Whatcom Land Trust – North Cascades Audubon Society Bird Survey Project

In 2015 North Cascades Audubon Society (NCAS) and Whatcom Land Trust (WLT) initiated a project in which birds would be surveyed on fifteen different WLT properties and Whatcom County Park properties with significant ties to the WLT. The WLT properties included Bottiger's Pond, California Creek, Catalyst, Edfro Creek Preserve, Ladies of the Lake, Maple Creek Reach, North Fork Eagle, Port Blakely, Riverstead, Samish River Headwaters, Fenton, and Kelsey. Squires Lake, Point Roberts--Lily Point, and Point Whitehorn Marine Park were also surveyed. In 2017, Port Blakely and Squires Lake were dropped from the project. Surveys have now continued for 5 years and it is anticipated that they will continue into the foreseeable future.

The objective of the bird survey project is multi-faceted. WLT and NCAS will obtain baseline data regarding the species of birds and the numbers of each species on each property. Analysis of the data will allow tracking of changes in species and numbers in the future and will identify properties with species of birds that are of significant concern or importance. The data will potentially guide decisions for habitat enhancement decisions, especially if critical species are found and may possibly support future grant requests. The project also provides birders with additional high quality birding sites and also more people stewarding and caring for the properties.

Twenty highly qualified birders (surveyors), recruited by NCAS, are participating in the surveys and conduct the surveys in pairs. Surveys are being conducted three times a year on each property. The surveys are conducted during spring migration (early May), during breeding season (June), and during fall migration (September).

Results

A cursory review of the data in 2017 revealed approximately 128 different species on the properties. The largest number of species and greatest diversity have been found at Ladies of the Lake, Riverstead, Samish River Headwaters, Catalyst, Point Roberts-Lily Point, and California Creek. All of these properties included a number of features favorable to birds. These include wetlands and expanses of water or flowing water, forest, and openings such as fields.

A full analysis of the data was initiated in the fall of 2019 and results are pending.