Dear VA-Birders The Walkerton CBC was held in the Middle Peninsula SundayJan 4.
Many thanks to 26 participants whoworked conscientiously to find 101 species
in 9 sectors, including one boatgroup on the Pamunkey River. This count is
mostly on private properties in KingWilliam, King and Queen, New Kent and
Hanover counties along the Mattaponi andPamunkey Rivers. Many thanks to the
over40 landowners/caretakers that granted us access to bird on their
propertiesagain this year. Despite the change in hunting laws, which allows
hunting onprivate properties on Sunday, we were only unable to access one of
our regular properties thisyear. Many of these landowners/caretakersare
opposed to Sunday hunting. This was our 20th count and it was our 7thtime
tallying over 100 species (our maximum was 108 in 2009). Despite the light
rain showers, good numbersof owls were found by 4 parties in 4.3 party-hours of
owling (3 screech, 14great-horned, 12 barred, including some heard in daylight
hours). The day started out with light rain showersmaking passerine birding
difficult, as did the strong winds (with warm gusts upto 35 mph) which picked
up as the fog cleared away. Due to thick fog in the AM, visibility wasless
than 100 meters at times. All waterwas open. The temperature rose from 48-70
degrees. It was particularly fun for me to bird withmembers of the Northern
Virginia Teen Bird Club and to have one sector coveredby alums of that club. No
new species were found and there were only two newhigh-counts. Here are some of
the highlights. I have not commented on all species we found. Thiscount has
been run 20 times. WATERFOWL: Totals are always difficult to judge because
theboat team sees some birds that are also seen by land groups, and since
manywaterfowl, especially the geese, move around quite a bit and may be seen
bymore than one sector. Here are mypost-adjustment totals for several
species:Tundra Swans: 121, way above the average of 41Canada Goose: 16,200, our
third highest (high was 17,400)Cackling Goose: 6, new HIGH, surpassing the
previous high of2, in 3 sectorsSnow Geese: 4 in the Aylett sector, 9th
timeBlue-winged Teal: 2 in The Pocket, 7th timeMallard 1100: our highest count
since 2009 (high was 1214)Pintail: 1050, twice the average, but half the
highShoveler: 32, our 3rd highest count (high was 105,ave 14)Ring-necked Duck:
790, our 3rd highest count(high was 1144, ave 354)Canvasback: 1 spotted by
Elizabeth Bevins in the Pocket, 6thtimeRedhead: 1 in the Walkerton sector, 7th
time OTHER RIVER BIRDSDouble-crested Cormorant: 91, new HIGH, seemed to be on
allthe duck blinds in Pamunkey (prev high was 38).Great Blue Heron: only 26,
below average of 36No Great Egrets or other herons.Despite the low tide at
prime birding time, only 3 speciesof shorebirds were found:1 Greater Yellowlegs
in the King William sectorOnly 24 Killdeer, our lowest count since 1995. We
usuallyhave triple digits, and the average is 194.46 Snipe (below average of
55) RAPTORSBald Eagles: 58, (prev ave 35, max was 68)Red-tailed Hawk: 37. Ties
previous high. One sector had 20especially in the vicinity of a hunt club which
releases quail for huntingpurposes. Other sectors had low counts of single
birds. Did they leave thesesectors for better hunting in King and Queen?Lots of
vultures were flying: 275 Black (3rdhighest), 545 Turkey (2nd highest)American
Kestrel: only 4 (high 17, average 9)No other falcons QUAILS/TURKEYS/DOVESAll
counts were very low this yearBob White, only one, in the Aylett sectorTurkey:
only 13, our lowest since 2006, (high 101, ave 34)Mourning Dove: 177, lowest
since 2006 (high 956, ave 405) WOODPECKERSRed-headed Woodpecker: 9, few but
widespread, (6 sectorsfound 1-2 birds each) LARKS/PIPITSHorned Lark 201, 2nd
highestAmerican Pipit 284, 4th highest OTHER PASSERINESBrown Creeper: 20, ties
prev highHouse Wren: 2, 5thtime, ties prev highWinter Wren: 35, 2nd highest
(high = 43)Robin: only 306, 4th lowest (high 4480, ave 1560)Brown Thrasher: 20,
3rd highestChipping Sparrow: 4, low (high 63, ave 36)Savannah Sparrow: 115
(high = 127, ave = 38)White-throated sparrow:1405 (high 1461, ave 963) one
sectorhad 480 (New Kent/Hanover)Meadowlark: 99, absent from some sectors, but
this is the 2ndhighest count since 2005 (ave 58, high 176)No Rusty
BlackbirdsAbout 85,000 blackbirds/grackles/cowbirdsPurple Finch: 2 in King
William, 8th timeHouse Finch: only 10, our lowest since 2001 (high 188
ave53)Pine Siskin: 4, our 3rd time, in Pampatike andWalkerton sectors OTHER
THINGS OF NOTEAlso noted were singing chorus frogs and spring peepers atseveral
locations and an otter. Dana Bradshaw wrote: Wenoticed several common grackles
with partial leucism. Some withpredominantly white tails and some with whitish
tails and wings. AlsoBryan Watts found a partial leucistic Song Sparrow.
Interesting lookingbird. The head was mostly white with the pattern faintly
showing through,and the neck showed a lot of whitish wash down onto the back.
Next year I expect the CBC will be on Sunday Jan 3rd. Please let me know in
November if you want to participate.
May your 2015 be filled with wonderful bird sightings and great times
outside.FredOakton, Fairfax CountyRiverwood, Beulahville, King William
Frederick D. Atwood
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
http://tea.armadaproject.org/tea_atwoodfrontpage.html
