2005 YARDLIST CHALLENGE

Compiled by Lisa Hardy

Nine yards reported a total 136 species. Forty of these (29%) were reported by only a single yard. Eight species were reported by all 9 yards: California Quail, Rufous Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch. An additional 8 species were seen by 8 of the 9 yards.

Highlights were the White-breasted Nuthatch seen by Dick Cripe, the Wilson's Warbler that visited Janet Callen, the hybrid Steller's X Blue Jay spotted by the Warings, and the Red-tailed Hawk seen by Lynn Sheridan. Dick thought he might have had a Red-tailed Hawk in his neighborhood, too, but he concluded it was the Steller's Jays doing their excellent imitation of a hawk cry. Lynn had to rescue two House Finches in distress during the year.

Highlights from yards with water views include the Buchlers' American White Pelican and Double-crested Cormorant, and Robert Hanson's Black Tern. The Hansons also reported the only Clark's Nutcracker and Pine Grosbeak, and their rresident Bewick's Wrens are a new species to the yardlist total. Shirley Sturts had the only American Wigeon and Brown Creeper. The biggest highlight for me was a Northern Waterthrush that came to forage on the front lawn several days in a row.

The Hansons also noted the absence of bluebirds and Townsend's Solitaires for the second year in a row.

Stephen Johnson gets a category all to himself living out on the Rathdrum Prairie. His yard list added many new species (7) to the all-time yardlist total, such as Long-eared Owl, Lewis's Woodpecker, Horned Lark and Snow Bunting.

All together, we had 9 new species added to the list this year, bringing our 6-year total to 168 species.

A big Thank You to all participants!

Below are two tables showing the complete results of the 2005 yardlist challenge. The first shows species sorted by AOU order, the second shows the same species list, but sorted by the number of yards reporting each species.

RAC = Dick Cripe

KEB = Kris Buchler

LH = Lisa Hardy

SS = Shirley Sturts

RH = Robert Hanson

JC = Janet Callen

SH = Stephen Johnson

LS = Lynn Sheridan

JPW = Judy Waring

Results sorted by AOU order:

Species	RAC	KEB	LH	SS	RH	JC	SJ	LS	JPW	#yards
Canada Goose		X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	8
Tundra Swan		X	X		X					3
Wood Duck			X		X					2
American Wigeon				X	X					2
Mallard		X	X	X	X					4
Green-winged Teal			X							1
Bufflehead		X		X						2
Common Goldeneye		X		X						2
Hooded Merganser			X	X						2
Common Merganser		X	X	X	X					4
Gray Partridge							X			1
Ring-necked Pheasant					X	X	X			3
Ruffed Grouse		X	X	X	X					4
Wild Turkey	X	X	X	X	X					5
California Quail	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	9
Common Loon		X								1
Red-necked Grebe		X		X						2
Western Grebe		X			X					2
American White Pelican		X								1
Double-crested Cormorant		X								1
Great Blue Heron		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	7
Turkey Vulture		X			X		X			3
Osprey		X	X	X	X		X	X		6
Bald Eagle		X	X	X	X		X			5
Northern Harrier					X		X			2
Sharp-shinned Hawk		X				X	X		X	4
Cooper's Hawk		X			X		X			3
Red-tailed Hawk		X	X		X		X	X		5
Rough-legged Hawk							X			1
American Kestrel						X	X			2
Merlin							X			1
American Coot					X					1
Killdeer			X		X	X	X			4
Spotted Sandpiper			X							1
Wilson's Snipe			X							1
Ring-billed Gull		X		X		X	X	X		5
California Gull		X								1
Black Tern					X					1
Rock Pigeon							X			1
Mourning Dove		X	X	X	X	X	X			6
Western Screech-Owl					X					1
Barn Owl							X			1
Great Horned Owl			X		X		X			3
Northern Pygmy Owl		X								1
Long-eared Owl							X			1
Common Nighthawk			X		X		X			3
Vaux's Swift			X				X			2
Black-chinned Hummingbird	X	X	X	X		X		X		6
Calliope Hummingbird	X	X	X	X		X	X	X	X	8
Rufous Hummingbird	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	9
Belted Kingfisher			X	X	X					3
Lewis's Woodpecker							X			1
Red-naped Sapsucker	X	X	X							3
Downy Woodpecker	X		X		X		X	X		5
Hairy Woodpecker	X	X	X	X	X					5
Northern Flicker	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	9
Pileated Woodpecker		X	X		X					3
Olive-sided Flycatcher		X	X							2
Western Wood-Pewee	X	X	X			X				4
Least Flycatcher			X							1
Hammond's Flycatcher		X	X							2
Western Flycatcher		X	X		X					3
Say's Phoebe							X			1
Western Kingbird							X			1
Eastern Kingbird					X		X			2
Northern Shrike							X			1
Cassin's Vireo		X	X	X						3
Warbling Vireo		X	X							2
Gray Jay			X							1
Steller's Jay	X	X	X	X	X			X	X	7
Steller's X Blue Jay hybrid									X	1
Blue Jay			X			X	X	X	X	5
Clark's Nutcracker					X					1
Black-billed Magpie			X	X	X	X	X			5
American Crow	X	X			X	X	X	X	X	7
Common Raven	X	X	X	X	X	X	X