The Missoula CBC was held on Sunday, December 14th. It was a mild day with temperatures reaching the upper 40's, no wind and partly sunny skies. The Count ended up with 85 species which is on the high side for Missoula. We also had 4 Count Week birds (Golden Eagle, Northern Pygmy Owl, Canada Jay, and Western Bluebird) which are birds not seen on Count Day but seen either 3 days before or 3 days after. We tallied 6854 total birds which is on the low side for the Missoula Count. Dan Jones filled in for Will McDowell and led the group that birded MaCauley Butte and Jillian Leblow covered Sleven's Island. Both groups covered the gravel pit ponds. The ponds were not frozen over and produced the only Red-necked Grebes, Western Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, and American Coots. Dan's group had the only Trumpeter Swans which flew right over the butte. Jillian's group had the only Lesser Scaup and Pied-billed Grebes. Poody McLaughlin led the Kelly Island group and had the only Gadwall, Gray Catbird and Bohemian Waxwings. Jim Brown birded Grass Valley (Carl Hayden's ranch) and had the only Northern Pintails, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl, and Western Meadowlark. Steve Flood birded LaValle Creek and had the only Ruffed Grouse, Gray partridge and Blue Jay. Boo Curry covered Council Grove and the Kona Ranch and had the only Wilson's Snipe, Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk and Yellow-headed Blackbird. Rose Leach had the only Double-crested Cormorant along Mullan Road. Thomas Kallmeyer birded Butler Creek, Goodan-Kiel Loop and North Hills and had the only Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Long-eared Owls. Cathy Smyers led the group that covered the State Nursery and Tower Street Open Space and one of her participants (Ryan Webster) found the only Northern Saw-whet Owl. Paul Hendricks, who hiked the Marshall Canyon to Woods Gulch trail, had the only Clark's Nutcrackers, Evening Grosbeaks and White-winged Crossbills. Adam Mitchell hiked up the Rattlesnake to get the only Canyon Wrens. Cindy and Barry Swidler had the only White-crowned Sparrow at their feeder. Other groups included Dave Jones (U of M and Greenough), Stan Senner (Farviews, Bancroft Pond, owling), Kristi DuBois (Cusker Ranch), Cindy Swidler (between Mullan Road and Kelly Island), Chris & Pam Scranton (Maclay Flat), Travis Brakefield (Stewart Peak trail), Larry Weeks (Grant Creek), Joy Earls (Snowdrift Lane), Bob Petty (Rattlesnake Greenway), and Adam Mitchell (upper Clark Fork). Rose Leach and Britt Fisher had Black-cap x Mountain Chickadee hybrids visiting their feeders. We missed seeing a Killdeer and Wild Turkey which is hard to believe!