In spite of bitter cold (4 degrees F at start & 16 for a high) and up to 16 inches of snow twenty-five hardy birders ventured out on Saturday December 20, 2008, to produce some excellent results. In many ways conditions made for great counting conditions. After a couple days of snow and many days of below normal temperatures, Count Day was partly cloudy with virtually all ground snow covered. Many of the birds were ready for a little sunshine and the opportunity to get some food.

Highlights for the count included two female Pine Grosbeaks and a Barred Owl both located in the foothills of the Moscow Mountain range. Open water produced two Wood Ducks, a Bufflehead, and a Wilson's Snipe.  Eurasian Collared Doves were found on Count Day for the first time (they were a Count Week species last year) and the only new Species was a LESSER GOLDFINCH that was seen and photographed the day after the count so will be a count week bird. Also remarkable was a total of three Red-tailed (Harlan's) Hawks, a couple of which were being seen and identified prior to the count.

The count produced a total of 67 species and 3 races. The species total ties two previous counts for the second highest totals. Total individuals was 10,975. My thanks to all who assisted in making this a very successful count in the midst of a lot of unfavorable weather.

Cackling Goose 1	Red-tailed Hawk 65	Rock Wren 1
Canada Goose 5673	Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk 3	Canyon Wren 2
Wood Duck 140	Rough-legged Hawk 22	Bewick's Wren 11
Gadwall 10	Golden Eagle 2	Marsh Wren 2
Eurasian Wigeon 2	American Kestrel 34	American Dipper 1
American Wigeon 225	Merlin 3	Golden-crowned Kinglet 43
Mallard 3062	Peregrine Falcon 1	Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7
Northern Shoveler CW	Prairie Falcon 3	American Robin 259
Northern Pintail 3	Virginia Rail 2	Varied Thrush 1
Green-winged Teal 10	American Coot 152	European Starling 3843
Ring-necked Duck 4	Killdeer 1	Cedar Waxwing 5
Lesser Scaup 16	Ring-billed Gull 334	Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Bufflehead 338	California Gull 147	Spotted Towhee 1
Common Goldeneye 94	Herring Gull 12	American Tree Sparrow 2
Barrow's Goldeneye 173	Rock Pigeon 900	Song Sparrow 147
Hooded Merganser 16	Mourning Dove 402	White-throated Sparrow 1
Common Merganser 24	Barn Owl 2	White-crowned Sparrow 432
Chukar 4	Great Horned Owl 3	Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco 391
Gray Partridge 14	Belted Kingfisher 1	Dark-eyed (Slate) Junco 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 30	Downy Woodpecker 6	Snow Bunting 1
Wild Turkey 61	Northern Flicker 65	Red-winged Blackbird 109
California Quail 253	Northern Shrike 4	Western Meadowlark 11
Pied-billed Grebe 9	Black-billed Magpie 125	Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 40
Horned Grebe 3	Blue Jay CW	House Finch 303
Double-crested Cormorant 84	American Crow 64	Red Crossbill 1
Great Blue Heron 7	Common Raven 72	Common Redpoll 4
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3	Horned Lark 834	Pine Siskin CW
Bald Eagle 14	Black-capped Chickadee 58	Lesser Goldfinch 1
Northern Harrier 11	Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1	American Goldfinch 211
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5	Red-breasted Nuthatch 1	House Sparrow 705
Cooper's Hawk CW	Brown Creeper 5	90 SPECIES (20,152 individuals)