This presentation was given by George Matz during the 2023 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.
Download Powerpoint version of presentation:
This presentation was given by George Matz during the 2023 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.
Download Powerpoint version of presentation:
George Matz has prepared a spreadsheet containing the results of the 2022 shorebird monitoring project:
Homer’s CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT RESULTS 2022
(12-17-22)
The number of species on Count Day was 67, with an additional 7 species seen during count week. The total number, 7,672, was down this year primarily due to the ice accumulation along the northern shoreline of the inner bay, which generally keeps the mallards on the south side of the bay. ROCK SANDPIPERS, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and GREATER SCAUP were the most numerous birds. Fourteen species were represented by only one individual. We didn’t break any records for number of an individual species, but we did tie the record for dark-eyed juncos at 221.
Highlights of this year’s count included: ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, CEDAR WAXWING, ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD, HAWK OWL, PEREGRINE FALCON, NORTHERN HARRIER, LINCOLN’S SPARROW and TREE SPARROW. Count Week highlights were BRAMBLING, CANVASBACK and SHORT-EARED OWL.
Thanks to all our volunteers: everyone who helped count (including Feederwatchers); folks who brought food; Dave Erikson the Coordinator/Compiler and Jim Herbert; plus Kathy Eagle, the Feederwatchers Coordinator. A big thanks also goes to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge for the use of the I.O. Visitor Center and to Lora Haller and other staff for all their help.
It was A Great Day To Bird!
Once again, it’s time to start planning for the annual Homer Christmas Bird Count (CBC), which will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2022. This year’s count will be conducted in similar manner as those pre-COVID-19 years due to the decline in number of COVID-19 cases in our area. Masks are optional depending on personal preference.
Count Circle: The area used for the CBC is a 15-mile diameter circle centered in at the base of the Homer Spit. The eastern boundary is near Fritz Creek on East End Road and the western boundary is near Virginia Avenue on the Sterling. Southern boundary is in offshore Kachemak Bay. The northern boundary is in the roadless area of Anchor River Drainage.
Count Day: Count Day will start with a pre-count meeting at 8:30 AM at the islands and Ocean (I&O) Visitor Center. Hot drinks, such as coffee, tea and hot chocolate will be available along with and breakfast snacks. Following a short meeting, count area teams will head out to the respective count areas at 9:00 AM. Teams will methodically survey their areas and count all bird species seen or heard and numbers of individuals until 4:30 PM. Owling can also occur during the hours of darkness on count day. Following the cutoff period for daylight counting, all volunteers will meet back at the I&O Visitor Center to discuss the results of the count and tally the number of species observed. Hot drinks and snacks will also be available.
Count Week: Three days before and three days after the count day (December 14-16 and 18- 20) is referred to as Count Week. Any bird species (no numbers) seen or heard by count participants within the Count Circle area during these time periods needs to be recorded and reported to the compiler as “count week” species.
Count Area Teams: Field team leaders for each area with contact information– interested team members can contact team leaders directly. Count Area maps, Homer CBC checklists field form and the CBC Rare Bird Form can be found below. Counters should fill out a Rare Bird Form for any species not listed on the Homer CBC checklist. If possible, include photos of any rare birds.
Count Data: All count data should be recorded either on an eBird Checklist and shared with Dave Erikson (eBird ID: Derikson48a) or on our regular Homer CBC checklist field form and emailed to the compiler, Dave Erikson (derikson@alaska.net; 907 441-7931).
Feeder Watchers: On Count Day, feeder watchers should record the species of bird, maximum numbers of each species at the feeder at a specific time, and the amount of time spent observing the feeder. Results should be submitted to the Feeder Watcher Coordinator, (Kathy Eagle; katheagle@gmail.com; 907 232-3789).
*CBC DOCUMENTS, MAPS AND FORMS
We have been very fortunate to have many dedicated birders in Homer who have repeatedly volunteered their time and resources to make the Homer CBC a success over the past 50 years and I’m confident, with everyone’s help, we can get a good count again this year.
Thank you for your continuing support
– Dave Erikson, Homer CBC Compiler
Shorebird Identification with Aaron Lang – 2022
Aaron’s presentation covered all the shorebirds we are likely to see in the spring migration–and a few like the red knot and bristle-thighed curlew that we are always hoping to see! His excellent photos and narrative provide information about physical characteristics, voice, behavior and habitat. This presentation could be an introduction to shorebirds for new birders or a review to brush up. And many seasoned birders say they always learn something new. Enjoy Aaron’s beautiful, instructive photos.
3. *INFORMATION FROM DAVE ERIKSON (Homer Coordinator/Compiler)
(12-2-21) Greetings fellow KBB members!
Once again, it’s time to start planning for the annual Homer Christmas Bird Count, which will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s count will be conducted in similar manner to last year’s count, which included a few restrictions to ensure the health and safety of all participants. These additional measures will allow us to get a good count and provide for the safety of everyone involved.
Modified count protocols from last year include:
Regular count protocols include:
We have been very fortunate in Homer to have many dedicated birders who have repeatedly volunteered their time and resources to make the Homer CBC a success over the past 45+ years and I’m confident, with everyone’s help, we can get a good count again this year.
Thank you for your continuing support,
Dave Erikson, Homer CBC Compiler (907 441-7260)
George Matz has prepared a spreadsheet containing the results of the 2021 shorebird monitoring project:
George Matz has prepared a spreadsheet containing the results of the 2019 shorebird monitoring project:
HOMER CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT: December 14, 2019
HOMER CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
The 120th Audubon Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 14, 2019. Thirty-two local bird counters were in the field with an additional seven “feeder watchers”, who kept track of birds visiting their bird feeders, were able to tally 13,780 birds of 80 species, a record number of species for the Homer count and beating last year’s record by nine species. Six additional species were also documented during count week (three days before and after the actual count day). Numbers of feeder watchers were up from previous years and helped achieve the high numbers. A list of counts for each species can be seen at the end of this post.
Three species were new to the Homer count and included the Sooty Shearwater, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, and Orange-crowned Warbler. The exceptionally warm fall is likely the key factor in delaying the migration of these species to more southern latitudes.
The most abundant bird species this year were the Pine Siskin (4,077), Mallard (1,937), and Rock Sandpipers (1,420). A good spruce cone crop this year is supporting large number of finches such as the Pine Siskin, White-winged Crossbill, and Pine Grosbeak, in comparison to recent years. Although large flock of American Robins has been common throughout Homer this fall, only 57 were tallied on this year’s count. It’s often easy to miss large flocks when trying to cover such a large area.
High Mallard numbers reflect the lack of ice in Beluga Slough, Beluga Lake and Mud Bay. These ducks typically winter on the south side of Kachemak Bay when the ice blocks access to feeding habits along the north shore. Rock Sandpipers, a winter resident of Kachemak Bay, were found in generally similar numbers as in previous years.
Over the last several years, there has been a downward trend in numbers of four species of seaducks in the nearshore waters of the count area. These seaducks include the Common Eider, Steller’s Eider, White-winged Scoter, and Surf Scoter. Primary factors in this negative trend are unknown.
A big thanks to all the participants out counting or watching feeders, and to the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center staff for the use of their facilities and helping with logistics for our count. And a special thanks to Dave Erikson who coordinated the count and compiled the results. It was A Great Day to Bird!
View or download the final 2019 Homer CBC list below:
George Matz has prepared a spreadsheet containing the results of the 2019 shorebird monitoring project: