SUNDAY,
December 30, 2007
Kern River Valley:
123 species (116 count day + 7 count week): HIGHLIGHTS: Tundra Swan (count
week); Hooded Merganser; Mountain Quail; Pacific Loon; Common Loon (count week);
6 species of grebes; Eared, Horned, Pied-billed, Clark's, Western and
RED-NECKED GREBE; Bald Eagle, American Avocet; Herring Gull; Bonaparte's
Gull; Red-naped
Sapsucker; Violet-green Swallow; Hutton's Vireo (count week); Marsh Wren; Orange-crowned
Warbler. 25 participants
in 10 parties plus 5 feeder watchers.
The wind... whew, it was
surprising we saw anything at all. Owls none to be heard. The highlight bird was the first
record of Red-necked Grebe for the Kern River Valley Christmas Count reported by
Bob and Susan Steele. A Pacific Loon seen the day before and respotted on count
day by the Steele's was also a good bird.
The second new species to the count: a Violet-green Swallow was reported by the team of Tony Kurz and Nancy
Bruce.
Finally, teams of raven roost counters went out and surveyed 5 roost
areas around the valley finding less active this year than last. It took a while
to locate the Squirrel Valley roost so the late count only turned up 1053.
Thanks to the twenty-five
field
participants and the 5 feeder watchers for their efforts on this season's KRV CBC:
field crew: Bob Barnes, Darrell Barnes, Nancy Bruce, Valerie Cassity, David Chilton,
Bill Cooper, Michael Gallagher, Terri Gallion, Bruce Garlinger, Nancy Ivey, Tony
Kurz, Denise LaBerteaux, Marya
Miller, Susan Moore, Rich O'Neil, John
Schmitt, Pat Seamount, Alison Sheehey, Holly Sorenson, Bob Steele, Susan Steele, Reed Tollefson, Sandra Wieser,
Peter Woodman, and Sam Woodman. And feeder watchers: Bill & Birdie Foster,
Denis Dunning, Diana McCrorey and Mark Schmitt.
Compiler:
Alison Sheehey, Phone: (760) 378-2029, E-mail
Photos by Alison Sheehey, all taken on count day or during count week.
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