CAPE CHARLES, VA, 41st CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, Friday, December 30, 2005. A
few preliminary totals, subject to some but probably not much change. For
certain big, conspicuous species, such as eagles, I may arbitrarily lop off
1/4 or 1/5 of the numbers in an attempt to compensate for preceived
duplicate sightings.
A complete, heavily-annotated official list will follow in about one week,
you may be sure.
Many thanks to Ned Brinkley and Jared Sparks for running the count whle I
was absent for my mother-in-law's memorial service and related activities.
Pretty day but low numbers of many common birds such as white-throats and
Swamp Sparrows. SPECIES TOTAL: 156 (low). 37 observers in 10 sectors.
Separate parties covered Smith, Fisherman, and Myrtle islands. 7 other
groups worked the mainland areas.
3,896 snow geese. 308 tundra swans (widespread; 8 parties). 631 gadwalls.
1 Eurasian wigeon. 11 pintails (low). 1 white-winged scoter. 659 surf
scoters (low). 321 ruddy ducks.
6,582 red-throated loons (mostly seen from Smith Island by Dan Cristol &
Renee Hudgins). 3 red-necked grebes (2 parties). 8 brown pelicans. 21
great & 6 snowy egrets (both good totals by recent standards). 3 little
blue herons. 83 white ibis.
250 black vultures. 1 osprey (Chris Reiger & Fred Pinch). 35 bald eagles
(need pruning due to duplication). 2 merlins. 6 peregrine falcons. only
4 bobwhite. 66 clapper & 2 Virginia rails. 11 common moorhens (new high
count). 603 black-bellied & 24 semipalmated plovers. 54 lesser (a lot) &
102 greater yellowlegs. 86 willets (5 parties). 24 marbled godwits. 2
least sandpipers (Smith Island). 4,796 dunlin. purple sandpiper 4 or 5 by
Tom Saunders & Dot Field at the Cape Charles (town) jetties. 51 woodcock.
5,724 Bonaparte's (new high count by a lot), 2 adult lesser black-backed
(Bob Anderson et al., Fisherman Island), and 1 glaucous (seen on both Smith
& Fisherman Island by Cristol, Hudgins, Fred Lobdell, Bob Anderson et al.)
gull. 54 Forster's terns. 2 (possibly 3) Eurasian collared-doves (seen
by, I think, Ned Brinkley, Bev Leeuwenburg, Jane Beaver, Jim Beard, John
Fox & Bill Keith; present for several years; has bred here). 17 great
horned & 6 screech-owls (the only owls, which is unusual).
Allen's hummingbird (immature male; present since October 26; banded,
measured, weighed, etc., later in the fall by Mary Gustafson; seen count
day at 0720 hours by Ned & Bev; new to the count & 2nd state record). all
7 woodpecker species incl. 2 red-headeds & 9 pileateds (new high count).
12 phoebes. 4 tree swallows. the 5 expected wren species incl. 16 sedge &
23 marsh wrens (both good counts by recent standards).
only 115 robins. 84 bluebirds (low). 88 pipits (low; 1 party only). 4
orange-crowned warblers (excelent; 3 parties). 34 palm warblers (low but
seen by 4 parties). 4 yellowthroats. 156 chipping, 1 vesper, 3
white-crowned, 7 Ipswich, 6 Nelson's sharp-tailed, 53 saltmarsh
sharp-tailed, 32 seaside but a mere 8 fox sparrows. all of 136 common but
516 boat-tailed grackles. 7 cowbirds (!; low). 1 lapland longspur.
missed: whimbrel, red knot, white-breasted nuthatch, Wilson's snipe &
rusty blackbird.
OFF TOPIC, OFF-THE-WALL, AND YET NOT OFF-COLOUR: BANNED FROM PARTICIPATION
UNTIL 2008: the Right Honourable, Viscount Sir Dudley Fauntleroy
Radclyffffe Studly-Ramsbottom (the "Discount Viscount", known to many as
Roy Boy the Stud Dud Dude), O.B.E., V.C., D.S.O., H.M.O., L.S.M.F.T., Duke
of Onancock, Earl of Nassawadox, and 7th Margrave of Machipongo. His
recent unsubstantiated (and only) reports include Royal Albatross, King
Rail, King of Saxony Bird of Paradise, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Emperor
Penguin, Regal Fritillary, Monarch, Queen Carola's Six-wired Bird of
Paradise & Viceroy. I think I see a pattern. They may not be "of the
realm", Discount, but when you feel you can report such vin ordinaire as
Common Goldeneye, Common Redpoll, American Bittern, Common Loon, American
Pipit, Common Merganser et cetera, you can return to this count. I'm as
much of a royalist as the next guy but I feel you've been excessive. Honi
soit qui mal y pense? Perhaps. Dieu et mon droit? MON Dieu!, even less
likely. In the words of John Masefield, your own Poet Laureate after all:
"Others may sing of the wine and the wealth and the mirth/The portly
presence of potentates goodly in girth:-/Mine be the dirt and the dross,
the dust and scum of the earth!" Give me a break. Give yourself a break.
Stop reading this garbage.
Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA
19119-1225. 215-248-4120. Please, any off-list replies to:
harryarmistead at hotmail dot com (never, please, to 74077.3176 ....)
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