Upper Newport Bay Monthly Census

photo by N. Kenyon

Upper Newport Bay

monthly census reports

For the past nine years, we have been conducting a monthly bird census in Upper Newport Bay from the deck of a small pontoon boat on the 3rd Wednesday morning or each month from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The census is done by birders from Sea and Sage Audubon Society, coordinated by Nancy Kenyon. Until the fall of 2010, our course was from the Back Bay Science Center boat dock, up the bay to the boat limit sign above the old salt dike, and then back again. The data we have collected is used for analysizing the status of resident and migratory birds in the upper portion of the bay.

In the fall of 2010, we switched our boat and starting location from the Back Bay Science Center to the Newport Sea Base because the dock at the Back Bay Science Center needed repair. Fortunately for us, the pontoon boats belonging to the Sea Base are much more suitable for our needs because they can hold more people and have a steadier deck from which to bird. All of our census data has been posted here on the website. Click on the census year you are interested in seeing.

Spreadsheets covering a whole year (January - December)

Monthly reports with comments about the tide, weather, & birds

Jan. 2011	Feb. 2011	March 2011	April 2011	May 2011	June 2011
July 2011	Aug. 2011	Sept. 2011	Oct. 2011	Nov. 2011

Between the years 1992 and 1996, a series of monthly birds counts were made in Upper Newport Bay, also conducted by birders from Sea and Sage Audubon. These counts were conducted during periods of low tide and were done from land. The counts were coordinated by Richard Kust.