2010 Christmas Bird Count - Princeton, New Jersey

2010 Christmas Bird Count - Princeton, New Jersey

Greetings!

The 2009 Princeton Christmas count, with three new species and several record high counts,
was a hard act to follow; and we didn't match it. However, we had a successful count with
several noteworthy records.

The weather was not violent, wet, or sub-zero. But this year's drought, and several weeks
of very cold weather in early December, were factors to mention when accounting for low
land-bird counts, including an almost total absence of those lingering "half hardy"
species that make a count total higher. Still, a good day in the field.

Warmest thanks to all who were able to participate again this year. Welcome to new
participants James Applegate, William and Joanne Dix, Juanita and Blair Hummel, Natalie
Howe, Matt Whited, Nikki Roberts, and Nicholas Delo. We hope you enjoyed the count and
you'll participate again next year.

We expect next year's date will be Dec. 18, 2011, the first Sunday of the count period set
by National Audubon. Please mark your calendar.

Thanks as always for the sponsorship and support of the Washington Crossing Audubon
Chapter, which pays the $5 participant fee for the Princeton and Trenton Marsh CBCs each
year. Warmest thanks to Lou Beck, who spends endless hours each year organizing the count,
and to Gloria Beck and the Beck family, for their splendid post-count hospitality and
great food.

Count highlights:

*Shoveller - Beck party - 8, double the previous high of 4 in several years, most
recently 2001.

*Hooded Merganser - 32 - double previous high count of 16 in 2004 - 3 parties, with 26 at
L. Carnegie (Chase) , 3 at Bayberry (van Kirk), and 3 at Plainsboro Preserve (Grace).

Common Merganser - 433 - second highest ever (highest was 595 in 2000). Spread among 6
parties; many were flying overhead.

Red-tailed Hawk - 103 is a good count, we've only broken 100 four times.

Kestrel - 9 birds is the best count since 12 in 2001, but still a sad number for a bird
that has declined steadily from a high count of 68 birds in 1976.

Merlin - we have had single merlins on 9 previous counts, but never more than one; 2 in 2
parties (Hirsch, Brine) is a new record.

*Short-eared Owl - 3 at Mercer Co. Park (Pole Farm section), by several parties, is a new
high.

Saw-whet Owl - note that there has been none reported on the CBC since 1987; only a
cout-week report in 2007. Apparently now they don't arrive until after the CBC.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 22 is the second highest ever (high: 24 in 2001). Reported in
13 sections.

Pileated Woodpecker - increasing; high of 12 in 2008, and 9 last year, up from the days
when we had to work to avoid missing it.

Crows: American Crow numbers were unremarkable, but 555 *Fish Crows makes a new high count.
Previous high was 425 in 2008.

Horned Lark: While 993 (1969) is unlikely to be matched ever again, it was good to have
the species in two sections this year, Montgomery (Larson, 150) and Cranbury (Applegate,
66).

Chickadees: Tallying all the Chickadees (Carolina, Black-capped and "sp.") gives 366; the
average (since 1967) is 487, and the all time high is 896, in 2005. This year's low total may serve
as a confirmation of the general impression that land-bird numbers were quite low overall.
(See table below.)

Red-breasted Nuthatch: Only one on count day (Brine party).

Fox sparrow: Only one at Van Horne park, Rocky Hill (Larson party).

E. Meadowlark: Van Kirk party found six at Mercer Co. Park NW at dusk.

Rusty Blackbird: Only one found by C. & M. Leck at Lawrenceville.

Rarities: 3 Cackling Geese, by 2 parties; one by C. Brine and two by L. Beck. A Baltimore
Oriole found at the newly-open St. Michael's tract in Hopewell by M. Whited party was well
detailed.

Exotic: An Egyptian Goose has been present for some time at Lawrenceville School (C. & M.
Leck), suspected to have escaped from Great Adventure or some other collection.

Hybrids: Two Chickadees banded and measured by Hannah Suthers, and coming to her feeder,
fit the profile of Black-capped x Carolina hybrids. Hannah has studied a number of these
intergrade birds at her banding station over the years.

Some other common species, 2010 compared to the (average, since 1967):

White-breasted Nuthatch 143 (101)
Carolina Wren 138 (59)
Hermit Thrush 2 (9)
Am. Robin 1395 (1112)
N. Mockingbird 112 (151)
Eur. Starling 2488 (6046)
Yellow-rumped Warbler 77 (147)
Am. Tree Sparrow 50 (177)
Field Sparrow 17 (92)
Savannah Sparrow 3 (15)
Song Sparrow 172 (342)
White-throated Sparrow 669 (1168)
Dark-eyed Junco 1114 (1039)
N. Cardinal 164 (263)
Red-winged Blackbird 39 (2380)
House Finch 113 (689)
Goldfinch 191 (221)
House Sparrow 137 (317)

Participants:

Janine Apgar, Jim Applegate, Leif Austad, Lou Beck, Andrew Bobe, Charles Brine,
Stephen P Byrne, Theodore Chase Jr., Tom Cosmas, PeiPei Cosmas, Nicholas Delo, Joan
Detyna, Bill Dix, Joanne Dix, Mary Doscher, Rick Dutko, Landy Eaton, Howard
Einspahr, John Freeman, Tammy Garaffa, Ariane Giudicelli, Sean Grace, Jeff
Griesemer, MaryMargaret Halsey, Jennifer Hanson, Mark Harpel, Greg Hartman, Art
Harvey, George Harvey, Jim Hirsch, Jeff Hoagland, David Hohmann, Natalie Howe,
Juanita Hummel, Blaine Hummel, Fairfax Hutter, Peggy Jamet, Eric Kent, Laurie
Larson, Charles Leck, Mary Leck, Karen Linder, Bill Lowe, Ian Lowry, Lindsay Lowry,
Sharyn Magee, John Maret, Brad Merritt, Doug Miller, Norman Muller, Luke Musher,
Joan Nolan, Arlene Oley, Tom Ostrand, Teri Pantaleo, Mark Peel, Mary Penney, Nikki
Roberts, Neil Rudofsky, Henry Schaefer, Mary Schmidt, Vicki Schwartz, Tom Smith,
Tom Southerland, Margot Southerland, Gwen Southgate, Fred Spar, Winnie Spar, Janet
Speck, Hannah Suthers, Richard Van Kirk, Terri Lynn Van Kirk, Lee Varian, Melinda
Varian, Matt Whited, Ralph Widner, Mark Witmer, Marion Young, Brew Young, Ann
Zeman.

------------------------------
We dedicate the count this year to the memory of Frank Bader, long-time CBC participant, WCAS board
member, conservationist, naturalist and friend, who passed away shortly before the count. He will be
missed by many.
------------------------------

Compilers: Laurie Larson, 91 Sycamore Lane Skillman NJ 08558
and Louis Beck, 609-737-0070, 7 W Franklin Ave Pennington NJ 08534

Complete Species List:

Greater White-fronted Goose 2
Snow Goose 13
Canada Goose 31262
Mute Swan 21
American Wigeon
American Black Duck 32
Mallard 789
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 3
Ring-necked Duck 8
Lesser Scaup 3
Hooded Merganser 32
Common Merganser 433
Ruddy Duck 19
Wild Turkey 62
Double-crested Cormorant cw
Great Blue Heron 41
Black Vulture 76
Turkey Vulture 182
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 12
Sharp-shinned Hawk 8
Cooper's Hawk 8
Red-tailed Hawk 103
Rough-legged Hawk 1
American Kestrel 9
Merlin 2
Wilson's Snipe 4
Ring-billed Gull 622
Herring Gull 659
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Rock Pigeon 335
Mourning Dove 889
Eastern Screech-Owl 29
Great Horned Owl 15
Short-eared Owl 3
Belted Kingfisher 13
Red-bellied Woodpecker 142
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 22
Downy Woodpecker 151
Hairy Woodpecker 26
Northern Flicker 71
Pileated Woodpecker 8
Blue Jay 522
American Crow 1544
Fish Crow 555
Horned Lark 216
Carolina Chickadee 163
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 319
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 143
Brown Creeper 6
Carolina Wren 138
Winter Wren 11
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Eastern Bluebird 129
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 1395
Northern Mockingbird 112
European Starling 2488
Cedar Waxwing 45
Yellow-rumped Warbler 77
Eastern Towhee 3
American Tree Sparrow 50
Field Sparrow 17
Savannah Sparrow 3
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 172
Swamp Sparrow 12
White-throated Sparrow 669
White-crowned Sparrow 16
Dark-eyed Junco 1114
Northern Cardinal 263
Red-winged Blackbird 39
Eastern Meadowlark 6
Rusty Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Purple Finch 3
House Finch 113
American Goldfinch 191
House Sparrow 137

Write-in species:
Cackling Goose 3
Baltimore Oriole 1

Total species: 84
Total individuals: 47174
Total count week species: 1

Additional stuff, not included in species total:

Egyptian Goose 1
Accipter SP 2
Gull SP 197
Chickadee SP 44
Chickadee Hybrid 2
Crow SP 286

Count data:

PARTIES 34
PARTICIPANTS 80

mi/car 422
mi/foot 104.5
mi/owling 26.75
total miles 553.25
hr/car 38.5
hr/foot 128.25
hr/owling 11.75
total hours 178.5
feeder watchers 8
feeder hrs 12.5

Date held: Dec. 19, 2010
Start time: 2:00 AM
End time: 5:15 AM
Temperature range (F): Hi 37, Lo 21F
Wind direction: N
Wind speed range (MPH): 5 TO 14 MPH
Snow depth (In.): 0
Still water: FROZEN
Moving water: OPEN
AM weather: CLOUDY
PM weather: PTLY CLOUDY
Sunrise 7:17 AM EST
Sunset 4:35 PM EST