Previous CBC Results

Species nr	Trend	Species	Nr
1	rare	American Wigeon	1
2	low	Mallard	154
3	low	Common Goldeneye	13
4	rare	Common Merganser	1
cw	cw	Ruffed Grouse
5	low	Wild Turkey	6
cw	cw	Golden Eagle
6	average	Bald Eagle	8
7	low	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	51
8	max	Eurasian Collared-Dove	44
cw	cw	Mourning Dove
9	average	Northern Pygmy-Owl	1
10	< avg	Downy Woodpecker	9
11	low	Hairy Woodpecker	4
cw	cw	American Three-toed Woodpecker
12	> avg	Northern Flicker	31
13	average	Pileated Woodpecker	8
		woodpecker sp.	1
14	average	Merlin	3
15	low	Canada Jay	2
16	low	Steller's Jay	1
17	> avg	Blue Jay	29
18	average	Black-billed Magpie	3
19	low	Clark's Nutcracker	3
20	> avg	American Crow	113
21	low	Common Raven	148
22	low	Black-capped Chickadee	75
23	average	Mountain Chickadee	130
cw	cw	Chestnut-backed Chickadee
		chickadee sp.	12
24	< avg	Red-breasted Nuthatch	41
25	average	Brown Creeper	1
26	average	American Dipper	7
cw	cw	Golden-crowned Kinglet
27	average	Townsend's Solitaire	13
28	low	European Starling	12
29	low	Bohemian Waxwing	479
30	rare	American Tree Sparrow	1
31	average	Dark-eyed Junco	19
32	rare	Harris's Sparrow	1
33	low	Song Sparrow	9
34	unusual	Red-winged Blackbird	1
35	low	Evening Grosbeak	2
36	low	Pine Grosbeak	2
37	low	House Finch	87
38	unusual	Cassin's Finch	7
39	> avg	Common Redpoll	163
40	average	Red Crossbill	52
41	max	White-winged Crossbill	45
42	average	American Goldfinch	10
43	average	House Sparrow	64
		passerine sp.	25
		Total Individuals	1892

		Missed
		Pine Siskin
		Northern Shrike
		Canada Goose
		Sharp-shinned Hawk
		Cooper's Hawk
		Rough-legged Hawk
		Belted Kingfisher
		White-breasted Nuthatch
		Gray-crowned Rosy-finch

	Legend:
	max	new maximum number
	+ avg	a bit above average
	avg	close to the average
	- avg	a bit below average
	low	significantly below average
	rare	rare

	species	reported by only one team

	cw	reported in count week only

Cranbrook CBC Results - December 2021

#122 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada Count
#24 Cranbrook
Count code: BCCB
Count day: 26 Dec 2021
Count week: 23 Dec 2021 - 29 Dec 2021

Species total: 43 - Plus an additional five species during count week

Total number of individual birds: 1,892

The Cranbrook circle goes between St. Eugene Mission to Green Bay on Moyie Lake and from Old Wycliffe to Gold Creek. The Trans-Canada Trail to Rampart Rest Area is also included.

The weather was a significant factor for this year's Cranbrook count. The previous two days' accumulation of snow affected driving conditions so several out-of-town participants from Fernie, Kimberley and Skookumchuck couldn't make it in and the going was slow on unplowed non-essential side streets and alleys for field counters throughout the day. This resulted in some areas not getting visited. It was snowing heavily and foggy in the morning; the afternoon was only slightly better with only a few snow flurries. Fortunately, the wind was very light but it was cold all day with the temperature never getting above -14°. Both still and flowing waters were partially open.

People going out into the field, driving or walking, numbered 12 birders and friends and we walked 11 km and drove 247 km. Thirteen feeder watchers contributed feeder counts but saw fewer birds than normal. The snowstorm likely kept the feeder birds huddled under bushes which made spotting anything while driving quite difficult.

The total number of birds counted was 1,892 which is the seventh lowest number in the 24 years of the Cranbrook count. Nevertheless, the 43 species recorded on count day was average, surprisingly.

Summary
A new maximum number was recorded for Eurasian Collared-Dove (44) - they are steadily increasing here after arriving in the area around 2011. White-winged Crossbill (45) also had record numbers. Pine Siskin was missed for the first time in 8 years as was Northern Shrike. Almost all feeder species were average or below average except for Blue Jay (29) which were double their average. Rare for the count were an American Tree Sparrow, a Harris's Sparrow, an American Wigeon and a Red-winged Blackbird.

Teamwork

The Christmas Bird Count is a brilliant example "community science". Frequently, one field team or a feeder watcher are the only ones to see a species. The South Cranbrook team saw not one but 3 Merlin and two Pine Grosbeak. The Jimsmith-Moyie team saw the only Common Merganser, the only Northern Pygmy-Owl, and the only Brown Creeper. The New Lake team found a dozen European Starling and two Evening Grosbeaks. The Mission-North Cranbrook team found an American Wigeon at the sewage lagoons and surprisingly the only Wild Turkey (6). One feeder near Elizabeth Lake hit the jackpot with 3 unique birds: a Red-winged Blackbird, an American Tree Sparrow, and a rare Harris's Sparrow; and another feeder in Spruceland was visited by the only Steller's Jay seen.

Numerous species

Bohemian Waxwing (479) reclaimed its spot as most numerous species, taking it back from the Mallards of last year; but both Waxwing and Mallard (154) numbers were still half of average.

Of our other numerous species only American Crow (113) numbers were average while Rock Pigeon (51) and Common Raven (148) were well below average.

New Maximum numbers

Record high counts were recorded for 2 species this year - Eurasian Collared-Dove (44) and White-winged Crossbill. The Collared-Dove has spread rapidly since its introduction to the Bahamas in the 1970s and it now flourishes from Florida to Alaska. The White-winged is one of those "irruptive" species, like Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll, which sometimes move southward if the seed crop of coniferous cones fails in their more northern winter range. This is only the sixth time they've been recorded on count day.

Notable misses

Pine Siskin, a winter staple at feeders, was missed for the first time in 8 years. Belted Kingfisher, American Three-toed Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Gray-crowned Rosy-finch were also missed. Northern Shrike was missed again for the second year in a row but has been on 17 of our 24 counts. Rough-legged Hawk was also missed - it is more common on the Kimberley CBC.

Last year, Common Redpoll was missed but this year we saw 163 (slightly above average). They seemed scarce at feeders until now; perhaps the snowstorm finally brought them in and it was a joy to see small flocks wheeling about between snowflakes searching for welcoming places to settle.

Count week

During count week, 3 days either side of count day, birders and feeder watchers saw Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Green Bay), Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruffed Grouse, Mourning Dove (Standard Hill), American Three-toed Woodpecker (Cranbrook Community Forest), and Golden Eagle. These species are not common anytime.

No new species were recorded for the count this year.

Rare appearances were made by American Tree Sparrow (1), Harris's Sparrow (1), and Red-winged Blackbird (1) all at a feeder near Elizabeth Lake.

Uncommon species, winter or year-round

Year-round: Of the species that are less common on the Christmas Bird Count, some are here all year long but have small populations. The South Cranbrook (south city, Gold Creek, and Hidden Valley) team saw our only Merlin (3) but missed the Townsend's Solitaire (13) seen by all the other teams. Also seen were Black-billed Magpie (3), a Brown Creeper, and seven American Dipper.

Summer birds: A few common summer birds brave out winter here: Common Goldeneye (13) and Common Merganser (1), as well as the one American Wigeon and one Red-winged Blackbird stayed behind.

Colder climes: Winter visitors from further north and species that prefer higher elevations in the summer sometimes over-winter around town. This year we managed to see a Northern Pygmy-Owl and 45 White-winged Crossbills. Missed again for the second year in a row was Norther Shrike which we've seen on 17 of our 24 counts.

Introduced species

Eurasian Collared-Dove (44) numbers were a new maximum. Rock Pigeon (51) and European Starling (12) were both low in number possibly because the snowy roads prevented us from surveying their usual urban spots. House Sparrow (65) continues on every count - they're the ones that get into Superstore and Walmart all the time - check the pet food section.

High numbers

No species had especially high numbers this year other than the Eurasian Collared-Doves (44). Only Blue Jay (29) had double their average numbers - they are very hardy and don't seem to mind the snow as much as the other feeder birds.

Feeder Birds

Of the winter feeder birds Clark's Nutcracker (3) number were low; they have been missed only once previously. Evening Grosbeak (2) had very low numbers but have still been seen on 18 of 24 counts. Pine Grosbeak (2) were also very low. Cassin's Finch (7) are on about half our counts; they prefer less urban settings than their House cousins. Common Redpoll (163) were late in arriving to feeders this year but had decent numbers. Red Crossbill (52) are on most counts and also had decent numbers this year. White-winged Crossbill (45) are unusual to get bur were seen in record numbers this year.

Many of our regular feeder birds did not show at feeders in their usual numbers on count day and feeder watchers have noticed birds are scarcer so far this winter. Numbers were low for Downy Woodpecker (9) - the lowest number since 2010, Hairy Woodpecker (4) - the lowest number since 2006, Canada Jay (2), Steller's Jay (1), Black-capped Chickadee (75) which continues on every count but was half of average this year, Red-breasted Nuthatch (41), Song Sparrow (9), and House Finch (87) - a third of usual.

The species that had average to above average numbers were Pileated Woodpecker (8), Mountain Chickadee (130), Dark-eyed Junco (19) which are missed sometimes but have been on the last 11 counts, and American Goldfinch (10) which is the fifth year in a row for them. Northern Flicker (31) were a bit above average in number and Blue Jay (29), which are sometimes missed, had double their average number.

The only other species to mention is Bald Eagle (8) which continues on every count and was of average number.

Previous CBC Results

Updated 2023-01-13

Kimberley CBC Results
#122 - National Audubon Society, Birds Canada Count
#24 Kimberley
Count code: BCKB
Count day: 02 Jan 2022
Count week: 30 Dec 2021 - 05 Jan 2022

Species total: 43 - plus an additional five species during count week

Total number of individual birds: 2,270

The Kimberley circle goes from Moan Road southward to the Saint Mary's River and from the base of the Kimberley Ski Hill eastward to Bummer's Flats. The center of the 24 km circle is near Mildred White's old residence near the junction of Hwy 95A and LD Ranch Road.

The weather was chilly with a bit of a wind at lower elevations. It was partly clear in the morning but became overcast and snowing lightly by noon which continued throughout the afternoon. Still water was frozen and moving water was partly open. There were 9 parties of 21 people in the field cross-country skiing or driving and walking. People came from Kimberley, Cranbrook and Fairmont. Six feeders were reported by an additional seven feeder watchers.

The total number of birds counted was 2, 270 individuals of 43 species. An additional 5 species were recorded during count week.

Summary
For the first time ever, Red Crossbill (322) was our most numerous species, demoting the usual Bohemian Waxwing (304) to second place. Notable misses were Pygmy Nuthatch, European Starling, and Pine Siskin. Rare birds seen were a Horned Lark in with the Snow Buntings at Pine Butte Ranch, a Harris's Sparrow at a feeder on the ski hill, and a lone Canada Goose braving out winter on Cameron Pond. I think we can say the Rock Pigeon and Wild Turkey flocks are getting bigger. Most of the familiar regular feeder birds like the Chickadees, Nuthatches, Jays and Woodpeckers had good numbers in Kimberley.

Teamwork
Twelve species were seen by only one team or party. The Area #1 team - Kimberley and Marysville contributed 3 unique species: Mallard (3), Evening Grosbeak (26), and a Harris's Sparrow from a feeder watcher. The Area #2 team - Meadowbrook and Lost Dog got our only Canada Jay (4) and the cross-country skiers got two American Three-toed Woodpeckers. The Area #3 team - Wasa, Ta Ta Creek saw our only Canada Goose and five Bald Eagles. The Area #4 team - Wycliffe are the only ones that saw Common Goldeneye (12), Red-tailed Hawk (2), Belted Kingfisher (1), Snow Bunting (20), and Horned Lark (1).

Numerous species and new record numbers
For the first time ever, Red Crossbill (322) was our most numerous species. The Cranbrook number of Red Crossbills was average for that circle but the Kimberley circle had 5 times more Red Crossbill than average and this new maximum is 3 times higher than their previous record of 237 from January of 2019. All field teams reported them. While surveying Mission Wasa Upper Road (St Eugene Mission to LD Ranch Rd, Kootenay Reserve #1) I came across three mixed flocks of Crossbills, Clark's Nutcrackers, Red-breasted Nuthatches and Chickadees all feasting on pine seeds so frantically the excess seeds were raining down in a shower of little brown whirligigs. The birds were lucky to find a good seed crop somewhere considering how dry it was this past summer.

Bohemian Waxing (304) is usually number 1 for number of individuals but was number 2 this year. It has only been displaced from top spot four times in the 24 years of the count: three times by Common Redpoll, and once by Pine Siskin. But their numbers were about a third of average. A single bird has parked itself at a feeder out on LD Ranch Road, which is very unusual.

The Rock Pigeon (152) population in Kimberley is growing. Last year there was a record high number of them (115) and now there are even more!

American Crow (31) and Common Raven (156) numbers were average.

Other new or tied records
We found high numbers of both Downy Woodpecker (38) and Hairy Woodpecker (30). That was comforting to see because their numbers were low in Cranbrook last week - no doubt affect by the adverse weather conditions. Downy tied with their record from December 2017 and Hairy had one more than the previous record from January of 2011. The 14 Blue Jays counted tied for their record from December 2000 and the 18 Steller's Jay tied with their record from 2007. The new American Goldfinch (41) record is only two more than the previous record from two years ago but we'll take it. They have been much more consistently seen in winter the past eight years, such a subtly yet beautifully coloured bird in the winter.

Notable misses
Pygmy Nuthatch was missed for the first time in 5 years - the go-to feeder watcher for them has moved. Both Northern Shrike and Pine Siskin were missed for the Cranbrook AND Kimberley counts, the latter for the first time in 8 years. European Starling was missed for the first time in 5 years and American Robin for the first time in 4 years. It is always nice to see a Northern Pygmy-Owl but none were seen count day or week.

Count week
Species seen in count week but not on count day were Merlin and Varied Thrush in Swan Sub, Ruffed Grouse and Cassin's Finch in Lower Blarchmont and Cooper's Hawk in Purcell Sub.

No new species were found this year on the Kimberley count.

Rare species
Single birds of Horned Lark, Harris's Sparrow, and Canada Goose were seen. The Lark was with the flock of Snow Buntings (20) at Pine Butte Ranch, the Harris's was at a feeder on the ski hill, and the Goose was on Cameron's Pond at the north end of Wasa Sloughs. It is only the second time a Horned Lark has been seen on either the Cranbrook or Kimberley counts.

Uncommon species
Winter visitors: The Snow Buntings (20) have been wintering in their usual place since late autumn so it was nice they showed on count day. American Tree Sparrow (7) were found in a couple of places this year - separated by many kilometers.

Year-round residents: A Belted Kingfisher was spotted on a little iceberg in the middle of the Saint Mary's River watching the diving Common Goldeneye (12). A couple of American Dipper were spotted; they have been missed only once in 24 years. Two American Three-toed Woodpecker showed for the cross-country skiers near McGinty Lake. Black-billed Magpie (16) move lower down in the valley for winter usually and this was an average number of them. Brown Creeper (2) has been seen on 17 of our 24 counts. Townsend's Solitaire (13) was a bit above average.

Summer birds: Mallard (3) numbers were low compared to the previous 3 counts and were low in Cranbrook as well. The dozen Common Goldeneye seen is an average number. This is the fourth count in a row for Red-tailed Hawk (2). A couple of flocks of Red-wined Blackbird (36) have again stuck around this winter.

Introduced species
Eurasian Collared-Dove (8) spotted was much lower than the 50 birds two years ago. House Sparrow (44) numbers were a bit above average.

High numbers
Double the average of Wild Turkey (91) were seen, most (80) in Chapman Camp. When the field counter arrived in Camp just before 9:00 am on Sunday, the Turkeys were still in bed! They roost as high as 30 meters up in three or four tall conifers, which makes separating all the dark blobs huddled together quite a challenge. Later in the day, they spread out in Camp and along Rotary Drive and barely move for vehicles. There are a couple of leucistic (partial albino) birds in this groups and it seems every wild flock in the area has a few white ones.

Well above average numbers were spotted for Northern Flicker (41), Pileated Woodpecker (15), and Red-breasted Nuthatch (109). The cross-country ski team saw quite a few Red-breasted (23) on their 13 km ski through the countryside; it is good to know birds aren't only in town at feeders but are out there in the forests foraging for native seeds.

More Feeder Birds

Winter feeder birds: Of the feeder birds seen only or more often in the winter Pine Grosbeak (8) and Common Redpoll (73) numbers were low but Clark's Nutcracker (46) and Evening Grossbeak (26) numbers were only just below average.

Regular feeder birds: Of the more familiar feeder birds, below average numbers were seen for Dark-eyed Junco (13) whose numbers are quite variable but have been on 17 of our 24 counts, and House Finch (139) whose numbers were almost double their average. Average or above average numbers were found of Canada Jay (4), Black-capped Chickadee (150), Mountain Chickadee (188), White-breasted Nuthatch (5) and Song Sparrow (12) showing that the low numbers of these for the Cranbrook count was likely caused by the snowstorm on Cranbrook's count day.

The only other species to mention is Bald Eagle (5) of which below average numbers were counted but it continues to be seen on every count day.

Below is the Kimberley #122 list.

Sp_Nr	Trend	Species	Nr of Indiv
1	rare	Canada Goose	1
2	low	Mallard	3
3	average	Common Goldeneye	12
4	high	Wild Turkey	91
5	< avg	Bald Eagle	5
6	average	Red-tailed Hawk	2
7	max	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	152
8	low	Eurasian Collared-Dove	8
9	average	Belted Kingfisher	1
10	max	Downy Woodpecker	38
11	max	Hairy Woodpecker	30
12	high	Northern Flicker	41
13	average	American Three-toed Woodpecker	2
14	high	Pileated Woodpecker	15
15	average	Canada Jay	4
16	high	Steller's Jay	18
17	max	Blue Jay	14
18	average	Black-billed Magpie	16
19	< avg	Clark's Nutcracker	46
20	average	American Crow	31
21	average	Common Raven	156
22	average	Black-capped Chickadee	150
23	> avg	Mountain Chickadee	188
24	high	Red-breasted Nuthatch	109
25	average	White-breasted Nuthatch	5
26	average	Brown Creeper	2
27	< avg	American Dipper	2
28	> avg	Townsend's Solitaire	13
29	low	Bohemian Waxwing	304
30	< avg	Snow Bunting	20
31	average	American Tree Sparrow	7
32	< avg	Dark-eyed Junco	13
33	> avg	Song Sparrow	12
34	> avg	Red-winged Blackbird	36
35	low	Pine Grosbeak	8
36	< avg	House Finch	139
37	max	Red Crossbill	322
38	low	Common Redpoll	73
39	max	American Goldfinch	41
40	< avg	Evening Grosbeak	26
41	> avg	House Sparrow	44
42	rare	Horned Lark	1
43	rare	Harris's Sparrow	1
			2270

		Downy/Hairy Woodpecker	1
		woodpecker sp.	1
		chickadee sp.	61
		passerine sp.	5

	Count Week:
		Cooper's Hawk
		Merlin
		Ruffed Grouse
		Cassin's Finch
		Varied Thrush

Species nr	Trend	Species	Nr
1	rare	American Wigeon	1
2	low	Mallard	154
3	low	Common Goldeneye	13
4	rare	Common Merganser	1
cw	cw	Ruffed Grouse
5	low	Wild Turkey	6
cw	cw	Golden Eagle
6	average	Bald Eagle	8
7	low	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	51
8	max	Eurasian Collared-Dove	44
cw	cw	Mourning Dove
9	average	Northern Pygmy-Owl	1
10	< avg	Downy Woodpecker	9
11	low	Hairy Woodpecker	4
cw	cw	American Three-toed Woodpecker
12	> avg	Northern Flicker	31
13	average	Pileated Woodpecker	8
		woodpecker sp.	1
14	average	Merlin	3
15	low	Canada Jay	2
16	low	Steller's Jay	1
17	> avg	Blue Jay	29
18	average	Black-billed Magpie	3
19	low	Clark's Nutcracker	3
20	> avg	American Crow	113
21	low	Common Raven	148
22	low	Black-capped Chickadee	75
23	average	Mountain Chickadee	130
cw	cw	Chestnut-backed Chickadee
		chickadee sp.	12
24	< avg	Red-breasted Nuthatch	41
25	average	Brown Creeper	1
26	average	American Dipper	7
cw	cw	Golden-crowned Kinglet
27	average	Townsend's Solitaire	13
28	low	European Starling	12
29	low	Bohemian Waxwing	479
30	rare	American Tree Sparrow	1
31	average	Dark-eyed Junco	19
32	rare	Harris's Sparrow	1
33	low	Song Sparrow	9
34	unusual	Red-winged Blackbird	1
35	low	Evening Grosbeak	2
36	low	Pine Grosbeak	2
37	low	House Finch	87
38	unusual	Cassin's Finch	7
39	> avg	Common Redpoll	163
40	average	Red Crossbill	52
41	max	White-winged Crossbill	45
42	average	American Goldfinch	10
43	average	House Sparrow	64
		passerine sp.	25
		Total Individuals	1892

		Missed
		Pine Siskin
		Northern Shrike
		Canada Goose
		Sharp-shinned Hawk
		Cooper's Hawk
		Rough-legged Hawk
		Belted Kingfisher
		White-breasted Nuthatch
		Gray-crowned Rosy-finch

	Legend:
	max	new maximum number
	+ avg	a bit above average
	avg	close to the average
	- avg	a bit below average
	low	significantly below average
	rare	rare

	species	reported by only one team

	cw	reported in count week only

Below is the Jaffray 2021 list

Nr of Individuals	Species
12	Canada Goose
67	Mallard
5	Bufflehead
2	Common Goldeneye
10	Ruffed Grouse
119	Wild Turkey
1	Great Blue Heron
1	Golden Eagle
6	Bald Eagle
2	Red Tailed Hawk
6	Rock Pigeon
1	Rough -legged Hawk
32	Eurasian Collared Dove
1	Northern Pygmy Owl
2	Belted Kingfisher
12	Downy Wp
3	Hairy Wp
41	Northern Flicker
3	Pileated WP
2	Canada Jay
4	Stellar Jay
2	Blue Jay
12	Black Billed Magpie10
14	Clark’s Nutcracker
157	Am Crow
80	Raven
113	Black Capped Chickadee
15	Mountain Chickadee
17	Chickadee sp
57	Red breasted Nuthatch
2	Brown Creeper
3	American Dipper
1	Golden Crowned Kinglet
22	Townsend’s Solitaire
1	American Robin
1	Dark Eyed Junco
10	Song Sparrow
51	House Finch
98	Red Crossbill
9	Common Redpoll
32	Evening Grosbeak
14	House Sparrow
1	Northern Pintail
1	Oregon Junco
2	Slate gray Junco
2	Gray Rosy Finch
6	Passerine sp
1055	43 species

Count #121 Cranbrook and Kimberley
Christmas Bird Count Results

By Dianne Cooper
Updated 2021-01-07

The 23rd annual Christmas Bird Counts for Cranbrook and Kimberley were held on December 26, 2020 and January 3, 2021, respectively.

On Count Day, teams of counters cover as much of a specified 24-km diameter circle as possible to tally all birds they see; feeder counters tally the highest number of a species seen around their yard. Count Week extends three days before and after 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/National Audubon Society (but numbers of individuals of "count week" species are not added to the count tally).

Current public health requirements and recommendations meant that no potlucks for count-up were held. Also, during the counts, there were no pre-count meetups nor car-pooling; field counters were required to wear a mask when in proximity to others and to not enter private residences. Communication for organizing the events, co-ordinating teams during the counts, and gathering the results were completely by email and cell phone in a satisfactory manner. Hopefully, next year we will be able to all get together again to hear great birding stories and share our love of birds.

Field observers participating in one or both counts (Cranbrook and/or Kimberley) totalled 25 birders and friends, all local residents, and 21 people contributed feeder counts.

Cranbrook CBC Results

National Audubon Society, Birds Canada (formerly Bird Studies Canada) Count #121
Count code: BCCB
Count day: 26 Dec 2020
Count week: 23 Dec 2019 - 31 Dec 2019
Species total: 47
Number of individual birds total: 3,424

The Cranbrook circle goes from St. Eugene Mission to Green Bay (Moyie Lake) and from Old Wycliffe to Gold Creek. Also included is the Trans-Canada Trail to Rampart Rest Area.

The weather for the Cranbrook count was relatively mild with temperatures ranging from -9 to -6 °C. Winds were very light to light, there was no precipitation, and Green Bay (Moyie Lake) was mostly open but the Cranbrook sewage lagoons were mostly frozen.

People going out into the field, driving or walking, numbered 19 birders and friends and 13 feeder counts were contributed.

The total number birds counted was 3,483 which is our second highest to date, so it was a good count overall.

The 47 species recorded on count day was above the average of 43 species for the Cranbrook count.

Woodpecker Grand Slam!

This year's count can go down in history as only the second time we got a Woodpecker Grand Slam! We saw all the possible species of winter woodpeckers: Downy, Hairy, Northern Flicker, American Three-toed, and Pileated on count day and a Black-backed during count week. The only other time for a Woodpecker Grand Slam was Count #113 in December 2012. Not only that, three of the woodpecker species seen had record high numbers.

Teamwork

Often, one team or feeder watcher are the only ones to see a species. This is why it is crucial for us to work together to cover the whole circle. This year, the Mission North Cranbrook team got 5 species not seen by anyone else: Red-tailed Hawk (1), Belted Kingfisher (1), Black-billed Magpie (2), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), and White-winged Crossbill (5). Yay!

The only Northern Pygmy-Owl and Spotted Towhee were contributed by the Hidden Valley team. The American Three-toed Woodpecker and five Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches were contributed by the Jimsmith team. The New Lake team were the only ones to see an American Tree Sparrow and an Evening Grosbeak; and a Brown Creeper was contributed by the team that headed down to Green Bay (Moyie Lake north). More "Yay!".

The only Merlin was seen by a feeder watcher - not surprising since feeders are also where their food is.

Numerous species

Mallard (629) was the most numerous species this year taking top spot for only the third time in the 23 years of the count. This was also a new maximum for this species. Their numbers have been steadily increasing, as I am sure you've noticed.

Bohemian Waxwing (384) and Common Raven (333) were rivals for second spot. This Bohemian number is still below average, though, as sometimes they are very numerous (max = 4,950). Raven numbers were average. American Crow (155) numbers were above average.

New Maximum numbers

Record high counts were recorded for a whopping 8 species this year, including 3 of the woodpeckers in our Woodpecker Grand Slam.

Mallard (629) - still trending upward
Downy Woodpecker (26) was almost double their average
Hairy Woodpecker (22) was also almost double their average
Pileated Woodpecker (16) was double also
Canada Jay's (14) new maximum is only one more from LAST year's new max
Blue Jay (46) - this is the 4th year in a row we've counted a new maximum for Blue Jay
Mountain Chickadee (274) numbers were almost 3 times their average
Red-breasted Nuthatch (117) was also almost 3 times average

Notable misses

94 species have ever been recorded on the Cranbrook CBC, 54 of which have been recorded on only half of the counts. "Misses" means species that were around before or after the count that we could have got on count day, OR species we usually get but were not seen count day.

A Snow Goose that had been hanging around The Mission was not seen since the 20th of December. It would have been a "first" for the count.

A Great Horned Owl that was heard on the 21st near the Hospital but was not heard on count day or during count week. This species continues to elude us on count day - having been detected only once before.

We also missed Ruffed Grouse, which has been counted on 14 of our 23 counts. Also, most notably because they are sometimes in large numbers and are favourites of feeder watchers, Common Redpoll was missed.

Count week

A Common Merganser that had been at the north end of Moyie Lake on the 24th was not seen for the count. We've recorded it on the previous 3 counts, but it has only ever been on 5 counts.

Also seen during count week only, were Canada Goose, Wild Turkey, Northern Goshawk, and Northern Shrike.

The Black-backed Woodpecker seen during count week rounded out all the possible winter woodpecker species to give us a Woodpecker Grand Slam!

No new species were recorded for the count this year. CORRECTION: late report of a Northern Mockingbird, seen 2020-Dec-29 - so "count week" species.

Rare appearances were made by

American Three-toed Woodpecker (1) - 4th time on the count
American Tree Sparrow (1) - also 4th time on the count. I suspect there were more around because another one was seen the day after the count at a feeder in a completely different area - but they do fly around!
White-winged Crossbill (5) - 5th time
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (5) - 5th time
Spotted Towhee (1) - not rare in summer but at least one bird is testing its mettle; and this is only the 3rd time it's been on the Cranbrook count

One to three - usual and unusual species

It's nice to not miss species that are naturally sparse in population density but usually have a few all year or over-wintering here. This year we got: Green-winged Teal (2), Red-tailed Hawk (1), Mourning Dove (4), Northern Pygmy Owl (1) - the first one since 2016, Belted Kingfisher (1), Merlin (1), Black-billed Magpie (2), Brown Creeper (1), and Northern Goshawk (count week - cw)

The one White-breasted Nuthatch seen was the first one on count day in four years.

The drama of nature was witnessed by the Mission North Cranbrook team: they briefly spotted a small hawk, either a Sharp-shinned or Cooper's Hawk, carrying off a vole before it disappeared into the forest to have its lunch in peace and quiet.

Introduced species
Eurasian Collared-Dove (17), Rock Pigeon (260), European Starling (66), and House Sparrow (125) were all high in number or above average.

High numbers
Beside the new maximum numbers for species mentioned above, high numbers were also counted for Common Goldeneye (65) - 3 times the average, and Pine Siskin (185), also 3 times the average.

Thirteen American Dipper (13) were also a high number to get. The maximum was 23 back in December of 2006.

Low Numbers
Steller's Jay (3) numbers were half their average and Clark's Nutcracker (13) numbers continue to be low after their maximum of 90 in 2011. Evening Grosbeak (1) on the count has been sporadic for the past 5 years and their numbers low.

Our favourite feeder birds
Feeder watchers reported generally low activity at their feeders but when everyone's numbers are added together, our favourite feeder birds seem to be having a pretty good year! Mountain Chickadee (274) showed a new maximum and Black-capped Chickadee (153) was above average for the third year in a row. Dark-eyed Junco (40), Song Sparrow (29), and Pine Grosbeak (47) were all above average and House Finch (216) and American Goldfinch (18) were both average.

Other favorite species spotted were American Dipper (7 - average), Townsend's Solitaire (17 - above average), American Robin (17 - average), and Bald Eagle (6 - average).

Kimberley Results

National Audubon Society, Birds Canada (formerly Bird Studies Canada) Count #121
Count code: BCKB
Count day: 3 Jan 2021
Count week: 31 Dec 2020 - 6 Jan 2021
Species total: 51
Number of individual birds total: 2,368

The Kimberly circle goes from Wycliffe, the north side of the Saint Mary's River to Wasa, and from Bummer's Flats to the base of the Kimberley ski hill, encompassing Ta Ta Creek, Meadowbrook, Kimberley and Marysville.

The weather for the Kimberley count was unusually mild for January with temperatures ranging from 1 to 7 °C. Winds were very light in most places in the morning but picked up everywhere in the afternoon to gusts of about 20 km/h. There was a dump of 20 cm of snow overnight in the upper levels of Kimberley, but only a few cm in Marysville and none on the lower elevations. Wasa Lake and all the little ponds were frozen; the rivers were partly frozen. The roads were extremely icy but everyone managed to drive safely.

People going out into the field driving or walking, numbered 15 birders and friends and 8 feeder counts were contributed.

The total number of individual birds counted was 2,368 which is about average.

New Record for Total Species for Kimberley!
This year's count can go down in history for when we set a new all-time record for number of species - 51 species! The previous record of 49 species was set only two years ago in January 2019.

No new species were recorded for the count this year; we just managed to get a good percentage of the 79 species we've ever gotten on count day including those naturally low in number and usually uncommon.

Teamwork
Unique Species
Often, one team or feeder watcher is the only one to see a species. This is why it is crucial for us to work together to cover all habitats in the whole circle. This year, the list of unique species seen by field counters or feeder watchers includes the following:
Ruffed Grouse (1) at a feeder in Meadowbrook
Red-tailed Hawk (1) out in Wycliffe
Golden Eagle (1) very high above Bummer's Flats
Belted Kingfisher (2) along the Kootenay River
American Three-toed Woodpecker (1) across the river from St. Eugene
Canada Jay (1) in Meadowbrook
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (2) in Kimberley
Golden-crowned Kinglet (7) in Ta Ta Creek
American Robin (1) on Clearview Rd
Snow Bunting (80) at Pine Butte Ranch
American Tree Sparrow (6) at a feeder in Ta Ta Creek
Gray-crowned Rosy finch (2) at a feeder on Clearview Rd.

BOWA Adjustments
We also have to co-ordinate, as best we can, how many of each species we count because bird fly around. This year on count day, the Kimberley/Marysville team got 335 Bohemian Waxwings. Now, may of us know there are sometimes a lot of Bohemian Waxwings around; to some people they are THE "Winter Birds". Bohemian Waxing love to eat the mountain ash berries and they travel and roost together, sometimes in very large flocks. We can only count what we see (and we have to be careful not to double count!). But later in the day, a field counter returning home from Wycliffe saw a flock of about 500 waxwings over the Ski Hill residential area - so 165 birds were added to the count. A couple of days later, a report came in of 1500 - 2000 waxwings in a flock over the same area! Too late for the count but great to know the species is doing better than we thought this winter.

Notable misses
On count day, we actually missed only a few things that we "usually" see such as Mourning Dove, Merlin, and Cassin's Finch. We haven't gotten Merlin on the Kimberley count for the past 7 years - but Cranbrook has! Most notably missed was the common House Sparrow which has been on 18 of the 23 counts to date.

Count week
If we miss a species on the day of the count but see it within 3 days before or after, we can include it in our report to Audubon; but it doesn't count towards our total species or numbers of individual birds.

This year, count week reports were for Bufflehead, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and White-winged Crossbill. Very nice.

We'd originally thought we'd missed Ruffed Grouse so one determined participant set off on foot to get the one she knew was near her house but she hadn't seen it in awhile. After bushwhacking through bramble and snow, she got it! Then, a late report from a feeder watcher came in which allowed us to include it on our count day totals. Thanks, VR, for your determination!

Other uncommon species
Most of the species found by only one team (see "Unique Species" above) are also uncommon all year long, or uncommon in winter, at least.
This is the fifth time for American Three-toed Woodpecker (1) on the Kimberley count. It was spotted by only one field counter while he was driving but he couldn't stop to look at it because his vehicle was sliding down an icy hill at the time! Not the best way to view this beautiful woodpecker - but he got it.
Also uncommonly seen during winter on the Kimberley count, were Common Merganser (4). Like some other waterfowl, they will stay if the rivers are only partly frozen, as is the case this year. Common Goldeneye (55 - a new max) and Mallard (25 - also a new max) were also seen.

One to three - usual and unusual species
Part of the reason why we got a record species count this year was that we managed to pick up all the species that are usually low in numbers including Northern Pygmy-Owl (2), Northern Shrike (3) - which we missed last year but has been on 18 of the 23 counts, and Brown Creeper (3) as well as the unique finds listed above.

The usual non-feeder species
Wild Turkey (28) numbers were half of average this year. We usually get a few more Bald Eagles (15) than Cranbrook and this year their numbers were a bit higher than average. Our favourite American Dipper (6) also had higher numbers. This species has been missed only once in 23 years on either count.

The usual / feeder birds
Kimberley numbers of the usual feeder species were mostly average to high, unlike the Cranbrook count which got new maximums for several of these species.
Of note are:
Townsend's Solitaire (7) which was missed last year but is usually seen
Dark-eyed Junco (48) whose numbers were 3 times the average
Evening Grosbeak (30) which were missed the previous two years but otherwise on every count
Red Crossbill (82) - also missed last year but on 19 of 23 counts
Pine Siskin (93) whose numbers were much better than the previous two years

Numerous species
Bohemian Waxwing (589) was our most numerous species, as usual, but their numbers (on count day) were half of average. However, the size of the flock in town seen after count day (1500-2000) was at the high end of their historic numbers. For whatever reason, they did not flock up and fly around as much on Sunday's count day as they did on Tuesday. Perhaps they were busy feeding on Sunday, after a cold and snowy night, but on Tuesday their bellies were full and they were full of energy. Count day does just provide a snapshot of the number of birds around and weather is likely one factor affecting the detection of all the species.

American Crow (16) numbers were low. I wonder if the Kimberley crows decided to move to Cranbrook since Cranbrook numbers, counted just the week before, were well above average.

Introduced species
Eurasian Collared-Dove (27) on the Kimberley count is more numerous than on the Cranbrook count. It is also more consistent in the Kimberley circle, having been seen on all the counts in the past 10 years. It showed up a year later on the Cranbrook count and has been missed there a couple of times. Its numbers were well above average in the Kimberley circle this year.

Low Numbers
The same species with low numbers on the Cranbrook count also had lower numbers for the Kimberley count. Steller's Jay (5) numbers were half their average and Clark's Nutcracker (52) numbers were better in Kimberley than Cranbrook but still below average. Evening Grosbeak (30) numbers were half of average but it had been missed on the previous two counts - the only misses in 23 years.

New Maximum numbers
Record high numbers were found for Mallard (25) and Common Goldeneye (55) reflecting the fact that the rivers are still relatively ice-free. Rock Pigeon (115) also had a new maximum but their numbers are still less than half of Cranbrook.

The 8 Pygmy Nuthatches counted were the most ever on count day so far. This species is now found regularly (7 of the last 9 counts) throughout the year, if you know where to look.

Mark your calendars for similar dates next year!

Cranbrook CBC Results 26-Dec-2020

Species Count	Trend	Species and Countable Taxon	Nr of Individuals
cw		Canada Goose
1	max	Mallard	629
2	avg	Green-winged Teal	2
3	high	Common Goldeneye	65
cw		Common Merganser
cw		Wild Turkey
4	avg	Bald Eagle	6
5	avg	Red-tailed Hawk	1
6		Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk	1
	cw	Sharp-shinned Hawk
cw		Northern Goshawk
7	high	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	260
8	+ avg	Eurasian Collared-Dove	17
9	avg	Mourning Dove	4
10		Northern Pygmy-Owl	1
11	avg	Belted Kingfisher	1
12	max	Downy Woodpecker	26
13	max	Hairy Woodpecker	22
14		American Three-toed Woodpecker	1
cw		Black-backed Woodpecker
15	high	Northern Flicker	49
16	max	Pileated Woodpecker	16
17	avg	Merlin	1
cw		Northern Shrike
18	max	Canada Jay	14
19	- avg	Steller's Jay	3
20	max	Blue Jay	46
21	avg	Black-billed Magpie	2
22	- avg	Clark's Nutcracker	13
23	+ avg	American Crow	155
24	avg	Common Raven	333
25	+ avg	Black-capped Chickadee	153
26	max	Mountain Chickadee	292
27	max	Red-breasted Nuthatch	117
28		White-breasted Nuthatch	1
29	avg	Brown Creeper	1
30	avg	American Dipper	7
31	+ avg	Townsend's Solitaire	17
32	avg	American Robin	17
33	+ avg	European Starling	66
34	- avg	Bohemian Waxwing	384
35		American Tree Sparrow	1
36	+ avg	Dark-eyed Junco	40
37	+ avg	Song Sparrow	30
38		Spotted Towhee	1
39	+ avg	Pine Grosbeak	47
40	low	Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	5
41	avg	House Finch	216
42	- avg	Red Crossbill	27
43	- avg	White-winged Crossbill	5
44	high	Pine Siskin	185
45	avg	American Goldfinch	18
46	low	Evening Grosbeak	1
47	high	House Sparrow	125


	Missed
		Bufflehead
		Barrow's Goldeneye
		Hooded Merganser
		Ruffed Grouse
		Great Blue Heron
		Rough-legged Hawk
		Chestnut-backed Chickadee
		Golden-crowned Kinglet
		Cassin's Finch
		Common Redpoll

	Legend:
	miss	not recorded on count day
	max	new maximum number
	high	significantly above average
	+ avg	a bit above average
	avg	close to the average
	- avg	a bit below average
	low	significantly below average
	first	first time on count day

	species	reported by only one team

	cw	reported in count week only

Kimberley CBC results 3-Jan-2021
Sp_Nr	Trend	Species and countable taxon	Nr of individuals
1	max	Mallard	25
	cw	Bufflehead
2	max	Common Goldeneye	55
		Common/Barrow's Goldeneye	2
3		Common Merganser	4
4	avg	Ruffed Grouse	1
5	< avg	Wild Turkey	28
6		Golden Eagle	1
	cw	Sharp-shinned Hawk
7	avg	Cooper's Hawk	1
8	high	Bald Eagle	15
9	avg	Red-tailed Hawk	1
		hawk sp.
10	max	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	115
11	> avg	Eurasian Collared-Dove	27
12	avg	Northern Pygmy-Owl	2
13	avg	Belted Kingfisher	2
14	avg	Downy Woodpecker	18
15	avg	Hairy Woodpecker	19
16		American Three-toed Woodpecker	1
17	high	Northern Flicker	42
18	> avg	Pileated Woodpecker	11
19	avg	Northern Shrike	3
20	avg	Canada Jay	3
21	low	Steller's Jay	5
22	avg	Blue Jay	8
23	avg	Black-billed Magpie	16
24	< avg	Clark's Nutcracker	52
25	low	American Crow	16
26	> avg	Common Raven	171
27	avg	Black-capped Chickadee	134
28	> avg	Mountain Chickadee	155
29	< avg	Chestnut-backed Chickadee	2
		chickadee sp.	64
30	> avg	Red-breasted Nuthatch	86
31	avg	White-breasted Nuthatch	5
32	max	Pygmy Nuthatch	8
33	avg	Brown Creeper	3
34	high	American Dipper	6
35	max	Golden-crowned Kinglet	7
36	avg	Townsend's Solitaire	7
37	low	American Robin	1
38	low	European Starling	6
39	< avg	Bohemian Waxwing	589
40	high	Snow Bunting	80
41	avg	American Tree Sparrow	6
42	high	Dark-eyed Junco	48
43	avg	Song Sparrow	10
44	low	Evening Grosbeak	30
45	avg	Pine Grosbeak	50
46		Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	2
47	< avg	House Finch	77
48	avg	Common Redpoll	165
49	> avg	Red Crossbill	82
	cw	White-winged Crossbill
50	> avg	Pine Siskin	93
51	low	American Goldfinch	7
			2367

	Missed
		Northern Goshawk
		Rough-legged Hawk
		Wilson's Snipe
		Mourning Dove
		Merlin
		Red-winged Blackbird
		Cassin's Finch
		House Sparrow

	Legend
	max	new maximum number
	high	significantly above average
	+ avg	a bit above average
	avg	close to the average
	- avg	a bit below average
	low	significantly below average
	first	first time on count day

	species	reported by only one team

22nd Annual Cranbrook and Kimberley Christmas Bird Counts (#120)

2019-01-09

By Dianne Cooper

Over the year-end holidays, the Rocky Mountain Naturalists coordinate the Christmas Bird Counts in Cranbrook and Kimberley. Volunteer counters go into "the field" or watch their home feeders to record every bird spotted around each community.

These data and similar data from over 2,500 location across the western hemisphere are added to the longest-running community science project in the world. This wealth of information on winter bird populations is used to aid bird conservation. For participants, it's a great day of winter birding. Here are summaries of this year's counts.

The 22^nd annual Christmas Bird Counts for Cranbrook and Kimberley were held on December 28, 2019 and January 4, 2020, respectively.

On Count Day, teams of counters cover as much of a specified 24-km diameter circle as possible to tally all birds they see; feeder counters tally the highest number of a species seen around their yard. Count Week extends three days before and after 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/National Audubon Society (but numbers of individuals of "count week" species are not added to the count tally).

Field observers participating in one or both counts totalled 28 birders and friends, all local residents. Nineteen people contributed feeder counts. Four bird-friendly homes welcomed us into their yards or homes for birds, or birds, tea and cookies! Thanks!

Cranbrook Results

The Cranbrook circle goes from St. Eugene Mission to Green Bay (Moyie Lake) and from Old Wycliffe to Gold Creek. Also included is the Trans-Canada Trail to Rampart Rest Area.

National Audubon Society, Birds Canada (formerly Bird Studies Canada) Count #120

Count day: 28 Dec 2019

Count week: 25 Dec 2019 - 31 Dec 2019

The weather for the Cranbrook count was relatively mild with temperatures ranging from -8 to -4 ^oC. Winds were calm to very light, there was no precipitation, and Green Bay (Moyie Lake) was mostly open but the Cranbrook sewage lagoons were mostly frozen.

People going out into the field, driving or walking, numbered 18 birders and friends and 12 feeder counts were contributed.

The total number of individual birds counted was 2,153 which is below the average of 2,641.

The 52 species recorded on count day was well above the average 44 species and ties the record of 52 species reached twice before on the 2015 and 2017 counts.

Numerous species:

Common Raven (347) was the most numerous species, replacing Bohemian Waxwing (176) for the top spot for only the third time in the past 10 years. Their numbers were above average and about half-way to the max of 571 counted in December 2007.

Mallard (243) numbers were average and about half of the maximum of 434 counted in December 2017.

New Maximum numbers:

Record high counts were recorded for four species this year:

Eurasian Collared-Dove (28) - this is over double the previous high count from 2017. Definitely trending upward.

Canada Jay (13) - PS: has been missed only once in the last 22 counts

Blue Jay (37) - this is the 3^rd year in a row we've counted a new maximum for Blue Jay.

Black-billed Magpie (6)

Notable misses:

Of the 94 species ever recorded on the Cranbrook CBC, 54 species have only been recorded on half of the counts. "Misses" means species that were around before or after the count that we could have got on count day, OR species we usually get but were not seen count day.

Bufflehead - a pair seen count week at Green Bay

Mourning Dove - a half dozen seen in Cranbrook before the count

Northern Pygmy-Owl - not recorded for the past 3 years.

American Robin - seen on the previous 3 counts but not this year.

White-breasted Nuthatch - missed for the 3^rd year in a row after being on the count on 17 out of the previous 18 counts

Firsts:

Two "Firsts" were recorded this year for the Cranbrook CBC:

Red-necked Grebe: one seen at Green Bay, Moyie Lake (there's usually something different there, if its not iced over).

Barred Owl - 1 seen in the headlights during "owling" along King St / Old Wycliffe Rd. Did you know "owling" can be included in the CBC count? Yes, it can! A Barred Owl, the same one or possibly another one, was seen during the daytime in the same area. See a great pic at https://ebird.org/checklist/S62748280

Notice how this owl has white streaks on its breast, more complete semi-circles of black around the eye, and the white stripes on the "chin" are thin - this distinguishes it from the "rarer" Great Gray Owl.

Neither of these species is considered "rare" for the area, both breed in the summertime here. Red-necked Grebe is unusual in winter because most individuals migrate southward during their non-breeding season. Barred Owl is non-migratory so there are usually some around, just not usually detected any time of year.

Introduced species:

Eurasian Collared-Dove (28) - new maximum for the second year in a row

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (183) - above average numbers

European Starling (36) - average numbers

House Sparrow (78) - above average numbers - this is the species that lives in Superstore and Walmart.

One to three - usual and unusual species:

It's nice to not miss species that are naturally sparse in population density but usually have a few all-year or over-wintering here. This year we got: Merlin (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Cooper's Hawk (1), Red-tailed Hawk (2), Northern Shrike (1), and Northern Goshawk (count week - cw) for raptor-type species. are around but not usually sought out nor detected. Also, thanks to a field counter that went owling, Northern Saw-whet Owl (1) was counted for only the 2^nd time on the CBC.

Wilson's Snipe (1) are known to over-winter in warm seeps in the area and this year one was seen near St. Eugene. The Belted Kingfisher (2), Hooded Merganser (1), and Bufflehead (cw) seen will often stay where there is open water. Also, Ruffed Grouse (2) are resident but very good at hiding.

Above Average:

A notable above-average number was counted for Red-breasted Nuthatch (81) - which is almost twice the average. We had good numbers last year, too, but the maximum of 84 is from 2001.

American Dipper (13) was also a high number to get. The maximum was 23 back in December of 2006.

Below Average:

Eleven species were below average. Most notable of these were:

Clark's Nutcracker (count: 11 / average: 21) - missed on count day last year for the first time in 21 years, so nice to get this year

Townsend's Solitaire (5/9) - still seen on every count so far

Cassin's Finch (1/13) - always sporadic whether we will detect this species - they are more common on the Kimberley count because they prefer "wilder" places - habitat closer to less urban development

Pine Siskin (28/54) - surprisingly low numbers considering we got a new maximum last year at 436 birds; but this species is known as an "irruptive" species

Dark-eyed Junco (6/18) - also surprisingly low numbers; a new maximum (149) was set for them last year, too, just like Pine Siskin.

Evening Grosbeak (17/40) - a worrisome trend in all of North America

House Finch (177/257) - still a decent number

Common Redpoll (5/123) - another irruptive species, but this is a very low number

Red Crossbill (25/59) - half of average but surprising since there were so many of them around in the spring. This species breeds all year round, apparently. They must have had a good winter of '18-'19 and hopefully they have just moved to higher elevations to have another good breeding season given the milder temperatures so far.

American Crown (21/89) - this species moves around a lot during the day so perhaps they were elsewhere - a new max was recorded last year (293).

Bohemian Waxwing (176/834) numbers were a quarter of their average. They have been missed only once on all 22 Cranbrook counts.

Our favourite feeder birds:

Activity at the feeders seemed slow again this year. Many of the finch-like species had low to very low numbers again but chickadees and woodpeckers were average or above average.

Of the woodpeckers that use our feeders and yards in the winter, Downy (19) and Hairy (17) Woodpecker and Northern Flicker (30) were in good numbers this year (above average) while Pileated Woodpecker (5) was average.

Black-capped Chickadee (158) also had good numbers but Mountain Chickadee (106) had average numbers.

For the Jays: the 13 Canada Jays and 37 Blue Jays were a new maximum, while Steller's Jay (7) was of average number - which is good considering it was missed last year.