by Will Cook
The drought-created extensive mudflats at Jordan Lake made the 12th annual Chatham County Fall Migration Count on 9/15/2007 one for the record books, with a dozen species new for the count and amazing numbers of shorebirds. The inch of rain the day before the count raised the lake level by just 0.2 feet to 211.9 feet above sea level, so fortunately for us there were still plenty of mudflats (they begin to appear at 214'). Count day started off foggy, but soon cleared and became warm and partly cloudy. We ended up with a record-shattering 123 species, far, far above the average of 101.5 and well past the previous record mark of 115 on the 1999 count. Land birding was on the slow side, but shorebirds were abundant, so we counted an excellent total of 4599 individual birds, our third highest (3527 is average). Oberver effort was slightly below normal, so we ended up with a record high number of birds per party-hour, 73.4 (average 53.6).
The mudflats drew in huge numbers of shorebirds, including several less common species and rarities that had not made an appearance on the count before. Two boldface highlights were our first Wood Storks (a flock of 4) and our first Red Phalarope. Both were at the New Hope Creek mudflats, both were only the second ever reported for Jordan Lake, and both were found the day before by Josh and Sterling Southern. Amazingly, ten other species were also new to the count: Gadwall (Will Cook), Green-winged Teal (Doug Shadwick's party), Merlin (Cook and Travis), Peregrine Falcon (Cook), Black-bellied Plover (Cook, Ricky Davis, Shadwick), Ruddy Turnstone (Davis), White-rumped Sandpiper (Davis), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cook, Davis, Shadwick), Short-billed Dowitcher (Cook, Davis), and Wilson's Phalarope (Shadwick).
Other rarish species found on the count include Northern Shoveler, Little Blue Heron, Stilt Sandpiper, Black Tern, Savannah Sparrow (only our second), and Bobolink.
We set a bunch of record highs, mostly waterfowl and, as you might expect, mudflats species: 163 Canada Goose (average 51), 6 American Black Duck (0.5), 116 Mallard (20), 79 Blue-winged Teal (9), 10 Northern Shoveler (0.5), 94 Black Vulture (24), 71 Semipalmated Plover (0.7), 183 Killdeer (38), 20 Greater Yellowlegs (1), 152 Lesser Yellowlegs (4), 18 Spotted Sandpiper (1.5), 135 Semipalmated Sandpiper (2), 54 Western Sandpiper (0.5), 152 Least Sandpiper (4), 108 Pectoral Sandpiper (6), 16 Stilt Sandpiper (1), 457 American Crow (214), 78 Fish Crow (7), 48 Palm Warbler (4), 2 Savannah Sparrow (0.1), and 12 Bobolink (0.5). Shorebird numbers were mind-bogglingly high. We tallied 933 individuals (750 non-Killdeer) in 17 species, blowing away the previous record years 1998, when we had 12 species, and 2005, when we had 298 individuals (151 non-Killdeer). On an average count we record 5 species and 61 individuals (24 non-Killdeer). The hordes of caterpillars eating sedges on the New Hope Creek mudflats brought in a huge flock of crows -- an estimated 200 in this one flock alone.
Land birds seemed to be in relatively short supply and we missed a few species for the first time -- American Robin, European Starling, and Chestnut-sided Warbler. And we missed Eastern Screech-Owl for only the second time. Warblers numbers were normal, however, with 17 species (average 18) and 342 individuals (average 328).
Teams with the highest counts: Once again Will Cook's party, covering NC 751 and the eastern New Hope Creek mudflats, came in first in both species (82) and individuals (1509), squeaking by Doug Shadwick's party, covering the Morgan Creek and western New Hope Creek mudflats from Old Hope Valley Farm Road, with 80 species and 1223 individuals.
Here's the full count:
163 Canada Goose 39 Wood Duck 1 Gadwall 6 American Black Duck 116 Mallard 79 Blue-winged Teal 10 Northern Shoveler 3 Green-winged Teal 15 Wild Turkey 2 Northern Bobwhite 1 Pied-billed Grebe 236 Double-crested Cormorant 114 Great Blue Heron 276 Great Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 4 WOOD STORK 94 Black Vulture 78 Turkey Vulture 8 Osprey 18 Bald Eagle 9 ad., 9 imm. 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper's Hawk 13 Red-shouldered Hawk 13 Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Kestrel 2 Merlin 1 Peregrine Falcon 5 Black-bellied Plover 71 Semipalmated Plover 183 Killdeer 2 Solitary Sandpiper 18 Spotted Sandpiper 20 Greater Yellowlegs 152 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Ruddy Turnstone 6 Sanderling 135 Semipalmated Sandpiper 54 Western Sandpiper 152 Least Sandpiper 5 White-rumped Sandpiper 108 Pectoral Sandpiper 16 Stilt Sandpiper 6 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 2 Short-billed Dowitcher 2 Wilson's Snipe 1 Wilson's Phalarope 1 RED PHALAROPE 15 Caspian Tern 2 Common Tern 5 Forster's Tern 5 Black Tern 9 Rock Pigeon 33 Mourning Dove 4 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 Great Horned Owl 5 Barred Owl 5 Whip-poor-will 63 Chimney Swift 10 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 11 Belted Kingfisher 22 Red-headed Woodpecker 39 Red-bellied Woodpecker 35 Downy Woodpecker 5 Hairy Woodpecker 14 Northern Flicker 6 Pileated Woodpecker 25 Eastern Wood-Pewee 21 Eastern Phoebe 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 16 White-eyed Vireo 5 Yellow-throated Vireo 12 Red-eyed Vireo 94 Blue Jay 457 American Crow 78 Fish Crow 106 Carolina Chickadee 102 Tufted Titmouse 24 White-breasted Nuthatch 45 Brown-headed Nuthatch 141 Carolina Wren 4 House Wren 40 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 84 Eastern Bluebird 1 Veery 2 Swainson's Thrush 3 Wood Thrush 8 Gray Catbird 18 Northern Mockingbird 4 Brown Thrasher 9 Northern Parula 3 Yellow Warbler 3 Magnolia Warbler 5 Cape May Warbler 2 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Blackburnian Warbler 1 Yellow-throated Warbler 206 Pine Warbler 2 Prairie Warbler 48 Palm Warbler 6 Black-and-white Warbler 23 American Redstart 1 Worm-eating Warbler 4 Ovenbird 5 Northern Waterthrush 20 Common Yellowthroat 3 Hooded Warbler 17 Summer Tanager 8 Scarlet Tanager 23 Eastern Towhee 2 Savannah Sparrow 30 Chipping Sparrow 6 Field Sparrow 162 Northern Cardinal 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 17 Blue Grosbeak 83 Indigo Bunting 12 Bobolink 6 Red-winged Blackbird 6 Common Grackle 1 Baltimore Oriole 5 House Finch 55 American Goldfinch 123 species 4599 individuals
Effort: 23 counters in 11 parties. 62.7 party hours (54.75 foot, 2.2 car, 5.75 boat), 65 party miles (39.5 foot, 20 car, 5.5 boat). Owling 1 hour, 0.25 mile.
Weather: temp 65-82F, wind N 0-12 mph, no precip, fog in morning, then partly cloudy, lake level 211.9'.
Thanks for your help, counters -- this was a great one!
Will Cook, compiler
Detailed Results (PDF format)