Central Mass Bird Census Archives, 2007
Central Mass Bird Update homepage.
This is an archive of bird census data from breeding bird surveys, Christmas Counts, or other comprehensive bird surveys in central Massachusetts. To contribute, you can email to rsquimby@wpi.edu or call Rick Quimby at (508) 835-6567 for information on how to submit the census data.
Snow Goose - 3 CANADA GOOSE - 1881 (New Count High) Mute Swan - 9 Wood Duck - 1 Gadwall - 1 American Black Duck - 64 Mallard - 679 Ring-necked Duck - 1 Lesser Scaup - 3 Common Goldeneye - 74 BARROW'S GOLDENEYE - 1 female (Lake Quinsig) Hooded Merganser - 38 Common Merganser - 57 Wild Turkey - 57 Common Loon - 1 Great Blue Heron - 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 Cooper's Hawk - 6 Red-tailed Hawk - 8 Ring-billed Gull - 219 Herring Gull - 11 Great Black-backed Gull - 3 Rock Pigeon - 265 Mourning Dove - 98 Eastern Screech-Owl - 1 Belted Kingfisher - 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 9 Downy Woodpecker - 57 Hairy Woodpecker - 10 Northern Flicker - 1 Blue Jay - 95 American Crow - 1068 Common Raven - 4 Horned Lark - 38 Black-capped Chickadee - 349 Tufted Titmouse - 117 White-breasted Nuthatch - 40 Carolina Wren - 3 Winter Wren - 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet - 3 Eastern Bluebird - 34 Hermit Thrush - 3 American Robin - 547 Northern Mockingbird - 16 European Starling - 560 Cedar Waxwing - 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1 American Tree Sparrow - 74 Field Sparrow - 2 Savannah Sparrow - 1 Song Sparrow - 51 Swamp Sparrow - 1 White-throated Sparrow - 75 Dark-eyed Junco - 599 Northern Cardinal - 120 Red-winged Blackbird - 1 Rusty Blackbird - 1 Purple Finch - 4 House Finch - 45 Pine Siskin - 14 American Goldfinch - 175 House Sparrow - 320(report from John Liller).
Bird numbers and variety were really on the very low side. Part of the
reason was that the recent historic ice storm had affected many parts of the
circle, especially the eastern areas and all hilltops and ridges throughout.
Electricity was still out in some areas, and some roads still impassable.
Tree damage was EVERYWHERE birders went. Added to that depressing fact was
that the two main rivers of the circle, the Quabog and the Quinnebaug, were
at or near flood levels. Though many ponds were now open, because they had
been previously frozen for several weeks, most of the waterfowl had already
migrated out. Added to all of this was the fact we were also short-handed:
some regulars were still trapped in houses with no electricity; on streets
blocked by trees et. All of this made for a very tough count.
Worst miss was the BARNACLE GOOSE, which like many a long staying rarity,
seemed to innately know when a count was about to happen, and promptly took
off for parts unknown. John Liller made a Herculean effort to scour the
Orlando's Ponds area almost constantly throughout the day, but to no avail.
Well, at least it made it for ?count week?. But this was made up for by 2
other species of geese found, and those were new for the count: Greater
White-fronted and Cackling!!!
Sturbridge CBC results. Preliminary totals:
NC= NEW FOR COUNT
R=RARE OR UNCOMMON SPECIES FOR COUNT
1. HORNED GREBE (1) R
2. GREAT BLUE HERON (5)
3. CANADA GOOSE (1407)
4. CACKLING GOOSE (1) NC
5. BARNACLE GOOSE (cw) NC
6. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (1: present for some time, 5 Bridge Road
area, Brimfield) NC
7. GREEN-WINGED TEAL (1) R
8. MALLARD (943)
9. A BLACK DUCK (76)
10. N PINTAIL (5) R
11. COMMON GOLDENEYE (12)
12. HOODED MERGANSER (52)
13. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (2f) R
14. COMMON MERGANSER (333)
15. BALD EAGLE (2ad minimum)
16. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (2)
17. COOPER?S HAWK (5)
18. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK (1)
19. RED-TAILED HAWK (27)
20. RUFFED GROUSE (1)
21. WILD TURKEY (159)
22. RING-BILLED GULL (1085) Count high.
23. HERRING GULL (58)
24. GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL (4)
25. ROCK PIGEON (447)
26. MOURNING DOVE (279)
27. E SCREECH OWL (2)
28. GREAT HORNED OWL (7)
29. BARRED OWL (8)
30. N SAW-WHET OWL (3)
31. BELTED KINGFISHER (3)
32. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (47)
33. DOWNY WOODPECKER (218)
34. HAIRY WOODPECKER (53)
35. N FLICKER (13)
36. PILEATED WOODPECKER (2): very low count
37. HORNED LARK (80)
38. BLUE JAY (468)
39. A CROW (360)
40. COMMON RAVEN (3)
41. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (1751)
42. TUFTED TITMOUSE (501)
43. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (297)
44. BROWN CREEPER (12)
45. CAROLINA WREN (34)
46. WINTER WREN (1)
47. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (103)
48. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (1) R
49. E BLUEBIRD (28)
50. HERMIT THRUSH (2)
51. A ROBIN (693)
52. N MOCKINGBIRD (14)
53. CEDAR WAXWING (156)
54. E STARLING (1365)
55. C YELLOWTHROAT (1) R
56. N CARDINAL (243)
57. A TREE SPARROW (186)
58. FIELD SPARROW (4)
59. SAVANNAH SPARROW (2)
60. SONG SPARROW (74)
61. SWAMP SPARROW (11)
62. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (129)
63. DARK-EYED JUNCO (1252)
64. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (97)
65. PURPLE FINCH (5)
66. HOUSE FINCH (279)
67. PINE SISKIN (20)
68. A GOLDFINCH (521)
69. HOUSE SPARROW (618)
Mammals seen by CBC-ers included: EASTERN CHIPMUNK, RED SQUIRREL, GRAY
SQUIRREL (including melanistic ?Black Squirrel?), FLYING SQUIRREL sp.,
BEAVER, MUSKRAT, WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE, SHORT-TAILED WEASEL, MINK, COYOTE,
WHITE-TAILED DEER.
A huge "thanks" and a hearty congratulations to all the dedicated and
hard-birding participants. For further details on the count, see
Sheila Carroll's blog.
(report from Mark Lynch, compiler).