Here are preliminary results for the 38th Cape Charles Christmas Bird Count
of Dec. 27, 2002, Friday, pending supporting details for some rarities.
Also, I intend to pare down some of the numbers of easily-duplicated,
highly visible and mobile species such as gannets, geese, eagles, Tree
Swallows, blackbirds, vultures, etc. Numbers below are the reported totals
prior to this downsizeing. This is a selective list of what seems of
special interest to me. In a week or so I'll submit the entire, edited
list. Annotations below are off the top of my head; I'll verify or negate
them later.
157 species, 96,981 individuals, 43 participants. Clear, cold, 28-40
degrees, wind NW 15-5 m.p.h. or less. Tide sequence: low - high - lowering
tide at day's end. The boat party had 9 observers and operated as 3
distinct parties on 3 islands most of the day.
Red-throated Loon 1,135 (a new high, I think). 178 Horned Grebes (higher
than in most recent years). 6,938 gannets. 234 Brown Pelicans (a new high
by a factor of 5 or 6). Great Cormorant 70. White Ibis 82 (second
highest, I think). Richardson's Goose 1. Gadwall 560. Harlequin Duck 1.
Black Scoter 1,241. Red-breasted Merganser 6,648 (2nd highest?).
Turkey Vulture 708 (new high). Bald Eagle 52 (new high). Sharp-shinned
Hawk 36. Cooper's Hawk 20 (high). Red-shouldered Hawk 13 (high). Merlin
4. Peregrine Falcon 4. Clapper Rail 53. Black-bellied Plover 655.
Semipalmated Plover 49 (seen in 5 sectors). Piping Plover 1 (Smith I.
party; color banded). Willet 207 (seen in 4 sectors). Marbled Godwit 28.
Least Sandpiper 14. Dunlin 8,084. Short-billed Dowitcher 92.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2. Mourning Dove 641. Long-eared Owl 1. Rufous
Hummingbird 1 (banded by Mary Gustafson & Bruce Peterjohn on Dec. 13; an
immature female; at Ned Brinkley's feeder; new to the count cumulative
list). Pileated Woodpecker 8 (probably a new high). Tree Swallow 606 (new
high; 400 on Fisherman's Island alone). 1 Brown-headed Nuthatch (how sad;
the only nuthatch all day). Sedge Wren 5. Marsh Wren 3. Hermit Thrush
122.
Gray Catbird 38. Brown Thrasher 26. Blue-headed Vireo 2 (nice but seen on
every 2nd or 3rd count; seen in 2 sectors). Orange-crowned Warbler 3.
Rufous-sided Towhee 107. American Tree Sparrow 1 (almost a rarity here).
Ipswich Sparrow 10. Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 3. Saltmarsh
Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1 (marsh wrens and sparrows were hard to find today;
it's not unusual to get over 100 of the combined Sharp-tailed Sparrows on a
good day). Seaside Sparrow 12. Fox Sparrow 258 (perhaps a new high).
Brewer's Blackbird 2. Baltimore Oriole 1 (an ad. male that's been hanging
around Cape Charles).
Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225. 215-248-4120. Please, any off-list replies to:
harryarmistead@xxxxxxxxxxx
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