2020 CBC Summary

2020 Skagway CBC -- Saturday, 19 December

Summary

Like so many circles, Skagway was challenged this year by COVID-19 protection measures. The border with Canada was closed, as it had been for most of the year, so no expert birders from Whitehorse could join our count. Conditions on count day were very difficult for making observations.

Count day was another mild, wet day with temperatures ranging from 30 to 34F. It was mostly calm with quickly changing periods of snow, fog, rain, mist, and in all combinations. The road to the border was closed until after noon. When it opened, poor road conditions and heavy fog meant the route on that road only covered the lower 4 miles, not the regular 13 miles up to the pass. No field observers made it to higher altitudes this year. Both still and moving waters were overwhelmingly reported as unfrozen and open.

On count day, 8 routes were covered by 11 field observers. Five (5) feeders were watched by 7 people, some of whom also did routes. The total number of participants on count day was 14.

Twenty-five (25) species were recorded on count day. The total number of individual birds seen on count day was 577. Three (3) additional species were recorded during count week: Northern Goshawk, Northern Hawk Owl, and Fox Sparrow (sooty).

Black-billed Magpie was flagged as a low count, with 15 individuals seen on count day.

- Elaine

Species table and links to data are below photos.

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