The Carrizo Plain Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on January 1, 2005. As with all CBC's, the count area is a 15 mile diameter circle. The center point of the circle for the Carrizo Plain count is at a mid-point on Simmler Road between Soda Lake Road and Elkhorn Road. Twenty-eight individuals participated in the count forming 10 parties during the day. Some of the birders started at 6:30 a.m. looking for owls in the early morning. The rest of the birders met at the Community Center/Fire Station on Soda Lake Road at 8:00 a.m. The count ended at 3:00 p.m. The day was cloudy with a moderate wind from the northwest (5-20mph). Temperatures ranged from 35 degrees to 51 degrees F. The total party hours equaled 38.5 hours and the total party miles were 138. A total of 60 species were identified. The total number of birds on count day was 7,916 individuals. Soda Lake was partly full due to 2 inches of rainfall before the count period. The next Carrizo Plain CBC will be held on Saturday, December 31, 2005.
Roger Zachary, Complier
American Wigeon-9
Northern Harrier-7
Cooper's Hawk-1
Red-tailed Hawk-37
Ferruginous Hawk-16
Rough-legged Hawk-1 (count week)
Golden Eagle-7
American Kestrel-36
Prairie Falcon-7
Merlin-2
California Quail-101
Sandhill Crane-46
Mountain Plover-125
American Avocet-19
Long-billed Curlew-58
Rock Pigeon-35
Mourning Dove-205
Greater Roadrunner-6
Barn Owl-5
Great Horned Owl-1
Burrowing Owl-2
Short-eared Owl-1
Nuttall's Woodpecker-1
Northern Flicker-8
Black Pheobe-1
Say's Pheobe-33
Horned Lark-1770
Western Scrub Jay-13
Common Raven-304
Oak Titmouse-6
Bushtit-8
Rock Wren-6
Bewick's Wren-4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet-11
Western Bluebird-10
Mountain Bluebird-169
Hermit Thrush-3
Northern Mockingbird-3
California Thrasher-10
Le Conte's Thrasher-2
American Pipit-65
Phainopelpa-7
Loggerhead Shrike-34
European Starling-219
Spotted Towhee-12
California Towhee-25
Vesper Sparrow-9
Lark Sparrow-433
Sage Sparrow-48
Savannah Sparrow-460
Fox Sparrow-1
Golden-crowned Sparrow-154
White-crowned Sparrow-1477
Dark-eyed Junco-48
Red-winged Blackbird-104
Western Meadowlark-473
Brewer's Blackbird-102
House Finch-1089
American Goldfinch-3
House Sparrow-64