The Perry County Christmas Bird Count was held on December 25th 2019 and
had a total of 95 species plus 3 count week only which is about average for
this count over the last 5 years.
8 observers in 5 parties started at 6:20 a.m. and ended at 5:30 p.m. and
covered 120 miles in 12.5 hours by car, 24 miles in 34 hours on foot, 1
mile in a half hour by kayak and 5 miles in one hour by motorized boat.
Weather was nice and mild and partly sunny to mostly cloudy with light
South winds and a low of 35 and high of 66 degrees.
Species new for the count were TUNDRA SWAN, a dark morph adult HARLAN’S
RED-TAILED HAWK and a LONG-EARED OWL that was count week only.
Other highlights include Snow and Greater White-fronted Geese,
Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 different Golden Eagles, 3 different Merlins,
House Wren and Sedge Wren.
Birds that are usually found but were missed this count were Wilson’s
Snipe, Bonaparte’s Gull, DC Cormorant, Barn Owl and Pine Siskin.
Sandhill Crane and Purple Finch were found count week only.
Here is a complete species list;
Tundra Swan 1
Snow Goose 1
Greater White-front 7
Canada Goose 280
Wood Duck 13
Northern Shoveler 25
Gadwall 355
American Wigeon 125
Mallard 3,100
American Black Duck 2
Northern Pintail 3,250
Green-winged Teal 13
Canvasback 11
Redhead 8
Ring-necked Duck 148
Lesser Scaup 2
Bufflehead 2
Hooded Merganser 2
Red-breasted Merganser 14
Northern Bobwhite 2
Wild Turkey 7
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Rock Pigeon 28
Eurasian Collared Dove 2
Mourning Dove 261
American Coot 18
Sandhill Crane cw
Killdeer 17
American Woodcock 7
Herring Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 208
White Pelican 35
Great Blue Heron 33
Black Vulture 89
Turkey Vulture 245
Golden Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 6
Cooper’s Hawk 2
Bald Eagle 9
Red-shouldered Hawk 17
Red-tailed Hawk 25
Harlan’s Red-tail 1
Screech Owl 5
Great Horned Owl 1
Barred Owl 5
Long-eared Owl cw
Belted Kingfisher 19
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 17
Red-headed Woodpecker 27
Red-bellied Woodpecker 40
Downy Woodpecker 43
Hairy Woodpecker 6
Pileated Woodpecker 34
Northern Flicker 56
American Kestrel 4
Merlin 3
Eastern Phoebe 33
Blue Jay 65
American Crow 753
Carolina Chickadee 108
Tufted Titmouse 104
Golden-crowned Kinglet 22
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 56
White-breasted Nuthatch 19
Brown Creeper 12
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 22
Sedge Wren 1
Carolina Wren 91
European Starling 196
Brown Thrasher 20
Northern Mockingbird 32
Eastern Bluebird 154
Hermit Thrush 23
American Robin 1,081
Cedar Waxwing 374
House Sparrow 33
American Pipit 20
House Finch 155
Purple Finch cw
American Goldfinch 120
Chipping Sparrow 37
Field Sparrow 220
Fox Sparrow 14
Dark-eyed Junco 189
White-crowned Sparrow 11
White-throated Sparrow 438
Savannah Sparrow 92
Song Sparrow 405
Swamp Sparrow 330
Eastern Towhee 52
Eastern Meadowlark 100
Red-winged Blackbird 379
Brown-headed Cowbird 8
Rusty Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 712
Yellow-rumped Warbler 372
Northern Cardinal 153
Thanks to Adam Beachy, Evan Beachy, Seth Beachy, Joseph Byler, Victor
Stoll, Alan Troyer and Leona Troyer for finishing another successful count.
Ruben Stoll, compiler.
