Here's a brief, final report on the Denver Urban Christmas Count.
LOTS OF BIRDS - MOSTLY GEESE
* New record total number individuals, 54,485: exceeded previous count of
49,037 by 11%!
Blame it on geese: half of the birds we saw: of the total count,
40% were Canadas, 10% Cackling. The other top ten species, as usual, reflected
the urban nature of this count: they include starling, Rock Pigeon, House
Sparrow, Ring-billed Gull, crow, and House Finch.
NEW SPECIES -- ONE
* Dick Schottler and Dick Pratt scored the only new species for the count:
three Wild Turkeys that ambled down to a marsh for a drink.
HIGH and LOW COUNTS
* High counts of several ducks: Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Bufflehead, and
Hooded despite a paltry 72 at totally frozen Cherry Creek Reservoir. The three
South Platte groups counted 6,470 ducks and Brad Parks' Denver Zoo group
counted 1,383 ducks, all but 18 Mallards. The river was brimming with ducks
after the cold weather froze most area reservoirs.
* Raptors - 214, second highest; 74 Red-tails new high count.
* This winter many observers are lamenting a lack of passerines. Excluding
crows and starlings, we counted only 74% of our average (third lowest).
* A record high of (48) Bushtits - but only 80 Eurasian Collared-Doves (111
last year).
* 93 birders in the field plus 21 feeder observers.
Anyone who wants details can email me for Excel spread sheets that show count
totals and area counts.
Hugh Kingery
