9th NASSAWADOX, Virginia, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, December
21, 2014. 31 observers, 122 species. Results from a still rather
unbirded area, with the exception of Willis Wharf, and to some extent Boxtree
Road/Machipongo. But after 9 counts we're learning some things.
INTERPRETATION: "snow goose 777 (4,79-371)" means 777 were reported,
seen by 4 parties, whose totals ranged from 79 to 371. If only 1 number
is given with no details on party totals that means only 1 party found the bird
(e.g., "black-bellied plover 325"). "scoter unID'd 84
(3/9)" means this entity was reported in 3 of 9 years. For species
seen by 3 parties the sum of the extremes subtracted from the grand total
reveals how many were seen by the 3rd party, so with "horned grebe 46 (3,
8-26)" the 3rd party found 12. For unusual species and unusually
high numbers the species name is capitalized.
the BIRDS WATERFOWL): snow goose 777 (4, 79-371). blue goose 6 (2,
2-4). brant 725. Canada goose 929 (8, 5-360). tundra swan
8. wood duck 0 (7/9). gadwall 2 (Hog I.; 6/9). American
wigeon 0 (5/9). American black duck 228 (6, 1-150). mallard 84 (5,
1-75). blue-winged teal 1 (1/9). northern shoveler 1 (5/9).
northern pintail 1 (5/9; Hog I.). green-winged teal 28 (9/9; 2,
8-20). ring-necked duck 1 (8/9). COMMON EIDER 11 (new for this
count; BAn,TT,HA; 1 ad. male, 1 imm. male, 9 females; Hog I.;
photographed). surf scoter 600. white-winged scoter 0 (2/9).
black scoter 32 (4/9). scoter unID'd 84 (3/9). long-tailed duck
6. bufflehead 552 (7, 4-475). common goldeneye 2 (7/9).
hooded merganser 132 (7, 2-50). common merganser 0 (1/9).
red-breasted merganser 4 (2, 1-3). ruddy duck 106 (8/9; 4, 1-93).
the PRIMITIVES, after a fashion: northern bobwhite 0 (but seen during the
count period; 7/9). wild turkey 16 (2, 7-9; 6/9). red-throated loon
8 (2, 1-7). common loon 26 (3, 1-24). pied-billed grebe 5 (2,
1-4). horned grebe 46 (3, 8-26). northern gannet 0 (2/9).
double-crested cormorant 2 (9/9). brown pelican 0 (2/9). great blue
heron 19 (8, 1-5). great egret 0 (4/9). black-crowned night heron 0
(4/9).
RAPTORS & RALLIDS: black vulture 75 (5, 2-60). turkey vulture
125 (8, 2-53). BALD EAGLE 45 (7, 1-18). northern harrier 26 (7,
1-11). sharp-shinned hawk 4 (4, 1-1). Cooper's hawk 9 (5,
1-3). red-shouldered hawk 4 (4, 1-1). red-tailed hawk 28 (9,
1-6). GOLDEN EAGLE 1 (new for the count; EO,BO; immature). American
kestrel 17 (6, 1-8). merlin 3 (3, 1-1; 6/9). peregrine falcon 3 (2,
1-2; 7/9). clapper rail 3 (2, 1-2). Virginia rail 4. American
coot 3 (2/9).
SHOREBIRDS (the glory of Eastern Shore of Virginia Christmas counts, assuming,
in this case, that the boat gets out). black-bellied plover 325.
semipalmated plover 0 (4/9). killdeer 1 (that's right!). American
oystercatcher
326 (2, 6-320; last year we had the national high). greater yellowlegs 49
(5, 2-24). willet 67 (low; 4, 2-21). lesser yellowlegs 1.
whimbrel 0 (1/9). marbled godwit 31 (low; 2, 1-30). ruddy turnstone
61. red knot 0 (1/9). sanderling 14. western sandpiper
15. DUNLIN 12,963 (3, 2-12,800). short-billed dowitcher 13
(9/9). Wilson's snipe 3. American woodcock 5 (2, 2-3).
LARIDS. Bonaparte's gull 0 (4/9). ring-billed gull 660 (9,
5-442). herring gull 379 (7, 1-350). great black-backed gull
35. gull unID'd 9. Forster's tern 0 (2/9).
TRANSITIONAL LANDBIRDS (by which is meant bridging the gap, in phylogenetic
order, between waterbirds and songbirds [passerines]): rock pigeon 52 (4,
3-30). mourning dove 145 (8, 2-57). eastern screech-owl 1.
great horned owl 2 (2, 1-1). belted kingfisher 9 (6, 1-3).
red-headed woodpecker 0 (5/9). red-bellied woodpecker 53 (8, 1-18).
yellow-bellied sapsucker 8 (3, 1-4). downy woodpecker 14 (5, 1-6).
hairy woodpecker 10 (4, 1-5). northern flicker 85 (9, 3-21).
pileated woodpecker 13 (5, 1-5). eastern phoebe 1. blue jay 56 (7,
1-16). American crow 484 (7, 14-211). fish crow 43 (4, 1-36).
crow unID'd 153 (3, 38-75). horned lark 0 (7/9). tree swallow 0
(3/9).
LI'L SPRITES: Carolina chickadee 65 (6, 2-16). tufted titmouse 35
(5, 2-11). red-breasted nuthatch 6 (7/9). white-breasted nuthatch 2
(2, 1-1; 5/9. brown-headed nuthatch 20 (4, 1-10; 9/9). brown
creeper 2. house wren 2 (7/9). winter wren 11. sedge wren 2
(5/9). marsh wren 2 (6/9). Carolina wren 63 (8, 1-18).
golden-crowned kinglet 8 (2, 1-7). ruby-crowned kinglet 19 (3,
1-17). BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 1 (new for this count; MM,SE,WE; close study
at 20 feet for 2 minutes).
THRUSHES +: eastern bluebird 213 (7, 3-93). hermit thrush 22 (4,
2-12). American robin 135 (5, 4-85). gray catbird 10 (4,
1-4). northern mockingbird 61 (7, 5-14). brown thrasher 6 (3,
1-3). European starling 758 (7, 4-235). American pipit 0
(6/9). cedar waxwing 5 (low).
WARBLERS: orange-crowned warbler 0 (3/9). common yellowthroat 0
(1/9). palm warbler 7 (2, 2-5; 8/9). pine warbler 2 (2, 1-1;
8/9). YELLOW-RUMPED (MYRTLE) WARBLER 4,543 (9, 4-3293; a tremendous
concentration of them at Brickhouse Neck).
SPARROW TYPES: eastern towhee 5 (3, 1-2). American tree sparrow 1.
chipping sparrow 44 (low; 3, 1-42). field sparrow 14 (3, 1-10).
vesper sparrow 0 (1/9). Savannah sparrow 9 (low; 2, 4-5). Ipswich
sparrow 0 (1/9). Nelson's sparrow 0 (6/9). saltmarsh sparrow 2 (2,
1-1; 6/9). seaside sparrow 0 (4/9). fox sparrow 28 (2, 4-24).
song sparrow 257 (7, 3-77). swamp sparrow 104 (4, 1-54).
white-throated sparrow 314 (9, 2-84). white-crowned sparrow 0
(3/9). dark-eyed (slate-colored) junco 261 (7, 5-89). northern
cardinal 89 (9, 1-25).
BLACKBIRDS & FINCHES: red-winged blackbird 841 (7, 11-234).
eastern meadowlark 47 (2, 7-40). rusty blackbird 0 (2/9). common
grackle 1 (low [no kidding]; 8/9, so ... we did miss them/it once).
boat-tailed grackle 9 (low; 2, 1-8). brown-headed cowbird 12 (low).
unID'd blackbird 821 (2, 150-671). Baltimore oriole 0 (3/9; surprising to
have found them on 1/3 of the counts). purple finch 9. house finch
42 (4, 4-27). pine siskin 0 (2/9). American goldfinch 109 (6,
1-41). house sparrow 3 (low; probably because observers do not spend much
time in the towns).
PARTICIPANTS: Bob Ake, Bob Anderson (BAn), Margaret Andrews, Harry
Armistead (compiler), Richard Ayers, Curtis & Lynn Badger, Bill & Kathy
Bender, Sue & Wes Earp, Kit Fechtig, Dot Field, Bill & Jane Hill,
Roberta Kellam, Marcus Killmon, Grazina & Michael McClure, Ellison Orcutt,
Beth Oristian, Nancy Petersen, Frank Renshaw, Karen & Keith Roberts, Marv
Rubin, Ann & Paul Smith, Bob Toner, Thuy Tran, Shelley Vallone.
Thanks to all of the participants. Perfect weather
and in the afternoon the sun comes out big time, there is no wind, and every
bird sitting on the water is visible. It is, in short, a thoroughly
glorious afternoon. However, zero Northern Bobwhite continues to be a
statistic that one has to deal with more and more often. How I miss the
quail.
Bob Anderson, Thuy Tran, boatman Marcus Killmon, and I
comprise the boat party. I’ve just
calculated that I have made c. 70 boat trips to otherwise inaccessible Virginia
Eastern Shore barrier islands, just during Christmas Bird Counts. Let me say
that this is the most wondrous
trip of all. Sitting on top of a grassy
7-foot dune, looking out over distant Revel and Parramore islands, Quinby
Inlet, rather vast Hog Island Bay, and the distant marshes, and more distant
mainland 6 miles away, while the waters are glassy calm, like a vast flat sheet
of satin, and the sun breaks through, and it becomes totally clear, while
Horned Grebes, Common and Red-throated loons, in modest numbers, fish close by,
is about as good as I’ve ever had it out there, albeit I am dealing with muscle
spasms in my thighs from having walked 2+ miles in hip waders, something I
wasn’t that good at 30 years ago, much less now at 74. But I nap in the sun
from my comparatively
lofty perch, waking up in time just as 11 Common Eiders fly by, single file,
less than 100 feet away, in this wilderness setting. Hog Island provides our
best shot at some of
the dabbling ducks for this Christmas count with the count’s only pintail and 2
Gadwall.
EFFORT: 31 observers in 9 parties. Hours on
foot 41, by car 29, by boat 3. Miles on foot 22, by car 240, by boat
20. 6 A.M. - 5 P.M.
FAMILY REPRESENTATION: waterfowl 21 species (in the
summary above see how scarce many of the ducks are here, every year).
raptors 12 (good). shorebirds 14 (Willis Wharf, often with > 200 of
both Willets and Marbled Godwits, was strangely lacking this time). owls
2 (particpants don't owl much on this count). wrens 5 (good).
warblers 3 (about average). sparrows, excluding towhee and junco, 11,
O.K.
BOAT. PARTY VARIATION. 16 species were boat
exclusives. This is only the 4th year out of 9 when the boat DIDN'T get
weathered out. With this many exclusives it is easy to see how important
the boat is. Of course the boat is not going to find many landbirds, even
in the extensive brush and forest of Hog Island. The 3 parties that cover
areas mostly to the west of Route 13 are not going to find many
waterbirds. Consequently only 6 species were found by all 9 parties:
Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Northern Flicker, Myrtle Warbler,
White-throated Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal. An additional 7 species
were seen by 8 parties. Further complicating meaningful statistical
analysis when comparing party totals, in addition to the varying habitats they
are assigned as noted above, are 3 factors: differing levels of effort,
expertise, and size of the parties, some of whose totals are comprised of 2
sub-parties.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Grateful thanks is extended to
Jill Bieri for granting access to Brownsville and Hog Island, areas part of the
The Nature Conservancy/Virginia Coast Reserve, and to Jim Murray for permission
for observers to access his property on Brickhouse Neck. A big thank you
to Kassandra Smith, General Manager of the Exmore Best Western, for letting us
use the motel continental breakfast area for the compilation.
WEATHER: 32-45 degrees F. Wind, mostly lacking,
calm most of the time, sometimes NW<5. The sky: overcast, becoming
fair c. 1 P.M., then clear 2 P.M. for the rest of the day. No snow or
ice. Tide: high variously 7:04 - 7:38 A.M. at 3 locations in the general
area, low 1:51 - 2:09 P.M.
NON-AVIAN TAXA. Mammals: 23 Gray Squirrels, 3
White-tailed Deer, 2 Eastern Cottontails, and, out on Hog Island, 2 fresh
Muskrat lodges and recent Raccoon footprints. Jane Hill photographed a
Southern Leopard Frog.
MISTAKES. Please let me know if you see any.
Thanks.
Best wishes to all. - Harry Armistead.
