Buncombe County Christmas Bird Count Results

[MJWESTPHAL@unca.edu]

The Buncombe County Count took place Saturday, December 30th.
The weather was a bit wicked (temps in the teens, wind 15 - 25 mph, morning
snow), but two remarkable things happened.  First, almost everyone - 22 people
- actually showed up and stayed out all day despite the weather.  Second, we
ended up with 70 species, one of the highest number of species every recorded
for a Buncombe County count.  (By the way, Buncombe County is an NC mountain
county - Asheville is in it).  The total bird count was 5,150, about average.
	Nothing terribly unusual was seen, except for the Selasphorus Hummer
which is getting less unusual.  This particular bird may have been the same one
seen last year as it was on the same feeder.  The feeder owner doesn't want it
banded, though.  Other than that, we did get the highest number of YB
Sapsuckers ever seen on this count - 37, and the second highest number of Cedar
Waxwing - 168.  It was also the first time that American Pipits had been seen
in the count circle, and the first time in several years that Brown-headed
Nuthatches were seen.  Although both of these species are unusual to be seen in
this circle, they are not unusual to the area.
	Other than that, some of the trends we have been seeing in the last few
years are continuing.  Crow and Rock Dove numbers continue to
increase (the circle is urbanizing), and Bobwhite, Field Sparrow, Purple
Finch, and Meadowlark have practically disappeared from the circle.  Oh yes,
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Canada Goose, and Black Vulture numbers have also 
been on the rise since the early to mid-90's (this count circle was started 
in 1972).
	Anyway, hats off to the hearty souls that stuck this one out, cuz it
was coooooold out there.  
Marilyn Westphal/Hendersonville, NC
mjwestphal@unca.edu