by Will Cook
The 11th Chatham County Fall Migration Count on 9/16/2006 wasn't as spectacular as last year's, but the counting weather was pleasant and the birds were active, some singing. Last year we had mudflats and loads of shorebirds, the two years before that some tropical-storm-blown birds, but this year was just typical fall birding. The lake level was a foot above normal, so there were absolutely no mudflats and very few shorebirds to be found. It started off foggy, but the fog cleared, then turned breezy. We ended up with 98 species (4 below average) and counted 4037 individuals (560 above average), high considering that observer effort was below average (66.2 party-hours, average 72.1) and few large flocks were seen. The number of birds per party-hour (61.0) was well above average (53.9).
Though not unexpected, Savannah Sparrow was new to the count this year - Amalie Tuffin found one in a corn field. Other goodies included Laughing Gull (our second) and good numbers of Caspian Terns seen by Will Cook's team; 3 Black Tern (also a second) and a Forster's Tern seen by Steve Shultz; Doug Shadwick heard five singing Acadian Flycatchers (our third) in the Cape Fear River area in the southeastern part of the county; Amalie Tuffin found 3 Eastern Kingbirds (our third); and three parties reported Cedar Waxwings (our third). (The Cape Fear area must be really good for Empids - last year Jeff Pippen covered it and found three Empidonax flycatchers of three different species!)
We set 16 record highs: 59 Black Vultures (average 20), 186 Turkey Vultures (103), 23 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (11), 19 Hairy Woodpeckers (9.5), 28 Eastern Wood-Pewees (12), 5 Acadian Flycatchers (0.3), 41 Eastern Phoebes (17), 3 Eastern Kingbirds (0.2), 34 White-eyed Vireos (13), 232 Carolina Wrens (150), 5 Swainson's Thrushes (1.3), 4 Yellow Warblers (1.0), 35 Summer Tanagers (16), 67 Chipping Sparrows (19), 34 Blue Grosbeaks (15), and 13 Eastern Meadowlarks (1.9).
No record lows, but the total of 1 Wood Thrush is not encouraging. The average over the last 10 years of the count is 6, but just 1.4 for the last 5 counts. The only big miss was Rock Pigeon. Warblers were a little below average, with 17 species and 285 individuals (79 non-Pines, average 134). Shorebirds were scarce - the total of 5 individuals (2 species) is our lowest ever. Last year we had the best showing ever - what a difference a 3.2' rise in lake level makes!
Teams with the highest counts: Once again Will Cook's party, covering the NC 751 and Farrington Road areas, came in first in both species (60) and individuals (840), squeaking by Doug Shadwick's party (59 species, 427 birds).
Here's the full count, in current AOU order.
61 Canada Goose 14 Wood Duck 1 Wild Turkey 159 Double-crested Cormorant 36 Great Blue Heron 80 Great Egret 1 Green Heron 59 Black Vulture 186 Turkey Vulture 12 Osprey 10 Bald Eagle 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 Cooper's Hawk 22 Red-shouldered Hawk 13 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Killdeer 2 Wilson's Snipe 1 Laughing Gull 12 Caspian Tern 1 Forster's Tern 3 Black Tern 175 Mourning Dove 15 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Great Horned Owl 5 Barred Owl 6 Whip-poor-will 112 Chimney Swift 23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 16 Belted Kingfisher 21 Red-headed Woodpecker 72 Red-bellied Woodpecker 65 Downy Woodpecker 19 Hairy Woodpecker 30 Northern Flicker 20 Pileated Woodpecker 28 Eastern Wood-Pewee 5 Acadian Flycatcher 41 Eastern Phoebe 4 Great Crested Flycatcher 3 Eastern Kingbird 34 White-eyed Vireo 2 Blue-headed Vireo 2 Yellow-throated Vireo 27 Red-eyed Vireo 161 Blue Jay 267 American Crow 11 Fish Crow 212 Carolina Chickadee 159 Tufted Titmouse 32 White-breasted Nuthatch 67 Brown-headed Nuthatch 232 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 36 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 155 Eastern Bluebird 5 Swainson's Thrush 1 Wood Thrush 41 American Robin 14 Gray Catbird 28 Northern Mockingbird 12 Brown Thrasher 67 European Starling 7 Cedar Waxwing 3 Tennessee Warbler 6 Northern Parula 4 Yellow Warbler 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler 7 Magnolia Warbler 2 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Yellow-throated Warbler 206 Pine Warbler 1 Bay-breasted Warbler 10 Black-and-white Warbler 10 American Redstart 1 Ovenbird 1 Northern Waterthrush 24 Common Yellowthroat 4 Hooded Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 35 Summer Tanager 9 Scarlet Tanager 42 Eastern Towhee 1 Savannah Sparrow 67 Chipping Sparrow 6 Field Sparrow 226 Northern Cardinal 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 34 Blue Grosbeak 94 Indigo Bunting 3 Red-winged Blackbird 13 Eastern Meadowlark 64 Common Grackle 20 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Baltimore Oriole 14 House Finch 204 American Goldfinch
Effort: 17 counters in 12 parties. 66.2 party hours (53.7 foot, 12.5 car), 191.5 party miles (38.5 foot, 153 car). Owling 3 hours, 23 miles. Stationary (feeder watch) 2 hours.
Weather: temp 59-79F, wind NE 0-15mph, no precip, fog in morning, then clearing, lake level 217.0'.
Thanks counters - sorry for the late report!
Will Cook, compiler
Detailed Results (PDF format)