2006 Christmas Count Results...

The annual Christmas Bird Count was held this year on December 16th. Thirty-two participants in 11 groups once again scoured the area to cover our count circle. Temperatures this Winter have been well above normal, and the count day was no exception. Sun and light winds made it a perfect day to be outside. Despite the beautiful weather conditions, birds were tough to find. A reasonable total of 63 species were identified, but there were only 6,958 individuals counted. Our ten-year averages are 65 species and 11,887 individuals; while our average for all 79 counts conducted are 51 species and 9,670 individuals.

One species was new to the count – a Barred Owl heard calling by Keith Russell along Greene Street behind St Madeline Sophie Church. Other unusual sightings were Lesser Black-backed Gull (counted three times before), Great Black-backed Gull (also counted during three previous counts), as well as two Merlins (single birds have been observed three other years). We also set count records for Ring-necked Duck (6 birds) and Eastern Screech Owl (8 birds). For the second year in a row, a Baltimore Oriole was found – this year by Cliff and Nancy Hence at Gwynedd Nature Preserve. An adult Bald Eagle was spotted during the count week.

Birds seen in less than average numbers include Mallard (only 364 individuals) and European Starling (545). Both Blue Jay (85) and American Crow (106) dropped this year in numbers after a slight increase last year (both are perhaps victims of West Nile Virus in recent years). Birds missed on the count included Killdeer, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing and Fox Sparrow.

Thanks to everyone who went out looking for birds, without your help and participation Christmas Bird Counts don’t succeed. Thanks to Bert Filemyr for all his help with the statistics again this year. And thanks to everyone who braved the crowded Briar Bush Nature Center parking lot to attend the Compilation at the end of the day.

Next year’s count will be on December 15th, so mark you calendars now.

~ Andy Fayer

2006 WYNCOTE AUDUBON SOCIETY CHRISTMAS COUNT
The 2007 Wyncote Christmas Count will be held on Saturday, December 15, 2007
Date   Total Individual Birds
16-Dec-06 6958
Weather Average for all counts – 9670
Sunny/Mostly Sunny Average for past 10 years – 11887
43-68 degrees F. Total Species
No Precipitation 63
Still Water Average for all counts – 51
Open Average for past 10 years - 65
Moving Water New Species Seen
Open Barred Owl
Time Record High Counts
04:30 – 15:00  Ring-Necked Duck - 6
Participants Merlin - 2
32 observers  Lesser Black-backed Gull – 1 (tie)
11 parties Eastern Screech Owl – 8
Owling Hours Barred Owl - 1
1 Hours Species Seen During Count 
Owling Miles Week But Not On Count Day
1.25 Miles Fox Sparrow
Feeder Watchers Cackling Goose
0 Bald Eagle
Feeder Watcher Hours Fish Crow
0 Species of Note 
Party Hours Northern Harrier
Total – 60.75 Chipping Sparrow
Foot – 50.75 Merlin
Car – 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Party Miles Great Black-backed Gull
Total – 187.75 Barred Owl
Foot – 43.75 Baltimore Oriole
Car – 144    
Snow Goose 24
Canada Goose                 1778
Mute Swan  1
Wood Duck 1
American Black Duck 4
Mallard                      364
Ring-necked Duck  6
Hooded Merganser  32
Great Blue Heron 6
Black Vulture 7
Turkey Vulture  42
Sharp‑shinned Hawk  8
Cooper's Hawk  3
Red‑tailed Hawk 52
Northern Harrier 1
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 2
Ring‑billed Gull  123
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Dove  208
Mourning Dove 298
Eastern Screech Owl 8
Great Horned Owl 6
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 10
Red‑bellied Woodpecker 55
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 7
Downy Woodpecker 70
Hairy Woodpecker 12
Northern Flicker 21
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Crow 106
Crow spp. 1
Blue Jay 85
Carolina Chickadee 262
Tufted Titmouse 199
White‑breasted Nuthatch 105
Brown Creeper                15
Carolina Wren                91
Winter Wren                  7
Golden‑crowned Kinglet 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Eastern Bluebird 27
Hermit Thrush  4
American Robin              535
Northern Mockingbird         38
European Starling            545
Eastern Towhee 1
American Tree Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow     12
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow  83
Swamp Sparrow 4
White‑throated Sparrow  436
Dark‑eyed Junco  454
Northern Cardinal  155
Red-winged Blackbird   123
Common Grackle 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 8
Baltimore Oriole 1
House Finch  156
American Goldfinch  121
House Sparrow  208