Team LycoBirds Williamsport CBC Results 2016

12/27/16
By Bobby Brown

Rufous Hummingbird near Elimsport during the 2016 Williamsport Christmas Bird Count.
Rufous Hummingbird, near Elimsport, 12/27/16

After the original date was postponed due to weather, you couldn't have asked for better weather for the 2016 Williamsport Christmas Bird Count. Showers overnight turned into fog in the morning that quickly lifted, giving way to clear skies and temperatures in the 50s.

Our team was Bobby, David, Deb and Bob Brown, with Bobby collecting the data (and David being the overall count compiler for both of Lycoming County's counts). Our coverage area was most of the southern part of the count circle, including the Montgomery area, the area near the landfill, and the general area surrounding SGL 252, corresponding to sector 6 and 7.

The first hour or so was tough with the fog, but we managed to pick up Swamp Sparrow and a flyover Northern Pintail in the Montgomery area, before hopping into the Northumberland County sliver of the count circle, where we picked up a Peregrine Falcon (presumably one of the "cliff peregrines"). By that point, the sun was really starting to come out.

Next we headed over near Elimsport to try for the continuing Rufous Hummingbird, which was very cooperative for us. While we were headed there, we observed both species of vulture soaring not far from the landfill, which was our next stop after the hummer. After scoping the "hill sides" at the landfill, we came away with quite a few (~4000) starlings, but also some harder to find species, including Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, and the vultures again.

The rest of the day was a mixed bag. We hit some spots outside of our area where we observed Horned Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes, and Greater Scaup, among other species. We also got to watch a pair of Bald Eagles being mobbed by one of the peregrines at the dam. Later on in the day, we did brave some of the edge of SGL 252 to add to our counts of the brush birds that are somewhat tough to get in decent numbers in our area. A quick stop at Indian Park near dusk to see if any good waterfowl had come in yielded no interesting bird sightings, but, surprisingly, a river otter had managed to find its way into the pond.

David and Bobby tried owling in the evening, especially targeting Barred and Northern Saw-whet Owls, but had no luck.

In total, we had 43 species in our area, plus an additional 5 species outside our area (but within the count circle), on count day, and 15 more species recorded during the first 3 days of count week plus 2 new ones recorded after count day, for a total of 65 species.

Highlights

  • Northern Pintail
  • Black and Turkey Vultures
  • Herring Gulls
  • Rufous Hummingbird
  • Swamp Sparrow
  • Peregrine Falcon

Full Results

  • Canada Goose - 111
  • Mallard - 66
  • Northern Pintail - 1
  • Common Merganser - 33
  • Black Vulture - 20
  • Turkey Vulture - 11
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2
  • Cooper's Hawk - 2
  • Bald Eagle - 1
  • Red-tailed Hawk - 12
  • Ring-billed Gull - 300
  • Herring Gull - 2
  • Rock Pigeon - 84
  • Mourning Dove - 21
  • Rufous Hummingbird - 1
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5
  • Downy Woodpecker - 6
  • Hairy Woodpecker - 1
  • Northern Flicker - 2
  • American Kestrel - 2
  • Peregrine Falcon - 1
  • Blue Jay - 12
  • American Crow - 291
  • Common Raven - 6
  • Black-capped Chickadee - 14
  • Tufted Titmouse - 11
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1
  • White-breasted Nuthatch - 8
  • Carolina Wren - 8
  • Eastern Bluebird - 10
  • American Robin - 320
  • Northern Mockingbird - 2
  • European Starling - 4,450
  • Cedar Waxwing - 23
  • American Tree Sparrow - 24
  • Dark-eyed Junco - 40
  • White-throated Sparrow - 22
  • Song Sparrow - 12
  • Swamp Sparrow - 1
  • Northern Cardinal - 11
  • House Finch - 24
  • American Goldfinch - 9
  • House Sparrow - 25

Outside of Our Area

These species will be officially reported by other groups:

  • Pied-billed Grebe
  • Horned Grebe
  • Greater Scaup
  • Bufflehead
  • Hooded Merganser

Count Week Species

Recorded during the 3 days prior to the count:

  • Great Blue Heron
  • American Black Duck
  • Common Goldeneye
  • Northern Harrier
  • Wild Turkey
  • Eastern Screech-Owl
  • Belted Kingfisher
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Brown Creeper
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • Field Sparrow
  • Common Grackle
  • American Coot
  • Merlin

Recorded during the 3 days after the count:

  • Winter Wren
  • Fox Sparrow

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