The Delware County Bird Club set several records on its 22nd CBC. Jim Peoples and John Austin were once again among the three dedicated teams who launched the 2009 Delaware Christmas Bird Count before dawn on 20 December. The night was dark, overcast, cold, with snow falling, but Jim and John found Eastern Screech Owls, as did other teams, which gave us 9 Eastern Screech Owls, a large number not heard since 1994. The number of hours spent “owling” was less than last year’s record, but still well above the 22-year average. The day had begun well.
As the overcast sky brightened seven additional teams, making a total of 40 observers, tying the record number that participated in 2006 and 2008. Snow fell in flurries throughout the day adding to the 2 cm on the ground, occasionally spotting glasses (the veterans are getting older) and binoculars, but otherwise creating little or no problem.
The preceding days had been cold and standing water had recently frozen, which sent many water birds south. We saw few ducks and our record number of Canada Geese (2731) were mostly in flocks heading south along the rivers. Jim Peoples, John Austin, Sean Williams, and Justus Nethero saw one Cackling Goose, a new species for the count, flying with a flock over the Olentangy. Sean, Jack Stenger, and I saw five Cackling Geese the previous week on the Olentangy near the entrance to Mingo Park. They are only slightly larger than Mallards. Cute. Speaking of Mallards we saw only slightly fewer (776) this year than our record number of last year (804). However other species of ducks were largely missing. The other highlight among waterbirds were two Trumpeter Swans seen and photographed by Ed and Ben Lux and Randy Zibell.
For the fourth year in a row we saw 12 or more Cooper’s Hawks. This may represent a real increase as the average number/Christmas Count 1988-2005 was 4.9 and 2006-2009 is 16.8. This supports the frequent reports of Cooper’s Hawks visiting bird feeders throughout the county to feed on the birds attracted to people’s seed and suet offerings. A record number of Red-tailed Hawks were also seen and the 22-year trend in numbers of red-tails is similar to that of Cooper’s Hawks, although not as dramatic.
Woodland species that commonly form mixed species foraging flocks (Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy, and Pileated woodpeckers, flickers, chickadees and titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets) were all at or near record numbers. Why so abundant? Perhaps there is an increase in the extent of forested land in the county, an increase in suet and sunflower seed feeders, or just more observers in the field. Explanations will be gratefully accepted especially if they can be tested in the field.
A few Ring-necked Pheasants were present as usual, but Wild Turkeys, also a woodland bird, were present in record numbers (54). Unfortunately, no Northern Bobwhite were seen, which is the usual status of this formerly common galliform. Another grassland bird was also missing, the Short-eared Owl. Over the first 18 years we averaged 2.5/count, but in the last four years have seen 2 last year and no others (0.5/yr).
It was an average Horned Lark year and Bryan Sharp, who guessed the average won the award. So the award resides in Mexico for the year. Bryan was also recognized for traveling the greatest distance to participate in our count.
Carolina and Winter wrens were present and numbers of bluebirds, robins and thrushes were above average, but Jim Peoples, John Austin, Sean Williams and Justus Nethero added Hermit Thrush (2) and Brown Thrasher (2) to our cumulative species list. Two individual Hermit Thrushes were seen in different locations within the southeastern sector of the Delaware Wildlife Refuge.
Thirteen proved to be the lucky number for the Yaussy Gang (Dan and Leslie Yaussy, Cindy Johnson, Sally Waterhouse, and Denny Radabaugh). That was the number of American Pipits that tried to break into their van while the team sat in it and watched transfixed. This is a record number, the average for all counts being only 0.7 pipits/count.
Yellow-rumped Warblers, as seen by three different teams, were present in record numbers (83), which continues a trend of gradual increase.
Seed-eaters such as cardinals and sparrows were generally above their long-term averages, with record numbers of cardinals (571), American Tree Sparrows (798), Swamp Sparrows (94), and White-throated Sparrows (139) and Purple Finches (7). Blackbirds were also present in unusual numbers and diversity. House Sparrows (1686) were more numerous than usual, but House Finches were less numerous than usual, although the numbers were similar to the annual counts since the outbreak of conjunctivitis. Goldfinches (271), which are not susceptible to conjunctivitis, were somewhat more common than usual.
The total of 72 species was a new record and the four new species bring our cumulative total to 113 species seen on the Delaware Reservoir Christmas Bird Count since it began in 1988. The total party hours (104) is a new record and the number of observers (40) and number of teams in the field (10) tied previous records. These numbers must be kept in mind when considering the numbers counted as there were more eyes and ears in the field for more hours than in past years.
| Species | 2009 Count |
| Great Blue Heron | 27 |
| Trumpeter Swan | 2 |
| Canada Goose | 2731 |
| Cackling Goose | 1 |
| Wood Duck | 5 |
| Am. Black Duck | 9 |
| Mallard | 776 |
| Hooded Merganser | 3 |
| N. Harrier | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 14 |
| Accipiter sp. | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 55 |
| Am. Kestrel | 20 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 4 |
| Wild Turkey | 54 |
| Killdeer | 12 |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | 19 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 193 |
| Herring Gull | 11 |
| Rock Pigeon | 202 |
| Mourning Dove | 645 |
| E. Screech Owl | 9 |
| Gr. Horned Owl | 9 |
| Barred Owl | 2 |
| Long-eared Owl | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 4 |
| Red-headed Wdp. | 2 |
| Red-bellied Wdp. | 80 |
| Yellow-blld. Sapsucker | 1 |
| Downy Wdp. | 173 |
| Hairy Wdp. | 13 |
| N. Flicker | 49 |
| Pileated Wdp. | 7 |
| Horned Lark | 718 |
| Blue Jay | 306 |
| Am. Crow | 280 |
| chickadee sp. | 246 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 1 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 87 |
| Red-br. Ntch. | 4 |
| White-br. Ntch. | 125 |
| Brown Creeper | 29 |
| Carolina Wren | 24 |
| Winter Wren | 1 |
| Golden-cwnd. Kglt. | 86 |
| E. Bluebird | 63 |
| Am. Robin | 781 |
| Hermit Thrush | 2 |
| N. Mockingbird | 11 |
| Brown Thrasher | 2 |
| American Pipit | 13 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 141 |
| E. Starling | 3581 |
| Northern Shrike | 1 |
| Yellow-rumped W. | 83 |
| N. Cardinal | 571 |
| Am. Tree Sp. | 798 |
| Field Sp. | 1 |
| Song Sp. | 106 |
| Swamp Sp. | 94 |
| White-thr. Sp. | 139 |
| White-cr. Sp. | 48 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 406 |
| Red-winged Blkb. | 130 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 6 |
| Rusty Blkb. | 1 |
| Common Grackle | 63 |
| Brown-hd. Cowbird | 131 |
| Purple Finch | 7 |
| House Finch | 167 |
| Am. Goldfinch | 271 |
| House Sp. | 1686 |