From Drum Roll to Humdrum

Having done Christmas Bird Counts for a couple of decades, I always find the changes in bird numbers fascinating. It's also amazing how much the status of certain birds has changed. It wasn't long ago when adding Ross's Goose to your territory count was something you had to try hard to do. Nowadays, you'd have to try hard to avoid seeing one. Likewise, imagine the oohs and ahhs that Caracara would've earned just a few years ago. Now, it's not uncommon for multiple parties to get multiple Caracaras.

Other birds that have gone from drum roll to humdrum in the past few years:

Bald Eagle

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Cooper's Hawk

Inca Dove

many hummers, even Calliope!

Vermilion Flycatcher

This isn't because we've learned the trick for finding these birds; many of these species have simply become more common in SW LA. That's a good thing.

Unfortunately, some birds have gone the other route. Sharp-shinned Hawk, Purple Finch, and Eared Grebe come to mind as species formerly much easier to find.

From year to year, you never know what will change. The trick is to enjoy everything, because it may not last.