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Chapel Hill Spring Bird Count results
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Chapel Hill Spring Bird Count results
- From: "Will Cook" <cwcook@duke.edu>
- Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 08:53:32 -0400
- CC: jeanh1@bellsouth.net
- Priority: normal
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
2000 Chapel Hill Spring Bird Count - Compiler's Comments
by Will Cook
The 43rd Chapel Hill spring bird count on 5/14/2000 was a little below
average in number of species (120), probably due to the late date, but,
thanks to a high level of participation, we had our second highest
count of individual birds ever (11242). Our best birds included a
female Anhinga seen soaring high near Jordan Lake by Steve Graves (only
the second record on a Chapel Hill spring count), an Olive-sided
Flycatcher seen at Mason Farm by Will Cook (our fourth record), a very
late Brown Creeper well described by Bobbie Wilkerson, a Wilson's
Warbler seen at Mason Farm by Will Cook (our fifth record). Other
birds that we usually miss included 4 Wild Turkeys, a Chuck-will's-
widow, and 2 Canada Warblers.
The number of parties and party-hours was the highest in years, so we
set a large number of record highs. The count of 87 Great Blue Herons
shattered the record of 23 from last year. Boosting the number was our
first ever heronry, which had 18 active nests, found on Cub Creek in
Chatham County by Alan Johnston and Edith Tatum. The count of 43 Red-
shouldered Hawks blasted past the old record of 28 set in 1997, thanks
in part to Alan Johnston's neighborhood family of five. The 27 Song
Sparrows more than doubled the old record of 13, because of their
increased use of urban habitats such as shopping mall parking lots,
where they formerly were absent. Other record highs were set for Black
Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Canada Goose, Mallard, Killdeer, Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested
Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted
Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pine Warbler,
Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, and Indigo Bunting.
A few species were seen in unusually low numbers. The count of 55 Bam
Swallows was our lowest since 1974, far below the mean of 96. Because
of the late date we only found 4 Black-throated Blue Warblers (mean
31), and 4 Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers (lowest ever; mean 163), and
3 White- throated Sparrows (ties record low; mean 66). Field Sparrows
were also scarce, with only 21 (lowest since 1969; mean 43).
--
Charles W. "Will" Cook w 919-660-7423
cwcook@duke.edu h 919-967-5446
Duke University Botany Dept., Durham, North Carolina
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook