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Chapel Hill CBC results



The Chapel Hill (NC) Christmas Bird Count on 12/24/2000 was one of our 
best, with 95 species and 14653 birds on count day, far above the 10-year 
average of 82.5 species and 12860 birds.  Out of the 70 Chapel Hill counts 
going back to 1924, the only higher species total was in 1983, with 98.  
The high count is not due to a higher than normal level of participation -- 
the 125 party-hours is below average, the lowest since 1995 (the last time 
the count was held on Christmas Eve).  We were probably helped by the cold 
weather preceding the count, which may have brought us more ducks as they 
were frozen out up north, and by the low water level at Jordan Lake.

The boldface birds: New to the count is a blue morph SNOW GOOSE, which was 
seen by Kent Fiala traveling with a flock of 31 Canada Geese in a field on 
Garrett Road in Durham and later near the pond at Emerald Pond Retirement 
Home on Pickett Road.  Doug Shadwick found our second record of ORANGE-
CROWNED WARBLER in his territory near Jordan Lake.  While this bird is not 
too unusual in winter as near as Raleigh, we haven't had one since 1946!  
Two RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRDS have been coming to Randy Bishop's feeder 
in Chapel Hill since about Dec. 16 and he saw them on count day.  Last year 
we had our first CBC Rufous, identified and banded by Susan Campbell.  
Hopefully she'll have a chance to catch the Bishop's too.  Three BLUE-GRAY 
GNATCATCHERS, our fourth count record, were seen by Anson Cooke and Alan 
Johnston's parties near Jordan Lake.

Other goodies: Ducks are not as easy to find here as in Raleigh -- Northern 
Shovelers (2) are our fourth count record, all in the last 10 years, and 
Gadwall (18) turn up about once every 5 years.  The Canvasback (2) and 
Common Yellowthroats (3) are both our first since 1983.  Baltimore Oriole 
(1) is a good find, though they were annual from 1955-1976.  Though they're 
not as common now as they were in the 60's, they're much more common now 
than in 1924-1951, when none were found.  Catbird is rare on some of our 
neighboring counts, but it's expected in Chapel Hill -- three different 
parties found one this year.

High counts: We set a bunch of record highs this year, which is surprising 
since party-hours were relatively low.  The most stunning high, absolutely 
smashing the old record of 40 to bits, is the count of 87 Red-headed 
Woodpeckers.  The average for the past 10 counts is just 19 and the past 
three years the counts were 5, 4, and 14.  Five parties had more than a 
dozen each. Why are there so many here this winter?  Other record highs: 18 
Gadwall (tie), 146 Downy Woodpeckers (old record 108), 18 Pileated 
Woodpeckers (17), 397 Tufted Titmice (391), 115 White-breasted Nuthatches 
(90), 71 Brown-headed Nuthatches (tie), 5 House Wrens (tie), 3 Blue-gray 
Gnatcatchers (2), 726 Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers (653), 107 Pine 
Warblers (78), and 363 Swamp Sparrows (247).  We also had unusually high 
numbers of Turkey Vulture, Great Horned Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, 
Carolina Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 
Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, and Savannah Sparrow.  

Only a few species were found in remarkably low numbers: 13 Chipping 
Sparrows (average 42), 36 Field Sparrows (119), and 3 Purple Finches (19).

Participation: 43 field birders in 21 parties, plus 11 feeder-watchers.  
125 party-hours (100 foot, 25 car) and 327 miles (78 foot, 249 car) plus 
4.5 hours and 12.5 miles owling and 27 feeder hours.

Weather: low 16, high 48; wind W 5-10; cloudy first thing, then clear; no 
precip; still water partly open; running water open.

Thanks to all participants for a great count!  You can see full results on 
the Cornell Birdsource web site: 
http://birdsource.tc.cornell.edu/CBCOutput/review.html?yr=101&circle=S729288


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