Feeder Data
Science Department
Tualatin Valley Academy
Hillsboro, Oregon
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Bird Population Trends from 1996-2009 ~ The Bird Blind at Downy Creek                
Total Bird Watching Days 12 25 24 30 30 35 18 11 21 13 23 13 24    
Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest  Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest Greatest    
 Number Number  Number  Number Number Number Number  Number Number Number Number Number Number    
Bird Species 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009   Bird Species
Blackbird, Red-winged 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   Blackbird, Red-winged
Bushtit 30 0 15 0 20 45 20 22 22 35 19 36 45   Bushtit
Chickadee, Black-capped 3 4 5 4 6 5 4 3 6 3 3 4 7   Chickadee, Black-capped
Chickadee, Chestnut-backed 3 3 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 3 2 4 3   Chickadee, Chestnut-backed
Creeper, Brown 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   Creeper, Brown
Crow, American 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1   Crow, American
Dove, Mourning 5 26 3 6 6 2 7 2 6 1 2 1 2   Dove, Mourning
Duck, Mallard 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 0 5   Duck, Mallard
Duck, Wood 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2   Duck, Wood
Finch, House 7 13 6 7 8 9 10 7 3 7 6 2 3   Finch, House
Finch, Purple 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   Finch, Purple
Flicker, Northern (Red-shafted) 3 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 2 2 2   Flicker, Northern (Red-shafted)
Goldfinch, American 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0   Goldfinch, American
Goldfinch, Lesser 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0   Goldfinch, Lesser
Hawk, Cooper's 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1   Hawk, Cooper's
Hawk, Red Tailed  0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   Hawk, Red Tailed 
Jay, Scrub (Western) 2 4 5 2 3 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1   Jay, Scrub (Western)
Jay, Steller's 6 5 6 2 3 3 6 2 5 2 3 3 3   Jay, Steller's
Junco, Dark-eyed 56 60 60 31 32 22 16 30 15 20 17 11 13   Junco, Dark-eyed
Kinglet, Golden-crowned 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   Kinglet, Golden-crowned
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 1 1 1 1   Kinglet, Ruby-crowned
Nuthatch, Red-breasted 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2   Nuthatch, Red-breasted
Robin, American 1 2 0 1 2 3 2 1 1 1 3 0 1   Robin, American
Siskin, Pine 0 1 1 2 18 15 20 2 3 0 6 3 4   Siskin, Pine
Sparrow, Fox 8 3 3 2 5 3 2 3 3 2 1 1 4   Sparrow, Fox
Sparrow, Golden-crowned 2 5 5 4 4 4 2 1 2 2 3 4 4   Sparrow, Golden-crowned
Sparrow, House 0 0 0 18 60 41 30 25 20 26 27 26 30   Sparrow, House
Sparrow, Lincoln's 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   Sparrow, Lincoln's
Sparrow, Song 4 4 5 3 6 5 5 5 7 6 4 4 4   Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, White-crowned 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0   Sparrow, White-crowned
Sparrow, White-throated 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 1   Sparrow, White-throated
Starling, European 2 4 6 4 15 3 7 4 3 2 1 3 9   Starling, European
Thrush, Varied 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 3 2 2   Thrush, Varied
Towhee, Spotted (Rufous-sided) 6 4 4 5 5 5 4 6 4 4 6 5 5   Towhee, Spotted (Rufous-sided)
Warbler, Townsend's 0 0 2 1 2 2 1 0 0 2 1 3 2   Warbler, Townsend's
Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 2   Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Audubon's)
Woodpecker, Downy 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2   Woodpecker, Downy
Woodpecker, Pileated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1   Woodpecker, Pileated
Wren, Bewick's 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2   Wren, Bewick's
                             
Total Birds 146 147 139 107 217 193 153 132 115 131 121 127 166   Total Birds
                             
Total Species 20 20 21 22 26 29 25 25 21 25 26 26 32   Total Species

 

Sample Charts & Graphes 
(click to enlarge)
          wpeE.jpg (100839 bytes)

   The first three years of data collection our most populous species was the Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis.  House Sparrows, Passer domesticus, also known as English Sparrows had never been observed at our feeding station.  Then during the 1999 – 2000 school year we saw a dramatic drop in the Dark-eyed Junco population and experienced a huge influx of House Sparrows.  The effect was impressive enough to catch the attention and concern of nearly all of my students.  Why was this happening?  Was it a coincidence?  Did the construction of houses and the loss of the field behind our school have something to do with this change?  Were the House Sparrows driving away the Juncos? 

Aerial photo showing the rural landscape around our school in 1996 (left) and the suburban development around the school in 2002 (right).  The yellow star marks the approximate location of our bird blind.