The bird watchers counted 100,000 individual birds and about 180 species Dec. 19 in a 15-mile circle centered in Oakland and including Treasure Island, the East Bay shore from El Cerrito to Oakland International Airport and east to Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette.

Last year, in blustery weather, which tends to lower numbers, 84,000 individual birds and 178 species were counted.

On Alameda's main island, birders counted 93 species, lower than their goal of 100 but comparable to other recent years.

"There was good visibility and the weather was perfect," said Leora Feeney, who led the 11-member Island team. "I'm not sure why our number was down.

"The Audubon Society used the count to highlight its opposition to the proposed Indian Casino near Oakland International Airport. Birders counted 66 species in Arrowhead Marsh, including two federally endangered species, the California clapper rail and brown pelican. The marsh is next to the proposed casino site.

Five years of surveys show that at least 90 species inhabit the marsh some time during the year, according to Audubon.

"A large, noisy and brightly lit casino (is) completely incompatible with the continued health of this fragile sanctuary," said Arthur Feinstein, Golden Gate Audubon's conservation director. "Lights interfere with bird breeding behavior, and will make it easier for predators such as rats, ravens and raccoons to devastate the nests of breeding black-necked stilts, American avocets and pintail ducks, as well as threaten the endangered California clapper rail."

Bird counts are important because, like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, changes in bird populations can indicate environmental changes, say Audubon officials.

"For those of us counting in the West End, the biggest treat was a pair of oyster catchers with back lighting," said Leora Feeney, who led the 11-member Alameda group. "Their red bills with yellow tips looked like neon lights. They were close to us and feeding on mussels and clams."

Oyster catchers are more common on the coast than in the Bay, she said.

The best bird in the Alamedans' day -- a short-eared owl seen at Alameda Point -- probably won't count because the team that spotted it didn't write a rare bird report, Feeney said.

Feeney was disappointed to miss brown pelicans and barn owls. Pelicans had already migrated south for the winter, although they are often here in December and barn owls are difficult to see in the daytime, she said.

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