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For the
fifth consecutive
year, Kern County has won the America's Birdiest
Inland County competition with 241 species of
birds. Kern County was tied
for fourth of all of the entries in overall species
observed behind coastal counties Los Angeles
County, CA, San Diego County, CA
and Nueces County, TX and tied with coastal city, Corpus
Christi, TX.
The America's Birdiest
Inland County competition has been held for
six years. The rules
for the first three years of
the competition allowed individuals to submit
their highest 24 consecutive hour species count
within the scheduled 48 hour count period. The
2003 winner of birdiest inland
county was Cochise County, AZ. In 2004, Kern
County won with 232 species. In 2005, Kern County
won with 226 species. In 2006
the rules changed to where all species
observed by any birder in the 72
consecutive hours scheduled for the effort were
counted. Kern County birders
observed 247 species in 2006 and 235 species in
2007.
Thanks
to Bob Barnes for continuing to organize and
compile this fun competition and thanks to Mike
Wilson at Dauphin Island for compiling the
results for the country again this year. See
Bob Barnes report below the winning entries.
2008 - Here are this
year's winners: Categories:
Place: Number of Species
identified:
-
Coastal County, Pacific Coast:
Los Angeles County,
CA - 256
-
Coastal County, Gulf Coast:
Nueces County, TX
- 253
-
Coastal County, Atlantic Coast:
Washington County, ME
- 165
-
Inland County, West:
Kern County, CA - 241
-
Large Inland City:
San Antonio, TX - 185
-
Large Coastal City:
Corpus Christi, TX -
241
-
Small Coastal City:
Dauphin Island, AL -
190
Written
and submitted by Bob Barnes on May 28, 2008
FINAL RESULTS:
Following is the list of
241 bird species reported by the known 149
participants birding in Kern County, California
during the 5pm, Thursday, May 1 through 5pm,
Sunday, May 4, 2008 time period picked to conduct
Kern County's America's Birdiest Inland County
effort. The 2008 total of 241 species compares
with 232 species in 2004, 226 in 2005, 246 in
2006, and 235 in 2007.
AREAS COVERED included:
BAKERSFIELD (Beale Park, Hart Park, Lake Ming,
and residential areas in the southern San Joaquin
Valley), BITTER CREEK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
(California Condor sanctuary), BUTTERBREDT SPRING
(Mojave Desert foothills oasis & migrant/vagrant
trap), CALIFORNIA CITY (Mojave Desert oasis &
migrant/vagrant trap), CANEBRAKE ECOLOGICAL
RESERVE (California Department of Fish & Game
cottonwood/willow riparian forest, Joshua tree
woodland, irrigated pasture land, and major
migratory stopover site), CERRO COSO COLLEGE
CAMPUS (Mojave Desert oasis & migrant/vagrant
trap), CHIMNEY PEAK NATIONAL BACKCOUNTRY BYWAY (USDI-Bureau
of Land Management Mojave Desert habitat), CHINA
LAKE NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION PONDS (Mojave
Desert waterbird & shorebird magnet), EDWARDS AIR
FORCE BASE PONDS IN KERN COUNTY (Mojave Desert
waterbird & shorebird magnet), FROG SPRING
(Mojave desert oasis), GALILEO HILL (Mojave
Desert resort & migrant/vagrant trap), GREENHORN
MOUNTAINS (Sequoia National Forest - west side
Sierra Nevada mixed conifer habitat & USDI-Bureau
of Land Management chaparral/foothill habitat),
INYOKERN PRIVATE SANCTUARIES (Mojave Desert
migrant/vagrant traps), ISABELLA RESERVOIR
(large, 580,000+ acre feet capacity reservoir in
the Kern River Valley and accompanying
campgrounds), KELSO CREEK SANCTUARY
(Audubon-California Mojave Desert habitat and
migrant trap), KELSO VALLEY (private & USDI-Bureau
of Land Management Mojave Desert habitat &
ponds), KELSO VALLEY ROAD (leads to Kelso Valley
- Mojave Desert & riparian habitat), KERN
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (11,000-acre traditional
waterfowl refuge located in the southern San
Joaquin Valley - extensive open water, marshes,
and riparian habitat), KERN RIVER PRESERVE
(Audubon-California cottonwood/willow riparian
habitat and major migratory stopover site), MOUNT
PINOS, PIUTE MOUNTAINS (Sequoia National Forest -
Great Basin/Mojave Desert mountain range), SCODIE
PARK/ONYX (Kern County Parks Department), SOUTH
FORK WILDLIFE AREA (Sequoia National Forest -
cottonwood/willow riparian forest and major
migratory stopover site), TULE ELK RESERVE
(California State Parks - west side of the
southern San Joaquin Valley), WALKER PASS
(Sequoia National Forest & USDI-Bureau of Land
Management - Great Basin/Mojave Desert montane
habitats), WIND WOLVES PRESERVE (100,000+ acre
private wildlife sanctuary in the southwestern
San Joaquin Valley ... valley floor to nearly
6000').
241 REPORTED SPECIES:
KEY: (I) = Introduced (but countable)
Ross's Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Chukar (I)
Ring-necked Pheasant (I)
Wild Turkey (I)
Mountain Quail
California Quail
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
California Condor
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Franklin's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Caspian Tern
Black Tern
Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove (I)
Spotted Dove (I)
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Barn Owl
Flammulated Owl
Western Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Burrowing Owl
Spotted Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Poorwill
Vaux's Swift
White-throated Swift
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Cassin's Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
Cassin's Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Pinyon Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Verdin
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Western Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Wrentit
Northern Mockingbird
California Thrasher
Le Conte's Thrasher
European Starling (I)
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's and Myrtle)
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yelllowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Hooded Oriole
Bullock's Oriole
Scott's Oriole
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow (I)
TOTAL SPECIES: 241
149 PARTICIPANTS: Eric Abercrombie, Liga Auzins,
Bob Barnes, Cherie Barth, Lance Benner, John
Birsner, Jack Bitzer, Ann Boddum, Tracy Borneman,
Bill Bouton, Brenda Burnett, Kelly Bryan, Mariano
Caceres, Mario Caceres, Nan Carder, Betty Cash,
David Chilton, Barbara Coley, Roger Coley, Carol
Coy, Bill Cullen, John Cunlisse, John Curlew,
Mary Curlew, Joe Devine, Charles Ellis-MacLeod,
Madi Elsea, Terry Ferguson, Gary File, Lisa
Fimiani, Ernie Flores, Birdie Foster, Scott
Frazer, Trude Frazer, Mary Freeman, Nick Freeman,
Bob Frescura, Wes Fritz, Jan Gaffney, Frank
Gibson, Daniel Gilman, Rebecca Gracey, Elene
Gravelle, Noel Gravelle, Stan Gray, Debbie
Gutshall, Fred Heath, Carlie Henneman, Steve
Hilbig, Sylvia Hilbig, Cher Hollingsworth, Ann
Hoover, Andrew Howe, Liam Huber, Scott Huber,
John Ide, Nancy Ivey, Linda Johnson, Jenny Jones,
Bruce Kautz, Dorothy Kautz, Judy Kautz, Roy Kautz,
Jerri Kerr, Kim Kinsman, Pam Kling, Mary Klinkel,
Sandy Koonce, Loretta Kuhler, Ron Kuhler, Brenda
Kyle, Ken Kyle, John Lampkin, Rod Lee, Kelli
Levinson, Kevin Liberg, Cathy Liss, Dan Lockshaw,
David Maas, Elisa Malin, Charles Massieon, Carla
McBee, Shelley McCune, Tess McGuire, Michael
McQuerrey, Terri Middlemiss, Alan Miller, Nancy
Miller. Bill Moffat, Laura Mogg, Marie Monsen,
Gail Morris, Linda Oberhotlzer, Glenn Olson,
Christine Okon, Katy Penland, Laura Phail, Dan
Portway, Gary Potter, Mike Prather, Patricia
Price, Jack Quinn, Barbara Reifel, Don Reinberg,
Matt Reiter, Nancy Robinson, Rob Robinson, Donna
Royer, Jim Royer, Sal Salerno, Mike San Miguel,
James Sandor, Jim Scarff, John Schmitt, Lynn
Schwagle, Jeff Seay, Pat Shanks, Christiane
Shannon, Alison Sheehey, Dale Smith, Olaf Soltau,
Steve Sosensky, Ian Starr, Bob Steele, Susan
Steele, John Sterling, Jim Stillwell, Pamela
Stones, Lee Sutton, Shirley Sutton, Brent
Thompson, Luisa Thompson, Reed Tollefson, Bert
Townsend, Elaine Townsend, Richard Trier, Jeff
Wagner, Tiffiny Wagner, Chris Walden, Barb Walls,
Wendy Walwyn, Mary Whitfield, Irmgard Willock,
Sandra Wieser, Linda Wilford, David Wimpfheimer,
Jan Wilson, John Wilson, Tom Wurster.
Abundant thanks to all
participants,
Bob Barnes
Ridgecrest, Kern County, California
C: 760-382-1260
P: 760-375-6140
The
Rules of the Game - 2008 (From
http://www.coastalbirding.org/ABC.htm)
In order to have all teams in the "America's
Birdiest City" and "America's Birdiest County"
("ABC/C") competitions operating in the same
manner, and to insure a "level playing field"
for all participants, the following conventions
have been developed to guide "ABC/C" teams in
the field.
The
"rules of the game" are as follows:
1. All
entrants must conduct their "ABC/C" Bird-a-thon
between the dates of April 1 and May 31.
2.
"ABC/C" competitors must record all bird
identifications within the legal boundaries of
their selected city or county. For "City"
entrants, most automobile club and Thomas Bros.
maps show city limits; birding in suburbs and
in unincorporated areas is not permitted. For
both City and County entrants, be sure that
birds aloft and those identified by call are
within your city or county's boundaries.
3. For
coastal cities, the "birdable area" extends one
mile (i.e., as far as you can scope) out into
salt water (or Lake water) from the shore, or
from offshore islands that are legally a part
of the city or county involved. All birds
counted must be identified from land (this rule
results from a participants' poll taken in
2003, and mainly reflects the fact that the
participants were not at all in agreement as to
how far out into the ocean should be considered
part of a city [or county]).
4.
Each city or county that enters will select a
72-hour bird-a-thon "window" for their count.
Entries may have as many teams as they like and
teams can have as many members as they like.
All teams and participants are allowed to count
the whole 72 hour window.
5. All
birds, to be officially countable, must be
positively identified as to species by sight or
sound (the honor system is employed here). No "sps",
please (i.e., no genera/family entries, such as
"Loon, sp.").
6.
Only ABA-approved birds are countable; no
psilly psittacines, please!
7. Any
rare birds encountered should be written up,
just as at a Christmas count.
8.
"ABC/C" Bird-a-thon teams respect private
property and in general comply with all the
"rules of birding ethics" that have been
published by groups such as ABA or NAS.
9.
"ABC/C" Bird-a-thon teams must promptly provide
the coordinator (below) with a summary of their
results that includes a complete list of all
species identified. This write-up verifies your
sightings and allows a credible comparison of
results. The write-up must be received by the
coordinator by June 31, 2008.
10. To
submit your results or for more information,
contact: Mike Wilson , Dauphin Island Bird
Sanctuaries, Inc., ABC/C coordinator by email
at
ylhammer@bellsouth.net .
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