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Chapel Hill CBC summary



The 71st Chapel Hill Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 23, 
2001.  It was a nice day, not too cold or windy, though considerably cooler 
than it had been recently, and there were extensive mudflats on Jordan Lake 
in the southern part of the count circle. We counted a total of 89 species, 
which is the well above the average 84, and 18018 individual birds, the most 
since 1981.  We had an average level of participation, but the number of 
birds per party hour was 126, well above the average of 105.

Best birds of the count were three species that have only been found once 
before: Doug Shadwick and Anson Cooke independently found 2 Tundra Swans on 
Jordan Lake (there was 1 in 1961), Norm Budnitz poached the blue Snow Goose 
at Durham Academy that John Frederick found before the count (must be the 
same bird that was near there last year), and Doug Shadwick had a Greater 
Yellowlegs in the New Hope Creek mud flats (we had one in 1979).

Other goodies: Josh Rose found our first Loggerhead Shrike since 1986 (they 
used to be much more common, this is our 39th count record),  my party found 
two Common Yellowthroats at Mason Farm (same as last year, last record 
before that was 1983), and Shelley Theye had a Baltimore Oriole in her yard 
in Chatham County.  Another highlight for me was seeing a Bobcat at the 
Orange County landfill.  It was walking about the trash heap amongst a bunch 
of vultures!  (I guess they're adapting to modern civilization.)

We set or tied a large number of record highs: 219 Double-crested Cormorants 
(old record 115 in 1997), 2 Tundra Swans, 37 Red-shouldered Hawks (27 in 
1998), 120 Bonaparte's Gull (93 in 1998), 87 Red-headed Woodpeckers (ties 
record set last year), 31 Hairy Woodpecker (28 in 1999), 20 Pileated 
Woodpeckers (18 last year), 416 Tufted Titmice (397 last year), 124 White-
breasted Nuthatches (115 last year), 95 Brown-headed Nuthatches (71 last 
year), 39 Winter Wrens (ties 1999), 400 American Pipits (325 in 1984), 142 
Chipping Sparrows (120 in 1989), and an astonishing 786 American Goldfinches 
(491 in 1982).  Other birds found in exceptionally high numbers were owls 
(highest total since 1985), the other woodpecker species (all 7 species were 
either record highs or second highest), Eastern Towhee, and Brown-headed 
Cowbird.  The highs we're setting for woodpeckers may have something to do 
with all the downed and damaged trees from Hurricane Fran in 1996, but why 
so many goldfinches this year?

Lows: We missed Wood Duck for the first time since 1989 and American Kestrel 
for the first time since 1969. The Jordan Lake count also missed kestrel.  
Purple Finch numbers were also quite low.

Weather: Low 29 F, high 60 F, wind east 0-5 mph, partly cloudy-cloudy, no 
precipitation, water open. Effort: 40 observers in 21 field parties, 142.5 
party hours (113.75 by foot, 28.75 by car), 311 party miles (88 by foot, 223 
by car), 5 hours and 17 miles owling, 6 people and 17 hours watching 
feeders.

You can see the full count results online at: 
http://www.birdsource.org/CBCOutput/review.html?yr=102&circle=S846461

Thanks to all participants for an outstanding count!

-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708