Introduction
The 2008 O’Shaughnessy Reservoir Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, January 3, 2009. The first O’Shaughnessy CBC was held on December 31, 1956, making this the 53rd year for the count. (No counts were held in 1960, 1963, and 1983.)
Recent Data
Over the past eight years, the number of species seen has risen along with the number of count participants, giving a more accurate picture of the species to be found in the area. Here are the data:
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total species | 48 | 44 | 48 | 43 | 51 | 49 | 63 | 66 | 76 |
| Total participants | 7 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 25 | 32 | 34 |
Highlights
- A Northern Shrike was found on this count. Unusual for anywhere in Ohio, the shrike is a particularly good find for the central Ohio region.
- 31 American Kestrels were counted this year, versus 57 in 1993. Kestrel numbers seem to be down in Ohio in general over the past decade. On the other hand, the 2008 count saw a new high of 88 for White-breasted Nuthatches.
- Last year’s high count of 13 for Red-breasted Nuthatches was not repeated in the 2008 count, with only 3 located this year. The 2007 count also produced a highest-ever number of 16 Cooper’s Hawks; the year’s count was down to 10.
- The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker high was 3 in 2006.
- Ross’s Goose found this year was a new species for the count. We also located two Merlins; while not a new bird for the count, even one is a good find and two is unusual.
- Finally, a Painted Bunting was still in the area at the time of the count after being located in December, 2008. The status of this bird is unclear, but it is a beautiful visitor no matter how it got here!
Species Seen
| Snow Goose (blue form) | 2 |
| Ross’s Goose | 1 |
| Cackling Goose | 2 |
| Canada Goose | 4431 |
| Tundra Swan | 3 |
| American Black Duck | 58 |
| Mallard | 1026 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 |
| Redhead | 3 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 27 |
| Greater Scaup | 2 |
| Lesser Scaup | 1 |
| Common Goldeneye | 3 |
| Hooded Merganser | 2 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 2 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 40 |
| Great Blue Heron (Blue form) | 60 |
| Bald Eagle | 14 |
| Northern Harrier | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 10 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 4 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 75 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 |
| American Kestrel | 31 |
| Merlin | 2 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 538 |
| Rock Pigeon | 122 |
| Mourning Dove | 514 |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | 1 |
| Great Horned Owl | 2 |
| Barred Owl | 5 |
| Short-eared Owl | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 5 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 120 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 113 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 27 |
| Northern Flicker | 31 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 8 |
| Northern Shrike | 1 |
| Blue Jay | 192 |
| American Crow | 172 |
| Horned Lark | 73 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 251 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 98 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 3 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 88 |
| Brown Creeper | 8 |
| Carolina Wren | 21 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | 1 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 86 |
| American Robin | 858 |
| Gray Catbird | 1 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 19 |
| European Starling | 6576 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 22 |
| Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler | 6 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 237 |
| Field Sparrow | 6 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 5 |
| Song Sparrow | 103 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 2 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 99 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 9 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 308 |
| Northern Cardinal | 281 |
| Painted Bunting | 1 |
| Common Grackle | 4 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 1 |
| Purple Finch | 1 |
| House Finch | 150 |
| Pine Siskin | 5 |
| American Goldfinch | 192 |
| House Sparrow | 672 |