Download Edmonton. High numbers of Blue Jays were again

Edmonton. High numbers of Blue Jays
were again reported for the region but
declined approximately 20 percent from
last year. Similarly, Black-billed Magpies
continue their decline at a rate of about
10 percent. Black-capped and Mountain
chickadee numbers also dropped about
20 percent since last year. Bohemian
Waxwings totaled 14,359, less than half
the number reported last year. House
Finch numbers stalled at about 835
birds for the second year in a row. Four
locations in southern Alberta reported
795 birds, while Edmonton, representing the only northern locale, counted a
mere 40. Common Redpoll numbers
continue to exhibit the roller coaster
effect that started in 1992; this year only
7792 were tallied, a 60 percent drop
from last year. House Sparrow numbers
continue to remain fairly constant as
they have over the past couple of years.
Three Northwest Territories counts
reported 22 species, up two from last
year. The number of Willow Ptarmigan
dropped about 20 percent from last year.
Numbers in Yellowknife (158) remain
essentially unchanged; at Norman Wells
13 were counted (down from 44), and
one was counted at Fort Simpson. The
total of 2272 Common Raven was 104
birds fewer than the 2003 high of 2376.
Yellowknife reported the most, with
1860 birds, slightly more than the
combined total for last year. The Blackcapped Chickadee (11), found only at
Fort Simpson, appears to have been
replaced by the Boreal Chickadee (at
least more abundant) at Norman Wells
and Yellowknife.
Two counts, Rankin Inlet and Arviat, were
submitted from Nunavut. The Common
Raven was the only species reported.
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND
YUKON TERRITORY
Richard J. Cannings
1330 Debeck Road, Site 11, Comp 96, RR1
Naramata, BC V0H 1N0
[email protected]
Eighty-seven counts came in from
British Columbia and Yukon this year,
another all-time high. New counts were
THE
105TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Count circles in
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND YUKON TERRITORY
from Blaeberry, Charlie Lake, Powell
River, Rossland-Warfield, Teslin, and
Trail-Beaver Valley. Weather didn’t play
a factor on most counts, though the
Mayo, YT, count reported a bonechilling low of minus 49 F, and wind
and cold temperatures combined to
make life uncomfortable for birders at
Whitehorse and Haines Junction. Some
coastal counts had rather windy days as
well, including (as usual) Haida Gwaii
counts such as Skidegate Inlet and Rose
Spit. Tlell, however, had calm conditions,
and viewing conditions for waterfowl
were unusually ideal. Those conditions,
combined with a concentration of herring and perhaps other food inshore,
produced remarkable numbers of loons,
grebes and waterfowl at Tlell.
British Columbia detail
The species count in British
Columbia soared to 236 this year (from
225 last year), and the Yukon’s species
count climbed to 36 (34 last year).
Victoria birders had a superb day, setting
a new Canadian record of 154 species,
AMERICAN BIRDS
51
and Oliver-Osoyoos led the way again in
the interior with 105. In the Yukon,
Whitehorse was alone in the lead with a
record-breaking 28 species.
Last year’s good Brant totals plummeted this year, with only 365 seen, 261
of them at Ladner. The Trumpeter Swan
total dropped slightly to 6638, mainly
because numbers at Comox were down
to 1474, less than half of what was
reported last year. Mute Swan numbers
were up, with 102 seen on eight counts,
mostly on Vancouver Island. Tlell
reported good numbers of mergansers
and Long-tailed Ducks, but its truly
remarkable total was a new Canadian
record for Common Goldeneyes:
11,161. Tlell also posted record-breaking
numbers of Red-throated Loon (1151)
and Red-necked Grebe (708). Campbell
River, with its well-known concentrations of waterbirds in Discovery Passage,
reported 4437 Pacific Loons. Yellowbilled Loons were back to normal levels,
with five seen on three counts, including
three on Hecate Strait. The Hecate Strait
ferry also had the only tubenoses reported
this year—five Short-tailed Shearwaters.
Spruce Grouse are difficult to find in
winter, remaining quietly in their food
trees all day, so totals of 10 at Marsh
Lake, seven at Whitehorse, and five at
Pemberton-Mt. Currie are certainly
noteworthy. Ptarmigan are also cryptic
in winter; this year Whistler had a
White-tailed Ptarmigan (reportedly
being killed by Northern Pygmy-Owl!);
while good numbers of Willow
Ptarmigan were seen at Haines Junction
(27) and Mackenzie (10). This year’s
record total of 697 Wild Turkeys was
certainly helped by a report of 223 from
the new Trail-Beaver Valley count. This
species continues to burgeon in the
Kootenays. Numbers of another introduced species, the California Quail,
declined in the north Okanagan this
year, but a record high of 4566 was
reported farther south, in Penticton.
An American White Pelican at White
Rock was extremely unusual. Sooke
reported good numbers of cormorants,
with 1349 Brandt’s, 1329 Double-crested,
52
AMERICAN BIRDS
and 502 Pelagic; only Skidegate Inlet
had more Pelagics (585). White Rock
and Ladner both had single Cattle
Egrets, the remnants of a large movement of small flocks through British
Columbia; in the interior, Creston and
Logan Lake managed to report single
count period birds.
Golden Eagles wintered in good numbers, with a total of 51 seen, including
12 at Vaseux Lake and 11 at OliverOsoyoos. Gyrfalcons were unusually
widespread, with singles on eight
counts. Black-bellied Plovers wintered
in high numbers for the second year in a
row, with 6855 on the Ladner count and
a notable 293 at Comox.
White Rock had a good array of
unusual shorebirds, including an
American Avocet, a Lesser Yellowlegs,
and a Long-billed Curlew. Other interesting shorebird sightings included a
Willet at Ladner, three Whimbrel at
Victoria, and a Ruddy Turnstone at
Nanaimo. A Sabine’s Gull at Penticton
was totally unexpected, though a few
had passed through the interior in the
fall. Other rare gulls included a count
week Slaty-backed at Nanaimo and a
count week Heermann’s at Victoria.
Hecate Strait reported 13 Cassin’s
Auklet, but more surprising was a count
week bird in Victoria. The most unusual alcid was a single Tufted Puffin in
Bamfield. A surprising total of 155
Eurasian Collared-Doves was counted in
British Columbia’s one wild population
at Cawston. Seven Western Screech-Owls
were reported from seven counts, four on
the coast and three in the OkanaganSimilkameen. Victoria reported good
numbers of other owls, including 26
Great Horned and eight Barred, indicating that it isn’t lack of effort that is
producing the low counts of screechowls. Great Horned Owls remain at low
numbers in the Yukon, with only a count
week report from Haines Junction. Single
Northern Hawk Owls were reported
from five counts, but there was certainly
no sign of the significant movement that
occurred east of the Rockies. Great Gray
Owls were widespread, with seven on
five counts, including three at Smithers;
no fewer than eight were reported in
count week elsewhere.
Victoria hummingbird watchers again
outdid themselves with a record 390
Anna’s Hummingbirds reported; Sooke
had a single Rufous. Penticton missed
Lewis’s Woodpecker for the first time in
history as the Trout Creek wintering
population dwindled to zero, but OliverOsoyoos reported two. A Western
Scrub-Jay at a Squamish feeder was the
fourth record for a Canadian Christmas
count. Chestnut-backed Chickadees,
normally restricted to the wet coniferous
forests of the coast and Kootenays, wandered widely across the drier interior,
showing up on perhaps 10 counts they
don’t normally appear on, including five
each in Salmon Arm and Penticton.
Conversely, single Mountain Chickadees
showed up on three Lower Mainland
counts—Chilliwack, Ladner, and White
Rock—well away from their normal
interior coniferous forest haunts.
Barn Swallows continued their mysterious winter wanderings into British
Columbia; two were found in Kamloops
and a single at Port Alberni. Vaseux Lake
had two lingering Rock Wrens and
a near-record 24 Canyon Wrens.
Penticton’s Western Bluebird total
slipped to 150, while Victoria reported
the only Mountain Bluebird this year.
Wilson’s Warblers were seen on three
coastal counts (Abbotsford-Mission,
Vancouver, and Victoria), while Victoria
also had a Western Tanager. Kelowna’s
Chipping Sparrow and Whitehorse’s
White-throated Sparrow were both
highly unusual, but paled in comparison
to the pair of McKay’s Buntings seen on
the Vancouver count. These birds had
been present for some time and
remained on the Iona Island jetty for
several weeks after the count as well.
A count week Rose-breasted Grosbeak
was very unusual at Pitt Meadows, as were
single count day Black-headed Grosbeaks
at Nanaimo and Pemberton-Mt. Currie.
Except for an isolated concentration
at Cranbrook, Red Crossbills were
scarce everywhere off Vancouver Island.
White-winged Crossbills were also scarce,
consistently found only in the northwest.
Evening Grosbeak numbers remained
low, with the only significant numbers
being 309 tallied at Rossland-Warfield.
Count circles in
ALASKA
ALASKA
R. L. “Buzz” Scher
8640 Leeper Circle
Anchorage, Alaska 99504
[email protected]
A near record 889 observers (field and
feeder watchers) tallied 133 species (plus
4 during count week), and a record
180,383 total individuals and 42 (plus 1
count week) species of passerine (81,646
individuals) during the 35 counts conducted in Alaska. These benchmark
results were no doubt reflective of all the
compilers’ efforts, plus generally mild
weather across Alaska preceding and
during the counts. Daytime high temperatures generally ranged from 40 to 50
degrees Fahrenheit on the counts in the
southeast portion of the state, the mid-30s
to 40 degrees on the southcoastal counts,
the low 30s on the southwest counts,
and from about 10 to 30 degrees on the
central (Interior) and western Alaska
counts. (A low of minus 27 degrees was
recorded at Prudhoe Bay in the north.)
A new count circle was established at
Gambell, on St Lawrence Island in far
western Alaska. More than 50 observers
took part on each of four counts (132 at
Anchorage, 109 at Fairbanks, 69 at
Sitka, and 52 at Kodiak).
Statewide, eight species accounted for
almost 40 percent of the total individuals
tallied: Mallard (12,663), Bohemian
Waxwing (12,262), Glaucous-winged
Gull (11,664), Pine Siskin (9716),
Common Raven (7584), Northwestern
Crow (6129), Rock Sandpiper (5687),
and Black-capped Chickadee (4965).
New record “state high counts” were set
for Emperor Goose (3273, Izembek
NWR), Canada Goose (1098, Juneau),
Mallard (3764, Homer), Rock
Ptarmigan (100, Unalaska Island), Black
Oystercatcher (584, Kodiak), Sanderling
(800, Izembek NWR), Dunlin (1515,
Glacier Bay), Northwestern Crow (1814,
THE
105TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Juneau), Black-capped Chickadee (1997,
Anchorage), American Dipper (36,
Matanuska Valley), Townsend’s Solitaire
(4, Anchorage), American Pipit (29,
Narrow Cape-Kalsin Bay), Bohemian
Waxwing (11,415, Anchorage), Lapland
Longspur (51, Seward), Gray-crowned
Rosy-Finch (328, Unalaska Island), and
Common Redpoll (7917, Anchorage).
Most remarkable for the state, climate
warming or not, were three hummingbird and three warbler species, all but
one recorded in the southcoastal region:
Costa’s Hummingbird (lingering since
fall; first Alaska CBC and winter record)
at Cordova, Anna’s Hummingbird also
at Cordova (count week), a probable
Rufous Hummingbird at Sitka (count
week), single Orange-crowned and
Townsend’s warblers at Anchorage, and
two Wilson’s Warblers at Homer.
The 12 counts in the southeast portion
of the state (Chilkat, Craig-Klawock,
Glacier Bay, Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan,
Mitkof Island, Sitka, Skagway, Tenakee
Springs, Wrangell Island, and Yakutat)
tallied 98 (plus 5 count week) species
and 52,241 individuals. Among that
number were 35 species of passerine
Alaska detail
(15,956 individuals), 33 waterfowl and
seabirds, and 19 shorebirds, gulls, and
alcids. Six species—Mallard, Long-tailed
Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Glaucouswinged Gull, Northwestern Crow, and
Pine Siskin—accounted for over half of
the individuals recorded. Area maxima
71 species were observed at both Glacier
Bay (plus 3 count week) and Juneau
(14,635 individuals).
The nine counts conducted in the
southcoastal region (Anchorage, Cordova,
Eagle River, Homer, Kodiak, Matanuska
AMERICAN BIRDS
53
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte
tephrocotis), Homer, Alaska.
Photo/Ernest Manewal
Valley, Narrow Cape-Kalsin Bay, Seward,
and Soldotna) tallied 117 (plus 4 count
week) species and 90,027 individuals,
including 41 species of passerine
(48,343 individuals); 40 waterfowl and
seabirds; 15 shorebirds, gulls, and alcids;
and 10 raptors (diurnal and nocturnal).
Six species—Mallard, Rock Sandpiper,
Black-capped Chickadee, Bohemian
Waxwing, Common Redpoll, and Pine
Siskin—accounted for over half of the
total individuals. Statewide maxima 78
species were observed at Kodiak and
26,521 individuals were tallied at
Anchorage (where Bohemian Waxwings
and Common Redpolls accounted for
almost 73 percent of this total).
The eight counts across the central
portion of the state (Delta Junction,
Denali NP, Eagle Community, Fairbanks, Galena, Kenny Lake, Tok, and
Trapper Creek-Talkeetna) tallied 35
(plus 2 count week) species and 14,812
individuals, including 19 species of
passerine (11,850 individuals), seven
raptors (diurnal and nocturnal), and
four each of grouse and woodpeckers.
Two species, Common Raven and
Common Redpoll, accounted for almost
70 percent of the total individuals. Area
maxima 25 species and 12,180 individuals were tallied at Fairbanks.
54
AMERICAN BIRDS
The three counts located along the Alaska
Peninsula and eastern Aleutian Islands
(Izembek NWR, King Salmon-Naknek,
and Unalaska Island) tallied 58 (plus 1
count week) species and 21,747 individuals, including 24 species of waterfowl
and seabirds; 15 passerines (1982 individuals); 10 shorebirds, gulls, and alcids;
and five diurnal raptors. Four species—
Emperor Goose, Brant, Steller’s Eider,
and Glaucous-winged Gull—accounted
for over half of the total individuals.
Area maxima 44 species were observed
at Unalaska Island, and 13,486 individuals were counted at Izembek NWR.
The final three counts were located in,
but hardly representative of, western and
northern Alaska (Gambell, Nome, and
Prudhoe Bay), where nine species (6
passerine) and 1003 individuals were
tallied. Two species, Common Raven
and Long-tailed Duck (the latter only at
Gambell), accounted for over 75 percent
of the total individuals. Regional maxima six species and 460 individuals were
counted at Nome.
There it is, all the reason you need to
plan your next winter trip to the Greatland
(at least some of us think it’s so).
NEW ENGLAND
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Wayne R. Petersen
Cape Cod Center for Bird Conservation
at Long Pasture
345 Bone Hill Road
P.O. Box 235
Cummaquid, MA 02367
[email protected]
Always interesting and never the same,
the 105th New England CBC was no
exception. In a winter when many CBC
compilers commented on the paucity of
birds, the CBC reports were nonetheless
notable in a number of ways. A summary
of count statistics showed that a total of
223 species was recorded on 118 CBCs this
season, along with count week Whitewinged Dove (Nantucket), Western
Kingbird (Cape Ann), Ovenbird (Greater
Boston), and Boat-tailed Grackle
(Stratford-Milford). This is up from last
year’s 216 species and includes at least two
first regional CBC occurrences (California
Gull and Ruby-throated Hummingbird).
A total of 3154 observers traveled 43,695
party miles and contributed 9597 party
hours of holiday time to generate this
robust total. As has been reiterated before,
were it not for this degree of diligence by so
many dedicated citizen scientists, the
CBC would be unable to accurately
reflect winter bird trends the way it has
since its inception over a century ago.
To all who participated and gave of their
time and energy counting birds at
Christmas this year, thank you! A special
thanks to George W. Zepko, who marked
his 50th consecutive year as a participant
in the Westport, Connecticut, count.
As in the past, a rundown of the highest CBC tally for each New England
state hopefully helps bolster the camaraderie and competition that inevitably
surrounds the event each year. As
always, the short list of probable winners
is rather predictable given that, as in the
real estate business, it’s all about “location, location, location.” Keeping this in
mind, this season’s top honor belongs to
New Haven (127), the count that also
placed first last year with 135 species.
More noteworthy is the fact that each of
the highest state totals this season was
lower than the corresponding high counts
for last year. In other words, in spite of the
higher cumulative species total for New
England, the overall numbers of birds
recorded on CBCs this year were definitely depressed. The winning CBC totals for
other New England states were Newport
County-Westport (125) in Rhode Island,
Martha’s Vineyard (120) and Mid-Cape
Cod (120) in Massachusetts, Coastal New
Hampshire (106) in New Hampshire,
Greater Portland (89) in Maine, and
Ferrisburg (79) in Vermont.
Despite the fact that the Boston area
experienced a record January (2005)
snowfall, and that persistent cold and
severe windchill throughout the region
punctuated the last half of the month,
the fall weather was generally cool and a
bit wetter than usual, but was by no
means severe. However, as veteran
Count circles in
NEW ENGLAND
Plymouth CBC compiler, Trevor LloydEvans, noted, “The count followed a
well-below-average fall migration for
most species, plus a very poor fruit and
berry crop in 2004, with not much natural food left by Christmas.” He further
pointed out, “We had an early deep
freeze in 2004 (3 degrees Fahrenheit on
21 December) and a substantial snowstorm during the week before the
count.” These observations suggest that
THE
105TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
a combination of factors, including the
lesser magnitude of fall migration, the
nature of the autumn weather preceding
the CBC period, the availability of food
during early winter, and the weather
immediately preceding the CBC period,
may have accounted for the lower than
usual numbers of birds recorded on
many counts this season.
Even more intriguing are the insights
provided by Henry Norwood, compiler
for the venerable Concord, MA, CBC.
Norwood postulates that years of low
numbers of individuals on his CBC show
a compelling correlation to El Niño
Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index
data. Norwood ran a series of test
regression analyses for the period of
1975–2004 for counts of a number of
species that are regular on the Concord
count and have shown a tendency to
appear in lower numbers in El Niño
AMERICAN BIRDS
55
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), Newport-Westport, Rhode IslandMassachusetts. Photo/Geoff Dennis
years. Because 2004 witnessed a “relatively strong El Niño episode,” Norwood
suggests that the lower numbers of birds
on the CBC could be a related event.
Both of the scenarios described above
offer fascinating insight into factors that
could have influenced the numbers of
birds counted at Christmas. Rather
than speculate further, however, I invite
interested readers to form their own
hypotheses to explain the perturbations
observed this winter. Clearly there are
opportunities for further investigation.
In broad terms, a few species deserve
particular comment, either because their
populations appear to be changing
regionally, or simply because they represented a detectable blip on this season’s
CBC effort. Among the species that
seem to be showing a steady increase on
New England CBCs in recent years are
Hooded Merganser, Wild Turkey, Doublecrested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron,
Black Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, Lesser
Black-backed Gull, Monk Parakeet, Redbellied Woodpecker, Common Raven,
and Northern Cardinal. A selection of
species showing a steady and consistent
decline includes American Black Duck,
Northern Bobwhite, American Kestrel,
Herring Gull, American Crow, and
Evening Grosbeak. From this sample it
is interesting to notice how many of the
species also appeared on last year’s roster.
The reasons for these trends are
undoubtedly varied and complex, but
among the probable causes are almost
certainly global climate change (e.g.,
Black Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker,
Northern Cardinal), landscape level
56
AMERICAN BIRDS
habitat change (e.g., Cooper’s Hawk,
Northern Bobwhite, Common Raven),
biological competition with other species
(e.g., American Kestrel), effects of West
Nile virus (e.g., American Crow), and
reduction in availability of food sources
associated with human activity (e.g.,
Herring Gull).
Besides the species listed above, several others deserve specific mention. For
reasons that are probably different in
each case, three historically abundant
introduced species appear to be in a fairly steep decline at the moment—Mute
Swan, Ring-necked Pheasant, and
European Starling. While it is unlikely
that too many birders will lament these
declines, it is nonetheless interesting that
three exotic species, each with quite different requirements, all seem to be
declining concurrently. Of the regularly
irruptive species, none showed any particular evidence of major movement this
winter, as reflected by the following
rather paltry regional totals: Northern
Goshawk (35), Rough-legged Hawk
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina),
Lee-Durham, New Hampshire.
Photo/Steve Mirick
(135), Snowy Owl (19, more than twice
last year’s total, however), Short-eared
Owl (15), Northern Shrike (70), and
Bohemian Waxwing (39). In addition,
there was scarcely any winter finch
movement worthy of mention, even in
northern New England.
Now for the good stuff, the fancy finds
that motivate birders to go birding even
in the coldest, windiest, or snowiest
weather in an effort to locate that special
bird that might “gild the lily” on his or
her favorite CBC. As always there were
some dandy finds, perhaps most notable
being a California Gull in first-winter
plumage, carefully documented and photographed at Nantucket, and a definitively
identified and stunningly photographed
Ruby-throated Hummingbird at
Newport County-Westport. Practically as
amazing as these two first New England
CBC records is the fact that the
Newport County CBC also recorded two
Rufous Hummingbirds! Imagine, in the
past three years New England CBCs have
produced records of Calliope, Rubythroated, and Rufous hummingbirds.
Only slightly less remarkable is another tier of records. In this list belong
American White Pelican at Manchester
(plus count week at Quincy), Green
Heron at Northampton, Willet at
Greater Portland, Marbled Godwit at
Cape Cod, Forster’s Tern at TauntonMiddleboro, Ash-throated Flycatcher
at Cape Ann, Townsend’s Solitaire at
Cape Ann, Townsend’s Warbler at Cape
Ann, Blackpoll Warbler at Greater
Boston (plus count week at South
Kingstown), and Yellow-throated
Warbler at Lee-Durham.
A summary of other highlights taken
in taxonomic order follows. Greater
White-fronted Geese are now becoming
sufficiently regular in the region that
they no longer warrant highlighting, as
suggested by the presence of singles this
year at Northampton, Storrs, and
Woodbury-Roxbury. In stark contrast to
some years when Vermont Snow Geese
have numbered in four and five figures,
this year’s state total of 11 individuals
was, at best, paltry. A Tundra Swan at
Green Heron (Butorides virescens),
Northampton, Massachusetts.
Photo/Emily Jewell
Southern Berkshire was a nice perk for a
far inland count, while the regional total
of 2438 Mute Swans was more than 300
below last year. The fact that this exotic
species is in the sights of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service for population
reduction in the Atlantic Flyway suggests that perhaps New England has
already made a contribution to the
quota. A Blue-winged Teal at
Greenwich-Stamford is always a juicy
find for a New England CBC. The tally
of 226,536 Long-tailed Ducks at
Nantucket is surely one of the most seasonally impressive aggregations of birds
anywhere in the region, and the regional total of 4850 Hooded Mergansers is a
vivid reflection of the continued increase
of this species in recent years. On the
flip side of the ledger are regional totals
of 150 Canvasbacks and a mere five
Redheads, both grim reminders of a
long-term slide in the numbers of these
handsome prairie nesters.
Without question Spruce Grouse is
one of the most difficult species to
record in winter of all the birds that regularly occur in New England, so a total
of seven this season was outstanding,
especially two at Pittsburg, NH, in a
state where the species is hardly ever
recorded on a CBC. Pacific Loons have
been almost annual somewhere in the
region in recent years, so individuals at
Stellwagen Bank, Greater Portland, and
Mount Desert Island were not totally
unexpected. Of greater potential interest
was a loon identified as an Arctic Loon
at Mount Desert Island; however, withTHE
105TH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
out full documentation (preferably with
photos), this editor conservatively
excluded it from the census tally.
Unequivocal, however, was an Eared
Grebe at Cape Ann that has been
recorded for at least six years in a row.
Long-legged wader highlights featured Great Egrets at Stratford-Milford,
New London, and Greenwich-Stamford
and a Little Blue Heron at Cape Cod,
in addition to the previously mentioned
Green Heron at Northampton. A
regional total of 60 Black Vultures clearly places this species near the top of the
list of southern species rapidly expanding its range into New England.
Regional Ospreys at Newport CountyWestport and count week at Sturbridge
are becoming increasingly frequent as
the species continues to recover from
pesticide contamination of 40 to 50
years ago. Bald Eagles smashed all previous regional CBC counts with a
stunning total of 524 individuals. Even
more impressive is the fact that Cooper’s
Hawks (407) for the first time eclipsed
Sharp-shinned Hawks (380), thus providing incontrovertible evidence of the
recent meteoric increase in the numbers
of this incredibly successful raptor in
New England. Of increasing concern,
however, is the continued decline in
American Kestrel numbers, the cumulative total of 56 individuals representing the
lowest in the 25 years that this editor has
been summarizing New England counts.
Sandhill Cranes at Lewiston-Auburn
and Hartford were potentially indicators
of the recent colonization of northern
Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata),
South Kingstown, Rhode Island (count
week). Photo/Mike Tucker
New England by this species, while a
Sora at Napatree Point was the only rail
of note during the period. Notable
shorebirds this season included two
Semipalmated Plovers at ThomastonRockland, American Oystercatchers at
New Bedford and New Haven, Western
Sandpiper at Coastal New Hampshire,
and two Long-billed Dowitchers at
Stratford-Milford. One shorebird to
watch carefully in the future is
Sanderling, since regional CBC numbers have been declining for several
years, a pattern congruent with national
trends for this wide-ranging calidrid.
Three Pomarine Jaegers at Stellwagen
Bank is considerably less surprising than
it was even a decade ago. Little Gull at
Nantucket, Thayer’s Gull (Whatever that
is!) at Augusta, and a robust regional
total of 55 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
round out the list of larid luminaries.
In keeping with the rising tide of
northward moving Red-bellied Woodpeckers were comments from compilers
about the spectacular numbers of this
species in northern New England this
winter (New Hampshire, 77; Vermont,
46; Maine, 63). A Blue-headed Vireo at
New Haven was a pleasant CBC surprise. While Common Ravens continue
their southward range expansion into
southern New England (see especially
Rhode Island and Connecticut CBCs),
American Crow numbers remained
depressed on many counts, apparently a
result of West Nile virus. As with the
Red-bellied Woodpeckers, there seemed
to be an increasing surge of Tufted
Titmice northward, as well as at
Martha’s Vineyard, where there was a
460 percent increase from the previous
high of five individuals. Martha’s
Vineyard offers a textbook situation for
tracking the colonization of an island by
a pioneering species. A Sedge Wren at
Greater Boston was unique this season,
while a Varied Thrush at Concord,
MA, and count week singles at
Nantucket and Newburyport hinted at
a mini-irruption this winter.
Always of interest, 13 species of early
winter warblers were recorded. Besides
AMERICAN BIRDS
57
the several species previously mentioned, most notable were three
Nashvilles at Buzzards Bay, Blackthroated Blue at New Bedford (plus
count week at Bath-Phippsburg), and
Ovenbird (count week) and Wilson’s at
Greater Boston. A Western Tanager
brightened the Bath-Phippsburg count,
much as did Lark Sparrow at Saxton’s
River and Lincoln’s Sparrows at
Hartford and Springfield, VT.
NEW YORK
Kevin J. McGowan, Ph.D.
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
[email protected]
The 105th Christmas Bird Count season in New York produced a number of
interesting birds on the 67 counts conducted within the state. A total of 218
species (plus several recognizable forms)
was recorded, amounting to 1,327,846
individual birds. The Brooklyn and
Southern Nassau County counts tied for
the state high at 129 species each; the
Montauk count came close with 127
species. The Montezuma count topped
the upstate lists with 81 species. Warbler
Count circles in
NEW YORK
58
AMERICAN BIRDS
species seemed to be found in greater
abundance than usual downstate, with a
few very unusual species noted, and winter
finch numbers were good for an “off year.”
The single Greater White-fronted
Goose on the Sagaponack count was the
only one in the state this year, while
Snow Goose was found on 25 counts.
Single and small numbers of Snows were
reported on 17 counts upstate, but the
Montezuma count had 431, and
Saratoga Springs topped the state with
6402. The Southern Nassau County
count was the first New York Christmas
Bird Count to log the newly created
Cackling Goose, with one individual
seen. The Staten Island count managed a
bird seen count week. Brant at Peekskill,
Binghamton, and Syracuse were unusual. Also unusual, but not quite
countable, was the Egyptian Goose
found on the Monticello count.
Trumpeter Swan continues to be found
in New York each winter. Two were
found on the Rochester count, a single
bird was photographed in Watkins Glen,
and another was seen count week on the
Montezuma count. The Montezuma
count led the state once again in Tundra
Swans, with a moderate 535. Buffalo had
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana),
Smithtown, Long Island, New York.
Photo/Shai Mitra
175, Jamestown had 89, and four other
counts accounted for 45.
Wood Ducks turned up on a number
of upstate counts this year, with the two
seen at Saranac Lake being the most
unusual. Eurasian Wigeon appeared on
the normal number of downstate
counts, with two each on the Queens
and Bronx-Westchester counts, and single birds on the Brooklyn and Southern
Nassau counts. A single Blue-winged
Teal on the Catskill-Coxsackie was the
only one in the state. Only six King
Eiders were reported this year, two of
those at Buffalo. The Northern Nassau
count had the only Barrow’s Goldeneye