White Breasted Nuthatch ©Anne Elliott

Bird Study Group - Species Counts

Calgary Area Christmas Bird Count 2009

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 58th Calgary Christmas Bird count yesterday, December 20, 2009. Almost 200 people took part in this year's count, with 105 feeder-watchers and 91 birders in the field, ranging in age from five to 82.

Special thanks go to Lenora and Dick Flynn for hosting a most enjoyable wind-up party, to assistant compiler Donna Wieckowski, to Jean Moore and her team of helpers for organising the feeder-watch part of the count, to Arthur Wieckowski who provided much valuable assistance in handling all the data and to Terry Korolyk, John McFaul and Jim Washbrook for helping to organise the teams in the field.

After two severe cold snaps, one in early October and one in early December, we had to be relatively pleased with conditions on count day, though they were far from ideal. The temperature ranged from a low of minus 10 deg to a high of minus 8 deg, and light snow fell during most of the day, add to an existing snow cover of about 15 cm. Glenmore Reservoir was fully frozen and the Bow and Elbow Rivers were partially frozen. Birders in the field put in a total of 219 party-hours, 69 percent on foot, covering 225 km on foot and 1050 km by car.

Some count highlights were:

• 63 species recorded, compared with an average of 65 species for the past 20 years. One additional species recorded in count week so far (Northern Cardinal), sadly not seen on count-day, which would have been a first for us. Count week ends on December 23. MOST IMPORTANT -- please inform me of any count week (December 17-23) sightings of any species not on the list below.
  
  
• 53 950 individual birds were counted, which is 7 percent above the average for the past ten years. This fairly high total obscures the fact that while we had high numbers of a few species (we had counts over 15 000 for both Mallards and Bohemian Waxwings), many of the more common species were at below-average levels, perhaps reflecting higher-than average mortality due to the prolonged periods of cold weather and lack of food sources.
  
  
• Unusual species (recorded in three or less years in the prior ten): American Coot (1), Mourning Dove (3), Northern Pygmy-Owl (2), Varied Thrush (1); Harris's Sparrow (3); and Red Crossbill (15).
  
  
• Record numbers for Mourning Dove (3) and House Finch (1209).
  
  
• High Counts (more than twice the prior ten-year average) for seven regularly recorded species: Pileated Woodpecker (3), Mountain Chickadee (5), Bohemian Waxwing (15247), White-throated Sparrow (2), House Finch (1209), White-winged Crossbill (351) and Pine Siskin (337).
  
  
• Low counts (less than one-half the prior ten-year average) for fifteen regularly recorded species: American Wigeon (1), Hooded Merganser (1), Killdeer (2), Northern Shrike (1), Blue Jay (57), Boreal Chickadee (13), Brown Creeper (5), Golden-crowned Kinglet (2), American Robin (9), European Starling (42), Cedar Waxwing (5), American Tree Sparrow (1), Pine Grosbeak (8) and Common Redpoll (150).
  
  
• Eleven "missing" species (seen on count-day in five or more years in the prior ten, but missed this year): Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Red-tailed Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Gray Jay, Song Sparrow and American Goldfinch.

A full list of species seen is on the web. I will be presenting the results at the Bird Study Group meeting on Wednesday January 6, 2010 at 7:30 PM in Room 211 of the Biosciences Building, University of Calgary, as part of the traditional Calgary region CBC review evening. Please let me know if you notice any omissions or errors in this provisional compilation. Final results will be posted on the Audubon database within about two weeks.

This message is being posted on Albertabird and sent to all count participants, as well as those who were unable to participate due to last-minute problems, with apologies for duplication.

Good birding and happy Christmas counting!

Phil Cram

List of species recorded on count-day: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, American
Wigeon, Mallard, Redhead, Harlequin Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye,
Barrow's Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Gray Partridge,
Ring-necked Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Merlin, Gyrfalcon,
American Coot, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl,
Northern Pygmy-Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker,
Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Shrike, Blue Jay,
Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee,
Mountain Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted
Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, American Dipper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Townsend's
Solitaire, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Bohemian
Waxwing, Cedar Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow,
Harris's Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Snow Bunting, Pine Grosbeak, House Finch,
Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin and House
Sparrow Total species, 63.

Count-week to date: Northern Cardinal.

The numbers: 2009 count included in the CBC for Calgary 1990 to present. Earlier data can be seen in 1965 - 1989.

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