The 102nd CBC for this circle includes Pawling (at the center), parts
of Poughquag, Wingdale, Stormville, Kent, Carmel and Patterson
in NYS, and Sherman, parts of New Milford and Danbury in CT. Field
observers froze in the early hours; Dot Fleury reported a temperature
of 8° when she started out. The high for the day was 37°.
Fortunately it was really calm during the early hours. No snow,
and clear most of the day, made the going reasonably enjoyable.
Angela Dimmitt, our CT compiler, started off on her owling
spree at 3:00 am and broke the world's record for screech
owls on one count, a total of nineteen little hooters, and
Carena Pooth got the other one after driving about with a
speaker mounted with bungee cords to the roof of her car,
inadvertently inviting the attention of The Law. People who
engage in such behavior in celebration of the New Year are
without a doubt saner than the thousands of screwballs crowding
around in Times Square.
Bird of the Day was the Common Loon seen by pro Dave Rosgen
on Candlewood Lake. Waterfowl counts were somewhat low due
to the low water levels in our streams and reservoirs. Fascinating
that so many Black Vultures have been hanging out during
the winter in CT. Their most popular roost is near the Town
Highway Garage on Rt. 37 in New Milford. A total of 17 were
seen on our count day. Usually there are many more. Ravens
are increasing, both in CT and in NY.
We had 28 field observers:
In NY: Barbara Butler, Dot Fleury, Sibyll Gilbert,
Chris Luchini, Maryanne Pitts, Carena Pooth, Jim Utter
and Bill Wallace.
In CT: Elliot Ashe, Pat Bailey, Fred
Baumgarten, Bob Cartoceti, Angela Dimmitt,
Bill & Nancy Liedlich, Carolyn Longstreth,
Russ Naylor, Nancy Nichols, Dave Rosgen and
Fritz Waterman (a very familiar name).
14967 birds were counted, 79 species plus three in count
week.
By the way, Dave told us that Saw-whet Owls come to harvest
our mice in winter, but leave for warmer climes when severe
cold weather moves in. My back yard hosted such a delightful
little visitor, and then it vanished. I believe that I heard
it call the night before Count Day.
| SPECIES |
#
Found
1/1/02
|
|
SPECIES
|
#
Found
1/1/02
|
| Common Loon |
1
|
|
Northern Flicker |
19
|
| Pied-billed Grebe |
5
|
|
Pileated Woodpecker |
7
|
| Great Blue Heron |
5
|
|
Eastern Phoebe |
1
|
| Dble-crested Cormorant |
|
|
Blue Jay |
337
|
| Great Blue Heron |
5
|
|
Common Raven |
9
|
| Mute Swan |
38
|
|
American Crow |
1182
|
| Canada Goose |
1813
|
|
Fish Crow |
3
|
| Wood Duck |
1
|
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
704
|
| American Black Duck |
221
|
|
Tufted Titmouse |
434
|
| Mallard |
696
|
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
1
|
| Gadwall |
2
|
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
195
|
| Ring-necked Duck |
15
|
|
Brown Creeper |
17
|
| Lesser Scaup |
1
|
|
Carolina Wren |
27
|
| Common Goldeneye |
15
|
|
Winter Wren |
5
|
| Bufflehead |
5
|
|
Marsh Wren |
1
|
| Hooded Merganser |
33
|
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
29
|
| Common Merganser |
142
|
|
Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
3
|
| Ruddy Duck |
298
|
|
Eastern Bluebird |
127
|
| Turkey Vulture |
3
|
|
Hermit Thrush |
4
|
| Black Vulture |
18
|
|
American Robin |
118
|
| Northern Harrier |
1
|
|
Northern Mockingbird |
106
|
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
7
|
|
Cedar Waxwing |
155
|
| Cooper's Hawk |
7
|
|
European Starling |
852
|
| Northern Goshawk |
cw
|
|
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
2
|
| Red-tailed Hawk |
81
|
|
Northern Cardinal |
228
|
| Bald Eagle |
11
|
|
American Tree Sparrow |
171
|
| American Kestrel |
2
|
|
Chipping Sparrow |
1
|
| Ring-necked Pheasant |
2
|
|
Savannah Sparrow |
1
|
| Wild Turkey |
178
|
|
Fox Sparrow |
3
|
| Ring-billed Gull |
2531
|
|
Song Sparrow |
120
|
| Herring Gull |
774
|
|
Swamp Sparrow |
7
|
| Great Black-backed Gull |
5
|
|
White-throated Sparrow |
318
|
| Rock Dove |
218
|
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
768
|
| Mourning Dove |
326
|
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
15
|
| Eastern Screech Owl |
20
|
|
Rusty Blackbird |
1
|
| Great Horned Owl |
3
|
|
Common Grackle |
cw
|
| Barred Owl |
2
|
|
Brown-headed Cowbird |
4
|
| Northern Saw-whet Owl |
cw
|
|
Purple Finch |
19
|
| Belted Kingfisher |
6
|
|
House Finch |
293
|
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
77
|
|
Common Redpoll
|
9
|
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
6
|
|
Pine Siskin |
30
|
| Downy Woodpecker |
282
|
|
American Goldfinch |
270
|
| Hairy Woodpecker |
36
|
|
House Sparrow |
287
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| Total Birds (2001) |
14,967
|
|
| Total Species |
79+3cw
|
| Number of Field Birders |
28
|
| Date of Count (Dec.) |
15
|
