Volunteers flock to annual Bridgeport Christmas Bird Count

BRIDGEPORT – Audubon’s 123rd Christmas Bird Count (CBC) – and the 25th locally - started recently and continues   through Jan 5, 2023. Each community schedules its own day when counters will disperse to record sightings in their geographical area. For example, Bridgeport’s was held on Dec. 14; Chelan held its count on Saturday, Dec. 17, and so on.

About two dozen volunteers gathered in freezing weather at the Brewster McDonald’s store on the morning of Dec. 14 to participate in the local CBC. They received survey instructions and divided into six groups with each group assigned a portion of the 15-mile diameter count circle, said Dr. Michael A. Schroeder, research biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Bridgeport volunteer Meredith Spencer said the total species count was lower than usual, “but we had good weather, except for the two feet or more snow on the ground.”

While most of the volunteers navigated through snow, Pateros birdwatchers Greg Goodnight and Mike Malmo and Chelan veteran bird counter Steve Easley launched Goodnight’s 20-foot Lund boat at Brewster’s Columbia Cove Park and made an estimated 15-mile circuit of the Brewster pool counting bird species along the way.

“We counted about 30 species,” said Malmo, “including many ducks and raptors.”

Malmo said he knows his raptors fairly well while Goodnight, an avid duck hunter and former fishing guide, knows his ducks. Easley helped with other bird species.

“We counted 11 immature bald eagles,” said Malmo, “and Steve identified a rough-legged hawk that I have never seen before.”

Malmo said his most interesting observation was of a kingfisher.

“We got to watch it hit the water for a fish,” Malmo said.

The count results will be released in early 2023. Those and other details will be available on the website audubon.org.

Last year participants in the one-day Bridgeport count observed 86 bird species with an estimated count of 28,981 birds.