Birders — Photo by Bob Boekelheide
Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count
Monday, December 18, 2023
by Bob Boekelheide
Bob Boekelheide
The Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count (SDCBC), our annual mid-December tally of birds in the Sequim-Dungeness area, occurs this year on Monday, Dec. 18. We have one of the richest bird areas in the Pacific Northwest, holding the record for the most species seen on a WA CBC with 154 species in 2015.
Christmas Bird Counts cover 15-mile diameter circles. The center of the SDCBC circle lies northeast of downtown Sequim, so it stretches north to Dungeness Spit, south to the Olympic foothills, west to MacDonald Creek, east to Diamond Point and Protection Island, and includes the towns of Sequim, Gardiner, Blyn, Dungeness, and Carlsborg. We split our circle up into about 30-35 separate areas, each covered by a different party. You can also count your backyards or neighborhoods, particularly if you have a bird feeder.
CBCs need many participants, hopefully all familiar with local birds. We really need "feeder watchers," in which you count the birds at your feeder or stroll around your neighborhood during the day. No matter where you count, you must keep close track of your times and mileages, to make comparisons with other counts and other years. To prepare, or if you are not familiar with local birds, please join birdwalks at RR Bridge Park on Wednesday mornings and go on OPAS field trips, in addition to looking at birds as much as possible this fall. If you wish to participate in the SDCBC, contact Bob Boekelheide at bboek@olympus.net.
Other CBCs on the north Olympic Peninsula include Port Townsend (Dec 16), Neah Bay (Dec 17), and Port Angeles (Dec 30). The compiler for Port Townsend is Steve Hampton (stevechampton@gmail.com), the compiler for Neah Bay is Charlie Wright (cwright770@gmail.com) and the compiler for Port Angeles is Barb Blackie (blackieb@olypen.com). Please contact these compilers if you can help with these counts.
We will have a pre-CBC field trip this year to Carrie Blake Park and John Wayne Marina on Sun., Dec. 10. Click here for more details.