Our 41st Christmas bird Count was held on Saturday December 28, 2024. This count team deserves special congratulations for battling cold, rain, and a touch of fog. Despite the challenging conditions, our 68 participants were still able to rustle up 82 species. Some of these low numbers are possibly due to the weather conditions.
Highs:
Black Vultures: 106 observations; Average is 67. There was a roost of 93 birds in Section 2 that accounted for most of these.
Red-Shouldered Hawk: 22 observations, which ties last year’s high. This was significant considering how poor the weather was. Average is 3.
Common Mergansers: 106 observations. Average is 59
Hooded Mergansers:44 observations. Average is 14
Bald Eagle: 9 observations. Average is 4
Common Raven:10 observations. Average is 2
Ruby Crowner Kinglet: 18 observations. Average is 9
Song Sparrow: 474 observations. Average is 370.
White-throated Sparrow: 993 observations. Average is 938
Dark-eyed Junco: 1008 observations. Average is 862
Purple Finch: 12 observations. Average is 6
House sparrows:321 observations. Average is 186
Lows:
Turkey Vultures: Our average is 104 but only 16 were counted, probably due to the rainy weather.
Mallards: 144 observations. Average is 474. This species continues its recent precipitous fall in numbers. This species should not be affected by rainy weather.
Downy Woodpecker: 88 observations. Average is 169. Were they hunkering down in the rainy weather? Other woodpecker species were closer to their average numbers.
Carolina Chickadee (117 observations; average 382) and Tufted Titmouse (86 observations; average 230): After a marked improvement in 2023, their numbers fell back toward their 2018 lows, potentially due to the rainy count day, we hope.
American Robin: 606 observations. Average is 1250
Cedar waxwing: 6 observations. Average is 131
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 9 observations. Average is 45
American Tree Sparrow: 3 observations. Average is 26. They have declined in our area since 2008. Are they declining in true numbers or just not migrating as far south?
Common Grackle: 4 observations. Average is 247. We’ve have only single digits of this species since 2021.
Great Finds:
1 Greater White-fronted Goose
2 Cackling Geese
1 Muscovy duck, a first for the count
1 American Woodcock
1 Lesser Scaup
2 Northern Harriers
2 Long-eared owls
3 Fish Crows
1 Black-capped Chickadee
3 Orange-Crowned Warblers, all from Section 6
4 Chipping Sparrows
You can see all results here.
Our spring count will take place on Saturday June 7.
