Ravens dominate bird count

The Christmas Bird Count results have been compiled and the common raven dominates. Nome birders counted 352 individual birds of 11 different species and 259 of those birds were common ravens. Due to unusually late open water seabirds lingered in the region but a freeze-up just before the count sent the birds out to sea looking for open leads. In the holes of open water remaining around town, spotters found a number of different species.

Bird Count organizer Kate Persons reports that no willow ptarmigan was spotted on count day for the second year in a row. This is unusual. However, some were seen during count week. The lack of passerines, black-capped chickadees and redpolls, was also unusual. Common mergansers, pine grosbeaks and the rock ptarmigan were reported on count day for only the second time ever. A spectacled eider was recorded during count week for just the second time but has never been seen on count day.

Fourteen counters turned out on Saturday, Dec. 19. The weather was ideal, a little chilly but with great visibility and little wind. Counters submit their bird counts to Persons who compiles them and submits the totals to the National Audubon Society. The organization incorporates the count into their overall picture of the birds in their wildlife census. 2020 was the 121st year of the count. The information is used to get ideas about what sort of conservation measures might be called for to help certain species.

“The late arrival of young sea ice did enhance sightings or other marine wildlife,” reported Gay Sheffield of Alaska Sea Grant. “On count day an adult male ribbon seal was viewed from the end of the west jetty,” she said. This presented a rare chance to view all four species of ice-associated seals with one sweep of the binoculars.

Here are the birds seen on count day:

Nome Christmas Bird Count - Dec 19, 2020

Common Eider – 2; Eider species – 7; Long-tailed Duck – 1; Common Merganser – 1; Rock Ptarmigan- 3; Glaucous Gull – 1; Black Guillemot – 1; Rock Pigeon – 53; Common Raven – 259; Pine Grosbeak – 4; Snow Bunting – 10; McKay’s Bunting - 10

Count Week - Dec 16 - 18 and Dec 20-22, 2020

King Eider; Spectacled Eider; Willow Ptarmigan; American Dipper; Redpoll species