121st Audobon Christmas Bird Count Species List

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Date: Sunday, December 20, 2020 

Location: Pitkin County Varied Locations

On Sunday, December 20, 2020, 13 veteran CBC volunteers spent a total of 20.25 hours in the field recording bird observations for the 121st Audubon Christmas Bird Count.  Working with Pitkin County covid safety regulations, we eliminated the usual morning gathering at ACES for a briefing on count methods.  Instead, birders with CBC experience registered and were organized online by compiler Rebecca Weiss and ACES Community Programs Senior Manager Phebe Meyers.  With their forms printed and territories assigned, birders went into the field and tallied all of the birds they observed on count day.  These birders and others also reported “count week’ species that were observed during the three days before and after count day, in order to capture a record of species that were not observed on count day. 

 

Fifty species were observed on count day, plus four count week species.  A total of 139 miles were covered by car, foot, and ski.  Although we all missed the social component, especially the traditional lunch at Woody Creek Tavern, we all had fun and a few birders were even able to bird together/distanced to share part of the day.  Highlights from this year’s count include a juniper titmouse (thanks to Bryan Gieszl and John Anderson’s pre-scouting work!) and Lewis’s woodpeckers; and by wonderful surprise, Catherine Hagen observed the first gray-crowned rosy-finch to visit her porch feeders on CBC morning.  Overall, our effort and total species are only slightly below the non-covid average.  Many thanks to all who participated, and a special thanks to Snowmass Snow Safety for counting ptarmigans.  We already look forward to our next CBC!  Meanwhile, join us for Morning Birding at Hallam Lake on the first Tuesday of the month through winter!

by Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Photo by Catherine Hagen
 

Species Identified: