40thBUSHY RUN S.P. CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 2013 (114th)

Dec. 15, 2013

Count center 2 miles SE Delmont on County Route 856. Time7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Weather: Temp. 27-34F,

Wind 8-16mph. Two inches scattered snow cover. Moving water open. Still water partly frozen. Dark overcast all day. Observers: 18 in 6-7parties (non-owling) + 7 at feeders (7.25 hours). Total Party Hours:47;23.5by foot, 23.5 by car. Total Party Miles: 300: 18 by foot, 282 by car. Deer seen: 38

Record high* in boldface. Previous record high ( )

  1. Canada Goose – 746 (1145)
  2. Mute Swan – 6 (11)
  3. Tundra Swan – 10 (21)
  4. Mallard – 88 (825)
  5. Gadwall - 6 (7)
  6. Pintail – 2 (5)
  7. Redhead – 2 (2)
  8. Hooded Merganser – 34 (87)
  9. Common Merganser – 45 (70)
  10. Red-breasted Merganser – 10 (10)
  11. Ring-necked Pheasant – 4 (13)
  12. Wild Turkey – 41 (294)
  13. Pied-billed Grebe – 7 (12)
  14. Great Blue Heron – 4 (17)
  15. Bald Eagle – 6 (7) 2 ad, 2 imm.
  16. Northern Harrier – 2 (4)
  17. Sharp-shinnedHawk – 1 (7)
  18. Cooper’s Hawk - 1 (13)
  19. Red-tailed Hawk – 25 (87)
  20. American Kestrel – 10 (26)
  21. American Coot – 7 (41)
  22. Ring-billed Gull –75* (4)

Gull species – 2

  1. Rock Pigeon – 75 (669)
  2. Mourning Dove – 263 (785)
  3. Eastern Screech Owl – 2 (13)
  4. Belted Kingfisher – 1 (10)
  5. Red-bellied Woodpecker – 36 (94)
  6. Downy Woodpecker – 33 (121)
  7. Hairy Woodpecker –9 (28)
  8. Northern Flicker – 3 (50)
  9. Pileated Woodpecker – 7 (25)
  10. Blue Jay – 69 (333)
  11. American Crow – 255 (799)
  12. Common Raven – 2(7)
  13. Carolina Chickadee – 13 (72)
  14. Black-capped Chickadee – 11 (315)

Chickadee Species – 102 (112)

  1. Tufted Titmouse – 52 (223)
  2. Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1 (16)
  3. White-breasted Nuthatch – 50 (127)
  4. Brown Creeper – 3 (20)
  5. Carolina Wren – 23 (110)
  6. Golden-crowned Kinglet – 28 (114)
  7. Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 5* (4)
  8. Eastern Bluebird – 40 (142)
  9. Hermit Thrush – 2 (9)
  10. American Robin – 4 (1219)
  11. Mockingbird – 7 (54)
  12. European Starling – 493 (6089)
  13. Yellow-rumped Warbler – 14 (288)
  14. Cardinal – 143 (342)
  15. Eastern Towhee – 2 (15)
  16. Tree Sparrow – 35 (757)

53Song Sparrow – 58 (231)

54Swamp Sparrow – 2 (15)

55White-throated Sparrow – 53 (461)

56White-crowned Sparrow – 13 (114)

57Dark-eyed junco – 436 (952)

58Brown-headed Cowbird – 1 (614)

59House Finch – 55 (544)

60American Goldfinch – 49 (252)

61House Sparrow – 157 (782)

Total Species – 61 (81)

Total individuals 3741 (11,184)

Participants: Field observers in boldface! All others watched feeders. Margaret Ackerman, Linda Lou Baker, Norman Bono, Mark Bowers, Ken Byerly, Dick Byers (compiler), Shannon Courage, Mary Dorman, Patience Fisher, Karen Jackson, Merle Jackson, Mary Lawrence, Steve Manns, Dale Matuza, Tom Moser, Mark McConaughy, Bill Paxton, Tom Pearson, Jason Pigan, Bill Powers, Diane Scott, Mary Jane Seipler, Loree Speedy, Mary Lou Shreffler, Michele Zerebnick.

Comments: A very dark, dismal, windy day. Birds stayed under cover. Low turnout of participants, & party hours the lowest since 1993. Two hi-count records set in boldface.

Birder of Yore continued from page 12…

yet I am going thus to act. I have just read what you have said in the Record about my Pigeon chapters, and it has gratified me beyond measure. I have sometimes felt a little disappointed that the labour of so many years seemed to be almost thrown away, for you are the first man, capable of forming a judgment who seems to have thought anything of this part of my work. The amount of labour, correspondence ,and care, which the subject cost me, is more than you could well suppose. I thought the article in the Athenceum, written, I have no doubt, by Owen, was very unjust; but now I feel amply repaid, and I cordially thank you for your sympathy and too warm praise. What labour you have bestowed on your part of this Record!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Sunday which you and the others spent here, and I remain, dear Newton, Yours very sincerely,

Charles Darwin