Klamath Falls Christmas Bird Count 21 Dec 25 Summary

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Klamath Fall CBC, Sunday December 21, 2025

The weather on this day was a steady and drenching rain. It lasted all day, lightening up at about noon, and then stopping near 4:00 pm. The darkness of the day and the rain caused me to think that this day might set the record for the lowest species count on this CBC. While I changed clothes two times, I carried an umbrella after the first soaking, which affected my hearing of any birds at all. However, I will pay tribute to the diligent and tireless participants that this count has and with their effort, this CBC reached a level never achieved before.

This count is really a team effort and fortunately this year all seven areas were covered. There was coverage by only one per area except for Miller Island’s three participants. Elijah Hayes recruited Jagger Wicker and Linnea Gebauer. They scoured that area to tally 68 species. Their add-on species was also amazing adding: Eurasian Wigeon, 3, American Bittern, Barn Swallow, 4, Canyon Wren, and Great-tailed Grackle, 14, all added to the total species count. Julie Van Moorhem, alone in the Lost River area, came up with Red-breasted Sapsucker, Golden Eagle, and a Titmouse. Jeremy Webster in the Spring Lake area, came upon an immense blackbird flock and picked out every possible type with the Tricolored and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, the harder to come by, with also some Brown-headed Cowbirds too. He encountered the only Long-billed Dowitchers, and a lone Savannah Sparrow. Wes Stone may have had the most difficult task of sorting through the masses of ducks spread out over Lake Ewauna, with many diving. It must have been exhausting since there was no ice to concentrate the waterfowl closer to the docks. He did persist scoping enough to find Greater Scaup and Redheads, and both Clark’s and Western Grebes. He found an opportune time to maybe look up and happened to see the only large falcon of the day go by. Dave Haupt likely did the most walking. He reported one of the two lingering Surf Scoters, Cackling Geese, a lutescens Orange-crowned Warbler, and one of only two California Towhees for the day. Teresa Bird Wicks hiked around the Greensprings area, a strategy not done in a while. The only Mountain Bluebird on the count came from that area, along with one of only two Yellow-rumped Warblers found. I found myself sopping wet by 9:30 am. I overestimated my water repellency. Either that, or I am not as swift as I used to be while dodging raindrops. Early in the day my routine was disrupted, and I was not covering the area as I had in the past. I managed to find a Yellow-rumped Warbler and two Purple Finch.

At the end of the day there were misses such as the more regular Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch and Hermit Thrush. There were misses from birds seen on the three days prior to the count such as Cinnamon Teal, Red-breasted Merganser, Spotted Sandpiper, Northern Mockingbird, and even a Eurasian Green-winged Teal. But the add-ons to the count were amazing! In addition to those already mentioned, Virginia Rail and Sora were detected, Black-capped Chickadee, and more than one Anna’s Hummingbird. The species count reached 114, surpassing the previous count high of 113. That was just astounding considering the elements that the team faced!

Thoughts that interest me after being on this count continuously since 1989 but having been on some early ones after its start in 1979, was the lack of gulls at Lake Ewauna. Julie Van Moorhem however found nearly 500 out in the Lost River area of the count. The dispersed waterfowl probably accounts for the lack of gull diversity, which usually concentrates near the only open water and waterfowl, near the docks of Lake Ewauna, when it is cold and icy. There, some of the scavenger type of gulls hang out. Not to be on this day. I suppose the lack of frozen water contributed to that. Ferruginous Hawk continues to increase its local wintering numbers with 11 seen in three areas. Eight were seen in the Spring Lake area, the area BJ Matzen used to cover and first seen by him on this count. Black Phoebe continues to be found during winter on this count, and with 3 coming from Miller Island of the Klamath WMA it somewhat underlines that location for the best place to look for probable nesting. The number of Eared Grebes was high, seen at Lake Ewauna and the Upper Klamath Lake at Putnam’s Point. European Starling and Mourning Dove may end up with very high numbers as they seemed to out when it was raining, more so than other bird species. I observed a very wet Red-tailed Hawk early in the day with its wings out as if it were going to dry out. I observed it later in the day doing the same. There was a Barn Owl seen, in a barn, and seen looking at me, seemed to smile as if it were thinking “I’m cozy dry and warm. I know why you are not! I picked this spot last night because I knew what was going to happen."

I loudly applaud those who stuck it out on this day. You are part of a legacy and are now legends on this legendary day! The Klamath Basin is an amazing place. Good Birding and have a very birdy 2026!

An additional note: This count ranks as the most species diverse for all of the eastside of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington. It has the highest species count in the eastern part of both states, and does so with probably the fewest participants of most of the other eastside counts, if not all.