114th Annual Christmas Bird Count results

Susan Elbin of the New York City Audubon just sent in a report of the species tallied at the 12/15/13 Christmas Bird Count:

Hooded Merganser - Central Park -- 12/12/07

Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK - http://www.lloydspitalnikphots.com

The 114^th Annual Christmas Bird Count was held in Central Park on 15 December 2013. The day started with a snow storm and ice, but by the time the count began, the skies were merely overcast. Temperatures were just below freezing at 8 am but rose to 36 degrees by mid-day. We were 75 birders on slush and ice. Many of us discovered our waterproof boots weren't all that! 

We are still checking some flock numbers and count week birds with other teams, and this is not the full count circle (NJLH), but here is the tally so far. We saw 5,414 birds representing 62 species. There was one each of Snow Goose, Green-winged Teal, and Bald Eagle at the Reservoir; a Baltimore Oriole in the Ramble; and an American Woodcock in the Northwest section. Noticeable by their absence were Black-capped Chickadees (n=1) and Tufted Titmouse (n=1)!

There was a large flock of Canada Geese flying over Manhattan on Sunday. 

The tally so far:

Species	Total
Snow Goose	1
Canada Goose	455
Wood Duck	10
Gadwall	3
Black Duck	5
Mallard	497
Northern Shoveler	143
Green-winged Teal	1
Lesser Scaup	4
Bufflehead	14
Common Merganser	7
Hooded Merganser	17
Ruddy Duck	25
Pied-billed Grebe	3
Double-crested Cormorant	2
Great Blue Heron	3
Cooper's Hawk	4
Red-shouldered Hawk	1
Red-tailed Hawk	7
Bald Eagle	1
American Kestrel	4
American Coot	19
American Woodcock	1
Ring-billed Gull	181
Herring Gull	28
Great Black-backed Gull	3
Rock Pigeon	459
Mourning Dove	93
Red-bellied Woodpecker	37
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	19
Downy Woodpecker	34
Hairy Woodpecker	2
Northern Flicker	7
Blue Jay	165
American Crow	17
Black-capped Chickadee	1
Tufted Titmouse	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	1
Brown Creeper	9
Carolina Wren	8
Winter Wren	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	4
Hermit Thrush	5
American Robin	45
Gray Catbird	1
Northern Mockingbird	6
Brown Thrasher	4
European Starling	263
Eastern Towhee	4
Chipping Sparrow	3
Fox Sparrow	8
Song Sparrow	26
White-throated Sparrow	526
Dark-eyed Junco	73
Northern Cardinal	78
Red-winged Blackbird	7
Common Grackle	978
Brown-headed Cowbird	12
Baltimore Oriole	1
House Finch	74
American Goldfinch	10
House Sparrow	993

Good Birding in the New Year!

Susan Elbin

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