The 58th Worcester Christmas Count took place on Saturday (12/19). While
there were no new species, and nothing more than moderate surprises, the
big news was the number of species with new highs for the count. There
were 14 different species with new high totals for the count, an amazing
number for a count as old as Worcester is.
Here is the list as it stands (there may be some more feeder numbers, and
the count week is still live):
*Canada Goose - 3380 (New High)
Mute Swan - 17
*Wood Duck - 11 (New High)
American Wigeon - 1
American Black Duck - 82
*Mallard - 1842 (New High)
Green-winged Teal - 2
Greater Scaup - 12
Common Goldeneye - 108
Hooded Merganser - 82
Common Merganser - 67
Ruffed Grouse - 6
Wild Turkey - 55
Common Loon - 12 (tied high)
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 2
Bald Eagle - 3 (2 adults, 1 immature)
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 5
Cooper's Hawk - 3
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 42
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 1418
Herring Gull - 102
Iceland Gull - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 21
Rock Pigeon - 795
Mourning Dove - 236
*Eastern Screech-Owl - 12 (New High)
Great Horned Owl - 11
Barred Owl - 2
Northern Saw-whet Owl - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 5
*Red-bellied Woodpecker - 38 (New High)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
*Downy Woodpecker - 188 (New High)
*Hairy Woodpecker - 38 (New High)
Northern Flicker - 9
Pileated Woodpecker - 5 (tied high)
Blue Jay - 792
American Crow - 1192
Common Raven - 2
Horned Lark - 59
*Black-capped Chickadee - 1366 (New High)
Tufted Titmouse - 356
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 22
*White-breasted Nuthatch - 280 (New High)
Brown Creeper - 25
*Carolina Wren - 31 (New High)
*Winter Wren - 4 (New High)
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 48
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 31
Hermit Thrush - 2
*American Robin - 2255 (New High)
Gray Catbird - 1
Northern Mockingbird - 23
European Starling - 2760
Cedar Waxwing - 175
Eastern Towhee - 2
American Tree Sparrow - 86
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Field Sparrow - 1
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 58
Swamp Sparrow - 5
White-throated Sparrow - 214
Dark-eyed Junco - 2093
Snow Bunting - 13
*Northern Cardinal - 215 (New High)
*Red-winged Blackbird - 147 (New High)
Common Grackle - 1
Brown-headed Cowbird - 24
House Finch - 84
American Goldfinch - 449
House Sparrow - 753
Here is the
final breakdown of the 2009 totals by sector, including
feeder birds.
(report from John Liller).
12/14/09 -- Sturbridge CBC
The STURBRIDGE CBC took place Monday, December 14, the first day of the
count period, under almost ideal conditions. The weather was relatively mild
with little snow on the ground. However, most ponds were frozen from the
temps the week before, so waterfowl numbers and variety were on the low
side. Still, it was a great count. Here are the totals.
RED-THROATED LOON (1: second time on count, on the only large pond still
open because it is so deep)
COOMON LOON (1: with the Red-throated , rare on this count)
AMERICAN BITTERN (1: new to count, but expected because of all the marshland
in circle. Found and seen well by Ian Lynch)
GREAT BLUE HERON (10: we had 1 trying to catch fish through the ice on a
frozen pond)
MUTE SWAN (3)
SNOW GOOSE (uncommon/rare on count)
CANADA GOOSE (1028)
WOOD DUCK (count week: cw)
A BLACK DUCK (59)
MALLARD (1046)
N PINTAIL (1cw)
RING-NECKED DUCK (10)
COMMON GOLDENEYE (1)
HOODED MERGANSER (88)
COMMON MERGANSER (66: very low)
BALD EAGLE (3ad+2imm)
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (4: declining on count)
COOPER?S HAWK (11)
N GOSHAWK (cw)
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK (2)
RED-TAILED HAWK (34)
A KESTREL (cw)
RUFFED GROUSE (2: rapid decline over the last decade)
WILD TURKEY (39: low)
A WOODCOCK (2)
WILSON?S SNIPE (1)
RING-BILLED GULL (579)
HERRING GULL (68)
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (8)
ROCK PIGEON (355: lowest count, declining in circle)
WHITE-WINGED DOVE (1: obviously new to count. Found by Ian Lynch and enjoyed
by many. Nice photos by Bruce DeGraaf)
MOURNING DOVE (402)
E SCREECH OWL (5)
GREAT HORNED OWL (6: low side)
BARRED OWL (2: lowest count)
LONG-EARED OWL (1)
N SAW-WHET OWL (3)
BELTED KINGFISHER (19: high count)
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (70)
DOWNY WOODPECKER (186)
HAIRY WOODPECKER (42)
N FLICKER (24)
PILEATED WOODPECKER (11)
HORNED LARK (36)
BLUE JAY (955)
A CROW (494)
C RAVEN (7)
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (1552)
TUFTED TITMOUSE (635)
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (10: obviously not a flight year)
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (329)
BROWN CREEPER (25)
CAROLINA WREN (38)
WINTER WREN (6: high count)
MARSH WREN (1: rare)
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (101)
E BLUEBIRD (106)
HERMIT THRUSH (2)
A ROBIN (1948)
GRAY CATBIRD (1)
N MOCKINGBIRD (15)
CEDAR WAXWING (293)
E STARLING (1534)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (1)
PINE WARBLER (2; new to count)
N CARDINAL (259)
A TREE SPARROW (184)
CHIPPING SPARROW (cw)
FIELD SPARROW (2)
FOX SPARROW (7: count high)
SONG SPARROW (101)
LINCOLN?S SPARROW (cw)
SWAMP SPARROW (16: new high)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (696: new high)
WHITE CROWNED SPARROW (1ad)
DARK-EYED JUNCO (2345)
SNOW BUNTING (7)
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (440)
E MEADOLARK (1)
C GRACKLE (8)
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (13)
HOUSE FINCH (247)
PINE SISKIN (2)
A GOLDFINCH (572)
HOUSE SPARROW (721)
TOTAL: 79 COUNT SPECIES+ 6 "count week"
MAMMALS noted included: Eastern Coyote; Long-tailed Weasel; River Otter; E
Gray Squirrel (including 1 black); Red Squirrel, Chipmunk; Beaver; Muskrat;
Meadow Vole; mouse sp.; Eastern Cottontail; White-tailed Deer.
Thanks to all the dedicated participants on this count!
(report from Mark Lynch).