Serving Northeast OHIO Birders
2011 Christmas Bird Count -
December 16, 2011
--Ben Morrison
This count will be known as the, “Year of the Blackbirds”. Due to the unusually mild fall conditions, the hoards of blackbirds (96,975 counted) swarmed our count area.
We were fortunate to have good weather and near ideal birding conditions.West winds brought us a few migrants. The waters were open but surprisingly few ducks were found. Twenty –two parties (78 individuals) counted a record number of individual birds (130,522). There were 120 party miles walked and 515 party miles driven. The total party hours were 183.
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck (cw)
American Black Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Wild Turkey
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Wilson's Snipe
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barn Owl
Eastern Screech Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Carolina Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
NASHVILLE WARBLER
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
A merlin, sandhill cranes (2), ruby-crowned kinglets (2), and a gray catbird were the notable sightings. The most unusual bird of the year was a lagging Nashville Warbler found in Wayne County.
This species was a count first and an unusual December sighting. According to Peterjohn, The Birds of Ohio, 2001, only two have been recorded in this month. One was recorded on the Hamilton-Fairfield bird count on DEC. 24, 1969.
2010 Christmas Bird Count
Total individuals 34,283
Total Species 76
2009 Christmas Bird Count
Total individuals 26,069
Total Species 75
