2023 Stevensville Christmas Bird Count

By Deborah Goslin, Hamilton CBC Compiler

The 59^th Annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be December 30, 2023 starting at 7:30 am. Those with less experience or new to the valley are welcome and will be paired with experienced birders. 

Participants will meet in the basement meeting room of the Stevensville Ranger District (88 Main St, Stevensville, MT). From there we’ll form carpools and decide who will count which areas of the count circle. Then, you can count for just the morning or into the afternoon. This year we will NOT be meeting for lunch, so please bring your own snacks/food you need for the time you’re birding.

I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Deborah Goslin, the new Compiler for this CBC. I’ve participated in counts since 1975, and the Stevensville count since 1985. And I need some help! Our past Feeder Watch coordinator has moved away and I would love it if a volunteer stepped forward to help call people who just count birds from their feeders. I can be reached at (406) 214-7879. 

If you are a person who usually starts counting an area on your own, please call me and introduce yourself, so I can coordinate with others.

Please note NEW EMAIL for the Stevensville CBC:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please send your results or call me by Jan 2, 2024. 

In 2022, Counters tallied 12,674 birds representing 77 species. We didn’t find any species new to the Count, so our cumulative total remains at 158 species over our 58 years.

So let’s make the most of a winter’s day to see how many birds we can find around Stevensville!