Triadelphia Reservoir CBC -- 1997 Results (LONG)
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Thu, 22 Jan 1998 04:45:45 -0500
TRIADELPHIA RESERVOIR CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT #50
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20th, 1997
The fiftieth Triadelphia CBC was a resounding success from start to
finish, with perfect weather followed by a pot-luck dinner
tally-rally, which we hope will become a new tradition! In a season
marked by highly unusual "el Niņo" weather conditions, count day had
moderate temperatures ranging from 25 degrees F by the Patuxent River
at dawn to an almost balmy 60 degrees F by mid-afternoon.
No new species were seen this year, but we did set records for high
numbers for seven species (Hooded and Common Mergansers, Black
Vulture, Bald Eagle, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and
European Starling) and tied the old highs for three others
(Green-winged Teal, Merlin and Red-headed Woodpecker). The woodpecker
and nuthatch numbers don't surprise me so much, since both species
have been seen in good numbers in our area since mid-September, but
this was only the seventh year that Merlins have been seen on the
count, and they seem to be wintering in our area more and more.
As exciting as the rise in Bald Eagles was, the dramatic increase in
Starlings over last seasons ten year low seems cause for concern.
Hopefully this was just a fluke and not an indication of the ever
increasing over-development our area has seen in recent years. I
received a note written on a tally sheet from Howard County stating
that the area is shrinking because of development and that CBC
participants were approached about what they were doing by folks
claiming private property rights, etc. even though they were not
trespassing (thanks to Marty Chestem and Helen Zeichner). I
experienced the same thing on the count this year in Montgomery
County, on parkland that borders a private horse farm. The count
circle does indeed seem to be shrinking!
Seventy-one field observers saw eighty-five species of birds,
totaling nearly 130,000 individuals (last year we had 68 observers
and 91 species). Thanks to all who participated this year and
especially for extra help to the following: Larry Iager at W.S.S.C.
for his continued permission to trespass on watershed property on
count day; Rob Gibbs for taking over as leader for Area 7 and for his
help gaining us access to the Brookside Nature Center for our tally;
to Howard Youth for taking on the leadership of Area 5 and doing a
fantastic job of organizing that area even though a case of chicken
pox kept him from doing the count; to all who brought food or drinks
to the tally pot-luck dinner and helped make it a success; and to
Norm and Fran Saunders, Kathy Neugebauer, and Darius Ecker for
helping to bring you these results via computer. This is another
innovation started this year, and one which we hope will continue
into the next century, as the National Audubon Society prepares to
bring us the full historical database of Christmas Bird Counts,
stretching all the way back to 1900, on its new web-site!
Nancy and I would like to wish you all a belated Happy New (birding)
Year, and we hope you get to enjoy some of the special treats that
winter has brought our way - winter gulls, nuthatches, and
crossbills.
Rick and Nancy Sussman
Ashton, MD
Participants (area leaders in BOLD):
D.H. Michael Bowen, Frank Boyle, Carl Brudin III, Rod Burley, Marty
Chestem, Dennis Coskren, Jane Coskren, Lynn Davidson, Diane Davis, L.
Wesley Earp, Darius Ecker, Daniel Edelstein, Rob Etgen, Jeffrey
Friedhoffer, Linda Friedland, Rob Gibbs, Gregory Gough, Jim Green, Joe
Halpin, Jane Hill, William Hill, Barbara Holloman, Lenore Holt, David
Holmes, Marshall Howe, Mike Kerwin, Jay Kilian, Gisela Locherer,
Cynthia Loeper, Nancy Magnusson, Rich Mason, Michael Moffatt, David
Mozurkewich, G. Dwight Mueller, Cecily Nabors, Kathy Neugebauer, Daryl
Olson, Richard Orr, Peter Osenton, Dave Pardoe, Jeremy Pearse, Susan
Polniaszek, Andy Rabin, Gemma Radko, Chandler Robbins, Fran Saunders,
Norm Saunders, Lydia Schindler, Kurt Schwarz, Jay Sheppard, Suzanne
Shoemaker, Steve Smith, Jo Solem, Charles Stirrat, Jamie St.Onge, Paul
Sunshine, Rick Sussman, Debi Talbott, Winifred Walker-Jones, Mark
Wallace, Hal Wierenga, Sybil Williams, Jane Winer, Carole Winter, Jeff
Winter, Robert Winter, Paco Wong, Mike Young, Howard Youth, Helen
Zeichner and Richard Zusi.
Triadelphia Reservoir CBC Species Summary 1948-1997
Last
Years Year High High Comments for
Seen Seen Count Year 1997
====================================================================
Common Loon 9 1992 2 1988
Red-throated Loon 1 1987 1 1987
Pied-billed Grebe 36 1997 6 1996
Horned Grebe 23 1995 7 1961
Red-necked Grebe 1 1951 1 1951
Western Grebe 2 1959 2 1953
Great Blue Heron 42 1997 44 1993
Great Egret 1 1984 1 1984
Green-backed Heron 2 1988 1 1984
Tundra Swan 23 1996 316 1984
Mute Swan 3 1987 2 1962
Snow Goose 8 1996 7 1994
Canada Goose 42 1997 13,880 1983
Greater White-fronted Goose 1 1990 1 1990
Wood Duck 18 1995 18 1961
Green-winged Teal 25 1997 24 1997 -- tied 1974
American Black Duck 50 1997 2,000 1953
Mallard 50 1997 2,500 1955
Blue-winged Teal 1 1973 1 1973
Northern Pintail 24 1997 25 1981
Gadwall 23 1996 22 1978
Eurasian Wigeon 1 1996 1 1996
American Wigeon 44 1997 75 1958
Northern Shoveler 4 1978 7 1965
Canvasback 13 1996 14 1975
Redhead 13 1987 8 1976
Ring-necked Duck 27 1997 98 1991
Greater Scaup 2 1976 1 1973
Lesser Scaup 13 1991 25 1977
Common Goldeneye 23 1997 63 1983
Bufflehead 30 1997 32 1984
Oldsquaw 4 1975 5 1975
Hooded Merganser 38 1997 57 1997 -- new high!
Common Merganser 46 1997 274 1997 -- new high!
Red-breasted Merganser 5 1994 6 1988
Ruddy Duck 19 1997 12 1951
Black Vulture 44 1997 183 1997 -- new high!
Turkey Vulture 50 1997 722 1992
Bald Eagle 14 1997 5 1997 -- new high!
Northern Goshawk 4 1996 1 1967
Northern Harrier 36 1995 12 1973
Sharp-shinned Hawk 42 1997 25 1993
Cooper's Hawk 37 1997 9 1991
Red-shouldered Hawk 49 1997 77 1981
Red-tailed Hawk 50 1997 89 1993
Rough-legged Hawk 11 1989 3 1986
American Kestrel 50 1997 46 1975
Merlin 7 1997 2 1997 -- tied 1994
Peregrine Falcon 1 1963 1 1963
Ruffed Grouse 1 1978 5 1978
Ring-necked Pheasant 29 1995 31 1982
Wild Turkey 2 1996 2 1996
Northern Bobwhite 37 1995 208 1974
American Coot 24 1997 80 1956
Killdeer 48 1997 108 1984
Common Snipe 35 1997 29 1990
American Woodcock 20 1997 4 1990
Laughing Gull 3 1994 6 1976
Bonaparte's Gull 4 1991 23 1987
Ring-billed Gull 35 1997 5,604 1992
Herring Gull 33 1997 8,238 1987
Iceland Gull 7 1994 4 1994
Thayer's Gull 2 1994 2 1994
Lesser Black-backed Gull 13 1995 10 1993
Glaucous Gull 4 1994 1 1990
Great Black-backed Gull 13 1995 128 1994
Rock Dove 24 1997 1,311 1981
Mourning Dove 50 1997 2,567 1993
Barn Owl 9 1984 3 1977
Eastern Screech-Owl 41 1997 25 1961
Great Horned Owl 37 1997 28 1986
Barred Owl 43 1997 13 1977
Long-eared Owl 7 1986 6 1986
Short-eared Owl 2 1983 1 1978
Northern Saw-whet Owl 9 1995 6 1995
Belted Kingfisher 48 1997 48 1993
Red-headed Woodpecker 17 1997 12 1997 --tied 1966
Red-bellied Woodpecker 50 1997 443 1993
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 40 1997 31 1993
Downy Woodpecker 50 1997 336 1982
Hairy Woodpecker 50 1997 87 1993
Northern Flicker 50 1997 308 1993
Pileated Woodpecker 37 1997 90 1993
Eastern Phoebe 26 1997 7 1993
Horned Lark 35 1995 375 1966
Blue Jay 50 1997 1,528 1981
Northern Raven 1 1978 1 1978
American Crow 50 1997 26,337 1985
Fish Crow 37 1997 6,817 1984
Black-capped Chickadee 17 1983 86 1954
Carolina Chickadee 50 1997 1,229 1993
Tufted Titmouse 50 1997 813 1997 -- new high!
Red-breasted Nuthatch 36 1997 112 1997 -- new high!
White-breasted Nuthatch 50 1997 286 1993
Brown Creeper 50 1997 90 1982
Carolina Wren 50 1997 513 1993
Bewick's Wren 1 1954 1 1954
House Wren 12 1996 3 1975
Winter Wren 49 1997 56 1974
Golden-crowned Kinglet 49 1997 241 1975
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 42 1997 26 1996
Eastern Bluebird 50 1997 375 1993
Hermit Thrush 44 1997 60 1994
American Robin 43 1997 678 1991
Gray Catbird 25 1997 17 1984
Northern Mockingbird 50 1997 601 1994
Brown Thrasher 29 1997 9 1974
American Pipit 18 1995 150 1974
Cedar Waxwing 42 1997 1,149 1984
Northern Shrike 1 1994 1 1994
Loggerhead Shrike 26 1984 9 1954
European Starling 50 1997 18,734 1997 -- new high!
Yellow-rumped Warbler 48 1997 123 1971
Pine Warbler 3 1993 1 1968
Prairie Warbler 1 1995 1 1995
Palm Warbler 4 1996 1 1949
Ovenbird 2 1991 1 1991
Common Yellowthroat 9 1997 2 1991
Yellow-breasted Chat 4 1995 2 1972
Western Tanager 1 1977 1 1977
Northern Cardinal 50 1997 1,401 1980
Dickcissel 3 1967 1 1958
Indigo Bunting 2 1996 1 1991
Eastern Towhee 46 1997 90 1996
American Tree Sparrow 50 1997 544 1955
Chipping Sparrow 19 1996 24 1972
Field Sparrow 50 1997 609 1975
Vesper Sparrow 8 1983 2 1959
Savannah Sparrow 38 1997 59 1991
Grasshopper Sparrow 1 1963 1 1963
Fox Sparrow 35 1997 73 1994
Song Sparrow 50 1997 1,233 1982
Lincoln's Sparrow 5 1995 1 1991
Swamp Sparrow 49 1997 106 1976
White-throated Sparrow 50 1997 3,502 1980
White-crowned Sparrow 48 1997 111 1974
Dark-eyed Junco 50 1997 2,561 1982
Snow Bunting 5 1994 14 1992
Red-winged Blackbird 42 1997 12,337 1983
Eastern Meadowlark 50 1997 384 1959
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1 1985 1 1985
Rusty Blackbird 23 1997 163 1990
Common Grackle 42 1997 100,000 1983
Brown-headed Cowbird 42 1997 3,895 1970
Northern Oriole 5 1970 1 1952
Purple Finch 42 1997 1,007 1982
House Finch 31 1997 1,789 1993
Red Crossbill 3 1977 7 1972
White-winged Crossbill 1 1965 6 1965
Common Redpoll 3 1990 3 1959
Pine Siskin 18 1995 84 1977
American Goldfinch 50 1997 657 1981
Evening Grosbeak 26 1996 229 1963
House Sparrow 50 1997 1,425 1982