The superheroes of ornithological data collection live among us in Lewis County — that is, everyday people who count birds can genuinely make a difference in science.
The Lewis County Christmas Bird Count is a local branch of the world’s longest-running citizen science project, put on by the National Audubon Society. For one day, residents of and travelers to a circle around most of Centralia and Chehalis count as many bird species and individuals as possible. Locally, the event was established in 2018 by Dalton Spencer, who graduated from Adna High School the following year.
Over time, the data sets inform scientists on changes in bird habitat, shifts in migratory patterns and symbolize significant changes in populations, said Allison Anholt, who works for the Audubon Society in Oregon as she earns her PhD in seabirds.
Anholt, whose parents live in Chehalis, organized the Lewis County Christmas Bird Count this year. When I commented that she must be one of the only people in the universe pursuing a seabirds degree, she laughed and nodded: “It’s a small field.”
Last year, the bird count was record-breaking on all accounts. This year, foul weather played a role in the counting of fowl on the feather. But as an amateur birder, writing about the event wasn’t enough to satiate my envy for those who spent the whole day counting birds. When I told my boss I’d be spending Dec. 20 “in the field,” he seemed OK with it.
Previously, the area around TransAlta’s Centralia Coal Mine would be ideal for bird-watching, but land sales restricted access to that part of the counting circle this year. I was assigned the Waunch Prairie, Davis Hill and state Route 507 before it reaches Bucoda. The Lewis County Bird Circle admittedly touches a small piece of Thurston County. This is because it is required to be a circle, and was designed to get the most diverse spread of the region distilled down to one area, including residential spots, agricultural zones and wildlands.
By the way, to me, that this whole thing was put together by a young, gung-ho Adna kid who went to Montana State University to study conservation biology is a great story all on its own. Spencer was holed up in Montana this year finishing his degree, thus Anholt’s temporary takeover.
Through the constant rain on Tuesday morning, myself and Photo Editor Jared Wenzelburger cataloged two varied thrushes, 103 ducks, one hawk, two doves, 57 American robins, 46 European starlings, eight juncos, 11 sparrows, four nuthatches, seven crows, three ravens, two scrub jays, one Canada goose and a partridge in a pear tree. It was quite a haul.
And as impactful as it is for scientists to have a reliable data set every year, the annual event offers even more for the people involved, Anholt said.
“It’s always been this traditional way to bring new people into birding … and also get that mix of people who know what they’re doing, who are really experts on the topic and everything in between,” she said, later adding, “This long-term data stuff has provided such fascinating information about things like range expansion, species extinction or introductions and all this really cool stuff. But, it’s also such a great way to get people to care about birds.”
For those already interested in birding, the event also offers new information and the chance to bounce facts off well-studied watchers. Anholt showed me a pond of ducks was divided between mallards and “shoveler” ducks, which have mallard colors but shovel-shaped bills. She also pointed out a black phoebe, a “particularly interesting” find of the day, she said, because the species has made a transition from deserts to wetlands in the face of midwestern drought.
Through documentation of these sightings, the Christmas Bird Count allows locals to play a part in national understanding of birds — a beautiful message for the Christmas season, and a way to deputize even those who care to sit in the living room and watch the feeder all day.
At the end of the day, birders joined a Zoom call to go through the checklist. Over the next week or so, Anholt will compile the information and come back with the highlights. For at least three people on the call, this year’s big win was a great egret at Plummer Lake.
The Lewis County Christmas Bird Count is sponsored by the Black Hills Audubon Society. Membership or signing up for the local chapter’s newsletter offers chances to participate in events and read about Southwest Washington biology. To find out more, visit https://blackhills-audubon.org/.
