Pamela Jennings and Bill Baker—Photo: Bob Boekelheide 

2025 Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count Results

by Bob Boekelheide

Click here to view the 2025 SDCBC Results Table

The 50th annual Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count (SDCBC), completed on December 15, 2025, is in the books.   

 Sequim and Dungeness are such wonderful places for Christmas Bird Counting, combining diverse habitats from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. For the last 30 years, without exception, the SDCBC has led all Washington CBCs in the number of species each year. I suspect this will be true this year, as well.

The very first SDCBC actually occurred 51 years ago in 1975, apparently under the direction of Stan and Dory Smith. The count has occurred every year since, with the exception of 1990 when it was cancelled because of an ice storm. Hence this is the 50th SDCBC.

Stan and Dory compiled the count until 1994, then Betty Long took over compilation in 1994 and 1995. I helped Betty in 1995, then took over compilation in 1996. It has been my honor to compile the last 30 SDCBCs, occasionally helped in the early years by Scott Atkinson. Ben Hannah has now agreed to help keep the tradition alive, hopefully for many years to come. 

Otherwise, through mostly lovely rainshadow weather, along with occasional rain, snow, and howling winds, OPAS volunteers continue to tally birds mid-December every year in Sequim and Dungeness. Here are some amazing statistics since 1975:

Number of SDCBCs = 50
Total number of birds tallied from 1975 to 2025 = 2,550,211 birds
Total number of species tallied from 1975 to 2025 = 232 species

Average number of birds counted per year since 1975 = 51,004 birds
Average number of birds counted per year for the last 30 years = 62,000 birds
Highest number of birds counted in one year = 85,777 in 2011
Lowest number of birds counted in one year = 11,996 in 1978

Average number of species tallied per year since 1975 = 135.2 species
Average number of species tallied per year for the last 30 years = 143.4 species
Highest number of species tallied in one year = 154 in 2015
Lowest number of species tallied in one year = 98 in 1978

Average number of participants per year = 74.3 counters
Highest number of participants in one year = 153 in 2017
Lowest number of participants in one year = 14 in 1989

This year’s SDCBC, held on Dec 15, 2025, turned out calm and dry for most of count day, despite wet atmospheric rivers during the weeks before and after the count. Overnight rain and wind calmed at dawn to broken overcast and unseasonably warm temperatures. The overnight low of 42 degrees F rose to an afternoon high of 63 degrees F, probably the warmest SDCBC ever. A nasty squall in the afternoon brought strong winds and sideways rain, then skies cleared for starry owling in the Olympic foothills after dark.

This year our 116 observers and 14 backyard birders tallied 52,410 birds of 147 species, along with five count week species (see Christmas Bird Count table). The total number of 52,410 birds is lower than the 30-year average of about 62,000 birds, and the lowest since 2012. Conversely, the species total of 147 is four species higher than the 30-year SDCBC average of 143 species, and only seven below the SDCBC all-time record of 154 species set in 2015.  

The most abundant species this year, as usual, was American Wigeon (9830 individuals), followed by Mallard (5092), Dunlin (2874), American Robin (2438), Dark-eyed Junco (2172), Red-winged Blackbird (1984), Bufflehead (1764), Glaucous-winged/Olympic Gull (1756), European Starling (1173), and American Crow (1108). These ten species made up well over half of all the birds we tallied.

The nice weather and observant counters helped establish high counts for nine species that either tied or set all-time record high counts for the 50-years of the SDCBC: Sora, Long-billed Dowitcher, Mourning Dove, Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Northern Flicker, Pacific Wren, Lapland Longspur, and Orange-crowned Warbler.  

I’m most impressed by the Mourning Doves, whose flocks have been noticeably visible this winter all around Sequim and Dungeness. The high count of Mourning Doves this year was 606, way above the previous record of 487 set in 2010. The high number of Barn Owls is partly due to homeowners installing and monitoring nest boxes, showing that Barn Owl pairs faithfully occupy their nest sites here through the winter.    

Other species scoring high counts included Long-tailed Duck (highest since 2013), Red-necked Grebe (highest since 1993), Sharp-shinned Hawk (highest since 2006), Eurasian Collared-Dove (highest since 2015), Merlin (3rd highest), Bewick’s Wren (2nd highest), and Red-winged Blackbird (2nd highest).

The trending numbers of Anna’s Hummingbirds are fascinating, even though they did not set a high count this year (Figure 1). As I have written several times before, as hard as it is to believe, Anna’s Hummingbird was a scarce bird around Sequim prior to 2006. Before 2006, we never counted more than three Anna’s during a SDCBC. In the 15 years between 2006 and 2021, the number skyrocketed from 6 to 404. Since 2021, the number has leveled off to 367 last year and 372 this year. It makes a beautiful logistic growth curve, as if the hummers have reached the asymptote of their carrying capacity. It will be most interesting to see what happens to Anna’s Hummingbirds over the next 15 years.       

Species scoring lower than usual counts included Trumpeter Swan (lowest since 2007), American Coot (3rd lowest), Black Turnstone (lowest since 2012), Ancient Murrelet (lowest since 1996), Pacific Loon (lowest since 2007), Western Grebe (lowest ever, only one bird), Red-tailed Hawk (lowest since 2002), Peregrine Falcon (2nd lowest for the last 30 years), Varied Thrush (lowest since 1995), and European Starling (lowest since 1981).

What’s happened to the coots? Formerly a common bird around Dungeness, coots have become virtually non-existent for the last three years. The record high count of coots was 288 in 1997; as recently as 2021 we counted 185.  For the last three years, though, we only tallied 6 in 2023, 16 in 2024, and 8 this year. Could they be suffering from avian flu? We don’t know. There are still lots of coots at other places, like thousands in Lake Washington, so it is a puzzle.          

Count week species, missed on count day but seen either three days before or three days after the count, included Snow Goose, Redhead, Red Knot, Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull, and Short-eared Owl. These species were probably out there somewhere on count day, but no one reported them.  

Noteworthy species included the first Sooty Grouse since 2015, found in the Olympic foothills by the US Forest Service party led by Karen Holtrop; three Yellow-billed Loons spotted by the offshore boat party led by Bruce LaBar; five Short-tailed Shearwaters that sailed past Dungeness during the afternoon squall, seen by Denny Van Horn; one Turkey Vulture soaring by Bell Hill, spotted by Tom Snetsinger and Christina Herrmann; two Semipalmated Plovers foraging with other shorebirds in Dungeness Bay, found by Denny; the amazing Lesser Black-backed Gull here for at least its fifth straight winter at Washington Harbor, seen on count day by Roger Hoffman; three Barn Swallows and two American Tree Sparrows found at Jamestown by Dan and Brad Waggoner; and five Lapland Longspurs spotted together on Dungeness Spit by Jamie Acker and James Halsch.

Many thanks to the property owners who allowed access for counters, including USFWS, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Dungeness Farms and Habitat, Olympic Game Farm, Graysmarsh, Willits family, Mark Burrows, Kevin Froese, Seashore Lane Homeowners, Leilani Sundt, Sequim Valley Ranch, Maple View Farm, Travis Spit homeowners, and Clallam County Parks Department.

Thank you to all our stalwart participants, particularly those who drove long distances to join the count. I’m especially thankful to counters who covered foothill areas south of Hwy 101 – they work extra hard and cover long distances to find species like grouse, Canada Jays, crossbills, and Evening Grosbeaks. Durkee Richards once again volunteered his trusty sailboat Sirius for the offshore boat, which adds phenomenally to our SDCBC.

2025 SDCBC participants:

Jamie Acker, James Halsh, Bud Taliaferro, Kari Williamson, Ken Wiersema, Dow Lambert, Darcy Stumbaugh, Sue Nattinger, Coleman Byrnes, Katja Bridwell, Isaac Oberly, Valentina Roumi, Rebecca Atherton, Ed & Myra Koszykowski, Denny Van Horn, Barb Boekelheide, Scott Gremel, Carolyn Wilcox, Eric Guzman, Melissa Marshall, Tom Butler, Dave Manson, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli, Bob Boekelheide, Tom Murphy, Melinda Robinson, Stephanie Robinson, Brad Waggoner, Dan Waggoner, Roger Hoffman, Richard Klawitter, Steve Hampton, Ali Kasperzak, Hannah Breckel, Mary French, Doug Niwa, Susan Savage, Bob Blush, Dan Froelich, Powell Jones, Greg Voyles, Katherine Bush, Otis Bush, John Gatchet, Bob Bagwell, David Durham, Joanne LaBaw, Patrick and Karla Terbilcox, Bruce LaBar, Mike Crim, Craig Miller, Durkee Richards, Joe and Bonnie Greenley, Kathy & Matt McCoy, Karen Holtrop, Betsy Howell, Alison Center, John Bridge, Virginia O’Neil, Chase O'Neil, Matt Farr, Joyce Volmut, Rhonda Coats, Robin Corcoran, Ann Sibole, Anne Burkhardt, Mike Hovis, Tom Snetsinger & Christina Herrmann, Norrie & Barb Johnson, Quenn Charrier, Gillian Kenagy, Elyse Carter, Ida Domazlicky, Jane Nicholas, Mary Morgan, Tim McNulty, Tom Harris, Randy Larson, Dave Shreffler, Heidi Pedersen, Barb Blackie, Tom Guobis, Joan McDermott, Margie Palmer, Debbie Turner, Barbara Vanderwerf, Sally Bird, Miguel Reabold, Laura Davis & Alan Smith, Pat Schoen, Leslie Bagwell, Dave Swinford, Dave LeRoux, Andy and Marcee Nettell, Joodie Klinke, Shawna Saperstein, Marie Grad, Joy Bertman, Libby Burtner, Steve Koehler, Sharle Osborne, Skip & Caroline Perkins, Ben Hannah, Greg Irving, Gary Bullock, Ann Skillman, Michael Barry, Marion Rutledge, Kate & Grace Goschen, Vince Thrutchley, Ed Stege, Nikki Pyle, Rick Rodlend & Kathy Cooper, Helen Pilch, Sue & Don Dryden, Dee Renee Ericks, Dan Jacobs, Theresa Hall.

2024 Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count Results

by Bob Boekelheide

Click here to view the 2024 SDCBC results table

The 2024 Sequim-Dungeness Christmas Bird Count (SDCBC), held on December 16, 2024, turned out to be an amazingly lovely day with light winds and frequent sunbreaks. The lowest temperature, measured before dawn on upper Palo Alto Road, was only 36 F, in contrast to last year’s 19 F with snow and ice. The high temperature this year peaked at a balmy 47 F. Even better, winds dropped before many groups started counting at 8 AM. The small-craft advisory in the Strait of Juan de Fuca expired soon after, providing calm seas and excellent visibility for our offshore boat. It was a lovely day to count birds.

Despite great conditions, we unfortunately tallied the lowest species total on the SDCBC since 1994, with only 136 species. This is well below our 30-year average of 143 species, and 18 species below our all-time record of 154 set in 2015. We recorded 65,522 individual birds, well above the 30-year average for the total number of birds. A valiant 121 people counted in field parties during the day, with 22 more watching their feeders and backyards.

Why the low species count? The most obvious answer this year is no “rare” birds. We saw good numbers of common species, but very few unusual species. On a typical SDCBC, we are guaranteed at least 110 species every year. There are another 20 or so species that we see most years. Beyond that, species come and go. The SDCBC is renowned for its unusual species, but for some reason they did not join us this year. Where are the oddball shorebirds, raptors, sparrows, buntings, longspurs, warblers, and others that often grace the SDCBC? Apparently, we’re not the only ones – some other counts in western WA similarly reported a dearth of vagrant birds this winter. Only one really unusual species showed up for this count, the Lesser Black-backed Gull here for at least its fourth winter near Washington Harbor. It’s an old friend by now.    

The most abundant species this year, as usual, was American Wigeon (14,490 birds).  Between Dungeness Bay, Sequim Bay, and Carrie Blake Park, our local wigeon population continues strong.  Following wigeons, the other top-ten species included Pine Siskin (5619), Mallard (4273), American Robin (3753), Dunlin (2954), Glaucous-winged-type Gulls (Olympic and Glaucous-winged, 2584), Dark-eyed Junco (2058), European Starling (1985), Bufflehead (1928), and Northern Pintail (1492).  These ten species comprised about 63 percent of all the birds on our count.

Four species set all-time record counts for the 49 years of the SDCBC: Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. In general, small forest birds like chickadees, nuthatches, creepers, and kinglets all ranked high this year, perhaps because they’ve had excellent survival with mild winter conditions in lowland forests. It could also be due to our excellent counters who worked hard to find the flocks.  

At the other end of the abundance spectrum, it’s most interesting to note the species that occurred in very low numbers. These are the species we could have easily missed if someone did not look in exactly the right place at the right time. Species tallying very few individuals this year, often only one or two, included Tundra Swan, Canvasback, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Ruffed Grouse, Sora, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, California Scrub-Jay, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Townsend Warbler. Every one of these species has been recorded before on the SDCBC, but many do not occur every year and they almost always occur in low numbers.

Several species recorded low numbers compared with their long-term averages. It might mean that they are having an off-year due to nesting failures or lower survival. Or maybe they are somewhere else this fall, shifting wintering areas with the mild conditions. Another possibility is that we just missed some, but I believe our CBC counting methods are consistent enough to show general trends pretty well. Some examples of low counts: Brant, an easily visible and countable marine goose, scored its lowest count since 2006. Gadwall scored their lowest count since 1994. Harlequin Duck, the symbol of Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, tallied its lowest count since 1979. Barrow’s Goldeneye, which used to nest in former Lake Aldwell on the Elwha River before the dams came out, continued its decline, with its lowest count since 1989. American Coot, which has been noticeably scarce in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley this year, scored its second lowest year since 1978. Ancient Murrelets are particularly interesting. Last year we tallied 905 Ancient Murrelets, the highest count in the United States. This year, our boat party closely searched offshore for Ancient Murrelets but only found 69, their lowest year since 1996.

One scary possibility is that lethal avian flu is working its way through some populations. WDFW has confirmed cases of avian flu in several local dead birds, including swans, ducks, eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons. Perhaps not coincidentally, this year we tallied the lowest count of Peregrine Falcons since 1993. Local swan numbers have been depressed in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley throughout 2023 and 2024. Some duck numbers, like Green-winged Teal, were much reduced compared with recent SDCBCs. Could some of these changes have been due to avian flu?  We don’t know.

It’s interesting to note that all of the species with lower numbers this year are non-passerines, whereas most of the species with higher numbers are passerines such as chickadees, nuthatches, and sparrows. We’ve been told that avian flu does not seem to affect songbirds, such as the ones that come to our feeders. We certainly can’t say for sure, but the pattern seems to fit.

Lastly, we missed a number of species that we’ve grown somewhat accustom to finding most years.  These species include Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Yellow-billed Loon, Black Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit, and Swamp Sparrow. The geese and shorebirds were here earlier this fall, but disappeared well before the CBC. Yellow-billed Loon is particularly concerning, because it was last missed in 2010. We’ve come to think of YB Loon as a reliable species in the offshore waters between Protection Island and Dungeness Spit, but even though our wonderful offshore boat party searched that area very closely, no YB Loons this year.       

The new year is upon us, so it’s time to go find some birds. Don’t forget to mark your calendars -- the 2025 Sequim-Dungeness CBC will occur on Monday, December 15, 2025. Next year will be the 50th SDCBC, time to celebrate the birds.

Special thanks to organizations allowing access to their properties for the count: Dungeness Farms, Mark Burrows, Graysmarsh, Nash’s Organic Vegetables, Quacker Farms, Sequim Valley Ranch, WA Maritime National Wildlife Refuges, and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

And many thanks to our Christmas Count participants:

Dungeness Spit: Jamie Acker, James Halsh, Sue Nattinger, Kari Williamson, Coleman Byrnes, John Bowie (Permission of USFWS and JST). Dungeness Rec. Area: Ken Wiersema, Dow Lambert, Alex Ayoub, Stacey Hollis, Darcy Stumbaugh, Katja Bridwell. West Dungeness: Liam Hutcheson, Alexander Sowers, Ed & Myra Koszykowski, Denny Van Horn, Barb Boekelheide. Three Crabs: Scott Gremel, Mandy Holmgren, Eric Guzman, Melissa Marshall, Tom Butler, Dave Manson, Lee Bowen, Kaye Edmiston, Shelly Ament (Permission of Dungeness Farms & Habitat and the Willits family). Jamestown: Dan, Brad, and Kevin Waggoner (Permission of Seashore Lane). Graysmarsh: Bob Boekelheide, Tom Murphy, Tristan Coonts (Permission of Graysmarsh). Port Williams, Washington Harbor: Roger Hoffman, Richard & Liz Klawitter (Permi. West Sequim Bay: Steve Hampton, Barry McKenzie, Ali Kasperzak, Bruce & Carol Von Borstel. East Sequim Bay: Judy Mullally, Susan Savage, Bob Blush, Katherine & Otis Bush. Miller Peninsula State Park: Powell Jones, Greg Voyles. Diamond Point, Gardiner: John Gatchet, Bob Bagwell, David Durham. Offshore boat: Durkee Richards, Bruce LaBar, Marcus Roening, Heather Ballash, Wayne Sladek. Chicken Coop: Robin Corcoran, Jeff Lewis, Ann Sibole. Palo Alto Rd, Woods Rd: Kathy & Matt McCoy, Rebecca Atherton, Valerie Wolcott. Upper Palo Alto area, USFS - Karen Holtrop, Betsy Howell, & Alison Center. Burnt Hill - John Bridge, Virginia O'Neil, Matt Farr. South Sequim - Joyce Volmut, Steve Graham, Rhonda Coats. Happy Valley, Simdars - Patrick & Karla Terbilcox, Mike Hovis, Tom Snetsinger & Christina Herrmann. Fish Hatchery, Taylor Cutoff - Norrie & Barb Johnson, Quenn Charrier, Gillian Kenagy, Rachel Smith. Parkwood - Ida Domazlicky, Jane Nicholas. Lost Mtn - Mary Morgan, Tim McNulty, Randy Larson, Dave Shreffler. Atterberry, Robin Hill Park - Heidi Pedersen, Barb Blackie. McDonnell Creek - Tom Guobis, Joan McDermott, Barbara Vanderwerf, Sally Bird. Blue Ribbon Farms - Laura Davis, Alan Smith, Pat Schoen. Carlsborg - Marie Grad, Kathy Steichen & Linda Stoneback, Dave LeRoux, Gailen Steichen, Dave Swinford, Joodie Klinke. West of Dungeness River: Steve Koehler, Sharle Osborne, Skip & Caroline Perkins. Joy Bertman, Stacey Embree, Jolene Sanborn. Sequim & vicinity: Ben Hannah, Dan Froelich, Carter Urnes, Helen Pilch, Doris Causey, Anne Burkhardt, Gary Bullock. East of Dungeness River: Enid & Bob Phreaner, Ken & Mary Campbell, Kevin Froese, Kathy Cooper, Rick Rodlend. Sunland: Ron Wight. Dungeness Schoolhouse, Towne Rd, Kirner: Marion Rutledge, Stacey Fradkin, Patty Giffen, Ann Skillman, Michael Barry, Vince Thrutchley. Railroad Bridge Park: Ed Stege, Kathy Jenkins, Siri Forsman-Sims, Frank Lowenstein, Steve Graham. Swans: Liam Antrim, Pam Maurides, Vicki Swann, Joe Sanders, Sue & Don Dryden, Dee Renee Ericks. If I forgot anyone, please accept my apologies.