Running Tallies and Needs Lists

Columbia:

Code 1 Birds (58 of 60 species seen): I usually count on getting all of the code 1 birds in a county. This has usually been a good guide. In years where I am splitting time between counties, I've sometimes missed these birds... but it feels like the difficulty of Columbia County is going to inspire some focused efforts to at *least* get all of these. Hoping for all 60. The nighthawk would put me at 156 for the year, but it may be a toughie if I don't get out at the right time and place soon. 

1. Common Nighthawk

Code 2 birds (52 of 55 species seen): Not hard to find in general, but there is usually at least one that escapes me. So, I figure 54 of these is a reasonable goal. Picking up a couple more of these plus the nighthawk above would have me at 158 for the year. 

1. American Coot
2. Caspian Tern
3. Barn Owl

Code 3 Birds (23 of 28 seen): I usually am able to track down 80 percent of the code 3 species. Here that would mean 22-23 of them. I'll round to 23, figuring that. . .if it earned a code 3 in Columbia, it must be fairly reliable. Just being seen annually in an under-birded county should indicate that Herculean efforts may not be necessary. I already have "enough" code 4/5 birds to cover any that I miss here, but I've still been on a pretty good pace. One more code 3 bird, in addition to birds above, would put me at 159. 

1. Cinnamon Teal
2. Lesser Scaup
3. American Three-toed Woodpecker
4. Grasshopper Sparrow
5. Vesper Sparrow

Code 4 birds... because I need code 4 birds (58 birds): I'd need 13 of these to hit 150. I have some high hopes for the code 4's actually. "Not seen annually" might have more to do with how infrequently people bird in Columbia County, and less about the presence of these birds in the county. But how high are my hopes for these birds (and the similarly long list of code 5 birds)? Unlike so many previous years, where I've made some guesses, I just don't think I have enough information to make a refined guess. I'd be surprised if I fell short of 150, and I'd be surprised if I hit 175. So, split the difference, and guess 162? That would mean 25 higher coded birds... and maybe that does track. But that is a fuzzy fuzzy guess! Plus or minus ten, please.

1. Trumpeter Swan
2. Tundra Swan
3. Wood Duck
4. Blue-winged Teal
5. Northern Shoveler
6. Canvasback
7. Redhead
8. Barrow's Goldeneye
9. Ruddy Duck
10. Common Poorwill
11. White-throated Swift
12. Least Sandpiper
13. Western Sandpiper
14. Wilson's Snipe
15. Solitary Sandpiper
16. Greater Yellowlegs
17. Bonaparte's Gull
18. Glaucous-winged Gull
19. Black-crowned Night-Heron
20. Flammulated Owl
21. Burrowing Owl
22. Great Gray Owl
23. Short-eared Owl
24. Boreal Owl
25. Black-backed Woodpecker
26. White-headed Woodpecker
27. Merlin
28. Prairie Falcon
29. Loggerhead Shrike
30. Blue Jay
31. Bohemian Waxwing
32. Pygmy Nuthatch
33. American Pipit
34. Pine Grosbeak
35. American Tree Sparrow
36. Yellow-headed Blackbird
37. Common Yellowthroat
38. American Redstart

Higher coded birds seen: (18 so far!) January: Cackling Goose (4), Short billed Gull (5), White-breasted Nuthatch (4), Virginia Rail (4), Long-eared Owl (4), Northern Saw-whet Owl (4) and Gadwall (4). February: White-throated Sparrow (4), Eared Grebe (4). March: Northern Pintail (4), Chukar (4), Clark's Nutcracker (4), Ferruginous Hawk (4), Barred Owl (5) May: American White Pelican (4), Spotted Sandpiper (4) June: Green-tailed Towhee (4), Nashville Warbler (4) July: Dusky Grouse (4), Red-eyed Vireo (4), and Brewer's Sparrow (4) September: Solitary Sandpiper (4)

Good start! In fact, if the year continues apace (and I end up with all of the code 1 birds, all but one code 2 birds, and 80 percent of the code 3 birds), I've already safely across the finish line of 150, 159 in fact. The next milestone, I suppose, is the year list record of 172. 13 more code 4 birds? Only with some successful attempts on some Ponderosa birds, and some crazy migration with a few shorebirds. Maybe! Although that record is going to get eclipsed by other birders this year before me! So, what about 175 for the year list, or even the life list? We shall see!

Columbia Running Tally: 

1. Cackling Goose (4)
2. Canada Goose (1)
3. Gadwall (4)
4. American Wigeon (2)
5. Mallard (1)
6. Northern Pintail (4)
7. Green-winged Teal (3)
8. Ring-necked Duck (2)
9. Bufflehead (2)
10. Common Goldeneye (2)
11. Hooded Merganser (1)
12. Common Merganser (1)
13. California Quail (1)
14. Wild Turkey (1)
15. Ruffed Grouse (2)
16. Gray Partridge (3)
17. Ring-necked Pheasant (1)
18. Chukar (4)
19. Pied-billed Grebe (2)
20. Horned Grebe (3)
21. Eared Grebe (4)
22. Western Grebe (3)
23. Rock Dove (1)
24. Eurasian Collared-Dove (2)
25. Mourning Dove (1)
26. Vaux's Swift (1)
27. Rufous Hummingbird (2)
28. Black-chinned Hummingbird (2)
29. Calliope Hummingbird (2)
30. Virginia Rail (4)
31. Killdeer (1)
32. Spotted Sandpiper (4)
33. Solitary Sandpiper (4)
34. Short-billed Gull (5)
35. Ring-billed Gull (1)
36. California Gull (1)
37. Herring Gull (2)
38. Double-crested Cormorant (2)
39. American White Pelican (4)
40. Great Blue Heron (1)
41. Turkey Vulture (3)
42. Osprey (2)
43. Golden Eagle (2)
44. Northern Harrier (1)
45. Sharp-shinned Hawk (2)
46. Cooper's Hawk (2)
47. American Goshawk (3)
48. Bald Eagle (2)
49. Swainson's Hawk (2)
50. Red-tailed Hawk (1)
51. Rough-legged Hawk (1)
52. Ferruginous Hawk (4)
53. Western Screech-Owl (3)
54. Great Horned Owl (1)
55. Northern Pygmy-Owl (2)
56. Barred Owl (5)
57. Long-eared Owl (4)
58. Northern Saw-whet Owl (4)
59. Belted Kingfisher (1)
60. Lewis's Woodpecker (3)
61. Williamson's Sapsucker (3)
62. Red-naped Sapsucker (2)
63. Downy Woodpecker (2)
64. Hairy Woodpecker (2)
65. Northern Flicker (1)
66. Pileated Woodpecker (3)
67. Eastern Kingbird (1)
68. Western Kingbird (1)
69. Olive-sided Flycatcher (2)
70. Western Wood-Pewee (1)
71. Willow Flycatcher (2)
72. Hammond's Flycatcher (2)
73. Dusky Flycatcher (1)
74. American Kestrel (1)
75. Western Flycatcher (3)
76. Say's Phoebe (1) 
77. Cassin's Vireo (2)
78. Warbling Vireo (2)
79. Northern Shrike (2)
80. Canada Jay (2)
81. Steller's Jay (1)
82. Clark's Nutcracker (4)
83. Black-billed Magpie (1)
84. American Crow (2)
85. Common Raven (1)
86. Black-capped Chickadee (1)
87. Mountain Chickadee (2)
88. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (3)
89. Horned Lark (1)
90. Bank Swallow (2)
91. Tree Swallow (3)
92. Violet-green Swallow (1)
93. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2)
94. Barn Swallow (1)
95. Cliff Swallow (1)
96. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
97. Golden-crowned Kinglet (1)
98. Cedar Waxwing (1)
99. Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
100. White-breasted Nuthatch (4)
101. Brown Creeper (2)
102. Rock Wren (1)
103. Canyon Wren (2)
104. Bewick's Wren (1)
105. Northern House Wren (1)
106. Pacific Wren (3)
107. Marsh Wren (3)
108. Gray Catbird (3)
109. European Starling (1)
110. American Dipper (2)
111. Western Bluebird (2)
112. Mountain Bluebird (2)
113. Townsend's Solitaire (2)
114. American Robin (1)
115. Varied Thrush (2)
116. Veery (3)
117. Swainson's Thrush (2)
118. Hermit Thrush (2)
119. House Sparrow (1)
120. Evening Grosbeak (3)
121. Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (3)
122. House Finch (1)
123. Cassin's Finch (1)
124. Red Crossbill (2)
125. Pine Siskin (1)
126. Lesser Goldfinch (2)
127. American Goldfinch (1)
128. Lark Sparrow (3)
129. Chipping Sparrow (1)
130. Fox Sparrow (2)
131. Dark-eyed Junco (1)
132. White-crowned Sparrow (2)
133. White-throated Sparrow (4)
134. Savannah Sparrow (2)
135. Song Sparrow (1)
136. Lincoln's Sparrow (3)
137. Green-tailed Towhee (4)
138. Spotted Towhee (1)
139. Yellow-breasted Chat (3)
140. Western Meadowlark (1)
141. Bullock's Oriole (1)
142. Red-winged Blackbird (1)
143. Brown-headed Cowbird (2)
144. Brewer's Blackbird (1)
145. Orange-crowned Warbler (1)
146. Nashville Warbler (4)
147. MacGillivray's Warbler (2)
148. Yellow Warbler (1)
149. Yellow-rumped Warbler (2)
150. Townsend's Warbler (2)
151. Wilson's Warbler (3)
152. Western Tanager (1)
153. Black-headed Grosbeak (2)
154. Lazuli Bunting (1)

Walla Walla

Code 1 (111 of 125 found): Okay, I have two counties to use as comparisons here. Ones that are rich with birds and that I neglected at the expense of a more difficult county that needed my attention. 77/78 in Kitsap last year... 110/114 in Clark the year before that. So, I'll assume that these will be much like Code 2s in a county getting a more serious effort. I will pencil myself in to miss one or two. It's a lot of birds... so I'll say two. 123 - my bold prediction for Walla Walla Code 1 birds!

As a separate tally... let's also keep track of the "normal" math - I'd expect to get all 125, were this a focused year with monthly trips, and no chasing. 

I finished September with 149 birds, and there are still some birds on this list that I could catch. Not all of them! Birds that I see as summer birds are struck out. This still leaves 6 relatively common species that I could find. 

1. Black-chinned Hummingbird
2. Calliope Hummingbird
3. Dunlin
4. Wilson's Snipe
5. Sharp-shinned Hawk
6. Great Horned Owl
7. Willow Flycatcher
8. Western Flycatcher
9. Cassin's Vireo
10. Warbling Vireo
11. Veery
12. Swainson's Thrush
13. Hermit Thrush
14. Fox Sparrow

Code 2 birds (25 of 63 found): Much like the Code 1 birds, if I'm not focused on these, it seems like they "become" code 3 birds - only in terms of my success in finding them during the year. About 80 percent. 

So, my prediction for the year: 50 of these birds, giving me a total of 173. 

And if I'd gone after this county solo, the prediction would be that I'd miss one or two. Let's say two. That would be 186 species. You'll see why I'm tallying this as well after we've gone through all of the birds!

1. Trumpeter Swan
2. Ruffed Grouse
3. Eared Grebe
4. Clark's Grebe
5. White-throated Swift
6. Rufous Hummingbird
7. Barid's Sandpiper
8. Semipalmated Sandpiper
9. Solitary Sandpiper
10. Bonaparte's Gull
11. Forster's Tern
12. Goden Eagle
13. American Goshawk
14. Rough-legged Hawk
15. Western Screech-Owl
16. Northern Pygmy-Owl
17. Long-eared Owl
18. Red-naped Sapsucker
19. Pileated Woodpecker
20. Merlin
21. Peregrine Falcon 
22. Prairie Falcon
23. Say's Phoebe
24. Loggerhead Shrike
25. Northern Shrike
26. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
27. Brown Creeper
28. Canyon Wren
29. Pacific Wren
30. American Dipper
31. Mountain Bluebird
32. Townsend's Solitaire
33. Evening Grosbeak
34. Red Crossbill
35. Grasshopper Sparrow
36. Vesper Sparrow
37. Nashville Warbler
38. Wilson's Warbler

Code 3 birds (11 of 57 species found): For Code 3 and higher, based again on Clark (15) and Kitsap (20) would be somewhere between the two. So, I'll say 17 more, giving me a predicted Walla Walla list of 190 species. That sounds a little high, but we shall see!

And again, a focused year - even with just monthly trips, and without chasing - would normally give me 80 percent of these. A conservative 45 species, for a total of 232. Add a simple dozen code 4 birds, I'm at 246. Actually, as crazy as that number looks, I think that tracks. When I look at the totals at the end of each year, the top three birders in the county are nearly always a big handful of birds above that mark. It may just be the most potential birds in *any* county that I've picked for these years. 

Here, at any rate, are the code 3's

1. Ross's Goose
2. Surf Scoter
3. Red-breasted Merganser
4. Dusky Grouse
5. Red-necked Grebe
6. Anna's Hummingbird
7. Sora
8. Sandhill Crane
9. Semipalmated Plover
10. Long-billed Curlew
11. Marbled Godwit
12. Stilt Sandpiper
13. Sabine's Gull
14. Short-billed Gull
15. Western Gull
16. Iceland Gull
17. Lesser Black-backed Gull
18. Glaucous gull
19. Black Tern
20. Common Tern
21. Pacific Loon
22. American Bittern
23. White-faced Ibis
24. Great Gray Owl
25. Short-eared Owl
26. Lewis's Woodpecker
27. Olive-sided Flycatcher
28. Least Flycatcher
29. Red-eyed Vireo
30. Canada Jay
31. Blue Jay
32. Bohemian Waxwing
33. White-breasted Nuthatch
34. Sage Thrasher
35. Pine Grosbeak
36. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
37. Purple Finch
38. Common Redpoll
39. Lapland Longspur
40. Brewer's Sparrow
41. American Tree Sparrow
42. Golden-crowned Sparrow
43. Harris's Sparrow
44. White-throated Sparrow
45. Swamp Sparrow
46. Green-tailed Towhee

Walla Walla County running tally for the year: 

1. Snow Goose (1)
2. Greater White-fronted Goose (2)
3. Cackling Goose (2)
4. Canada Goose (1)
5. Tundra Swan (1)
6. Wood Duck (1)
7. Blue-winged Teal (2)
8. Cinnamon Teal (1)
9. Northern Shoveler (1)
10. Gadwall (1)
11. Eurasian Wigeon (3)
12. American Wigeon (1)
13. Mallard (1)
14. Northern Pintail (1)
15. Green-winged Teal (1)
16. Canvasback (1)
17. Redhead (1)
18. Ring-necked Duck (1)
19. Greater Scaup (1)
20. Lesser Scaup (1)
21. Long-tailed Duck (4)
22. Bufflehead (1)
23. Common Goldeneye (1)
24. Barrow's Goldeneye (2)
25. Hooded Merganser (1)
26. Common Merganser (1)
27. Ruddy Duck (1)
28. California Quail (1)
29. Wild Turkey (1)
30. Gray Partridge (3)
31. Ring-necked Pheasant (1)
32. Rock Pigeon (1)
33. Eurasian Collared Dove (1)
34. Mourning Dove (1)
35. Common Nighthawk (2)
36. Vaux's Swift (1)
37. American Coot (1)
38. Virginia Rail (2)
39. Black-necked Stilt (1)
40. American Avocet (2)
41. Black-bellied Plover (3)
42. Killdeer (1)
43. Sanderling (3)
44. Least Sandpiper (1)
45. Pectoral Sandpiper (2)
46. Western Sandpiper (1)
47. Short-billed Dowitcher (3)
48. Long-billed Dowitcher (1)
49. Lesser Yellowlegs (1)
50. Greater Yellowlegs (1)
51. Wilson's Phalarope (2)
52. Red-necked Phalarope (2)
53. Spotted Sandpiper (1)
54. Franklin's Gull (3)
55. Ring-billed Gull (1)
56. American Herring Gull (1)
57. California Gull (1)
58. Glaucous-winged Gull (1)
59. Caspian Tern (1)
60. Pied-billed Grebe (1)
61. Horned Grebe (1)
62. Western Grebe (1)
63. Common Loon (2)
64. Double-crested Cormorant (1)
65. Great Egret (1)
66. Great Blue Heron (1)
67. Black-crowned Night-Heron (2)
68. American White Pelican (1)
69. Turkey Vulture (2)
70. Osprey (1)
71. Cooper's Hawk (1)
72. Northern Harrier (1)
73. Bald Eagle (1)
74. Swainson's Hawk (1)
75. Red-tailed Hawk (1)
76. Ferruginous Hawk (3)
77. American Barn Owl (2)
78. Northern Saw-whet Owl (2)
79. Belted Kingfisher (1)
80. Williamson's Sapsucker (3)
81. Downy Woodpecker (1)
82. Hairy Woodpecker (1)
83. Northern Flicker (1)
84. American Kestrel (1)
85. Western Kingbird (1)
86. Eastern Kingbird (1)
87. Western Wood Pewee (1)
88. Hammond's Flycatcher (2)
89. Gray Flycatcher (3)
90. Dusky Flycatcher (2)
91. Steller's Jay (1)
92. California Scrub-Jay (4)
93. Black-billed Magpie (1)
94. American Crow (1)
95. Common Raven (1)
96. Black-capped Chickadee (1)
97. Mountain Chickadee (2)
98. Horned Lark (1)
99. Bank Swallow (1)
100. Tree Swallow (1)
101. Violet-green Swallow (1)
102. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (1)
103. Barn Swallow (1)
104. Cliff Swallow (1)
105. Golden-crowned Kinglet (2)
106. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
107. Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
108. Rock Wren (2)
109. Northern House Wren (1)
110. Marsh Wren (1)
111. Bewick's Wren (1)
112. Gray Catbird (1)
113. European Starling (1)
114. Western Bluebird (1)
115. American Robin (1)
116. Varied Thrush (2)
117. Cedar Waxwing (1)
118. House Sparrow (1)
119. American Pipit (2)
120. House Finch (1)
121. Cassin's Finch (2)
122. Pine Siskin (1)
123. Lesser Goldfinch (1)
124. American Goldfinch (1)
125. Chipping Sparrow (1)
126. Lark Sparrow (2)
127. Dark-eyed Junco (1)
128. White-crowned Sparrow (1)
129. Savannah Sparrow (1)
130. Song Sparrow (1)
131. Lincoln's Sparrow (2)
132. Spotted Towhee (1)
133. Yellow-breasted Chat (1)
134. Yellow-headed Blackbird (1)
135. Western Meadowlark (1)
136. Bullock's Oriole (1)
137. Red-winged Blackbird (1)
138. Tricolored Blackbird (3)
139. Brown-headed Cowbird (1)
140. Brewer's Blackbird (1)
141. Orange-crowned Warbler (1)
142. MacGillivray's Warbler (1)
143. Common Yellowthroat (3)
144. Yellow Warbler (1)
145. Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
146. Townsend's Warbler (1)
147. Western Tanager (1)
148. Black-headed Grosbeak (1)
149. Lazuli Bunting (1)