Summary of 2016-17 Christmas Bird Counts
2/5/17
By David Brown
The holiday season is full of traditions. It is a time of religious celebration, family, and food. For birders it is also a time for waking up early and heading out into the cold for the annual Christmas Bird Count.
Red-tailed Hawk
The Christmas Bird Count is an event, now in its 117th year, run by the National Audubon Society. It began in 1900 to promote counting birds rather than shooting them as was tradition on Christmas day. Each count occurs on a single day between mid-December and early January. Observers split up and cover a 15-mile diameter circle and count all birds seen and heard. Information about time, distance, and the weather are also collected and compiled for the entire count. The data is used scientifically to document changes in bird populations over time. There are now more than 2500 count circles with the majority in the United States and Canada. The Lycoming Audubon Society is the sponsor of two circles in Lycoming County.
The Williamsport Christmas Bird Count was held on December 27th. It was originally scheduled earlier but a snow storm forced us to reschedule. This circle is centered in Montoursville and also includes Williamsport, Loyalsock, Muncy, and Montgomery. A total of 21 observers split into 11 groups. The day began very foggy but once that lifted the skies were clear and the temperature reached the mid-fifties
Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon
The final total was 13161 individual birds of 64 species. Over 6000 of those were European starlings. The rufous hummingbird visiting a feeder near Elimsport stayed just long enough for the count and was not seen again after that day. An eastern phoebe in Montoursville was a surprise because this species is rarely seen locally in winter. An evening grosbeak found up route 87 was a good find of a species that used to be common here but is now rare. Twelve bald eagles were tallied in a new count record. We also set new high counts for horned grebe, eastern bluebird, American robin, and black vulture.
Rufous Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
The Northern Lycoming Christmas Bird Count was held on new years eve. This count area includes Rose Valley Lake, Trout Run, Buttonwood, Ralston, and Cogan House. The weather was cold and windy with snow on the ground in most areas. We had 16 participants in 6 groups. We set a new record for bald eagles for this count as well with 7. We also set new high counts for red-shouldered hawk, eastern bluebird, northern mockingbird, and house finch. Another highlight was a golden eagle seen flying near Powys. A rusty blackbird in Jackson Township was the first record of this species for this count. Four rough-legged hawks were seen in farmland areas, including one dark-morph. The final total was 3391 individual birds of 48 species.
Rusty Blackbird
The Christmas Bird Count is a fun way to get involved with birding while collecting important data on the birds we love to watch. Even now in the middle of winter is a great time to watch birds. I recently watched a large flock of snow geese migrating south over Montoursville. It won't be long until they're heading back north with hundreds of other species soon to follow.
A River Otter seen during the Williamsport count
