ROCKLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 2021 (PRELIMINARY RESULTS)
The 75th Rockland Audubon Christmas Bird Count was conducted on Sunday, December 19, 2021. Thirty-nine (39) field counters (+ one 5-year old fledgling counter) and four feeder counters covered the 10 sub regions within the count circle. During daylight hours (7:15 am 4:30 pm), air temperatures ranged from 34.0 37.2°F. Wind gusts ranged from 7 to 16 mph from the WNW. No snow was present, and all lakes, ponds, and smaller creeks were completely ice free. The Hudson River was also ice free. During count day 17,128 individual birds representing eighty-four (84) species were tallied in the field. Another 103 individuals, representing fifteen (15) species, were counted at feeders. Together, 84 species (17,238 individuals) were tallied. Six (6) additional species (see below) were added during count week. The number of species observed was relatively high by historic standards. The 84 count day species marks the 81st percentile of all RAS count years (1947-2021) and the 68th percentile of all modern RAS circle boundary years (1978-2021). The number of individuals is, however, low. It is just above the median count (52nd percentile) for 1947-2021 and only the 23rd percentile for 1978-2021. The ten most abundant species for 2021, in descending order, were: Red-winged Blackbird, European Starling, Canada Goose, Common Merganser, Ring-billed Gull, Common Grackle, Mallard, White-throated Sparrow, American Robin, and Dark-eyed Junco. Together, they comprised nearly 80% of the total individuals. New high counts were established for: Mute Swan (205 v 159 in 2020), Ring-necked Duck (193 v 60 in 1965), Double-crested Cormorant (112 v 40 in 2001), Turkey Vulture (178 v 143 in 2019), Bald Eagle (78 v 53 in 2020), and Northern Flicker (40 v 34 in 1984). Unusual finds were a single Greater White-fronted Goose at Rockland Lake (found in only two previous Counts) and a single Black-crowned Night-Heron (found in seven previous Counts). Common Count Day species missed during 2021 were: Wood Duck, Scaup spp., Ring-necked Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Northern Harrier, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Pine Siskin. Scaup spp. (both Lesser and Greater Scaup), Wood Duck, Northern Harrier, and Golden-crowned Kinglet were picked up during Count Week. Northern Pintail, a species typically not seen during our Count, was also found during Count Week. A single Snowy Owl, another Count Day rarity, was found at Piermont Pier on December 16 and again on December 20, but was missing on Count Day. Ring-necked Pheasant (last seen in 1995) and Ruffed Grouse (last seen in 2001) continue their long absence from the area. Thanks to all our participants and Team Leaders for their efforts during this second trying COVID-19 CBC. Despite the COVID related restrictions the count itself went remarkably well. Hopefully we will be able to return to our traditional teams, count regimen, and compilation potluck soon. Alan W. Wells Rockland County CBC Compiler Tomkins Cove, NY 2021 NYRC CBC Summary List Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Canada Goose 2505 Mute Swan 205 Wood Duck CW Gadwall 47 American Wigeon 3 American Black Duck 41 Mallard 586 Northern Shoveler 10 Northern Pintail CW Green-winged Teal 4 Canvasback 42 Redhead 1 Ring-necked Duck 193 Scaup spp. (Lesser & Greater) CW Bufflehead 29 Common Goldeneye 1 Hooded Merganser 102 Common Merganser 1170 Red-breasted Merganser 2 Ruddy Duck 51 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Double-crested Cormorant 112 Great Cormorant 6 Great Blue Heron 44 Black-crowned Night Heron 1 Black Vulture 117 Turkey Vulture 186 Bald Eagle 78 Northern Harrier CW Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper's Hawk 9 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 28 American Kestrel 1 Merlin 2 Peregrine Falcon 5 American Coot 25 Killdeer 1 Ring-billed Gull 688 Herring Gull 9 Great Black-backed Gull 11 Rock Pigeon 254 Mourning Dove 262 Eastern Screech-Owl 11 Great Horned Owl 6 Snowy Owl CW Barred Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 101 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 14 Downy Woodpecker 73 Hairy Woodpecker 23 Northern Flicker 41 Pileated Woodpecker 4 Blue Jay 175 American Crow 113 Fish Crow 29 Common Raven 15 Black-capped Chickadee 75 Tufted Titmouse 53 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 65 Brown Creeper 5 Carolina Wren 38 Winter Wren 8 Golden-crowned Kinglet CW Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 11 Hermit Thrush 3 American Robin 459 Gray Catbird 4 Northern Mockingbird 32 European Starling 2710 Cedar Waxwing 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 78 Eastern Towhee 6 American Tree Sparrow 3 Fox Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 93 Swamp Sparrow 6 White-throated Sparrow 534 Dark-eyed Junco 393 Northern Cardinal 82 Red-winged Blackbird 4038 Common Grackle 601 Purple Finch 4 House Finch 96 American Goldfinch 66 House Sparrow 312 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
