2003 Annotated list: Cape Charles-Kiptopeke, VA, 39th Christmas Bird
Count, preliminary results. 37o 12'N, 75o 56'W. Center 1.5 miles
southeast of Capeville PO just south of Dunton Cove to include the south
end of Ship Shoal and all of Myrtle, Fisherman, Mockhorn, and Smith
islands, Kiptopeke, Oyster, and Cape Charles to 3 miles west into
Chesapeake Bay. Elevation 0-65 feet. 5:00 A.M.-6 P.M. December 30, 2003.
Overcast with occasional showers in A.M., becoming fair at mid-day, then
clear in afternoon. 50-60 degrees F. Wind SW 25-15 m.p.h. shifting and
diminishing in late afternoon to NW. No snow, ice, magmatic instrusions,
tsunamis, or offhand, outre behavior or wild and wooly upwellings of the
Region of Mohorovicic Discontinuity. Wild food crop the worst I've ever
seen. Tide sequence: low to high in early afternoon to falling at end of
daylight period. 41 observers in 9 sectors (9-22 parties). Total party
hours 178: 137 by foot, 38 by car, 3 by boat plus 4.5 owling; total party
miles 362.5: 88.5 by foot, 228 by car, 10 by boat plus 8 owling.
Thanks to all who participated on a beautiful day with varied weather.
Please pay special attention to the annotations and symbols, especially
those showing the 32 year averages (see next paragraph). Detecting trends
is what the counts are all about. This year most dabbling ducks, coots,
quail, butter-butts, and Brown-headed Nuthatches were a disaster.
Fish-eating birds, esp. loons, gannets, cormorants, are mostly doing very
well. Most sparrows and wrens were in good supply. 7 heron types, 26
waterfowl, 11 raptors, 17 shorebirds, 3 owls, 5 woodpeckers, 6 warblers,
and 12 species of sparrows (not counting towhee and junco) are about
average for here, perhaps a tad low. 7 gulls is above average. Bayberry
bushes were lacking berries, one reason for the Myrtle Warbler catastrophe
(all of 382) here and elsewhere. Thus, Hurricane Isabel impacted the
count. Because of the timing of the low tides our boatman, Albert Heath,
could not get his big scow up to Thoms Creek, so we missed Whimbrel and
Marbled Godwit, possibly 1 or 2 other species. Another major adversity is
lack of access to several of the best properties, due mainly to their
preoccupation with hunting, and this year the GATR Tract was full of deer
hunters.
The low numbers of many species are apparent by comparing their totals to
the average (mean) seen each year during the 1st 32 years of the count, as
indicated below within the list. Many species are in low numbers with
record lows for Bufflehead, Killdeer, Northern Flicker, Yellow-rumped
Warbler, and Common Grackle. The low species total, 158, is especially
depressing in view of the good coverage, the four birds seen by many only
around Ned Brinkley's heavily-scouted feeders, and the growing
"institutional memory" the count has gained these 39 years. In the 2nd and
3rd years of the count (1966 & 1967) we found 155 species without even
trying hard. This year we tried hard and got 158. For the first time
Ocean City, MD, and Bodie-Pea I., NC, surpassed Cape Charles, and Cape May,
conducted under extremely windy & rainy weather conditions, almost did.
Ocean City's 33 waterfowl species were extraordinary; they "missed" only
white-fronted goose and Harlequin Duck.
17/39 = seen on 17 of 39 counts, etc. + = new high count. - = new low
count. M = average no. seen ea. yr. on the 1st 32 counts, 1965-1996. T =
ties highest.
red-throated loon 8076+ (previous high 1135 in 2002; M68). PACIFIC LOON 1+
(TG,DS). common loon 202 (6th highest). pied-billed grebe 22. horned
grebe 33 (M137). northern gannet 299 (M 331; 14,100 in 2001). brown
pelican 0 (234 in 2002, previous high 25 in 1984; 14/39; 1st seen in 1984;
9 straight years 1991-1999). great cormorant 37. double-crested cormorant
103 (M81). American bittern 1 (38/39; M5; 16 in 1972). great blue heron
60 (M106). great egret 6 (M14). snowy egret 3 (M13). little blue heron
0. tricolored heron 2 (M13). black-crowned night heron 5 (M32). white
ibis 1 imm. (10/39). black vulture 98 (M28; missed 6X 1965-1975, high of
10 in that period). turkey vulture 203 (M165).
tundra swan 78 (M140). snow goose 0 (M579; 3rd miss). brant 3747 (M3247).
Canada goose 2414 (M3055). wood duck 3. green-winged teal 185 (M127).
American black duck 489 (M1302; 4th lowest). mallard 207 (M789). northern
pintail 6 (M86; 2nd lowest)). northern shoveler 26 (M40). gadwall 476
(M181). American wigeon 417. redhead 30. ring-necked duck 47. greater
scaup 2. lesser scaup 11 (M73). scaup sp. 2. long-tailed duck 11 (M174).
Common Eider 2 imm. males (; 10/39; NB, Kiptopeke State Park; DC,RB,HA, et
al., Smith I.). black scoter 157 (M592). surf scoter 305 (M2768).
white-winged scoter 11 (M119). scoter sp. 118. common goldeneye 12
(M142). bufflehead 491 (lowest; M1822). hooded merganser 160 (M148).
common merganser 3. red-breasted merganser 848 (11,465 in 1991; M908).
ruddy duck 3 (M43).
bald eagle 18 (missed 1st 7 yrs. of count; M2). northern harrier 28 (M57;
5th lowest). sharp-shinned hawk 10 (56 in 1976). Cooper's hawk 8 (18 in
2002; 9 seen 5X). red-shouldered hawk 2 (M5). red-tailed hawk 28 (M76;
lowest since 1980). American kestrel 26 (M76; 2nd lowest). merlin 2 (M2).
peregrine falcon 3 (M3). wild turkey 22 (6/39, all since 1994). northern
bobwhite 8 (M114; very low). clapper rail 18 (M60). Virginia rail 6
(M11). common moorhen 1 (24/39; M2). American coot 28 (M128).
black-bellied plover 148 (M566). semipalmated plover 3 (M8). piping
plover 2 (1 color-banded, from Great Lakes; Smith Island; seen 10 of 12
counts 1965-1976; only 5X since 1979). killdeer 3- (M97 but 7 in 1994 &
1996 also). American oystercatcher 91 (M333). greater yellowlegs 154
(M107). lesser yellowlegs 28. willet 33 (M75). whimbrel 0 (30/39; M4).
marbled godwit 0 (31/39; M39). ruddy turnstone 21 (2nd lowest; M91). red
knot 2. sanderling 244 (low; M448). western sandpiper 508 (M209; huge #
reported by Middle Townsend party but all-time high is 1019, which I saw
myself nearby). purple sandpiper 5. dunlin 2463 (low; M8353).
short-billed dowitcher 29 (M33). Wilson's snipe 4 (M18). American
woodcock 46 (M81). laughing gull 2 (scarce here; all-time high is 6, 2X).
Bonaparte's gull 53. ring-billed gull 4621. herring gull 1052 (4th
lowest). ICELAND GULL 1 (3/39; DC,AK; 1st winter; Smith I.). great
black-backed gull 742. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE 1 ad. (3/39; HA; Smith I.).
Forster's tern 4 (often scarce here; M14).
rock pigeon 288. EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE 1+ (PL,BS,RV). mourning dove 309
(M515). eastern screech-owl 11 (M21). great horned owl 10 (M15).
short-eared owl 2 (Oyster; numbers have been down for years; M5).
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 1+ imm. female (EB,RV; present for weeks; banded
earlier by Mary Gustafson; at Ned Brinkley's feeders in Cape Charles).
belted kingfisher 22 (M30). red-bellied woodpecker 67 (M44).
yellow-bellied sapsucker 10 (M7; high is 27). downy woodpecker 32. hairy
woodpecker 5. northern flicker 61- (M214; has been way down for years; 79
in 1996 next lowest). pileated woodpecker 1 (often missed in early yrs. of
count; M3).
eastern phoebe 4 (60 in 1998; M6). Blue-headed Vireo 2T (PL,PS; 15/39).
horned lark 35 (M123). tree swallow 0 (27/39; M12). blue jay 76 (M116).
American crow 232 (M324). fish crow 5 (M78; strangely scarce on many
regional coastal counts; highest was 627). Carolina chickadee 125 (M276;
lowest since 1965 & 1966). tufted titmouse 36. red-breasted nuthatch 4.
white-breasted nuthatch 1 (M3). brown-headed nuthatch 6 (M30; low; in
serious decline in MD & VA; 117 in 1974, 109 in 1971; low counts set in in
1976).
brown creeper 7 (M16). Carolina wren 296 (M262). house wren 23 (M18).
winter wren 72+ (M25; 61 in 1975 next highest). sedge wren 15 (M16).
marsh wren 5 (M18). golden-crowned kinglet 40 (M97). ruby-crowned kinglet
62. eastern bluebird 164 (M56; highest count from 1965-1988 was 79).
hermit thrush 89 (M47). American robin 276. gray catbird 13 (M24).
northern mockingbird 85 (M103; low). brown thrasher 9 (M12). American
pipit 634 (M521). cedar waxwing 62. European starling 2253 (low).
orange-crowned warbler 2 (M2). yellow-rumped (myrtle) warbler 382-
(M4824!!!!; 1391 next lowest in 1997). pine warbler 14 (M11). palm
warbler 49 (M125). common yellowthroat 3. yellow-breasted chat 1 (20/39;
present at feeder for weeks; PS,TW,TG,DS,RV,EB).
northern cardinal 266 (M347). Tomcissel 0. DICKCISSEL 1 ad. male (TG,DS;
present for several weeks at feeder; 4/39). Harrycissel 0. eastern towhee
83 (M85). chipping sparrow 132 (M45; 3rd highest). field sparrow 134.
vesper sparrow 3 (in decline here; M23). Savannah (Ipswich) sparrow 5
(Fisherman I.; M8). Savannah sparrow 207. saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow
1. Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow 1. sharp-tailed sparrow sp. 8 (M59
sharp-tailed sparrow complex). seaside sparrow 7 (M30). red fox sparrow
180 (4th highest; 317 in 1970; M69; declining but as many as 236 in 1993;
for some reason this is a good area for them). song sparrow 509. swamp
sparrow 182. white-throated sparrow 861 (M1859). white-crowned sparrow 6
(2 sectors). dark-eyed (slate-colored) junco 118 (M169). lapland longspur
14+ (PL,BS,JB,TK,JS; 12/39; previous high 10 in 1993).
red-winged blackbird 1230. eastern meadowlark 92 (M366; 2nd lowest; 24 in
1997). rusty blackbird 0. boat-tailed grackle 75 (M1115). common grackle
14- (ties 2nd lowest; M10,142 but 12 in 1965 & 14 in 1996; 9611 in 2002).
brown-headed cowbird 53. Baltimore oriole 2T (EB,PS,TW,RV; 1 ad. female,
1 imm.; present for several weeks at a feeder in Cape Charles; 9/39).
purple finch 3 (M17). house finch 101 (M111). COMMON REDPOLL 17+
(GA,PL,DS,TG et al.; 2 parties; 4/39; 37 in 1999). American goldfinch 151
(M366). house sparrow 99 (M211).
totals: 158 species (M163), c. 40,339 individuals (M80,796).
Dramatis personae (with # of years of participation): Bob Anderson (27),
Denny Ariola (1), George Armistead (19), Henry Armistead (39; compiler:
523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119-1225; 215-248-4120;
harryarmistead at hotmail dot com), James Beard (4), Jane Beaver (1), Paul
Bedell (10), Ruth Boettcher (3), Ned Brinkley (17), Mitchell Byrd (32),
Jack Carroll (2), Diane Cole (1), Dan Cristol (16), Doug Davis (25), Amelia
Earhart (0), Bettye Fields (10), Tom Gwynn (13), Marshall Iliff (5), Teta
Kain (18), Arthur Knight (2), Bev Leeuwenburg (5), Paul Lehman (2), Fred
Lobdell (1), Bob & Kathy Loomis (1 ea.), David Matson (5), Paul & Robert
Mocko (1 ea.), Mary Pulley (5), Tom Saunders (4), Don Schwab (14), John
Spahr (1), Jared Sparks (10), Brian Sullivan (3), Paul Sykes (38), Thuy
Tran (10), Craig & Glenn Turner (4 ea.), Roberta Vallone (2), David
Whitehurst (4), Bill Williams (28), Townley Wolfe (28).
Seen during count week but not on the count: Brown Pelican, Little Blue
Heron, Pine Siskin.
For access to restricted areas, lodging, great meals, and other services
grateful appreciation is extended to Susan Rice and the staff of Eastern
Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, the staff of the Virginia Coast
Reserve of the Nature Conservancy, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel
District, Sting-Ray's Restaurant staff, the Peacock Motor Inn, and the
staff of Kiptopeke State Park.
8 commonest species: red-throated loon 8076. ring-billed gull 4621.
brant 3747. dunlin 2463. Canada goose 2414. European starling 2253.
red-winged blackbird 1230. herring gull 1052.
www.birdsource.org. This is an extremely useful website. One can go there
and with a little care request a big spreadsheet, say, of all the species
on all the 39 Cape Charles counts (or any other count anywhere since 1900),
and after a few minutes it will build in on the screen and you can check
how often, how many, what is the most, etc., for any and all species. One
caveat - the year shown at the top of the screen, for instance, 1997,
really means the Christmas count period for Dec. 1996-Jan. 1997. Searches
can be done for individual species as well, say, if you want to see the 100
highest counts for Bald Eagle in a given year. Anyone who resents the $5
count participation fee, and I don't like it either, can take solace in
that it supports this wonderful database, available on the web to anyone.
To be sure, it does contain typos.
You're invited to take part in the 73rd and 74th Dorchester County, MD,
spring bird counts on May 1 & 8, 2004. These comprise the Blackwater
N.W.R. area as well as Elliott and Hooper's Islands. If you do this you
are most welcome to stay at our family farm near Oxford, MD. Do the
all-nighter marsh vigil, join me in progress, or cover an area on your own.
Best wishes to you for a fine year in 2004. I hope to see you next
December if not before.-H. T. A.
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