115th OHOS Christmas Bird Count December 31, 2014
On December 31, 2014, 68 observers sponsored by Columbus Audubon spent the day counting birds in the northwest Columbus area, including parts of Franklin, Delaware and Union Counties. It was a very cold day (11-23 degrees during count time). The 66 observers in the field plus 2 feeder counters were able to tally 79 species (including 2 found during count week), for a total of 14,399 individual birds.
Count Date and Conditions
December 31, 2014; 6:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Temperatures from 11-25 ºF, wind 5-10 mph, partly cloudy. Still water partly frozen, moving water starting to freeze.
Observers
66 in the field in 13 parties, 2 at feeders. Total party hours: 171 (127 on foot, 43 in cars, 1 on bike; 3 owling). Total Party miles: 251.7 driven, 59.25 hours driven, 47.5 miles walked and 109.5 hours walked, including 3 folks owling.
Species Found
Pied-billed Grebe – 1
Double-crested Cormorant –1
Great Blue Heron – 36
Tundra Swan – 3
Mute Swan – 2
Canada Goose – 1027
Black Duck – 14
Mallard – 818
Northern Shoveler – 16
Gadwall – 2
Lesser Scaup – 4
Ring-necked Duck – 5
Common Goldeneye – 11
Hooded Merganser – 43
Common Merganser – 3
Canvasback – 6
Ruddy Duck – 2
Bald Eagle – 12
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1
Cooper’s Hawk – 25
Northern Harrier – 3
Red-shouldered Hawk – 7
Red-tailed Hawk – 95
American Kestrel – 24
Rough-legged Hawk- 1 (count week)
Wild Turkey – 6
Pheasant – 2
Bonaparte’s Gull- 6
Ring-billed Gull – 275
Rock Dove –146
Mourning Dove – 328;
Eastern Screech Owl – 2
Great Horned Owl – 2
Barred Owl –4
Long-eared Owl – 1
Short-eared Owl – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 9
Red-headed Woodpecker – 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 82
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 7
Downy Woodpecker – 88
Hairy Woodpecker – 31
Northern Flicker – 36
Pileated Woodpecker – 11
Blue Jay – 293
American Crow – 212
Horned Lark – 151
Carolina Chickadee – 270
Tufted Titmouse – 167
White-breasted Nuthatch – 81
Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1
Brown Creeper – 20
Carolina Wren – 41
Winter Wren – 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 4
Eastern Bluebird – 147
Hermit Thrush – 1 (count week)
American Robin – 380
Northern Mockingbird – 17
European Starling – 5898
Cedar Waxwing – 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 4
Northern Cardinal – 539
Eastern Towhee – 2
American Tree Sparrow – 235
Field Sparrow – 9
Song Sparrow – 77
Swamp Sparrow – 1
White-throated Sparrow – 84
White-crowned Sparrow – 6
Fox Sparrow – 1
Dark-eyed Junco – 541
Red-winged Blackbird – 1
Common Grackle – 4
House Finch – 364
Purple Finch – 1
American Goldfinch – 241
Pine Siskin – 1
House Sparrow – 1285
Totals: 79 species, 14,339 individuals (we had 81 species in the 114th CBC last year)
Birds seen Count Period, but not Count Day: Hermit Thrush and Rough-legged Hawk
Special thanks to the 13 parties and 66 people in the field along with the 2 feeder counters giving their time in the 115th year of CBC citizen science for National Audubon. See you next year on Dec. 31, 2015!