|
Pawling
NY - CT (Hidden Valley) Christmas Bird Count
January 1, 2005
by
Carena Pooth
With each new year comes the Pawling Christmas
Bird Count. The circle includes eastern Dutchess north
to Wingdale, bounded on the west by Poughquag and Greenhaven.
In addition, the northern portion of Putnam County, including
Kent, Carmel, and Patterson, is part of the circle, as
are Sherman, parts of New Milford, and Danbury, CT.
11,578 birds were counted with 74 species plus one
in count week. This was down from 13,923 individuals and 80 species
plus two in count week last year. Comparative 2004/2005 results
are shown in the accompanying chart.
The
weather once again spoiled us, even more than the last two
years. This made the birding pretty cushy for January but
probably depressed our numbers somewhat.
The temperatures ranged from 34 to 50. The day was partly cloudy and we had no
rain or snow. Unlike last year, however, the previous week had been quite cold,
so most lakes and ponds had little open water. As was true last year, the lack
of snow cover caused many birds to stay away from roadside edges as they successfully
foraged in the fields. Our numbers were lower this year than last, but better
than two years ago.
Owls were a little harder
to find this year; maybe it was too warm! There were
no Northern Saw-whet
Owls (as opposed to 5 last year), but we did find 16
Eastern Screech (including 13 in Connecticut), 2 Great
Horned, and 4 Barred Owls. Angela noted that in
Connecticut, "Larry Fischer stopped at 2:45 when
he found a screech owl while checking a kestrel box he
had put up at Sunny Valley Preserve - he rushed home
and picked up his banding material. He thinks she
is a two-year-old being courted by an admirer who had
presented her with 5 headless shrews and one headless
white-tailed mouse!!"
Eastern
Screech-Owl found by Larry Fischer in CT 
Click image to enlarge |
 |
Waterfowl
numbers and diversity were generally low. The bright spots
on this part of the chart include 10 Buffleheads and a
Common Loon.
Since we were all
having so much trouble finding some of the common birds, we were under the
impression that Red-tailed Hawks were everywhere. As it turns
out, though, we saw "only" 68 of them compared with 100 last year.
Kestrel, Merlin, and Harrier all eluded us. The nice surprise among the raptors
this year was a Golden Eagle in Pawling. Bald Eagles were also well represented
with a count of 7, including 3 on the New York side.
Black Vultures were plentiful;
in fact, we had a record high count for them with a total of 26. We only
started seeing this species on the count in 1999
(cw).
Among the corvids, our American Crow count
was a healthy 1,160 (a stable population compared with past
years), but Ravens were down from 29 last year
to 10 this
year. We had a new high count of 8 for Fish Crow, a species that first
appeared on the Pawling count in 1997.
American Robins were
out in force with a count of 474, which is unusually high.
Last year, American Pipits were found, the first on the count
since
1977, and
this species again made the list this year—thanks to our Connecticut
team for both of these records.
Sparrow numbers were again low, presumably
due to lack of snow cover. And we all noted that American Goldfinch sightings
were very few and far between
this
year.
Many thanks to our 41 field observers and 12
feeder watchers. The field observers were: In NY: John Askildsen, Barbara Butler, Betsy
Carswell, Binnie Chase, Peggy Fasciani, Dot Fleury, Carol & Ken
Fredericks, Sibyll Gilbert, Kelly Liao, Chris Luchini, Allan & Barbara
Michelin, Judy Kelley Moberg, Nanette Orr, Maryanne Pitts,
Carena Pooth, Lauri Taylor, Herb Thompson, Chet Vincent,
and Bill Wallace.
In CT: Janet & Lorraine Amalavage, Pat Bailey,
Don Breeger, Bob Cartoceti, Angela Dimmitt, Larry Fischer,
Carol & Linton Hamilton, Carolyn Hartel, Bill & Nancy
Liedlich, Carolyn Longstreth, Nancy Nichols, Linda Potter,
Dave Rosgen, Sally Spence, and Nick Thold.
Angela Dimmitt
compiled the Connecticut results and Carena Pooth handled
the NY side of the count.
Mark your calendar now for New Year's Day 2006, when we'll
be out there again!
| SPECIES |
#
Found
1/1/05
|
#
Found
1/1/04
|
|
SPECIES |
#
Found
1/1/05
|
#
Found
1/1/04
|
| Snow Goose |
|
2
|
|
Downy Woodpecker |
121 |
180
|
| Canada Goose |
1554 |
1405
|
|
Hairy Woodpecker |
19 |
24
|
| Mute Swan |
42 |
52
|
|
Northern Flicker |
15 |
25
|
| Wood Duck |
|
2
|
|
Pileated Woodpecker |
10 |
10
|
| Gadwall |
|
|
|
Northern Shrike |
1 |
|
| American Wigeon |
|
|
|
Blue Jay |
103 |
422
|
| American Black Duck |
22 |
11
|
|
American Crow |
1160 |
1114
|
| Mallard |
660 |
394
|
|
Fish Crow |
8 |
1
|
| Northern Pintail |
|
|
|
Common Raven |
10 |
29
|
| Ring-necked Duck |
|
40
|
|
Horned Lark |
|
|
| Lesser Scaup |
|
1
|
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
665 |
964
|
| Bufflehead |
10
|
4
|
|
Tufted Titmouse |
964 |
630
|
| Common Goldeneye |
6
|
16
|
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
1 |
10
|
| Hooded Merganser |
13
|
139
|
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
184 |
231
|
| Common Merganser |
52
|
1177
|
|
Brown Creeper |
10 |
6
|
| Red-breasted Merganser |
|
cw
|
|
Carolina Wren |
31 |
36
|
| Ruddy Duck |
18
|
5
|
|
Winter Wren |
2 |
3
|
| Ring-necked Pheasant |
|
1
|
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
48 |
75
|
| Wild Turkey |
131
|
62
|
|
Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
1 |
1
|
| Common Loon |
1 |
|
|
Eastern Bluebird |
154 |
208
|
| Great Blue Heron |
2 |
5
|
|
Hermit Thrush |
3 |
9
|
| Black Vulture |
26 |
13
|
|
American Robin |
474 |
171
|
| Turkey Vulture |
13 |
13
|
|
Gray Catbird |
2 |
1
|
| Bald Eagle |
7 |
9
|
|
Northern Mockingbird |
50 |
49
|
| Northern Harrier |
|
1
|
|
European Starling |
1392 |
823
|
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
1 |
6
|
|
American Pipit |
8 |
12
|
| Cooper's Hawk |
5 |
7
|
|
Cedar Waxwing |
193 |
183
|
| Northern Goshawk |
1 |
1
|
|
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
1 |
3
|
| Red-shouldered Hawk |
2 |
3
|
|
Eastern Towhee |
cw |
cw
|
| Red-tailed Hawk |
68 |
100
|
|
American Tree Sparrow |
51 |
154
|
| American Kestrel |
|
1
|
|
Field Sparrow |
1 |
3
|
| Merlin |
|
1
|
|
Fox Sparrow |
|
|
| American Coot |
20 |
1
|
|
Song Sparrow |
68
|
63
|
| Wilson's Snipe |
|
1
|
|
Lincoln's Sparrow |
|
2
|
| Ring-billed Gull |
1312 |
1175
|
|
Swamp Sparrow |
2
|
1
|
| Herring Gull |
120 |
69
|
|
White-throated Sparrow |
186
|
410
|
| Great Black-backed Gull |
15 |
7
|
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
556
|
787
|
| Rock Pigeon |
109 |
263
|
|
Northern Cardinal |
212
|
197
|
| Mourning Dove |
258 |
353
|
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
105
|
|
| Eastern Screech Owl |
16 |
24
|
|
Rusty Blackbird |
15 |
|
| Great Horned Owl |
2 |
3
|
|
Brown-headed Cowbird |
1 |
|
| Barred Owl |
4 |
2
|
|
Purple Finch |
|
35
|
| Northern Saw-whet Owl |
|
5
|
|
House Finch |
244 |
381
|
| Belted Kingfisher |
7 |
5
|
|
Pine Siskin |
1 |
23
|
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
40 |
94
|
|
American Goldfinch |
135 |
618
|
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
1 |
6
|
|
House Sparrow |
398 |
549
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total Birds |
11,578
|
13,923
|
|
| Total Species |
74+1cw
|
80+2cw
|
| Field Birders |
41
|
42
|
| Feeder Watchers |
12
|
14
|
|
)
