This was the 37th consecutive Kodiak Christmas Bird Count. A record eighty-five people participated this year. We tallied 78 species and 14,384 individual birds on count day, and an additional 3 species in count week (the period from three days before, to three days after count day). Count Week birds were Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Northern Shrike. The average number of Count Day species seen over the previous ten years is 77, so this year’s total was respectable, but not stellar. The post-count compiling party was held Claudia and Stosh Anderson’s house. Thank you, Claudia.
Twelve upland field parties included two Ptarmigan SWAT teams and, for the first time ever, a Great Blue Heron SWAT team. All three SWAT teams found their target birds. When I recently looked up the exact meaning of the acronym SWAT, I chuckled when I read that it means Special Weapons And Tactics, which fits our ptarmigan teams, in particular, to a T. As usual, we had two boats participating. This year they were the Ursa Major II and the Mythos. Bird feeder Counts were made from Monashka to Bells Flats at 22 feeders. Twenty one species were found at feeders. The most abundant species at feeders was Pine Siskin (482). Four species, Orange-crowned Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Lincoln’s Willow Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Sparrow wereseen only at feeders.
Twelve upland field parties included two Ptarmigan SWAT teams and, for the first time ever, a Great Blue Heron SWAT team. All three SWAT teams found their target birds. When I recently looked up the exact meaning of the acronym SWAT, I chuckled when I read that it means Special Weapons And Tactics, which fits our ptarmigan teams, in particular, to a T. As usual, we had two boats participating. This year they were the Ursa Major II and the Mythos. Bird feeder Counts were made from Monashka to Bells Flats at 22 feeders. Twenty one species were found at feeders. The most abundant species at feeders was Pine Siskin (482). Four species, Orange-crowned Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Lincoln’s Willow Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Sparrow wereseen only at feeders.
Ptarmigan by Patrick Saltonstall
There were all-time high counts of seven species this year: Willow Ptarmigan (21), Bald Eagle (889), Northern Goshawk (7), Rock Sandpiper (490), Rock Pigeon (506), American Robin (24), and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (179).
Mixed shorebird flock on Dog Bay breakwater by Pam Foreman.
Rare species seen this year that have been seen fewer than sixteen times on Count Day in the history of the count (and the number of times seen) are: Ring-necked Duck (13), Willow Ptarmigan (5), Merlin (14), Orange-crowned Warbler (3), and Rusty Blackbird (4).
What are the commonest wintering birds in the Kodiak area? These 29 species have been seen on all 37 consecutive Kodiak CBC’s: Mallard, Greater Scaup, Steller’s Eider, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Horned Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Black-billed Magpie, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, American Dipper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, Song Sparrow.
Orange-crowned Warbler by Molly MacIntosh
For the second time in many years, Kodiak did not have the highest count day species total in the state. This is the second year that the high count title goes to Ketchikan, which this year mustered an impressive 81 count day species. Ketchikan compiler Andy Piston once again pulled out all the stops and led his people to the pinnacle of Alaskan winter birding.
We are very fortunate to have large vessels covering the marine waters in the count circle. This year’s vessels were the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge’s Ursa Major II, skippered by Jeff Lewis, and Dave Kubiak’s F/V Mythos. We appreciate the major effort they make to support the count.
You can find all count results, as they are posted, at: http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/
Cheers, Rich MacIntosh, compiler
PARTICIPANTS: Claudia Anderson, Roberta Austring, Paul Banyas, Wendy Beck, Celeste Beck-Goodell, Shirley Berns, Rae Jean Blaschka, Sue Blott, Graham Burnside, Chris Cooney, Diane Cooney, Andrea Cooney, Robin Corcoran, Braxton Dew, Angela Dewinter and family, Libby Eufemio, Rosemary Eufemio, Josh Fitzgerald, Nate Fitzgerald, Raymond Fletcher, Mary Forbes, Pam Foreman, Sam Friedman, Harvey Goodell, Jan Haaga, Pete Hannah, Jack Hannah, Carolyn Heitman, Pat Heitman, Mary Ann Hickey, Arielle Himelbloom, Linda Himelbloom, Eva Holm, Iver Holm, Oliver Holm, Beverly Horn, Donna Hurley, Gunnar Johnson, Katya Johnson, Mona Johnson, Tom Kjera, Dave Kubiak, Debra Kubiak, Linda Lance, Tom Lance, Jeff Lewis, Mary Lukens, Ian MacIntosh, Molly MacIntosh, Rich MacIntosh, Mike Marion, Sarah Meunier, Mike Milligan, Lucy Murdoch, Dan Olsen, Dean Olsen, Hildur Olsen, Deedie Pearson, Doug Pederson, Laurie Pederson, Suzanne Peschier, Jeanne Pontti, Bill Pyle, Dana Reid, Susan Reid, Dick Ross, Patrick Saltonstall, Dave Schuckman, Mike Sirofchuck, Darcy Stielstra, Stacy Studebaker, Pat Trosvig, Tom Trosvig, Cindy Trussell, Jane Van Atta, Esther Waddell, Haliegh Walker, Gary Wheeler, Jack Withrow, Jill Wittenbrader, Myla Woodley, Denny Zwiefelhofer.
We are very fortunate to have large vessels covering the marine waters in the count circle. This year’s vessels were the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge’s Ursa Major II, skippered by Jeff Lewis, and Dave Kubiak’s F/V Mythos. We appreciate the major effort they make to support the count.
You can find all count results, as they are posted, at: http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/
Cheers, Rich MacIntosh, compiler
PARTICIPANTS: Claudia Anderson, Roberta Austring, Paul Banyas, Wendy Beck, Celeste Beck-Goodell, Shirley Berns, Rae Jean Blaschka, Sue Blott, Graham Burnside, Chris Cooney, Diane Cooney, Andrea Cooney, Robin Corcoran, Braxton Dew, Angela Dewinter and family, Libby Eufemio, Rosemary Eufemio, Josh Fitzgerald, Nate Fitzgerald, Raymond Fletcher, Mary Forbes, Pam Foreman, Sam Friedman, Harvey Goodell, Jan Haaga, Pete Hannah, Jack Hannah, Carolyn Heitman, Pat Heitman, Mary Ann Hickey, Arielle Himelbloom, Linda Himelbloom, Eva Holm, Iver Holm, Oliver Holm, Beverly Horn, Donna Hurley, Gunnar Johnson, Katya Johnson, Mona Johnson, Tom Kjera, Dave Kubiak, Debra Kubiak, Linda Lance, Tom Lance, Jeff Lewis, Mary Lukens, Ian MacIntosh, Molly MacIntosh, Rich MacIntosh, Mike Marion, Sarah Meunier, Mike Milligan, Lucy Murdoch, Dan Olsen, Dean Olsen, Hildur Olsen, Deedie Pearson, Doug Pederson, Laurie Pederson, Suzanne Peschier, Jeanne Pontti, Bill Pyle, Dana Reid, Susan Reid, Dick Ross, Patrick Saltonstall, Dave Schuckman, Mike Sirofchuck, Darcy Stielstra, Stacy Studebaker, Pat Trosvig, Tom Trosvig, Cindy Trussell, Jane Van Atta, Esther Waddell, Haliegh Walker, Gary Wheeler, Jack Withrow, Jill Wittenbrader, Myla Woodley, Denny Zwiefelhofer.
BIRDS OF THE 2009 KODIAK CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Emperor Goose 588
Canada Goose 31
Gadwall 74
American Wigeon 16
Mallard 703
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 19
Ring-necked Duck 3
Greater Scaup 587
Lesser Scaup 2
Scaup sp. 19
Steller's Eider 835
Common Eider 140
Harlequin Duck 530
Surf Scoter 133
White-winged Scoter 239
Black Scoter 921
Long-tailed Duck 820
Bufflehead 133
Common Goldeneye 170
Barrow’s Goldeneye 57
Common Merganser 80
Red-breasted Merganser 164
Rock Ptarmigan 1
Willow Ptarmigan 21
Pacific Loon 7
Common Loon 32
Horned Grebe 106
Red-necked Grebe 50
Double-crested Cormorant 50
Red-faced Cormorant 10
Pelagic Cormorant 454
Great Blue Heron 5
Bald Eagle 889
Sharp-shinned Hawk cw
Northern Goshawk 7
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black Oystercatcher 627
Black Turnstone 52
Surfbird 36
Rock Sandpiper 490
Dunlin 62
Wilson's Snipe 1
Mew Gull 266
Herring Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 715
Glaucous Gull 2
Common Murre 217
Pigeon Guillemot 123
Marbled Murrelet 13
Crested Auklet 2
Rock Pigeon 506
Belted Kingfisher 16
Downy Woodpecker 6
American Three-toed Woodpecker cw
Northern Shrike cw
Black-billed Magpie 246
Northwestern Crow 316
Common Raven 917
Black-capped Chickadee 207
Red-breasted Nuthatch 47
Brown Creeper 4
Winter Wren 39
American Dipper 15
Golden-crowned Kinglet 281
American Robin 24
Varied Thrush 181
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
American Tree Sparrow 7
Fox Sparrow 18
Song Sparrow 22
Lincoln’s Sparrow 3
Golden-crowned Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco 35
Snow Bunting 50
Rusty Blackbird 2
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 179
Pine Grosbeak 103
Red Crossbill 75
Common Redpoll 1
Pine Siskin 621
cw = seen count week only
Emperor Goose 588
Canada Goose 31
Gadwall 74
American Wigeon 16
Mallard 703
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 19
Ring-necked Duck 3
Greater Scaup 587
Lesser Scaup 2
Scaup sp. 19
Steller's Eider 835
Common Eider 140
Harlequin Duck 530
Surf Scoter 133
White-winged Scoter 239
Black Scoter 921
Long-tailed Duck 820
Bufflehead 133
Common Goldeneye 170
Barrow’s Goldeneye 57
Common Merganser 80
Red-breasted Merganser 164
Rock Ptarmigan 1
Willow Ptarmigan 21
Pacific Loon 7
Common Loon 32
Horned Grebe 106
Red-necked Grebe 50
Double-crested Cormorant 50
Red-faced Cormorant 10
Pelagic Cormorant 454
Great Blue Heron 5
Bald Eagle 889
Sharp-shinned Hawk cw
Northern Goshawk 7
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black Oystercatcher 627
Black Turnstone 52
Surfbird 36
Rock Sandpiper 490
Dunlin 62
Wilson's Snipe 1
Mew Gull 266
Herring Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 715
Glaucous Gull 2
Common Murre 217
Pigeon Guillemot 123
Marbled Murrelet 13
Crested Auklet 2
Rock Pigeon 506
Belted Kingfisher 16
Downy Woodpecker 6
American Three-toed Woodpecker cw
Northern Shrike cw
Black-billed Magpie 246
Northwestern Crow 316
Common Raven 917
Black-capped Chickadee 207
Red-breasted Nuthatch 47
Brown Creeper 4
Winter Wren 39
American Dipper 15
Golden-crowned Kinglet 281
American Robin 24
Varied Thrush 181
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
American Tree Sparrow 7
Fox Sparrow 18
Song Sparrow 22
Lincoln’s Sparrow 3
Golden-crowned Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco 35
Snow Bunting 50
Rusty Blackbird 2
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 179
Pine Grosbeak 103
Red Crossbill 75
Common Redpoll 1
Pine Siskin 621
cw = seen count week only
