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Jordan Lake (NC) CBC summary



The Jordan Lake (NC) Christmas Bird Count was on December 29, 2002a cold, clear, beautiful winter day. Our counters identified 90 species, a bit below our average of 93 for the preceding ten years. Our total of 27,162 individual birds was a new record, and more than 8,000 higher than our 10-year average of 18,830. Cormorants and gulls were the responsible species (see below). We had 51 birders (average: 61) in 25 parties (average: 22.5) who counted for 159 party-hours (a new high, average: 139). That's approximately 171 birds per party hour, a new record (average: 135).
[At our lunchtime countdown, some folks indicated a feeling that they were seeing fewer birds overall compared to recent years. However, if the above numbers were doctored a bit (by substituting average numbers of cormorants and gulls), our total count would have been about 17,600 birds, just 1,200 below average. And if we look solely at passerines, we counted 8,900 vs. our average of about 10,200. So passerines were down about 10%. But this is well within normal fluctuations for our count, and it would suggest that nothing unusual was going on. (Having all the data on a spreadsheet lets me 'play' with the numbers this way and ask "What if . . ." questions.)]
So what about those cormorants and gulls? The 2,103 Double-crested Cormorants was almost twice the number seen last year (1,157); and that had been a new record! Note that this new record stands even after your brutal compiler ruthlessly eliminated some 1,200 cormorants considered to be overlaps! Brian Bockhahn could have set the new record by himself with his estimate of 1620 cormorants.
At the lunchtime countdown, Tom and Janet Krakauer rather sheepishly reported seeing about 12,000 Ring-billed Gulls. They made their estimate at first light from Ebenezer Point, while the gulls were still sitting on the water before dispersing around the lake and to the local landfills and grocery store parking lots. Needless to say, your skeptical compiler raised his eyebrows. However, in the interest of fairness (and since he knows the Krakauers to be honest and reasonable folk), the compiler went to Ebenezer Point at 4:00 P.M. to make his own estimate. Lo and behold, he humbly arrived at the same estimate of 12,000 birds, either sitting on the water or flying about in the fading light of day! (Sitting off to the side of the mass of Ring-billed Gulls were four Great Black-backed Gulls. This was only the second record of this species for our count--an added bonus for the cautious compiler.)
So what else was new? Will Cook identified our first Lesser Black-backed Gull. Lessers have been seen fairly regularly in recent winters in the Raleigh area, so perhaps it was just a matter of time. But leave it to Will to actually make the ID with the bird in flight. Brian Bockhahn found a Forster's Tern, the second record of this species for our count. And Bobbie Collins-Perry and George and Miao-Fang Altshuller found a Green Heron, our third count record. Another unusual sighting was made by Andy Upshaw and Rouse Wilson. They found 30 Wilson's Snipe right where they should be in a very wet field with a creek running through it. (Note the name change back to Wilson's Snipe from Common Snipe.)
Some other high numbers: Red-shouldered Hawks33 (previous high was 23); Red-bellied Woodpeckers169 (164); Hairy Woodpeckers23 (21); Pileated Woodpeckers35 (34); White-breasted Nuthatches48 (46); and Brown-headed Nuthatches149 (116).
Misses for the year? Well, we always have a few. No Turkeys, Woodcock, or Eastern Screech-Owls. No Shrikes, Pipits, or Rusty Blackbirds. It surely doesn't seem to be a "finch year." Our numbers6 Purple Finches, 12 Evening Grosbeaks, and no Pine Siskins. And we continue to have low numbers of some species: American Kestrels3; Northern Bobwhites5. We also had rather low numbers of Mourning Doves159 (our fewest since 1984) and Common Grackles3 (though we've had single-digit counts in the past decade). Was there a West Nile virus effect on raptors or corvids? Bald Eagles9 (10-year average: 8.4); Red-shoulders33 (19.2); Red-tails40 (37.9); Blue Jays207 (217.4); American Crows542 (616.7). Our numbers don't indicate any effect.
For the record: We had 51 birders in 25 parties. They put in 159 party hours (128 on foot, 27.5 by car, 3.5 by bicycle), 350 miles (91 on foot, 249 by car, 10 by bicycle), and 6 hours and 11 miles owling. The weather was cold (26F to 58F) with winds calm to light and variable. The sky was mostly clear, with short periods of scattered clouds. There was no precipitation and no significant ice coverage.




***********************************************************
Norman Budnitz, nbudnitz@duke.edu
919-684-3592 (day), 919-383-0553 (eve), 919-660-7293 (fax)

(work) Biology Dept, Duke Univ, Box 90338, Durham NC 27708
(home) 4115 Garrett Drive, Durham NC 27705

PROGRESS: the victory of laughter over dogma.
(Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas)