2014 CBC Summary

2014 Skagway CBC -- Saturday, 20 December

Summary

We had a very average count on 20Dec2014. Our number of participants was 23, fairly typical, but almost 50% more than last year when an avalanche prevented our Canadian participants from getting to town. Effort was also normal and we achieved good coverage of our waterfronts, town and valleys, hillside areas including 2 high elevation sites, and had six feeder watchers.

Count day was a mild winter day, with temperatures above freezing except at the highest elevations, very little snow cover except at high elevations, overcast, and with brisk N-NE winds blowing down the valleys steady around 23mph and gusting to 37mph. Most field observers reported open water with only a few partly frozen areas. Daylight hours coincided with a high tide only 2 days before new moon, and one observer noted standing water on Dyea flats. We typically get such conditions when there are spring high tides and a strong south wind. John McDermott identified it as a "King Tide" that occurs when a spring tide coincides with the moon being closest to the earth.

Total species came to 30, plus 4 count week birds and one hybrid gull, quite within normal range for us. Total individual numbers came to 1306, a bit on the low side of normal. Quite often, when the wind blows hard out of the north, waterbirds take refuge near our sheltered shores, but no large rafts of waterbirds were seen. On land, many of our visiting flocking birds were seen, but not in large flocks. Overall, three species were flagged as “low counts” - Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, and Pine Grosbeak.

Two raptor sightings gave the most excitement – one Sharp-shinned Hawk and a pair of raptors tentatively identified as Gyrfalcons, but expert review indicated that "Hawk, sp." was the appropriate entry (rare bird report and review). Some common winter resident birds were not recorded, including Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper and Belted Kingfisher. Two unusual birds were seen a few days too late to include: Northern Hawk Owl and Varied Thrush.

Two of our count week birds were contributed by past CBC participants who did not participate in count day this year: Andrew Cremata and Jan Wrentmore - thanks!

- Elaine

species list below - for detailed table of results, see "results by year" at bottom

--- view or download a PDF file of any specific year's results from 2003 to present: results by year

--- view or download a PDF file of multiyear summaries of Skagway CBCs: CBC multi-year results by decade