December 20, 2008, marked the 53rd Anniversary of the Hoover Reservoir Christmas Bird Count.
Highlights
We set 4 new record highs for individual species:
- Double-crested Cormorant (9)
- Northern Pintail (22)
- Peregrine Falcon (1 – the first ever recorded for the count circle)
- European Staling (10,277)
and tying the high for 2 species:
- Pileated Woodpecker (8)
- Fox Sparrow (3).
Our final count was 70 species.
Absent from the count for the first time since 1993 were Sharp-shinned Hawks. Owls were also unusually low with only 1 Great Horned and 2 Barred Owls being recorded. However, the 14 Bald Eagles was just 1 shy of the record 15 recorded in 2005.
Statistics
Count Date and time: December 20, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Weather: Temp. 24 F to 31 F. Wind ENE, 5-10 mph. Snow depth 0 inches. Still water partially frozen. Moving water open. Partly Cloudy in AM, Partly Sunny in PM.
Count center: 40′ 12 N, 82′ 5 W, as described 1975, center I-71, 7.5 mi. n. Rt. 161.
Observers: 61 in the field (including 24 attending Metro Park programs at Highbanks and Sharon Woods) in 14-16 parties (non-owling) and 4 Feeder Watch. Total party-hours 92.25; total party-miles 181.75; 79.50 hours and 44.00 miles on foot; 12.75 hours and 137.75 miles by car.
Species List
| Double-crested Cormorant | 9 |
| Great Blue Heron | 14 |
| Mute Swan | 4 |
| Canada Goose | 2,753 |
| Wood Duck | 2 |
| Gadwall | 5 |
| American Black Duck | 245 |
| Mallard | 3,406 |
| Northern Shoveler | 4 |
| Northern Pintail | 22 |
| Green-winged Teal | 2 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 3 |
| Lesser Scaup | 1 |
| Bufflehead | 6 |
| Hooded Merganser | 133 |
| Ruddy Duck | 19 |
| Bald Eagle | 14 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 7 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 33 |
| American Kestrel | 8 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 |
| Wild Turkey | 20 |
| American Coot | 4 |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | 453 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 1,573 |
| Herring Gull | 6 |
| Rock Pigeon | 65 |
| Mourning Dove | 111 |
| Great Horned Owl | 1 |
| Barred Owl | 2 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 5 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 2 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 94 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 2 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 103 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 13 |
| Northern Flicker | 33 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 8 |
| Blue Jay | 125 |
| American Crow | 175 |
| Horned Lark | 11 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 305 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 112 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 2 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 70 |
| Brown Creeper | 5 |
| Carolina Wren | 30 |
| Winter Wren | 2 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglets | 5 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 120 |
| Hermit Thrush | 1 |
| American Robin | 804 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 10 |
| European Starling | 10,277 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 496 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 22 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 56 |
| Fox Sparrow | 3 |
| Song Sparrow | 53 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 13 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 112 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 8 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 332 |
| Northern Cardinal | 213 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 3 |
| Purple Finch | 19 |
| House Finch | 174 |
| American Goldfinch | 193 |
| House Sparrow | 222 |
Additional Count Week Birds
Pied-billed Grebe, Cackling Goose, Snow Goose, Canvasback, Redhead, American Wigeon, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Field Sparrow .
Totals
70 Species; 23,160 Individuals.
Compiler: Charles Bombaci, 6715 Henschen Circle, Westerville, Ohio 43082