 80 species. 
 
No additional species were added during count week.  The total number of individual birds counted was 2,183 which is about in the middle range (1,200 – 6,500) for Kimberley.
 
Bohemian Waxwing (757) was the most numerous species, as usual, but this is one quarter of the almost 3,000 seen on the January 2000 count and a bit less than on the Cranbrook count.  Other numerous birds included Common Redpoll (369 – over a hundred more than Cranbrook), Black-capped Chickadee (131 – about the same as Cranbrook), House Finch (111), Mountain Chickadee (106), and Pine Grosbeak (102 – missed last year).
 
Record high counts were recorded for Snow Bunting thanks to a report of a flock of about 90 birds which has been using the fields off Porteous Road.  Record or tied-with record numbers were also counted for Canada Goose (19), Bald Eagle (14), Downy Woodpecker (38), and Pileated Woodpecker (16).  Also high were Northern Flicker (39 – 3rd time for this highest number), and Common Redpoll (369).
 
Only 1-3 individuals were seen for 11 species such as Common Goldeneye, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Shrike, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper, and Pine Siskin.  Other species making a rare or unusual appearance were Chestnut-backed Chickadee (4 – 4th time on count), Pygmy Nuthatch (4 – 4th time), and Rough-legged Hawk (1 – 6th time).
 
For the remainder of favourite feeder birds, some numbers were average and some were down.  Average or above average were Hairy Woodpecker (17), Mountain Chickadee (106), Red-breasted Nuthatch (43).  Below average were: Steller’s Jay (10), Blue Jay (2), Black-capped Chickadee (131 – even though they are one of our more numerous species), Dark-eyed Junco (7), Evening Grosbeaks (23 – still much higher than Cranbrook’s 3 birds), Red Crossbill (12), Pine Siskin (2) and House Sparrow (11)..
 
The number of the larger corvids, Common Raven (54) and American Crow (49), was a half to a third of their usual – perhaps because school was not in session when the Kimberley count was done so the birds were spread throughout the towns.  Clark’s Nutcracker (26) was also low.
 
One species seemingly increasing is the Eurasian Collared-Dove (9) which first appeared on Christmas Bird Counts in the area 6 years ago.  They were first found in Florida in 1982 and have since expanded northwest as far as Alaska, reaching this latitude in the 2010s.
 
Regarding Wild Turkey.  This species is seen more frequently on the Kimberley count than the Cranbrook one.  The 3 or 4 turkeys that made a corner of Marysville their winter home late last winter were not to be seen, but 39 were counted in other areas within the count circle.
 
Other notable species seen, and always nice to get were American Dipper (4) along Mark Creek and the St. Mary’s River, as usual, and Townsend’s Solitaire (10).
   
Species missed, which are usually seen on half the counts over the past 20 years were Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, and American Goldfinch.
 
Also missed was a bird representing the first documented sighting of the species in the East Kootenay.  Throughout the fall and early winter, a single Anna’s Hummingbird was frequenting a heated feeder on Clearview Road.  This was the first documented Anna’s for the East Kootenay.  Unfortunately, the bird has not been seen since 16 December 2017.  Reports of it being chased by a Northern Shrike may explain its disappearance.  The Anna’s is known to be less likely to migrate and will brave cold temperature and snow, even when nesting.  It has been expanding its range northward from California since the 1960s.
 
The Count-up was hosted by Marysville Pub who are always very accommodating to our group and have great food and service.  Thank you!
 
Thanks to all field counters, drivers, recordists, hikers, feeder counters and everyone that helps make these counts successful!  Special thanks to new-to-the-circle CBCrs Shannon and Martin for stepping up and taking on a whole area on their first time out.  Hope you all had fun and can be a CBCer again next year!
 
Kimberley Christmas Bird Count #118 – Complete list of species – 30 Dec 2017

1          Canada Goose  19
2          Common Goldeneye  1
3          Common Merganser  6
            Duck sp.  1
4          Wild Turkey  39
5          Cooper's Hawk  1
6          Bald Eagle  14
7          Rough-legged Hawk  1
8          Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  20
9          Eurasian Collared-Dove  9
10        Northern Pygmy-Owl  2
11        Downy Woodpecker  38
12        Hairy Woodpecker  17
13        Northern Flicker  39
14        Pileated Woodpecker  16
15        Northern Shrike  2
16        Steller's Jay  3
17        Blue Jay  2
18        Black-billed Magpie  11
19        Clark's Nutcracker  26
20        American Crow  49
21        Common Raven  54
22        Black-capped Chickadee  131
23        Mountain Chickadee  106
24        Chestnut-backed Chickadee  4
            chickadee sp.  10
25        Red-breasted Nuthatch  43
26        White-breasted Nuthatch  4
27        Pygmy nuthatch  4
28        Brown Creeper  2
29        American Dipper  4
30        Townsend's Solitaire  10
31        European Starling  17
32        Bohemian Waxwing  757
33        Snow Bunting  90
34        American Tree Sparrow  4
35        Song Sparrow  5
36        Evening Grosbeak  23
37        Pine Grosbeak  102
38        Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch  1
39        House Finch  111
40        Cassin's Finch  10
41        Common Redpoll  369
42        Red Crossbill  12
43        Pine Siskin  2
44        House Sparrow  12

Posted by Dianne C.

Here are some new maps of both the Cranbrook and Kimberley Christmas Bird Count Circles.

Each circle is 24 km in diameter; and we traditionally include some areas outside the circle, as shown.

So, if you are a feeder watcher, you can double check which circle you are in!

Thanks!

              
News Release from Bird Studies Canada
                                   
 
Birdwatchers Come Together in the East Kootenay to Participate in the 118th Christmas Bird Count
 
Cranbrook, 14 November 2017, courtesy of Rocky Mountain Naturalists
 
Another Christmas Bird Count season is around the corner! Between December 14, 2017 and January 5, 2018, tens of thousands of bird and winter enthusiasts will rally together to count millions of birds across the continent as part of the 118th year of this long-running wildlife survey. Participants in Invermere, Kimberley, Cranbrook, Creston and Fernie will take part in this fun winter tradition, many rising before dawn and counting birds until sunset!
 
Each year, Bird Studies Canada and the National Audubon Society help coordinate and support the efforts of more than 2500 counts throughout the Western Hemisphere. Christmas Bird Counts are run across Canada and the United States, as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and some Pacific Islands. Data collected during the counts include details on the number of birds of each species seen or heard within a local 24-km diameter circle. Surveying this circle year-after-year contributes valuable long-term information on how winter birds are faring, both in your locale and across the country.
 
Novice or experienced, the Christmas Bird Count is for everyone. Whether you like exploring forests, fields, and waters in search of lingering migrants, or prefer counting feeder birds from your window with a warm mug in hand, the Christmas Bird Count offers diverse opportunities for participation. No matter how you contribute, all Christmas Bird Count observations are used to study the health of winter bird populations over time and guide conservation strategies to help birds and their habitats.
 
“Every Christmas Bird Count participant is an important part of this valuable project for birds,” says Liz Purves, Bird Studies Canada’s Christmas Bird Count Coordinator. “Whether you participate for bird conservation, for some friendly birding competition, or for an excuse to get outside in the winter, your efforts are meaningful for birds.” The skills and dedication of thousands of volunteer Citizen Scientists harnessed during the Christmas Bird Count achieve incredible results that professional scientists and wildlife biologists could never accomplish alone.
 
During last year’s count in Canada, over 3 million birds of 278 species were counted by 14,000 participants in 447 counts across the country. Counts were conducted across diverse habitat types in each of Canada’s provinces and territories – from coast to coast to coast!
 
The Christmas Bird Count took root over a century ago when 27 birders in 25 localities from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California, led by ornithologist Frank Chapman, proposed a conservation-oriented alternative to the traditional ‘side hunt,’ a Christmas Day competition to hunt the most birds and small mammals. This alternative initiative to identify, count, and record all the birds found on Christmas Day 1900 has turned into one of North America’s longest-running wildlife monitoring programs.
 
For more information about the Christmas Bird Count, or to find the location of additional counts, visit Bird Studies Canada’s website at www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/cbc.
 
Local count dates this year are:
Fernie: Thursday 14 December 2017
Lake Windermere: Tuesday 26 December 2017
Cranbrook: Wednesday 27 December 2017
Creston: Wednesday 27 December 2017
Kimberley: Saturday 30 December 2017
 
#   #   #
 
Bird Studies Canada is our country’s leading science-based bird conservation organization. Our mission is to conserve wild birds of Canada through sound science, on-the-ground actions, innovative partnerships, public engagement, and science-based advocacy. Over 40,000 volunteer Citizen Scientists participate in our programs, including the annual Christmas Bird Count.
 
 
 
For further information, contact the RMN CBC Press Coordinator, Daryl Calder

The East Kootenay has had a couple of rare bird sightings in the last two weeks.  The first was an Anna's Hummingbird first seen by residents on Clearview Road in the Wycliffe area. Four verification pictures were sent to the British Columbia Field Ornithologists (BCFO) and confirmed as an ANNA’s by Mel Hurting, the BC Rare Bird co-ordinator.

The second was a female Northern Cardinal first seen by Katrin Powell and identified by Greg Ross again confirmed by the BCFO rare bird committee.  The Northern Cardinal (once thoroughly investigated by the BCFO rare bird committee) will be the first accepted sighting in British Columbia. 

Anna's Hummingbird photos - Lyle Grisedale
Northern Cardinal photos - Katrin Powell

The BC Rare Bird Blog regarding the Northern Cardinal can be viewed here =
bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/2017/11/rba-northern-cardinal-in-cranbrook-nov.html

Following are an archive of Christmas Bird Counts posted here as this website is being redesigned a bit.  Thanks

Cranbrook #117 28-Dec-2016
Fifteen field observers in four teams and 10 feeder watchers participated on the Cranbrook Count on the 28th of December, 2016.  Temperatures were chilly that day, starting at -8 C, and snow depth was up to a couple of feet; but the roads were clear.  After a warm autumn and the late arrival of snow, the chill set in quickly the beginning of December.  Many birds were caught off guard then, as was I on Count Day when I was awoken by my cell phone ringing in my ear rather than my alarm clock – I had slept in!
 
A first time on any count for us was Northern Shovelor – four hung around the sewage lagoons from late autumn to be counted!  Now (January), even the top component is frozen over, so I hope the big-bills have found somewhere else to go.
 
Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye numbers were low, but this year gave us the highest number of Mallards ever!  We’ve averaged 176 over 33 years but this year got a whopping 434 – this even after the city banned feeding them at the Mall last summer. 
 
Bald Eagle numbers were up a bit – 9 compared to a 4.2 average. 2 Red-taileds and a Cooper’s showed but we dipped on Rough-legged.  Single requisite Pygmy-Owl and Merlin complied.
 
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers showed good numbers, both a bit above average which is about a dozen each.  Flickers-18 and Pileated-8 likewise.
 
Our three jays, Gray, Steller’s, and Blue, were more or less average in number – usually a half dozen of each.  We got 7 Blue Jay this year compared to an all-time high of 25 in 2014 – they can be surprisingly quiet when they want to.
 
Clark’s Nutcrackers were down to 3 from the average of 18. Raven and Crow (American) numbers did a total flip!  We usually get twice as many Ravens as Crows but this year we got 293 Crows and only 188 Ravens!  Very unusual and contrary to our recently updated checklist.  What’s going on there?
 
Mountain and Black-capped Chickadee are pretty much equal in number here, with this year’s ratio favoring the latter slightly:  BCCH 94 and MOCH 113. No Chestnut-backed compared to 6 two years ago.  Even though they breed just up the Saint Mary’s River a bit, they are usually only a rare winter feeder visitor in the valley – maybe they all head to the West Kootenay side of Purcells in winter.
 
Red-breasted Nuthatch were up a bit to 51 individuals – still not as high as the maximum of 84 on the 101st count.  One White-breasted was ticked as was a surprise Pygmy Nuthatch at a feeder in count week.  They usually hang around Wycliffe or Fort Steele, not Cranbrook.
 
Thrushes (TOSO, AMRO) were down or did not show (VATH).  Take away a zero from our high of almost 5000 Bohemian Waxwings in December of 2005 and you will get how many we recorded this year.  So variable! But we average about 900.
 
House Finch numbers were up a bit (266/214 avg.) but it was an ‘off’ year for the rest of the ‘winter finches’ – Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Common Redpoll, and Pine Siskin; Evening Grosbeak were missed completely and zero is quite disappointing compared to the 105 Pine Grosbeaks from last year.

So the Northern Shovelor gives us a total of 101 species ever seen on the Cranbrook Christmas Bird Count.  Our species count this year, not including the 3 in count week, was spot on average at 42 species, of which we are very proud.    Thank you to Bob and Gretchen for hosting the count up.  D. Cooper reporting.

Species and numbers list: Green = good, Dark Red = very good, Gold = normal, Pink = low,
Mallard 434
Northern Shovelor 4
Common Goldeneye 3
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruffed Grouse 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 9
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Rock Pigeon 98
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 19
Hairy Woodpecker 14
Northern Flicker 18
Pileated Woodpecker 8
Merlin 1
Northern Shrike 3
Gray Jay 3
Steller's Jay 4
Blue Jay 7
Black-billed Magpie 1
Clark's Nutcracker 3
American Crow 293
Common Raven 188
Black-capped Chickadee 94
Mountain chickadee 113
Red-breasted Nuthatch 51
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Pygmy Nuthatch cw, 1
Brown Creeper 2
American Dipper 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Townsend's Solitaire 3
American Robin 4
European Starling cw
Bohemian Waxwing 507
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 3
Song Sparrow 12
Red-winged Blackbird 1
House Finch 266
Cassin's Finch 1
Red Crossbill 9
Common Redpoll cw, 1
Pine Siskin 2
House Sparrow 2

42 species reported
2230 Individuals

Missed:
Bufflehead
Great-Blue Heron
Mourning Dove
Pine Grosbeak
White-winged Crossbill
Evening Grosbeak

Kimberley #117 4-Jan-2017  Full Report
Fifteen field observers in 5 teams braved the clear bitter morning temperature of -32 C to go count birds from Wycliffe to Wasa, Kootenay Reserve to Kimberley.  A couple of us even cross-country skied the Rails to Trails.  Six feeder counters helped us out, too.  The warmest it got was -18 C.
 
The cold made for fewer numbers of individual birds (not counters, fortunately); we got three-quarters of what we usually get.  This made the day seem long, and the warm pub promised for the end of the day more inviting, but our species count was actually a bit above average at 43 full species compared to the average of 39 over 25 years.
 
Waterfowl are always few without warm sewage lagoons like Cranbrook – Wasa Lake is usually frozen – but 19 Common Goldeneye and a Common Merganser were picked up on the St. Mary’s River.  Three teams got Wild Turkey including a flock of 27 in an alley in Chapman Camp.  Then there’s the three that have been hanging out at the Mark Creek Bridge in Marysville for the past few weeks; someone has even put up a “Turkey Crossing” sign because it is such a sharp and blind corner.
 
Like Cranbrook’s count a week earlier, Bald Eagle numbers were above average with 14 seen in the circle.  Other raptors and such seen were one Golden Eagle, one Northern Goshawk, 2 Red-tailed Hawk, and one Northern Pygmy-Owl.  We’ve dipped on Merlin the last three years in a row! What?
 
Eurasian Collared-Doves are increasing slowly but steadily from 3 being recorded first on the December 2011 count to 18 this year.  Kimberley usually gets a few more Downy, Hairy, and Flickers than Cranbrook and this year did not disappoint with 24, 18, and 33 respectively.  Flicker were particularly higher than the average of 21. Their maximum of 39 was recorded on Count #113 and #115. 
 
We dipped on Gray Jay but got usual numbers of Steller’s (8) and Blue’s (5).  Our Crows and Ravens did not show the same flip in numbers as Cranbrook Count but our American Crow count was over twice the average (65 seen/26 avg.), perhaps because the CBC coincided with the first day of school; our kids go out at recess even at -18; a guaranteed snack bar is inviting.
 
Black-capped Chickadee numbers were up, recording 200 individuals, and Mountains were average at 96.  Both nuthatches were low in number (28 and 4) but Kimberley got 3 more White-breasted than Cranbrook.  There are usually a few American Robins around, surprising to non- and new birders, and this year there were 5.  A feeder watcher in Wasa managed to turn up a Varied Thrush, and Townsend’s Solitaire numbers were up a bit to 9.  The Mountain Bluebird reported throughout December living at the airport was not picked up.  Hopefully, it was somewhere cozy and warm.
 
Bohemian Waxing numbers were low with only 253 seen out of the usual average of at least a thousand.  Junco numbers were high at two instead of one dozen.  House Finch numbers were also over double the average with almost 200 recorded.  The other winter finches were significantly lower at about a fifth of what is usually seen, except for American Goldfinch which was double the average at 26 recorded.  Thank you to Marysville Pub for accommodating our count up.  D. Cooper reporting.

Species and numbers list: Green = good, Gold = normal, Pink = low, Black = cool to get
Common Goldeneye 19
Common Merganser 1
Ruffed Grouse 4
Wild Turkey 66
Golden Eagle 1
Northern Goshawk 1
Bald Eagle 14
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Rock Pigeon 28
Eurasian Collared-Dove 18
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1
Down Woodpecker 24
Hairy Woodpecker 18
Northern Flicker 33
Pileated Woodpecker 14
Northern Shrike 1
Steller's Jay 8
Blue Jay 5
Black-billed Magpie 18
Clark's Nutcracker 33
American Crow 65
Common Raven 76
Black-capped Chickadee 200
Mountain Chickadee 96
Red-breasted Nuthatch 28
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
American Dipper 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 6
Townsend's Solitaire 9
American Robin 5
Varied Thrush cw, 1
Bohemian Waxwing 253
Snow Bunting 5
American Tree Sparrow 7
Dark-eyed Junco 24
Song Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird 8
House Finch 195
Red Crossbill 10
Common Redpoll 10
Pine Siskin 12
American Goldfinch 26
Evening Grosbeak 15

42 species
1372 individuals

Missed:
Gray Jay
Brown Creeper
Pine Grosbeak
House Sparrow

Cranbrook #116 - December 27, 2015
This year we had 16 birders out in the field split into 4 groups and WOW, 12 feeder counters.  9AM to 4:30PM.
Overcast all day, -10 to -6 with no snow or rain.
There were 1876 birds and 49 different species as listed below
Last Year 2333 birds and 46 different species

Species                               # seen        
Canada Goose                            9            
Mallard                                   171                        
Bufflehead                                  2            
Common Goldeneye                   17  
Barrow's Goldeneye                     2          
Hooded  Merganser                      7
Wild Turkey                               41
Cooper's Hawk                            2                       
Bald Eagle                                 12            
Rough-legged Hawk                    1                   
Merlin                                        5             
Rock Pigeon                            116           
Eurasian Collared-Dove               1                      
Downy Woodpecker                   25             
Hairy Woodpecker                     20            
Northern Flicker                        28             
Pileated Woodpecker                  6             
Northern Shrike                         3             
Gray Jay                                    6             
Steller's Jay                               8             
Blue Jay                                   18            
Clark's Nutcracker                     22             
Black-billed Magpie                      1            
American Crow                        100             
Common Raven                       163           
Black-capped Chickadee           169            
Mountain Chickadee                   84            
Chestnut-backed Chickadee          1            
chickadee sp.                               3           
Red-breasted Nuthatch               61            
White-breasted Nuthatch              2                   
American Dipper                         10           
Golden-crowned Kinglet                1           
Townsend's Solitaire                     5                     
European Starling                       25            
Bohemian Waxwing                   105            
Song Sparrow                             15           
Dark-eyed Junco                           4
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch             35          
Pine Grosbeak                            105             
House Finch                               282
Cassin's Finch                               10            
Red Crossbill                                15
White-winged Crossbill                  10          
Common Redpoll                          90
Hoary Redpoll                                7           
Pine Siskin                                     6          
American Goldfinch                         9         
Evening Grosbeak                         12             
House Sparrow                             24             
...................................................................................................

Kimberley CBC 116 – January 2, 2016
It was very cold this year starting at 9 AM it was -16c warming to only -14c.
Likely why we had only 6 people coming out into the field which made only 3 teams exploring the 24 kilometre diameter circle.

Total Individuals 1845      Total Species Reported 48
  Last Year             4064           Total Species Reported 41

Species                               # seen        
Mallard                                       1             
Common Goldeneye                    15                    
Wild Turkey                                 4            
Bald Eagle                                   1
Red-tailed Hawk                           1
Rough-legged Hawk                      1
Wilson's Snipe                              2            
Rock Pigeon                               25             
Eurasian Collared-Dove                 5            
Mourning Dove                             2             
Northern Pygmy-Owl                     1             
Downy Woodpecker                    31             
Hairy Woodpecker                      19             
American Three-toed
Woodpecker                                 1                        
Northern Flicker                          19             
Pileated Woodpecker                     7                         
Steller's Jay                                17             
Blue Jay                                      11             
Clark's Nutcracker                      51             
Black-billed Magpie                     14            
American Crow                          49            
Common Raven                         93             
Black-capped Chickadee             95            
Mountain Chickadee                   80
Chestnut-backed Chickadee          6             
chickadee sp.                            20             
Red-breasted Nuthatch              32             
White-breasted Nuthatch             2
Pacific Wren                                1                       
Brown Creeper                            3            
American Dipper                         2
Golden-crowned Kinglet               4
Townsend's Solitaire                    2           
American Robin                           2
Varied Thrush                              3            
European Starling                        4           
Bohemian Waxwing                   490
Snow Bunting                             65       
American Tree Sparrow                 6  
Dark-eyed Junco                         12          
Song Sparrow                               2                         
Pine Grosbeak                             87                      
House Finch                                32            
Red Crossbill                               68             
Common Redpoll                        311             
Pine Siskin                                     2             
American Goldfinch                       11
Evening Grosbeak                         78            
House Sparrow                             55             

Fernie CBC December 14, 2014
2056 individual birds
42 species
Had 15 participants this year and the weather was great. The birds were spread out given the easy pickin's with food sources, i.e. there is still plenty of berries, and open ground and water within the circle this year.  Some species appear to be low but I think this is due to the factors above. - Kevin Knight

Mallard                     224
Common Goldeneye    62
Common Merganser    cw
Ruffed Grouse              2
Bald Eagle                    5
Red-tailed Hawk            1 
Merlin                           1
Wilson's Snipe               2
Rock Pigeon                cw
Northern Pygmy Owl      1
Belted Kingfisher            1
Downy Woodpecker        6
Hairy Woodpecker          1
Northern Flicker            25
Pileated Woodpecker       1
Northern Shrike              2
Gray Jay                         1
Steller's Jay                    8
Blue Jay                         9
Black-billed Magpie        16
American Crow              26
Common Raven             79
Black-capped Chickadee 192
Mountain Chickadee        22
Red-breasted Nuthatch     6
White-breasted Nuthatch   1
Brown Creeper                  2
American Dipper               7
Golden-crowned Kinglet   11
American Robin               cw
European Starling              4
Bohemian Waxwing        867
Cedar Waxwing                  3
Song Sparrow                    3
Dark-eyed Junco              17
Snow Bunting                  14
Pine Grosbeak                233
House Finch                       5
Red Crossbill                      6
Common Redpoll             140
Pine Siskin                          6
House Sparrow                  45
.............................................................................................

Elkford on December 18, 2014
Cloudy all day with highs of 0 and a low of -4c
5 people in 3 parties out in the field and 3 feeder watchers - Ulrike Sliworsky
Total Individuals 454
Total Species 27

Mallard                          12
Spruce Grouse                 1
Coopers Hawk                  1
Rock Pigeon                     2
Downy Woodpecker          5
Hairy Woodpecker            4
Northern Flicker                1
Pileated Woodpecker         1
Grey Jay                         17
Steller’s Jay                     34
Blue Jay                            1
Clark’s Nutcracker            34
Black-billed Magpie          11
American Crow                 7
Common Raven               22
Black-capped Chickadee   24
Mountain Chickadee         1
Red-breasted Nuthatch      11
White-breasted Nuthatch    5
American Dipper                2
Townsend’s Solitaire          2
Bohemian Waxwing         12
Pine Grosbeak                  25
Common Redpoll              60
Hoary Redpoll                    6
Pine Sisken                        6
Evening Grosbeak            138
...........................................................................................

Cranbrook - December 20, 2014
There were 13 birders out in the field split into 4 groups and 7 feeder counters.  9AM to 4:30PM.
Overcast all day, -1 to -3 with no snow or rain.
There were 2333 birds and 46 different species as listed below.  - Greg Ross

HC = High Count
cw = seen during count week but not on count day (3 days before and after)

Species                               # seen        HC/CBC#    # prev. counts seen
Canada Goose                            1             160/90               12
Mallard                                   389             389/115             31
Green-winged Teal                      2             6/105                  6
Bufflehead                                37             37/115               14
Common Goldeneye                  17             45/108                31
Hooded  Merganser                     2             5/85                     5
Common Loon                            1             1/115                   2
Bald Eagle                                  4             10/103               27
Northern Goshawk                    cw             2/108                 10
Red-tailed Hawk                         1             3/101                  13
American Kestrel                        1             1/115                    2
Merlin                                        2             3/103                  13
Rock Pigeon                            132            281/108               12
Eurasian Collared-Dove               1             2/113                    2
Mourning Dove                         cw             5/105                  11
Northern Pygmy-Owl                   1             8/104                  23
Belted Kingfisher                         1             3/114                  20
Downy Woodpecker                   15             19/96                  31
Hairy Woodpecker                     10             23/86                  31
Northern Flicker                        26             34/114                 28
Pileated Woodpecker                 10             11/106                 29
Northern Shrike                       cw             5/105                   22
Gray Jay                                  12             12/115                  27
Steller's Jay                               9             15/114                  28
Blue Jay                                   25             25/115                 19
Clark's Nutcracker                     14             90/112                 31
Black-billed Magpie                      1             5/91                    23
American Crow                          89             147/111               28
Common Raven                       180             849/96                 31
Black-capped Chickadee           122             183/103               31
Mountain Chickadee                   86             161/101               31
Chestnut-backed Chickadee          6             6/115                    4
chickadee sp.                               7             47/101                26
Red-breasted Nuthatch               34             84/101                31
White-breasted Nuthatch              1             14/104                28
Brown Creeper                             2             5/109                 20
American Dipper                           3             23/106               31
Golden-crowned Kinglet              cw             13/100               15
Townsend's Solitaire                     8             39/102                26
American Robin                          cw             103/102             18
European Starling                      181             181/115             27
Bohemian Waxwing                    452             4950/106           28
Song Sparrow                               6             40/99                 27
Dark-eyed Junco                           8             40/101               17
Pine Grosbeak                             23             92/95                 16
House Finch                               169             465/102             24
Red Crossbill                                32             241/101             23
Common Redpoll                        110             392/102             22
Pine Siskin                                   40             86/102               19
American Goldfinch                         4             30/96                  8
Evening Grosbeak                         30             296/96               27
House Sparrow                             26             348/105             24
...................................................................................................

Kimberley CBC 115 – January 4, 2015

Total Individuals 4064      Total Species Reported 41

Species                               # seen        HC/CBC#    # prev. counts seen
Mallard                                     cw             24/99               16
Common Goldeneye                   cw             42/114             12
Common Merganser                     1             10/103               4
Ruffed Grouse                             2             4/108                17
Wild Turkey                               59             158/101            15
Bald Eagle                                   2             14/98               23
Rock Pigeon                               28             69/114             12
Eurasian Collared-Dove                 3             17/114               4
Mourning Dove                             5             12/113               9
Northern Pygmy-Owl                   cw             5/111               13
Downy Woodpecker                    26             32/104              23
Hairy Woodpecker                      23             27/111              23
American Three-toed
Woodpecker                                 1             3/106                 3
Black-backed
Woodpecker                                 1             1/115                 2
Northern Flicker                          39             39/115             23
Pileated Woodpecker                     7             11/96               23
Gray Jay                                      1             16/96               20
Steller's Jay                                 6             18/107              21
Blue Jay                                      2             14/101              18
Clark's Nutcracker                      48             221/107            23
Black-billed Magpie                      9             33/103              23
American Crow                          17             111/101             22
Common Raven                       122             333/94               23
Black-capped Chickadee           156             313/104             23
Mountain Chickadee                 132             201/104             23
chickadee sp.                              6             194/98               22
Red-breasted Nuthatch              21             87/112               23
White-breasted Nuthatch             1             21/95                 23
Pygmy Nuthatch                         3            4/113                    3
Brown Creeper                            1             4/113                 14
American Dipper                         3             7/112                  20
Townsend's Solitaire                    2             19/104               20
American Robin                           3             30/100               16
European Starling                      18            62/111                16
Bohemian Waxwing                   2932       2975/100               23
American Tree Sparrow               4             27/104                  9
Song Sparrow                             1             18/103                14
Brewer's Blackbird                       1             1/115                   2
Pine Grosbeak                         143             167/113              19
Cassin's Finch                           cw             32/100                  9
House Finch                            104             180/102               21
Red Crossbill                              3             116/96                 18
Common Redpoll                        1             LC 807/102           18
Pine Siskin                               48             231/102                11
American Goldfinch                   37             HC, 37/115             6
House Sparrow                         39             124/103                16
Passer Sp.                                 3