Column by Chris Michelson

Last Saturday, some 25 hardy, or perhaps foolish, individuals (myself included) participated in the 61st Casper Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

The conditions were a bit of a challenge. The temperature started at about minus 15 and may have gotten above zero for a time in some areas. Despite the conditions, some 13,838 individual birds of 63 different species were found in the count circle.

Audubon Christmas counts are done in a circle 15 miles in diameter. The Casper circle is centered about 5 miles southwest of Casper, so it includes all of the city, most of Casper Mountain, much of Coal Mountain, the Bessemer Bend area and nearly out to the airport.

Three species new to the count were reported this year:

* Two trumpeter swans were found in unfrozen areas of the river. Although this is the first time they have been recorded here in the Christmas Bird Count, it is not unexpected.

* Two northern bobwhite were reported. The quail were certainly released birds and are not expected to survive the winter.

* One Savannah sparrow was found. This species normally leaves this area by October.

There are a few other notable features in the count this year. Common raven, Eurasian collared-dove and wild turkey numbers are continuing to increase. These species were not recorded here until a few years ago.

The number of Canada geese present would suggest that at least some of these birds have become sedentary and are no longer migratory. The presence of American coot and mourning dove is considered quite late.

The complete results of the 2008 Casper Christmas Bird Count:

American coot, 1

American green-winged teal, 6

American widgeon, 13

Canada goose, 2,430

Common goldeneye, 136

Common merganser, 37

Gadwall, 4,

Hooded merganser, 2

Lesser scaup, 1

Mallard, 1,310

Redhead, 1

Trumpeter swan, 2

Dusky grouse, 6

Eurasian collared-dove, 324

Mourning dove, 6

Northern bobwhite, 2

Rock pigeon, 746

Wild turkey, 148

American kestrel, 1

Bald eagle, 22

Ferruginous hawk, 4

Golden eagle, 27

Great horned owl, 16

Merlin, 1

Northern harrier, 7

Prairie falcon, 2

Red-tailed hawk, 20

Rough-legged hawk, 13

Sharp-shinned hawk, 4

American crow, 49

American goldfinch, 23

American robin, 720

American tree sparrow, 2

Belted kingfisher, 2

Black-billed magpie, 135

Black-capped chickadee, 149

Blue jay, 74

Bohemian waxwing, 185

Cassin's finch, 11

Cedar waxwing, 187

Clark's nutcracker, 13

Common raven, 21

Dark-eyed junco, 140

Downy woodpecker, 23

European starling, 2,593

Evening grosbeak, 46

Gray-crowned rosy finch, 5

Hairy woodpecker, 7

Horned lark, 33

House finch, 656

House sparrow, 3,095

Mountain chickadee, 128

Northern flicker, 128

Northern shrike, 1

Pine grosbeak, 8

Pine siskin, 11

Red-breasted nuthatch, 11

Red crossbill, 29

Savannah sparrow, 1

Song sparrow, 9

Steller's jay, 16

Townsend's solitaire, 33

White-breasted nuthatch, 12