39th Cape Charles, VA,Christmas Bird Count, Tuesday, December 30, 2003.
Preliminary and incomplete results. 157 species, c. 40,329 individual
birds. For illness and other reasons at least 9 people were no-shows but
there were still 40 or so observers. Scattered showers and overcast in the
A.M. with SW winds 20-25 m.p.h. becoming fair and then clear in the P.M.,
winds shifting to NW late and diminishing. 50-60 degrees F. Tide
sequence: low - high - low. Wild food crop very poor.
Selected highlights (and in many cases lowlights). A complete, annotated
list with extensive commentary will be forthcoming in about a week.
Red-throated Loon 8,076 (most from Fisherman's I. but the Smith I. party
also had 879). Pacific Loon 1 (at Kings Creek near Cape Charles [the
town]). Brown Pelican 0. White Ibis 1 (Smith I.). Snow Goose 0. Common
Eider (1 at Kiptopeke State Park, 1 at Smith I.). Bufflehead 491 (low).
Bald Eagle 21 (reported by 8 parties). Wild Turkey 22 (3 parties).
Northern Bobwhite 8 (very low, in decline). Common Moorhen 1. Piping
Plover 2 (Smith I.; 1 was a color-banded bird from the highly-endangered
Great Lakes population). Killdeer 3. Sanderling 244 (low). Iceland Gull
(1st year bird at Smith I.). Black-legged Kittiwake 1 ad. (Smith I.).
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 (1-3 present for 2 or so years just east of
Kiptopeke State Park). Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 (present for some time
in Ned Brinkley's garden; recently banded and identified by Mary
Gustafson). Northern Flicker 61 (extremely low). Tree Swallow 0.
Brown-headed Nuthatch 6 (low and declining here). Winter Wren 62 (a good
total). Water Pipit 634 (excellent count). Blue-headed Vireo 2 (seen by 2
parties; almost annual here on the CBC). Yellow-rumped Warbler 382
(unbelievably low). Yellow-breasted Chat 1. Dickcissel 1. Chipping
Sparrow 132. Fox Sparrow 180. Lapland Longspur 14 (some of these
photographed). Common Grackle 14 (that's right). Baltimore Oriole 2.
Common Redpoll 17 (seen by 2 parties).
The Pacific Loon, collared-dove, and hummer are new to the cumulative list,
now c. 240 species, perhaps a little more.
Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225. 215-248-4120. harryarmistead at hotmail dot com.
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