Christmas Bird Count 2023
> View the 2023 Bird Count Results
Just before dawn on December 20th, 2023, the river valley mist swirled about, busily coating everything in a sparkling frost. The mist thickened to fog, as if protecting its nocturnal artistic endeavors, and clung to the landscape as the sun rose on the morning of Sunriver’s Christmas Bird Count.
In the first almost-light, we stood still by the Deschutes searching for birds, our knit hats pulled down as far as possible to stay warm without blocking our straining ears and eyes. Soon, our eyelashes were decorated with tiny crystals as our breath condensed and froze. Suddenly, from high in an ice-crusted pine, a large dark form lifted almost impossibly slowly into the cold-heavy air. A Bald Eagle. The first species on our count list for the day. By the end of our Count Day, volunteers had seen twenty-two Bald Eagles, many immatures as well as adults.
Perhaps unnerved by the eagle’s dark form over the river, the second species was identified by its alarm calls: Canada Geese trumpeted a caution. This goose was the first of 585 seen that day. As the sun valiantly struggled to provide some morning light by pushing aside the
Deschutes’ foggy curtains, around eighty count volunteers were meeting up with their teams. From La Pine State Park all the way north to Dillon Falls and west along Fall River, birders, both young and old, new and experienced, and everything in between, huddled together checking their route maps and equipment. Most were meeting for the first time; some were renewing old acquaintances, and all were eager to see what species they would find.
By the end of the day, collectively, these incredible volunteers found just over three thousand birds – 3,115 to be exact! The total species number was sixty-four. This figure was around eight hundred fewer individual birds than last year’s Count, but six more species. In 2022 there we 50 volunteers covering the Sunriver count area, this year 83 volunteers lent their eyes to the endeavor. The temperature for our count went from just below freezing in the morning to the mid-fifties after the fog finally lifted.
Considering Sunriver’s record high temperature for this date is 57, the count day was unusually warm. The mild start to winter meant most waterways were open and there was barely any snow cover. This was a stark contrast to last year’s count where most of the water was frozen and the ground was under several inches to several feet of snow.
The warmer weather meant we had more species, but they were harder to count because they were more spread out. Last year, we were able to find many ducks and geese by looking in just a few open water areas, but this year, ducks and geese were distributed widely in ones and twos. For example, this year we had three Ring-necked Ducks whereas last year we had 102!
In the 2022 Count, large numbers of birds were crowded around feeders, but this year, the birds were still foraging mostly in the forests and likely many had stayed at higher elevations. So, it was fortunate we had more volunteers to cover larger areas this year.
There were so many highlights from the 2023 Count Day that I could never fully describe them all. You should ask a volunteer for their story to learn more! Some highlights include the bird count after party at the Sunriver Resort’s restaurant, the Owl’s Nest. Here we were surrounded by excited team members eager to share their sightings, their faces flushed from a day outdoors (or perhaps the hot cocoas in
hand). Volunteers excitedly relayed moving experiences, rare finds, and funny moments.
One volunteer described how she could not hold back tears when, on her team’s count route, she found herself in the presence of a Great Gray Owl, a life dream come true! Duke Tufty (our current East Cascades Audubon President), and his intrepid Dillon Falls to Benham West TH team, found a flock of rare Pine Grosbeaks. The Miller’s Fall River team found an uncommon Black-backed Woodpecker. Several of our younger volunteers, a twelve and thirteen-year-old, helped spot the only Red-shouldered Hawk of the count – very unusual for this time of year and area! The Second Tern Thrift Store team, led by Jay Bowerman, not only had an impressive list, but also found another Great Gray Owl! Jay’s team included Marina Richie, author of the Halcyon Journey (an excellent book about the Belted Kingfisher) and, of course, they saw a kingfisher! Most teams searching riparian areas saw kingfishers this year which resulted in twenty on our final tally (which contrasts with only six on last year’s list). The Second Tern Team and all the other riverside teams also saw several Great Blue Herons such that we ended up with forty-one for the day as compared to eight last year!
Our Sunriver Resort and Nature Center teams, which included people of all ages and abilities, spotted four Rough-legged Hawks! This seemed like a high number for this winter visitor from the Arctic, but when I went out over the next several days to verify some of the data, I did indeed find four separate Rough-legged all hunting together over the airport meadows! I was also able to verify the three Northern Shrikes. This year, almost everyone saw and heard Common Ravens totaling 122 individuals (even after reducing the number for possible duplication). For our Count Week proofs, one volunteer shared a video she took of a Raven harassing a Great Gray Owl. We again did not have any crows on our list.
Count day ended on a high note (literally, a high-pitched call) with Susan Zimmerman locating a Northern Saw-whet Owl while night-birding on one of the remote edges of the circle.
This post is already far too long and so much more could be said! I want to wrap up with a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Sunriver Count including those who helped behind the scenes to make this happen, particularly the Nature
Center staff.
And thank you to the Sunriver Resort for generously sponsoring our Count!
Sevilla Rhoads
VIEW 2023 COUNTS
