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2007 YARDLIST CHALLENGE

 

Compiled by Lisa Hardy

 

 

We had 119 species reported, including two species new to the 8 year history of the challenge bringing our cumulative total to 173 species. This year, nine species were seen by all 8 yards, and thirty-seven were seen in only a single yard. See the website for the complete tabulation.

 

The new additions to the all-time challenge list were an American Bittern heard by Robert, and an Anna's Hummingbird that visited Doug's yard.

 

We had a scattering of duck and grebe species, while the game birds and raptors were better represented. Robert noted that the California Quail population has tripled in his neighborhood in the last year, and they are becoming pests with regards to his strawberry patch. The most reported raptor was surprisingly the Osprey, reported from 75% of yards. Four hummingbird species were reported, including our three breeding residents, of which the Calliope Hummingbird was seen by all.

 

Lynn had a Blue Jay visit, and the Warings tallied one of the strange Steller's X Blue Jay hybrid offspring that were born in their neighborhood. We had all three chickadees, and all three nuthatches, with Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees, and Red-breasted Nuthatch being reported from all yards. Shirley noted the only Brown Creeper.

 

Our most unexpected misses for the year were in the thrush family - no one reported a bluebird or a Townsend's Solitaire. We had eight warbler species; Kris reported the only Townsend's and MacGillivray's, while Doug picked up the only Common Yellowthroat amongst our reporters.

 

We had one "Eastern" species (kingbird), four "Western" (grebe, wood-pewee, flycatcher, tanager), and four "Northern" (harrier, pygmy owl, flicker, rough-winged swallow). Most numerous were the "Common" species (seven), and "American" species (seven), though we also had two "California" and a "Canada" species. (Sorry to disappoint the uber-patriots out there, but "American" as used by the ornithologists refers to Canada and Mexico in addition to the United States.) We had one "European" species.

 

Species with "black" in their name (five) outnumbered the "whites" (three), but the red-, rufous-, and ruby-tinged species outnumbered all others (nine).

 

Thank you all for sending in your lists. I hope you are well along on your 2008 lists by now. I will be glad to send a checklist to anyone who requests one - I have found it is easiest to keep my list as a "hard copy" taped on the refridgerator door.

 

 

2007 YARDLIST CHALLENGE

Buchler

Callen

Cripe

Hanson

Sheridan

Sturts

Ward

Waring

# yards

Canada Goose

x

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

7

Tundra Swan

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

American Wigeon

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

1

Mallard

x

 

 

x

 

x

x

 

4

Bufflehead

x

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

2

Common Goldeneye

x

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

2

Hooded Merganser

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

1

Common Merganser

x

 

 

x

 

x

 

 

3

Ring-necked Pheasant

x

 

x

 

 

x

 

3

Ruffed Grouse

x

 

 

x

 

x

 

 

3

Wild Turkey

x

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

3

California Quail

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

8

Common Loon

x

 

 

 

 

x

 

 

2

Pied-billed Grebe

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

Red-necked Grebe

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Western Grebe

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

Double-crested Cormorant

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Great Blue Heron

x

 

 

x

 

x

x

x

5

American Bittern

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

Turkey Vulture

x

 

 

x

 

 

x

x

4

Osprey

x

 

 

x

x

x

x

x

6

Bald Eagle

x

 

 

x

 

x

x

 

4

Northern Harrier

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

Sharp-shinned Hawk

x

x

 

 

 

 

x

 

3

Cooper's Hawk

x

 

 

 

x

 

x

 

3

Red-tailed Hawk

x

x

x

x

 

 

x

 

5

American Kestrel

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

2

Merlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

 

1

American Coot

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

Killdeer

 

x

 

x

 

 

x

 

3

Ring-billed Gull

x

 

 

 

x

x

x

 

4

California Gull

 

 

 

 

 

x

 

1

Black Tern

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

1

Rock Pigeon

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Mourning Dove

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

 

6

Great Horned Owl

x

 

 

x

 

 

x

 

3

Northern Pygmy Owl

 

 

 

 

 

x

 

1

Common Nighthawk

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

2

Black-chinned Hummingbird

x

 

x

 

 

x

x

 

4

Anna's Hummingbird

 

 

 

 

 

x

 

1

Calliope Hummingbird

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

8

Rufous Hummingbird

x

x

 

 

x

x

x

x

6

Belted Kingfisher

x

 

 

x

 

x

 

 

3

Red-naped Sapsucker

x

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

3

Downy Woodpecker

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

6

Hairy Woodpecker

x

 

x

x

 

x

x

 

5

Northern Flicker - RS

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

8

Pileated Woodpecker

x

 

 

 

 

x

x