The Chapel Hill Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, 26 December 2021, had spectacular early fall-like weather, with sunny skies and near record warm temperatures, which the birds enjoyed by snoozing. This count was a little below average both in number of species (87, ten-year average 89.3), and individual birds (total of 13938, ten year average 17298). On a birds per party hour basis, it was a slow count, with 85 versus an average of 116, our second lowest in the past 24 counts.
Rarities this year were highlighted by two Great Egrets, seen by Marc Ribaudo and Brian Bockhahn at Jordan Lake, our fourth count record, and a flock of 16 Least Sandpipers (Brian Bockhahn, on the Jordan Lake mudflats), our eighth. Also an 8th count report was the Common Raven heard by Kent Fiala at Sandy Creek Park. Haven and Minna Wiley found 6 Common Loons from the Cub Creek arm of Jordan Lake, our 9th and a record high. Tom and Barbara Driscoll just missed the annual wintering Yellow-throated Warbler in their yard, which was last seen the day before count week. Other goodies included 3 Green-winged Teal (Bockhahn), 83 Bufflehead (Evans Lodge and Nan DeWire's parties), 61 Wilson's Snipe (Marc Ribaudo and Brian Bockhahn on the Jordan Lake mudflats), 2 Blue-headed Vireos and a Palm Warbler (Marc Ribaudo), and Common Yellowthroat (Alex Nickley).
We set a few record highs: 6 Common Loon (previous high 3 in 1983, average 0.2), 2 Great Egret (ties 1984, average 0.1), 15 Great Horned Owls (11 in 2012, average 6.2), 51 Brown Thrashers (previous high 46 in 2014, average 34.5). Also in good numbers: 83 Bufflehead (average 10.4), 61 Wilson's Snipe (average 4.7), 13 Herring Gulls (average 3.5), 359 Black Vultures (average 246.2), 62 Eastern Phoebe (average 39.3), 63 Winter Wrens (average 47.4), 55 House Sparrows (average 32.6), 42 Eastern Meadowlarks (average 8).
A few species were remarkably scarce this year: Eastern Screech-Owl (1, average 5.5), European Starling (252, average 498), Chipping Sparrow (240, average 387), and, most remarkably, Dark-eyed "Slate-colored" Junco (313, average 778, lowest since 1958).
Top honors for highest number of species this year goes to Marc Ribaudo, who found 57 species at Jordan Lake (Old Hope Valley Farm Road). Brian Bockhahn tallied the greatest number of individual birds, with 1387, thanks to nice flocks of Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle.
Weather: Temperature 52-73 F, wind calm, 0-5 mph, fair, water open. Effort: 51 observers in 26 field parties, 163.1 party hours (141.2 by foot, 21.9 by car) and 175.8 party miles (109.5 by foot, 66.3 by car), 3.7 hours and 13.5 miles owling, 3 people and 15.5 hours watching feeders.
Thanks to all the participants for your help!
-- Will Cook, compiler