The 2024 Carpinteria Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is almost here! If you are participating in our count you should know where you’re birding on count day and how to share your results.
Latest Scouting Results
Some great birds have been showing up in our count circle, and we’ve now successfully scouted all the species that have appeared in every previous Carpinteria CBC. Among the good birds our scouting has turned up lately have been a Blue Grosbeak seen at Jimenez Nursery by Nick Lethaby, a possible Red-naped Sapsucker seen at Shepard Mesa by Jim Williams, and a Pacific Wren at the Ennisbrook Open Space that I saw this morning.
Some rarities we previously found during scouting have been continuing to give good looks, including the Hermit Warbler at the Tee Time driving range and the Vermilion Flycatcher at the Carpinteria Cemetery. On the other hand, the Painted Bunting at the Carpinteria Sanitary District has not been reported since December 1 despite a number of birders trying for it. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the bird is still around.
“Count Week”
We’re now in the seven-day period bracketing count day during which any birds seen can be reported in our CBC submission as “count week” birds even if we don’t get them on count day itself. It’s a nice consolation prize for birds that we know were indeed present close to count day. That makes this a good time to make a special scouting push to try to record those good species in case we miss them on Saturday.
Count week birds can be seen in a special trip report I’ve set up here:
Carpinteria CBC 2024 Count Week Trip Report
“Tune-up” Zoom Meeting
We’ll be having an online Zoom meeting (only) tomorrow night as a final “tune-up” session for anyone who has questions or suggestions about the count. My guess is that the meeting will be pretty quick; maybe a half-hour or so. It’s totally optional; you don’t need to attend. The “tune-up” Zoom meeting will use the same Zoom link as the midday tally and evening compilation meetings on count day; you should already have received that link in your emailed CBC instructions.
Topic: Carpinteria CBC tune-up meeting (online only via Zoom)
Time: Dec 12, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Zoom link: If you are signed up for the count you should already have received an email with details of your assignment. That email included the link to the Zoom meeting. If you’re having trouble finding it, you can search your email for the meeting ID: 849 0455 5451. Or call or text the hotline — (805) 664-0583 — and we can send you another copy of the invitation.
Final Instructions
The weather forecast looks good for count day: cool, light winds, and no rain some rain, maybe, but not until later in the day. The tide will be very high at sunrise, then falling throughout the day until it is very low at sunset; those birding the marsh and coastline take note.
You can use the tally spreadsheet to see what birds we’re finding on count day, and you can call the Carpinteria CBC Hotline at (805) 664-0583 if you have questions or need to get in touch with someone. Otherwise, I’ll hope to see you either online via Zoom or in-person at the Carpinteria Library for our midday tally and our evening compilation. For any other questions see the count’s web page here:
Carpinteria Christmas Bird Count
Have fun everyone! Let’s have a great count!
— John Callender, Carpinteria CBC compiler