December challenge!

[graeme45]

Here we go!

December isn't often a busy month, averaging just over 100 species to be seen, but it's also a fun month as the Christmas Bird Counts are going on. Also, it's a great time to sit back and enjoy what birds are visiting your yard and feeders. Sardis Pond is nice for a quick walk and there's often plenty of waterfowl to be seen. A visit to Harrison Mills area is good as well for eagles and also plenty of waterfowl and gulls.

Breakdown by year for December

2008 – 107 species recorded
2009 – 107 species recorded
2010 – 124 species recorded
2011 - 112 species recorded
2012 - 128 species recorded
2013 - 110 species recorded
2014 - 114 species recorded
2015 - 108 species recorded
2016 - 111 species recorded
2017 - 116 species recorded
2018 - 103 species recorded

Average species for December 113

Last updated January 3, 2019

Species seen to date 105

Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Canvasback
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Goldeneneye
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Horned Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Double-crested Cormorant
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Gyrfalcon
Peregrine Falcon
American Kestrel
Merlin
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rock Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Short-eared Owl
Barred Owl
Barn Owl
Anna's Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Belted Kingfisher
Northwestern Crow
Steller's Jay
Common Raven
Northern Shrike
Hutton's Vireo
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
American Dipper
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
American Tree Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Pine Grosbeak
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow

[Gord]

Graeme thanks! I hope you dont mind that I used your starting post as this month's official list. I've added what we have seen at our feeders yesterday. Good luck everyone! Let's see if we can hit our average.

[graeme45]

Just out and about:

Rock Dove
European Starling
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Mallard
American Wigeon
Trumpeter Swan
Gyrfalcon (along Hwy 1 east of Prest)

[nickinthegarden]

Out to Willband Creek Park this morning

Canada Geese
Cackling Geese
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Double-crested Cormorants
American Coots
Northern Harrier
Northern Shoveler
and a lot of what was already mentioned

[Randy]

Pileated, hairy, and downy woodpeckers from my place.

[Gord]

Thanks all.

Graeme nice to hear that Gyrfalcon is still kicking around.

[ed]

Short-eared Owl, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln Sparrow, western Meadowlark, and Bewick’s Wren

[graeme45]

Out looking for the Golden Eagle can add American Kestrel, Belted Kingfisher and Brewer's Blackbird

[birderbert]

Rough-legged Hawk in Abbotsford

[KevinC]

From the GBHNR on Saturday (7th):

Wood Duck
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Raven
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
American Robin
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird

[Gord]

Good additions everyone. Kevin, nice white-throat sparrow. Ed, good find on the Short-eared Owl.
I added a few gulls from Harrison River and also a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

[janice]

I saw a Eurasian widgeon at the GBHR last Sunday. Today I finally saw the RB nuthatch that we have been hearing
in our rural Abbotsford yard lately.

Janice

[Ben]

Tundra Swan
Greater White-fronted Goose
Northern Pintail
Canvasback
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Bushtit

From today in Chwk
Dave's CBC crew also had a Barn Owl before I joined them.

[nickinthegarden]

Great Egret Sumas Prairie

[ed]

Harris's Sparrow found near sports field in Yarrow.