The 33 volunteers participating in the 26th Dudleyville Christmas Bird
Count on 3 January tallied 108 species and 4,518 birds. The species total
was below the average of 114 for the count, and the total number of birds
was a 26-year low. Participants reported fewer sparrows (732) than on all
previous counts, with a 26-year low for White-crowned Sparrows (250). Only
77 Mourning Doves were observed, another 26-year low. Last year, we
registered our highest total for Northern Harrier; this year for the first
time of the count we had no Harriers. In most sections of this riparian
area along the San Pedro River, teams found that areas that usually have
some water were dry, likely accounting for the low numbers.
No new species were recorded, but there were some highlights: 25 STELLER’s
JAYS were reported, the highest ever for the count and the first since
2016. We also recorded the highest number of Broad-billed Hummingbirds
(14), Harris’s Hawks (17), and Northern Beardless Tyrannulets (2). A group
of 14 American Goldfinches was the first report of this species since 2012.
