Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society

Full Size Count Circle Map
Our Annual "Christmas Bird Count" begins at three locations, at 7:30 am, on January 2, 2010.

• Richland - "The Fingernail" in Howard Amon Park
• Pasco - Chiawana Park Boat Ramp
• Kennewick - Audubon Natural Trail in Columbia Park

Anyone is welcome to participate - whether you are an experienced birder or a novice.  

Dress warm, come with your enthusiasm and your binoculars.

Bird Feeder Counts:  Birds seen at feeders within the count circle are just as important.  If you can't come out to join a group, you can take part.   Notify Dana Ward 545-0627 by 5pm of birds seen at feeders.

Celebration POTLUCK follows the Count day!

What to expect

At each meeting location, leaders will collect a $5 donation from each adult participant, request volunteers to keep records, and divide the volunteers into teams.  

Team leaders:

Ray Johnson (509/521-5971) will lead the Richland area count.
Tom and Barb Clarke (509/539-0857) will lead the Pasco area count.
Kevin Burke (240/422-9483) will lead the Kennewick area count. 

If you can, call the appropriate team leader to participate in their area.  This helps them plan smaller team assignments.   Volunteers who have not made prior arrangements should come to one of the meeting places above - they will be added to available teams that morning.  If you cannot make the 7:30 am start, please coordinate your efforts with the leader prior to Jan. 2 to arrange an appropriate time and location.

Team leaders need to know your tallies before the potluck.  

Each team, led by an experienced birder, will go to different locations throughout the day to count birds.   Carpooling from the meeting locations is organized based on the needs of the group and individuals.  Birding groups typically break for lunch at a convenient place.  

NEW!  This year, the Pasco Grange will be open all day and warm drinks will be available.  Stop by, warm up and discuss what you have seen.   You are welcome to bring your lunch and eat it at the Grange if it is convenient to your birding route.

Our goal

• Count as many birds as possible within the circle
• Count as many species as possible within the circle

To do this, we need as many teams as possible.  Come for the morning or the entire day.  Some birding skills are nice but not required. In most areas, a fair amount of walking is involved.

The Tri-Cities count starts in 3 locations at 7:30 am, Jan. 2 - although some hardy souls may do some owling at the official start time of 12 a.m. midnight.  

Why we participate

Data from these counts becomes part of the largest wildlife database in the world.  It is vital for determining the status of expanding and declining bird numbers.  Anyone that enjoys looking at birds can help.

The Tri-Cities count is one of the best supported counts in the state, and regularly has the highest number of species seen inland.  This is due to strong community support.

History

Christmas Bird Counts have occurred nationally for more than 110 years, and locally for nearly 40 years.  They occur in 1900 locations around the United States and nearby countries.  More than 60,000 volunteers participate.

All Christmas counts are standardized to a 7.5 mile radius circle (about 177 square miles).  The LCBAS count circle is formally called the Washington Tri-cities circle and centers on the Columbia River shoreline closest to Rd. 68 in Pasco.  This is a very large area that includes Selph Landing Road in Pasco, most of Two Rivers Park east of Kennewick and Badger Mountain in Richland.

You do not need to be a member of the Audubon society to help, but a $5.00 donation is requested of each participant age 19 and above to help defray the cost of maintaining the database.  The information that all counts generate is reviewed and placed in a database that is available to everyone on the Internet. 

Prior Year Count Results (click here)
At the bottom of the page, choose:  By Count Circle
On the next page:  
Step 1 - Option C - Count Code:  Enter WATC
Step 2 - Highlight Tri-cities WATC:  Click ADD
Step 3 - Select Count Year Start and End (Your selection will appear at right)
Click on:  Make a Table

In a few moments, a table of birds counted by species will be displayed.  Scroll down for the bird of interest.

Celebrate!

Every year, we meet for our annual holiday potluck after a day of Christmas Bird Count