Butterbredt Christmas Count

Here is some helpful information for those wanting to participate. The Butterbredt count circle is approximately 3 hours drive from Santa Monica. The routes traveled in the circle are mostly unpaved but easily driven roads. Below is a map of the circle with ‘zones’ laid out in color.

Zones:

1. Jawbone Canyon Rd from the SW edge of the circle to the Butterbredt Spring turnoff. This is a low-yield run, partially due to its traditionally being done in the early morning as the sun rises.
2. Jawbone Cyn Rd from the Butterbredt turnoff to Kelso Valley (KV) Rd and then north to the intersection of KV Rd and Butterbredt Rd.
3. From the KV and Jawbone roads into the Piute Mtns.
4. Butterbredt turnoff from Jawbone Rd to the spring, and then to Butterbredt Rd ending at KV Rd, continuing up KV Rd to Keith’s place.
5. Piute Mtn Rd from KV Rd.
6. KV Rd from Sageland to the edge of the circle approximately at Frog Creek Rd, covering Bright Star/Kelso Creek.
7. Frog Creek Rd. to Dove Springs (as far as I know).
8. Keith Axelson’s Ranch.

All counters coming from the south have entered the circle at Zone 1, but only one ‘group’ needs to cover it. Traditionally my group has done zones 1, 2 and 3.

Zone 4, including serious walking down Butterbredt Canyon, has usually been done on its own.

Zone 5 is typically not done unless we have more counters.

Zone 6 is usually done by Reed Tollefson’s group.

Zone 7 has been done by Bob Barnes when he is available.

Zone 8 has been done by Lys Axelson. It is also the place to meet up after counting.

 

In the past, counting has been done from 8:00 a.m. in Zone 1 (but at counter’s discretion in other zones) and finishing at Keith’s around 2:00 p.m. BYO lunch.

And, just to give you and idea of what we should see, here is a list of all the species that have been seen 4 or more times in the 42 year history of the count. Typical species count is between 40 and 50.

Most Likely 80 Species for Butterbredt CBC

 

Canada Goose__________________________________________________________

Mallard________________________________________________________________

Green-winged Teal [American]_____________________________________________

Mountain Quail_________________________________________________________

California Quail_________________________________________________________

Golden Eagle___________________________________________________________

Northern Harrier________________________________________________________

Sharp-shinned Hawk_____________________________________________________

Cooper’s Hawk__________________________________________________________

Red-tailed Hawk_________________________________________________________

Rough-legged Hawk______________________________________________________

Ferruginous Hawk_______________________________________________________

American Coot__________________________________________________________

Killdeer________________________________________________________________

Wilson’s Snipe__________________________________________________________

Mourning Dove_________________________________________________________

Greater Roadrunner_____________________________________________________

Barn Owl_______________________________________________________________

Western Screech-Owl_____________________________________________________

Great Horned Owl_______________________________________________________

Long-eared Owl_________________________________________________________

White-throated Swift_____________________________________________________

Anna’s Hummingbird_____________________________________________________

Acorn Woodpecker______________________________________________________

Red-breasted Sapsucker__________________________________________________

Lewis’s Woodpecker______________________________________________________

Ladder-backed Woodpecker_______________________________________________

Nuttall’s Woodpecker____________________________________________________

Downy Woodpecker______________________________________________________

Hairy Woodpecker_______________________________________________________

White-headed Woodpecker_______________________________________________

Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker______________________________________________

American Kestrel________________________________________________________

Merlin_________________________________________________________________

Prairie Falcon___________________________________________________________

Black Phoebe___________________________________________________________

Say’s Phoebe____________________________________________________________

American Robin_________________________________________________________

Loggerhead Shrike_______________________________________________________

Pinyon Jay______________________________________________________________

Steller’s Jay_____________________________________________________________

California Scrub Jay______________________________________________________

Common Raven_________________________________________________________

Horned Lark____________________________________________________________

Mountain Chickadee_____________________________________________________

Oak Titmouse___________________________________________________________

Bushtit________________________________________________________________

White-breasted Nuthatch_________________________________________________

Rock Wren_____________________________________________________________

Bewick’s Wren__________________________________________________________

Cactus Wren____________________________________________________________

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher____________________________________________________

Ruby-crowned Kinglet____________________________________________________

Western Bluebird________________________________________________________

Mountain Bluebird______________________________________________________

Hermit Thrush__________________________________________________________

California Thrasher______________________________________________________

Le Conte’s Thrasher______________________________________________________

Northern Mockingbird____________________________________________________

European Starling_______________________________________________________

American Pipit__________________________________________________________

Phainopepla____________________________________________________________

Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler________________________________________

Black-throated Sparrow___________________________________________________

Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco_________________________________________________

White-crowned Sparrow__________________________________________________

Golden-crowned Sparrow_________________________________________________

Bell’s Sparrow (belli)_____________________________________________________

Savannah Sparrow_______________________________________________________

Song Sparrow___________________________________________________________

Lincoln’s Sparrow________________________________________________________

California Towhee_______________________________________________________

Spotted Towhee_________________________________________________________

Red-winged Blackbird____________________________________________________

Tricolored Blackbird______________________________________________________

Western Meadowlark____________________________________________________

Brewer’s Blackbird_______________________________________________________

House Finch____________________________________________________________

Pine Siskin______________________________________________________________

Lesser Goldfinch_________________________________________________________