Christmas bird count reaches nearly 20,000 at Oak Orchard Swamp

Posted 25 February 2024 at 7:37 pm

2 new species – Ruddy Duck and Lesser Black-backed Gull – found in annual tally

Press Release from Celeste Morien, bird count compiler

Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien, not taken on bird count day: The Lesser Black-backed Gull was spotted for the first time during the Christmas Bird Count.

SHELBY – Despite a cold snap before the Oak Orchard Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 28, the weather was unusually warm, with a low of 48 and high of 50. There was no snow cover.

Open and moving water were not frozen. Rain occurred throughout the day and was occasionally heavy with the only break at midday. Ground fog reduced visibility at times.

Perhaps due to the warm weather, the 37 count participants reported high counts of ten species, and found two new species! These dedicated volunteers found 72 species and 19,890 individual birds. Counters logged 33 hours on foot and 67.75 hours by car. Counters walked 26.5 miles and drove 577 miles by car.

Ruddy Duck and Lesser Black-backed Gull were new species, and were also seen at other locations outside the count circle during the same time period.

Species that remained in the area in greater numbers were Tundra Swan (73), Herring Gull (764), Sandhill Crane (17), Barred Owl (4), Belted Kingfisher (5), Northern Flicker (59), Merlin (2), Common Raven (6), Tufted Titmouse (39) and Eastern Bluebird (86).

Here are the numbers for species seen in the count:

Tundra Swan, 73
Trumpeter Swan, 2
Snow Goose, 1
Cackling Goose, 3
Canada Goose, 8,151
American Wigeon, 4
American Black Duck, 25
Mallard, 365
Redhead, 4
Ruddy Duck, 3
Common Goldeneye, 2
Common Merganser, 63
Ring-necked Pheasant, 1
Wild Turkey, 78
Great Blue Heron, 1
Bald Eagle, 12
Northern Harrier, 9
Cooper’s Hawk, 5
Accipiter sp., 1
Red-tailed Hawk, 42
American Kestrel, 6
Ruddy Duck is new to the Christmas Bird Count at the Oak Orchard Swamp.

Merlin, 2
Sandhill Crane, 17
Ring-billed Gull, 44
Herring Gull, 764
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3
Gull sp., 3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon), 409
Mourning Dove, 235
Eastern Screech-Owl, 14
Barred Owl, 4
Short-eared Owl, 1
Belted Kingfisher, 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 43
Downy Woodpecker, 71
Hairy Woodpecker, 16
Northern Flicker, 59
Pileated Woodpecker, 6
Northern Shrike, 2
Blue Jay, 215
American Crow, 189
Common Raven, 6
Horned Lark, 14
Black-capped Chickadee, 269
Tufted Titmouse, 39
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3
White-breasted Nuthatch, 55
Brown Creeper, 12
Carolina Wren, 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 24
Eastern Bluebird, 86
American Robin, 421
Northern Mockingbird, 2
European Starling, 6,522
Cedar Waxwing, 145
Yellow-rumped Warbler, 11
American Tree Sparrow, 165
Song Sparrow, 18
Swamp Sparrow, 8
White-throated Sparrow, 70
White-crowned Sparrow, 6
Dark-eyed Junco, 193
Lapland Longspur, 2
Snow Bunting, 17
Northern Cardinal, 92
Red-winged Blackbird, 11
Brown-headed Cowbird, 3
House Finch, 95
American Goldfinch, 220
House Sparrow, 395
Sparrow sp., 6