CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT RESULTS, 2007


 

 

 

This year we picked the right day for the right weather — no sun, but no rain, snow, strong winds, or bitter cold either. On the other hand, last year it was very warm with all the water open. This year only small portions of the Androscoggin River were open and the snow was generally 18 inches or more deep. We had a great turnout of 25 adults and 4 junior stewards.
With the frozen lakes and streams there were many fewer ducks than recent years. And with the heavy snow cover many ground birds such as sparrows were also fewer in number. Wild Turkeys seemed to be flocking more and staying around food sources such as farms, which yielded a new record high count for turkeys. It was also a good year for some, but not all, of the winter finches from Canada. We ended with a total of 46 species (42 last year, average 46) and 6236 individuals, just over our recent average.
The specific species hi-lights were one American Wigeon amongst the many Mallards being fed below the North Bridge. Two Double-crested Cormorants were also on the river. This is the fourth time on the count for both.
New high counts include Wild Turkey at 256, the old high was 209 in 2004. Pileated Woodpeckers were also a new high at five. Perhaps the major hi-light was 109 Pine Grosbeaks, with 50 in one flock in Danville found by Stan DeOrsey's team. The previous high was 48. Fourteen Bald Eagles were counted, including four less than three years old. The Peregrine Falcon is again being seen on the cross atop the former St. Mary's church. It has been seen each winter since 2004. A number of us watched as it chased two Bald Eagles off its territory! Tom Hayward's team in central Lewiston recorded the only Northern Shrikes with three. Five Horned Larks were recorded in three small groups. This is the fifth count to find them.
Two American Robins stood out as unusual given the snow cover. Fifteen Bohemian Waxwings, all in one flock, were a great find in north Auburn by Doug Beck's team although smaller than the large flocks which have been reported in central Maine this winter. With the snow cover, sparrows were low. Only 26 American Tree Sparrows were counted, only one Song Sparrow, and no White-throated Sparrows. Carole Jean's team found the only Snow Buntings with 140 in Lisbon. Common Redpolls were tallied at 149, a good count slightly above average. Northern Mockingbird (1), and Northern Cardinal (17) were both lower than usual. There were noRuffed Grouse, Pine Siskins, or Evening Grosbeaks.

COUNT COMPILER: STAN DEORSEY

PHOTOS
Common Redpolls Black-capped Chickadees
Pine Grosbeaks Pileated Woodpecker Wild Turkeys
all photos by Dan Marquis

 

* Refers to species new to the count

2007 COUNT RESULTS

  1. American Wigeon - 1
  2. American Black Duck - 22
  3. Mallard - 326
  4. Common Goldeneye - 21
  5. Hooded Merganser - 21
  6. Common Merganser - 8
  7. Red-breasted Merganser - 1 (count week)
  8. Wild Turkey - 256
  9. Double-crested Cormorant - 2
  10. Bald Eagle - 10 adult, 4 imm.
  11. Cooper's Hawk - 1
  12. Red-tailed Hawk - 6
  13. Peregrine Falcon - 1
  14. Ring-billed Gull - 163
  15. Herring Gull - 270
  16. Great Black-backed Gull - 5
  17. Rock Pigeon - 431
  18. Mourning Dove - 360
  19. Downy Woodpecker - 29
  20. Hairy Woodpecker - 20
  21. Pileated Woodpecker - 5
  22. Northern Shrike - 3
  23. Blue Jay - 127
  24. American Crow - 1548
  25. Common Raven - 5
  26. Horned Lark - 5
  27. Black-capped Chickadee - 467
  28. Tufted Titmouse - 36
  29. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 14
  30. White-breasted Nuthatch - 34
  31. Brown Creeper - 1
  32. American Robin - 2
  33. Northern Mockingbird - 1
  34. European Starling - 1042
  35. Bohemian Waxwing - 15
  36. Cedar Waxwing - 20
  37. American Tree Sparrow - 26
  38. Song Sparrow - 1
  39. Dark-eyed Junco - 29
  40. Snow Bunting - 140
  41. Northern Cardinal - 17
  42. Pine Grosbeak - 109
  43. Purple Finch - 5
  44. House Finch - 153
  45. Common Redpoll - 149
  46. American Goldfinch - 91
  47. House Sparrow - 120

Total Count DaySpecies...........46

Total Individuals..................6236

2006 COUNT RESULTS

American Black Duck................ 21
Mallard.....................................393
Greater Scaup............................ 35
Common Goldeneye.................. 70
Hooded Merganser .................... 6
Common Merganser.................. 72
Ruffed Grouse ............................ 1
Wild Turkey ............................. 82
Common Loon ........................... 2
Horned Grebe ............................ 2
*Red-necked Grebe.....................1
Bald Eagle................3 adult, 1 imm.
Red-tailed Hawk ........................ 7
Peregrine Falcon.......................... 1
American Coot ........................... 1
Ring-billed Gull ....................... 247
Herring Gull .............................. 62
Great Black-backed Gull ............ 3
Rock Pigeon ............................284
Mourning Dov......................... 155
Downy Woodpecker ................ 23
Hairy Woodpecker ................... 11
Pileated Woodpecker ................. 1
Blue Jay ................................... 37
American Crow ...................... 823
Common Raven .......................... 3
Black-capped Chickadee ........ 259
Tufted Titmouse......................... 42
Red-breasted Nuthatch................ 2
White-breasted Nuthatch .......... 43
Golden-crowned Kinglet.............. 7
American Robin .......................... 4
Northern Mockingbird ................ 4
European Starling .................... 411
American Tree Sparrow ........... 19
Song Sparrow ............................ 1
Dark-eyed Junco ...................... 18
Northern Cardinal ..................... 22
Purple Finch................................ 2
House Finch ..............................62
American Goldfinch ................ 107
House Sparrow ........................ 68
Buteo Species...............................1
Accipitor Species..........................1
Gull Species................................49

Total Identified Species...........42

Total Individuals..................3469
2005 COUNT RESULTS

1. American Black Duck .......... 18
2. Mallard .............................. 491
3. Common Goldeneye ..............59
4. Hooded Merganser ................ 9
5. Common Merganser ..............33
6. Red-brested Merganser ...........7
7. Wild Turkey ....................... 151
8. Common Loon ....................... 1
9. Horned Grebe ........................ 1
10.Double-crested Cormorant .... 1
11.Great Cormorant ................... 1
12.Bald Eagle .......4 adult, 12 imm.
13.Sharp-shinned Hawk ..............1
14.Coopers Hawk ...................... 1
15.Red-tailed Hawk ................... 7
16.Peregrine Falcon .....................1
17.Ring-billed Gull .................. 451
18.Herring Gull ....................... 328
19.Great Black-backed Gull ..... 12
20.Rock Pigeon ...................... 341
21.Mourning Dove.................. 294
22.Belted Kingfisher ................... 1
23.Downy Woodpecker ........... 23
24.Hairy Woodpecker ................ 7
25.Pileated Woodpecker ........... 4
26.Blue Jay ............................ 191
27.American Crow ................1717
28.Common Raven .................... 1
29.Horned Lark ....................... 14
30.Black-capped Chickadee ...473
31.Tufted Titmouse ...................36
32.Red-breasted Nuthatch ..........7
33.White-breasted Nuthatch......40
34.Brown Creeper.......................3
35.Carolina Wren*..................... 1
36.Hermit Thrush* ..................... 1
37.American Robin .....................1
38.Northern Mockingbird........... 2
39.European Starling ............ 1514
40.Bohemian Waxwing ............. 53
41.American Tree Sparrow ...... 17
42.White-throated Sparrow ........ 1
43.Dark-eyed Junco.................. 24
44.Snow Bunting......................120
45.Northern Cardinal ................ 19
46.Purple Finch........................... 3
47.House Finch .........................93
48.Common Redpoll .................11
49.American Goldfinch.............135
50.House Sparrow ................... 42

Total Identified Species...........50

Total Individuals..................6977

 

2004 COUNT RESULTS

1. American Black Duck........... 33
2. Mallard................................533
3. Common Goldeneye........... 126
4. Hooded Merganser ...............15
5. Common Merganser ............ 28
6. Ruffed Grouse ........................ 2
7. Wild Turkey ........................209
8. Common Loon ...................... 2
9. Bald Eagle ..........3 adult, 1 imm.
10. Coopers Hawk .................... 1
11. Red-tailed Hawk .................. 8
12. Peregrine Falcon* .................2
13. Ring-billed Gull .................145
14. Herring Gull ......................162
15. Iceland Gull ...........................1
16. Great Black-backed Gull ..... 3
17. Rock Pigeon .....................298
18. Mourning Dove ................ 434
19. Great Horned Owl ............... 1
20. Belted Kingfisher ...................1
21. Red-bellied Woodpecker ..... 2
22. Downy Woodpecker ......... 45
23. Hairy Woodpecker ........... 22
24. Pileated Woodpecker........... 1
25. Northern Shrike.................... 1
26. Blue Jay ............................. 75
27. American Crow ..............1184
28. Black-capped Chickadee.. 469
29. Tufted Titmouse ..................61
30. Red-breasted Nuthatch ........ 8
31. White-breasted Nuthatch ... 61
32. Brown Creeper .................. ..2
33. Golden-crowned Kinglet ... .34
34. American Robin ................ ...1
35. Northern Mockingbird ..........5
36. European Starling .............801
37. American Tree Sparrow .... 51
38. Song Sparrow ......................5
39. Dark-eyed Junco.................49
40. Northern Cardinal ...............33
41. Purple Finch .......................14
42. House Finch ..................... 142
43. American Goldfinch ...........131
44. House Sparrow .................301

Total Identified Species...........44

Total Individuals..................5506

10 Year Average..................... 49

...............................................6000