2009 Chatham County Fall Bird Count

by Will Cook

The drought-created extensive mudflats at Jordan Lake made the 14th annual Chatham County Fall Migration Count on 9/19/2009 one for the record books, with five species new for the count and amazing numbers of shorebirds. The lake level was 212.4 feet above sea level, 4.2 feet below average for the count, so fortunately there were plenty of mudflats (they begin to appear at about 214 feet) and plenty of shorebirds. Shorebird numbers and diversity on the 2009 count are only surpassed by the 2007 count, which not coincidentally was the only count with a lower lake level. Away from the mudflats, several observers reported that it seemed to be a slow count day, though overall the landbird numbers were average.

We ended up with an astonishing 130 species, far, far above the average of 102.5 and shattering the previous record mark of 123 on the 2007 count. Land birds were found in near normal numbers, but since shorebirds were abundant, we counted a record total of 5575 individual birds (3537 is average). Observer effort was above average 77.5 party-hours (average 67.3), yet we still ended up with a near record number of birds per party-hour, 72 (average 54).

The mudflats drew in huge numbers of shorebirds (16 species, 839 individuals), including several less common species and rarities that had not made an appearance on the count before. The boldface highlight was our first Ruff, an immature identified by Doug Shadwick and Scott Winton in the Morgan Creek mudflats.

Four other species were also new to the count: Nothern Pintail flying over the New Hope Creek arm of the lake (Will Cook's party), White Ibis at the Morgan Creek mudflats (Doug Shadwick's party), a Sora flushed up by Will Cook from thick herbacous cover at the New Hope Creek mudflats, and a flock of American Pipits seen and heard in flight at New Hope Creek (Cook). Several other species that were new to the count in 2007 made only their second appearance: Green-winged Teal (Cook and Shadwick's parties), Merlin (Cook), Black-bellied Plover (Shadwick), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Cook), Short-billed Dowitcher (Cook), and Wilson's Phalarope (Shadwick, Cook), and Marsh Wren (Cook, Shadwick). Other goodies found on the count include Black-crowned Night-Heron, Stilt Sandpiper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, "Traill's" Flycatcher (a silent Willow/Alder), Canada Warbler, and Bobolink.

We set an incredible number of record highs, many of them for mudflats species, as you might expect: 300 Great Egret (average 104), 196 Black Vulture (29), 258 Killdeer (48), 78 Greater Yellowlegs (2), 125 Lesser Yellowlegs (15), 13 Sanderling (1), 200 Least Sandpiper (15), 28 Stilt Sandpiper (2), 20 Short-billed Dowitcher (0.2), 3 Wilson's Snipe (0.6), 480 American Crow (229), 275 Fish Crow (13), 103 Brown-headed Nuthatch (54), 2 Marsh Wren (0.1), 5 Veery (0.3), 9 Swainson's Thrush (2), 32 Northern Mockingbird (19), 114 European Starling (40), 27 Cedar Waxwing (2), 13 Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3), and 81 Brown-headed Cowbird (6). The crows were mostly in one large mixed flock feeding on the outbreaks of insects in the sedges and grasses of the New Hope Creek mudflats.

One species set a record low this year: 8 Chimney Swift (131 average). The only other remarkably low count was 75 Double-crested Cormorants (150 average).

Warblers numbers were normal, with 361 individuals (average 336), but 20 species is the highest since 2001.

Teams with the highest counts: Will Cook's party of four birders, covering the eastern New Hope Creek mudflats from NC 751, came in first in both species (89, the highest team total in the history of the count) and individuals (1535). Doug Shadwick's party, covering the Morgan Creek and western New Hope Creek mudflats from Old Hope Valley Farm Road, came in second with 70 species and 901 individuals.

Here's the full count:

119	Canada Goose
10	Wood Duck
4	American Black Duck
25	Mallard
16	Blue-winged Teal
4	NORTHERN PINTAIL
3	GREEN-WINGED TEAL
13	Wild Turkey
1	Pied-billed Grebe
75	Double-crested Cormorant
142	Great Blue Heron
300	Great Egret
2	Little Blue Heron
2	Green Heron
1	BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
3	WHITE IBIS
196	Black Vulture
123	Turkey Vulture
10	Osprey
13	Bald Eagle (6 ad., 7 imm.)
3	Sharp-shinned Hawk
1	Cooper's Hawk
19	Red-shouldered Hawk
4	Red-tailed Hawk
4	American Kestrel
1	MERLIN
1	SORA
1	BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
13	Semipalmated Plover
258	Killdeer
78	Greater Yellowlegs
125	Lesser Yellowlegs
1	Solitary Sandpiper
10	Spotted Sandpiper
13	Sanderling
19	Semipalmated Sandpiper
17	Western Sandpiper
200	Least Sandpiper
50	Pectoral Sandpiper
28	STILT SANDPIPER
3	BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
1	RUFF
20	Short-billed Dowitcher
3	Wilson's Snipe
1	Wilson's Phalarope
2	Caspian Tern
16	Rock Pigeon
131	Mourning Dove
3	Eastern Screech-Owl
1	Great Horned Owl
3	Barred Owl
5	Whip-poor-will
8	Chimney Swift
18	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
10	Belted Kingfisher
34	Red-headed Woodpecker
72	Red-bellied Woodpecker
1	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
47	Downy Woodpecker
9	Hairy Woodpecker
30	Northern Flicker
18	Pileated Woodpecker
25	Eastern Wood-Pewee
1	Acadian Flycatcher
1	"Traill's" Flycatcher
22	Eastern Phoebe
3	Great Crested Flycatcher
18	White-eyed Vireo
2	Yellow-throated Vireo
9	Red-eyed Vireo
160	Blue Jay
480	American Crow
275	Fish Crow
212	Carolina Chickadee
170	Tufted Titmouse
36	White-breasted Nuthatch
103	Brown-headed Nuthatch
166	Carolina Wren
4	House Wren
2	MARSH WREN
34	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
135	Eastern Bluebird
5	Veery
9	Swainson's Thrush
13	Wood Thush
66	American Robin
25	Gray Catbird
32	Northern Mockingbird
8	Brown Thrasher
114	European Starling
6	AMERICAN PIPIT
27	Cedar Waxwing
2	Blue-winged Warbler
1	Tennessee Warbler
10	Northern Parula
1	Chestnut-sided Warbler
7	Magnolia Warbler
2	Cape May Warbler
7	Black-throated Blue Warbler
1	Blackburnian Warbler
3	Yellow-throated Warbler
237	Pine Warbler
1	Prairie Warbler
5	Palm Warbler
10	Black-and-white Warbler
35	American Redstart
1	Ovenbird
4	Northern Waterthrush
31	Common Yellowthroat
1	Hooded Warbler
1	Canada Warbler
1	Yellow-breasted Chat
24	Summer Tanager
18	Scarlet Tanager
34	Eastern Towhee
21	Chipping Sparrow
4	Field Sparrow
1	Song Sparrow
148	Northern Cardinal
13	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
28	Blue Grosbeak
52	Indigo Bunting
4	Bobolink
25	Red-winged Blackbird
32	Common Grackle
81	Brown-headed Cowbird
1	Baltimore Oriole
9	House Finch
207	American Goldfinch
5	House Sparrow

130 species
5575 individuals

Effort: 21 counters in 13 parties. 77.5 party hours (63.5 foot, 6.5 car, 7.5 boat), 84 party miles (42.5 foot, 32.5 car, 9 boat). Owling 2.5 hours, 8.5 mile.

Weather: temp 64-79 F, wind NE 5-10 mph, no precip, overcast, lake level 212.4'

Thanks for your help, counters -- this was the best one yet!

Will Cook, compiler

Detailed Results (PDF format)

Chapel Hill Bird Club