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Chapel Hill Spring Bird Count summary
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Chapel Hill Spring Bird Count summary
- From: "Will Cook" <cwcook@duke.edu>
- Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2003 23:32:33 -0400
- Delivered-to: pardo@metalab.unc.edu
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
The 2003 Chapel Hill spring count on May 4 was blessed with pleasant
weather and a great showing of migrant passerines. We ended up with 126
species on count day, our highest in nine years, and 15153 birds, our
highest ever. Our level of participation was well above average, but
neither party hours nor party miles were near a record. The 84 birds per
party hour is a record high, far above the average of 64. It was a good
day.
The most outstanding find of the count was our first Common Tern, spotted
by Doug Shadwick at Jordan Lake. For the first time ever we had two
species of merganser - Judy Murray found a Hooded near Jordan Lake and
Tom Driscoll found a Common at Eastwood Lake in Chapel Hill. Both are
second records for the spring count. The only other near-rarities were
the 2 Caspian Terns seen by Ginger Travis from her kayak - our sixth in
46 spring counts, but seen for the third count in a row.
We set a large number of record highs this year. Several of them were
truly astounding, blowing the old record highs right out of the water.
The 700 Double-crested Cormorants at Jordan Lake demolishes the old
record of 399 set in 1986! Another blowout is the 88 Black Vultures (53
in 2001). Rob Gluck observed an estimated 1900 Chimney Swifts swarming
aroung the post office chimney in downtown Chapel Hill at dusk,
obliterating the old record of 343. We had exceptional record highs for
several warblers - 180 Northern Parula (110 in 1983), 114 Black-throated
Blue (64 in 1983), and 13 Black-throated Green (6 in 1997). Nesting Song
Sparrows continue to rapidly colonize urban and suburban Chapel Hill - we
had 53 this year (29 in 2002, just 1 in 1996).
We set several more run-of-the-mill record highs - 25 Bald Eagle (21 in
2001), 11 Wild Turkey (10 in 2002), 64 Ruby-throated Hummingbird (61 in
2002), 296 Red-bellied Woodpecker (240 in 2002), 25 Hairy Woodpecker (20
in 1967), 77 Great Crested Flycatcher (76 in 2002), 97 White-breasted
Nuthatch (75 in 2002), 4 Hermit Thrush (3 in 1985), 153 Ovenbird (138 in
2002), 95 Scarlet Tanager (94 in 1979), 26 Rose-breasted Grosbeak (24 in
1979), and 200 Brown-headed Cowbird (161 in 2002).
We did set one record low - not unexpected, but continuing a long gradual
decline, we found only 12 Eastern Meadowlarks (old low 15 in 1997). From
the 1960's through the 1980's we used to top 100 meadowlarks regularly.
There's a nearly identical trend for Northern Bobwhite - our 4 this year
isn't a record low (we missed them entirely in 1997), but pales in
comparison to the 80+ counts of the 1960's through the mid 1980's. Wild
Turkey is now the more common of the two; before 2000 it was a great
rarity on the count.
This year honors for highest species count goes to Doug Shadwick with 83;
he covers the peninsula at Jordan Lake between New Hope Creek and Morgan
Creek. Top individual bird count, not surprisingly, goes to Rob Gluck,
with 2395 birds (1900 of them Chimney Swifts!) in and around downtown
Chapel Hill.
Weather in brief: low 55, high 69; no precipitation; wind NE 0-5 mph;
cloudy-partly cloudy.
Thanks to all who helped count - it was a fun one!
I had a good time as always covering Mason Farm in the morning with three
others, including Bobbie Collins-Perry for the New Hope Aududon Wildathon
(we ended up with 77 species for the day). Mason Farm was loaded with
American Redstarts as usual, and we got good looks at several nice birds,
including a Kentucky Warbler. The best birding of the day for me,
though, was from 7-8 pm as I explored the new paved bike trail along
Bolin Creek not far from Franklin Street (Chapel Hill's main street).
Many Scarlet Tanagers were singing from the mature hardwood trees, along
with Wood Thrushes, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, warblers by the dozen. Lots
of wildflowers in bloom, too - Geraniums and Phlox. To get to this spot
from Durham, take E. Franklin Street towards town. A half mile after
passing Estes Dr., as you're starting up the hill, turn right on
Elizabeth St. and follow it to the end, where you'll see the access.
There are several other access points, but this is the only one I've
explored. Nice to discover a new hot birding spot in the middle of town!
--
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