Sullivan County Audubon Society has participated in National
Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count every year since 1950!
We have not missed a single count in over 50 years!
The data for all of the Christmas Counts conducted all
over North America are now available online through the National
Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Our local count is called the “Monticello, NY”
count. If you want to see the information we have contributed
over the years, including the kinds of birds and the numbers
found, or if you'd like to learn more about the Christmas
Bird Count, check out National Audubon's CBC
website.
2007
Summary and data compiled by David
Niven, Senior Scientist, National Audubon Society
Sullivan County Audubon's annual Christmas Bird Count was
held on
December 27th, 2007. This was National Audubon's 108th count,
and it
was the 58th year Sullivan County Audubon has participated.
The
weather was not optimal, with some fog and light precipitation
off and
on throughout the day and ice-crusted snow that limited
access to some
areas. Nonetheless, we recorded 60 species, which tied our
record high
set in December 2005. Four additional species were recorded
at other
times during the count week.
Part of the reason for the good count may be attributed
to the fact
that we had our highest number of participants ever (26)
and for the
first time we had 7 field parties. However, some conditions
conspired
to lead to good numbers of birds as well, since there was
just enough
open water to provide concentrations of some waterfowl,
and some
winter finches were present. The highlight of the day was
certainly
the sighting of a Bohemian Waxwing by John Haas's group.
One had
previously been reported during the count period in 1953,
but this is
the first record of one on the count day, and it is only
the 6th
record of the species for the County. A few other birds
of interest
were Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Green-winged Teal, and Fox Sparrow,
which
can not be relied upon on every year. But the large count
of species
really is due more to the fact that most species we "should" see
were
indeed detected, which reflects well on the effort and skills
of the
participants.
Thanks again to Ruth Shursky for hosting the post-count
potluck and countdown.
Christmas Count Field Participants
(and their survey areas):
Group 1: Renee
Davis, Dan Niven, Scott Baldinger, Greg Faller & Dave Smith
(Bashakill, Westbrookville)
Group 2: Ruth Shursky, Ruth McKeon &
Marge Gorton (Monticello, Kiameshia Lake)
Group 3: Scott Graber,
Kathy Scullion, Bill Cutler & Kevin Brady (Cuddebackville, Oakland
Valley)
Group 4: Barb Schmitt, Ken Schmitt, Aaron Schmitt & Rachel
Schmitt (Wanasink Lake & Lake Louise Marie)
Group 5: Valerie Freer,
Mary Collier, Patrick Dechon & Jamie Lo (Thompsonville, Glen
Wild,Bridgeville, Rock Hill)
Group 6: Arlene Borko, Phyllis Jones &
Dick Hirshman (Wurtsboro, Yankee Lake
Group 7: John Haas & Bill
Fiero (Rio & Mongaup Reservoirs, Forestburgh, Sackett Lake)
Feeder: Deanna Mendels (in Monticello)
58th Annual
Christmas Bird Count
Sullivan County
Audubon
December 27, 2007
| Species |
one |
two |
three |
four |
five |
six |
seven |
feeders |
Totals |
| Canada Goose |
28 |
|
1 |
|
5 |
253 |
|
|
287 |
| Mute Swan |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
| American Black Duck |
11 |
8 |
|
|
1 |
6 |
78 |
|
104 |
| Mallard |
12 |
|
|
|
25 |
316 |
2 |
|
355 |
| Green-winged Teal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
2 |
| Ring-necked Duck |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
6 |
| Common Goldeneye |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Hooded Merganser |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
|
8 |
| Common Merganser |
1 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
11 |
|
15 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
| Wild Turkey |
15 |
29 |
|
|
9 |
33 |
19 |
|
105 |
| Bald Eagle - (adult) |
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
5 |
|
8 |
| -
(imm) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
|
5 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
| Cooper's Hawk |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
|
4 |
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
10 |
| Ring-billed Gull |
9 |
36 |
|
|
20 |
|
20 |
|
85 |
| Herring Gull |
23 |
2 |
28 |
|
5 |
|
146 |
|
204 |
| (unidentified gull) |
|
40 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
43 |
| Rock Pigeon |
12 |
66 |
1 |
|
17 |
14 |
72 |
|
182 |
| Mourning Dove |
46 |
83 |
34 |
5 |
67 |
79 |
23 |
6 |
343 |
| Eastern Screech Owl |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
| Barred Owl |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
| Belted Kingfisher |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
7 |
|
7 |
|
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
23 |
| Downy Woodpecker |
6 |
4 |
11 |
1 |
11 |
8 |
12 |
2 |
55 |
| Hairy Woodpecker |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
|
2 |
13 |
| Northern Flicker |
4 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
6 |
| Pileated Woodpecker |
2 |
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
6 |
| Blue Jay |
25 |
4 |
18 |
|
32 |
22 |
8 |
1 |
110 |
| American Crow |
37 |
41 |
66 |
3 |
77 |
45 |
84 |
|
353 |
| Common Raven |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
3 |
| Horned Lark |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
| Black-capped Chickadee |
89 |
74 |
39 |
16 |
69 |
77 |
243 |
3 |
610 |
| Tufted Titmouse |
27 |
9 |
18 |
3 |
15 |
23 |
18 |
2 |
115 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
9 |
1 |
15 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch |
21 |
3 |
13 |
3 |
8 |
12 |
24 |
2 |
86 |
| Brown Creeper |
2 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
| Carolina Wren |
3 |
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
9 |
| Winter Wren |
3 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet |
16 |
3 |
2 |
|
2 |
|
18 |
|
41 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
| Eastern Bluebird |
13 |
|
13 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
27 |
| Hermit Thrush |
|
|
3 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
| American Robin |
2 |
|
11 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
15 |
| Northern Mockingbird |
1 |
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
5 |
| European Starling |
697 |
63 |
11 |
|
193 |
22 |
290 |
1 |
1277 |
| Bohemian Waxwing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
| Cedar Waxwing |
|
|
|
|
|
82 |
15 |
|
97 |
| American Tree Sparrow |
49 |
2 |
19 |
1 |
6 |
25 |
31 |
2 |
135 |
| Fox Sparrow |
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
| Song Sparrow |
9 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
2 |
|
|
16 |
| White-throated Sparrow |
8 |
|
17 |
|
|
5 |
1 |
|
31 |
| Dark-eyed Junco |
109 |
17 |
69 |
6 |
50 |
50 |
91 |
5 |
397 |
| Northern Cardinal |
19 |
9 |
14 |
|
13 |
19 |
6 |
10 |
90 |
| Purple Finch |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
| House Finch |
26 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
7 |
|
2 |
39 |
| Common Redpoll |
|
1 |
|
|
8 |
|
31 |
9 |
49 |
| Pine Siskin |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
| American Goldfinch |
42 |
4 |
3 |
|
11 |
14 |
8 |
17 |
99 |
| House Sparrow |
35 |
18 |
7 |
|
37 |
11 |
16 |
8 |
132 |
| Total Individuals: |
1429 |
522 |
432 |
39 |
700 |
1145 |
1312 |
74 |
5653 |
| Total Species: |
47 |
26 |
36 |
9 |
30 |
35 |
37 |
17 |
60 |
|
