The first Calaveras
Christmas Bird Count was December 29, 1990. That count was the 91st count for
the National Audubon Society and Calaveras was one of 1600 counts and the 29
participants joined 45,000 other participants throughout North America and
Central and South America. The first compilers were Penelope Bowen and Nancy
Hay. They had both participated in several counts in Palo Alto and had done a
lot of birding in Calaveras because they both had cabins in Arnold. Penelope
had wanted to do a Christmas Bird Count in the Arnold area so in June of 1990,
with the support of Nancy she applied for a new count. In November the Audubon
Society accepted her application and then the advertising started. That first
count was a tremendous success. We had excellent weather, there was still snow
and ice on the ground from a big storm the previous week but we had sunny clear
weather. Despite the fact that California was entering the fifth year of a
drought we saw 79 species of birds and 4610 individual birds. We had 29
participants (27 in the field and 2 feeder watchers.) Everyone had a great
time.
Following Are The
Participants In The 90/91 Calaveras Christmas Bird Count.
Jason
Ballard, Al Bergeron, David Bowen, Penelope Bowen. Jan Brown, Walter Brown,
Rich Carroll, Tom Damiani, Clare Galbraith, Charles
Griffith, Marge Griffith, Nancy Hay, Chuck Heinricks,
Bea Hollars, Waldtraut(Walli) Krause, Rosalie Lefkowitz, Bill Mollett, Mary Mollett, Faye Morrison, Tom Olson, Ann Pestalozzi, Mary
Peters, Anne Richards, Duston Richards, Gwen Serriere, Gladys Shally, Steve Umland, Judith Walters, Robert Whipple.
Individual birds seen on the
Calaveras Christmas Bird Count 12/29/90:
Pied-billed Grebe, Great
Blue Heron, Mallard, Gadwall, Common Goldeneye,
Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle(Adult),
Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden
Eagle(Adult), Golden Eagle(Imm), Merlin, California
Quail, Mountain Quail, American Coot, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Great
Horned Owl, Northern Pygmy-owl, White-throated Swift, Anna's Hummingbird,
Belted Kingfisher, Acorn Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker,
White-headed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Steller's
Jay, Scrub Jay, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Plain Titmouse, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown
Creeper, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren,
Winter Wren, American Dipper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Western Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Varied
Thrush, Wrentit, Northern Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing,
European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler(Audubon),
Common Yellowthroat, Rufous-sided Towhee,
California(Brown) Towhee, Lark Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco(Oregon),
Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Purple Finch,
House Finch, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.