Christmas Bird Count Season Comes to a Close

Have you noticed a lot of people out in the cold peering through binoculars lately?  Were you driving behind a car that inexplicably kept slowing down and that had its windows down despite the howling winds, freezing rain, or barely double-digit temperatures?  If so, you likely experienced someone participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count.  The count took place at hundreds of locations throughout the western hemisphere from December 14 to January 5, just as it has for the past 115 years.

Participants in the Northeast LaPorte County Christmas Bird Count look for a particularly vocal Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus).

I had the opportunity to assist with four Christmas Bird Counts in Indiana and Michigan this season, including two that I have helped with for many years and two that I joined for the first time in 2014.  The first count that I joined was a new one for me, the Northeast LaPorte County Christmas Bird Count, on December 15, 2014.

An inquisitive Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) observed on the Northeast LaPorte County Christmas Bird Count.

For this count I joined Dennis Richardson, Frances Sipocz-Richardson, Jo Brugos, John Brugos, and Kip Miller.  Upon arriving at the Richardsons' home, I heard Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) and Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis); a nice way to start off the day!

One of several Common Loons (Gavia immer) that we saw in northeast LaPorte County on Christmas Bird Count day.

Our group visited a variety of habitats during the day, ranging from lakes to wetlands to pine plantations to forests.  Although bird numbers seemed low, we tallied a very respectable 48 species, birding from 8:00 AM central time until dusk. 

An iconic Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) soars over a northeast LaPorte County wetland.

Some of our highlights during the Northeast LaPorte County Christmas Bird Count included American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Canvasback (Aythya valisineria), Redhead (Aythya americana), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), Common Loon (Gavia immer), Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus).

A White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi, in the back on the right) stole the show at the Northeast LaPorte County Christmas Bird Count.

A couple of days later, on December 17, 2014, I was at it again, this time across the state line into Michigan to help with the New Buffalo Christmas Bird Count.  I was teamed with the amazing Kip Miller, and we were joined for most of the morning by Helen Obenchain.  Before Helen arrived, Kip and I got an early start with owling and had spectacular looks at a red-phase Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio).  We then searched to no avail for a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) that Kip had seen at the New Buffalo harbor the previous day, but we were at least treated to a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) as a consolation prize.  Again, I can certainly think of worse ways to start out a day of birding!

Early morning owling during the New Buffalo Christmas Bird Count produced a red-phase Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio).

Kip and I (and Helen for part of the morning) visited various habitats, including lakefront, deciduous forest, fields, planted prairie, and wetlands.  My eyes were thoroughly tired when I headed home after seeing 42 species during almost 11 straight hours of birding. 

Birds were difficult to see on the choppy Lake Michigan waters during the New Buffalo Christmas Bird Count, but this pair of Horned Grebes (Podiceps auritus) was relatively close to shore.

We had plenty of highlights during the New Buffalo Christmas Bird Count, including Redhead (Aythya americana), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator), Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus), Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), and Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla).

Winter Wrens (Troglodytes hiemalis) can sometimes be difficult to come by, but this one seen during the New Buffalo Christmas Bird Count was quite cooperative. 

Since Kip coordinates the New Buffalo count, he sometimes observes areas outside of the section that he is specifically covering.  Species in the table below that are marked with an X were seen outside of our section.  While searching for the Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) pictured above, we ran into a couple of other birders who had seen Eurasian Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto) in their count area, so Kip and I made a late afternoon trip to see these birds, which are as yet uncommon in southwest Michigan.

Eurasian Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto) had never before been observed during the New Buffalo Christmas Bird Count.

I was at it again just a few days later, participating in the South Bend Christmas Bird Count on December 20, 2014.  I coordinate the southwest quarter of the count circle, and was lucky enough to have two other teams helping out with our area.  Lindsay and I covered the southern portion of the area, owling and birding from 5:00 AM until about 4:00 PM.  We started the day with four gray phase Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio) and 2 Barred Owls (Strix varia) on our list before most of the population of South Bend had even rolled out of bed.

One of four gray phase Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio) that we saw during the South Bend Christmas Bird Count.

I enjoy the area that we cover during the South Bend Christmas Bird Count because of our variety of habitat, ranging from deciduous forest to pine plantation to old field to agricultural fields to suburban feeders to wetlands, but what we really lack is open water areas.  Consequently, we don't get many ducks or gulls, but we were able to tally 38 species and good numbers of individuals on one of the birdiest days I can remember for a South Bend count.  Other birders on the count, however, felt that it was a pretty slow day.

A Barred Owl (Strix varia) looks on just before sunrise on the day of the South Bend Christmas Bird Count.

Amongst our highlights during the South Bend Christmas Bird Count were the following: Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), Barred Owl (Strix varia), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus), and Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus).

A Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) observed during the South Bend Christmas Bird Count looks for its next meal.

The final count in which I participated was the Elkhart County Christmas Bird Count on January 3, 2015. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative that day, with rain, freezing rain, and snow all day long. I began owling before 6:00 AM and quickly picked up two red phase Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio) at one location and a gray phase at another.  I was joined by Ted Miller for the remainder of the day, and we birded until we lost daylight, covering habitats including suburban feeders, river, ponds, wetlands, deciduous forest, old field, and agricultural fields.  The constant precipitation prohibited any photographs, and birds were sparse.  We were able to tally 32 species for the day, but even the numbers of individuals were down, presumably due to the weather and visibility conditions.  I often add species by ear while driving, but all that we could hear was the sloshing of slush beneath the tires and the monotonous beat of my windshield wipers.  Highlights for the day included Gadwall (Anas strepera), Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), Barred Owl (Strix varia), and Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris).

My 2014-2015 Christmas Bird Count totals.  An "X" designates a species observed in the count circle on count day but in a different sector than where I was technically counting.

Overall for the 2014-2015 Christmas Bird Count, I tallied 70 species with the help of several wonderful birders.  I'm already looking forward to assisting with these counts, and maybe a couple of others, next December and January!  

Who Says That North America Doesn't Have Showy And Attractive Birds?

A couple of weeks ago, there was a story on the local news that started with the anchor stating that "birdwatching in Michiana just got more colorful."  Someone's pet macaw had gotten loose, and there were interviews of residents who were blown away by seeing such a colorful bird in their neighborhood.  If only these folks would get out of their homes and into the woods and fields, they would see that in fact we have plenty of colorful and attractive native birds here at home that rival the beauty of the macaw.

Last weekend, Brian Miller and I were on a mission to find some of those native colorful birds as we camped at Maumee Bay State Park near Oak Harbor, Ohio as part of the South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society's annual spring camping trip.  While there, we birded at several popular birding hangouts, including Crane Creek/Magee Marsh, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Metzger Marsh, and Mallard Club Marsh, as well as at our campsite.  We were joined for most of our trip by Ted and Jean Miller, fellow South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society members.  On the last day of our trip, we also ran into Jeff and April Sayre (also South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society members), who were birding with Kenn Kauffman (a former South Bend resident).

Camping at Maumee Bay State Park

The scene below is not an uncommon one at the Magee Marsh parking lot in the spring, as birders "flock" (get it?) to the area to see migrating birds as they rest before the long haul across Lake Erie and into their Canadian breeding grounds.  I didn't spend a lot of time surveying the license plates, but I recall seeing vehicles from at least five states, and I would bet that one could see plates representing nearly one-quarter of the United States on a mid-May weekend in this parking lot.

Magee Marsh Parking Lot

With all of those vehicles, there must be a lot of birders.  And, in fact, there are.  Sure, there are places along the boardwalk where it's fairly quiet, but you can tell that you're approaching an uncommon or unique bird when you see a pack of people clogging the trail.

Brian Miller and other birders along the Magee Marsh boardwalk

One of the most common birds seen and heard along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh was the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula).  This blazing orange and black bird is found in forests as well as in open woodlands, and they can also be found in yards and in parks.

Male Baltimore Oriole

Like Baltimore Orioles, Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were abundant at Magee Marsh and at the other sites we visited.  This iridescent blue and white bird is found feeding over marshes and can also be found in open fields.

Male Tree Swallow on nest box

You'll have to look closely for the bird in the photograph below.  Directly in the middle of the photograph is an American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), a woodland shorebird so magnificently camouflaged that one can often nearly step on an indivdual or a nest before the bird flushes. 

American Woodcock

Keeping with the topic of birds I would have walked right past had not a crowd formed to view them, below is an Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio) that was difficult to see even after being pointed out.  To remain well hidden, this predator lives in forested areas, and can often be found near water.

This Eastern Screech Owl might not have moved all day long

At Magee Marsh, migrating warblers are the name of the game.  The two species below represent a bird that we saw infrequently and one that we saw frequently... but you may be surprised by which one we saw and heard more regularly.

Female Black-and-white Warbler

Isn't it great when a bird's name makes perfect sense?  The bird pictured above is a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia), a warbler that acts differently than most warblers in that it clings to tree trunks and creeps up and down like a Brown Creeper or a White-breasted Nuthatch.  This species is usually more abundant than the next, but at Magee Marsh, it was the other way around.

Prothonotary Warbler

The photograph above shows one of numerous Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) that we saw and heard at Magee Marsh.  Unlike nearly all of the other warblers, this deep yellow-colored bird with contrasting gray wings nests in cavities.

Common Terns

With all of these woodland birds, it is easy to forget that you are within a stone's throw of Lake Erie.  The proximity to the lake allows for a variety of habitats and types of birds during a day of birding. Several times while walking the boardwalk, I heard an obnoxious parakeet-like call coming from above, and I would look up to see the pointed wings and swallow-like tail of a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). When we walked out to the beach, we saw numerous Common Terns fishing as well as perched on a breakwall.

Brian Miller and Ted Miller scanning for shorebirds and waterfowl at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

Interspersed with our birding at Magee Marsh, we made several trips to sites to view waterfowl and shorebirds.  Most of our time away from Magee Marsh was spent at Metzger Marsh, but we also took a driving tour through Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin

Another of our highlights from the trip was seeing several Black-bellied Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) at Metzger Marsh.  In the photograph above, the Black-bellied Plover is the larger bird just to the right of the middle of the photograph.  Black-bellied Plovers are the largest of the North American Plovers, and are distinctive in breeding plumage with a white back and black... well... belly.  The smaller shorebirds in the photograph above are Dunlin (Calidris alpina), which also have black bellies in breeding plumage, but they are much smaller than the previous species and they have reddish backs.

Common Gallinule

Usually when I see a black rail-like bird, it turns out to be an American Coot.  We did see American Coots at Metzger Marsh, but we also saw a few individuals of the species pictured above, Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata), formerly known as Common Moorhen.  This species has nearly a worldwide distribution.

Thanks to Brian Miller for organizing our outing.  We had a wonderful time tallying over 100 species in approximately 20 hours of birding. Our complete list follows:

Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Wood Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Screech Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

In addition to all of these species, notable misses included Glossy Ibis (observed by several people at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge), White-faced Ibis (observed by several at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge), Virginia Rail (lots of habitat), Sora (lots of habitat), Great Horned Owl (observed by some at Crane Creek), Belted Kingfisher, Least Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, American Crow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Connecticut Warbler (observed by some along the boardwalk at Crane Creek), Eastern Towhee, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark.

Christmas Bird Counts

Going into this year's Christmas Bird Count season, I had said that with the irruption of Snowy Owls happening this year, it would be a failure if we couldn't find a Snowy Owl on one of our counts.  Luckily, Lindsay salvaged count season by finding the owl in the photo below.

No, it's not a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) in the sense of the large, white, circumpolar owl species that's been observed at various locations throughout the Midwest this fall/winter.  It is, however, an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) that must have had its head sticking out of that Wood Duck box for quite some time to accumulate a layer of snow on its head... hence, a snowy owl!  I'll take it.  Lindsay found this bird while we were driving past a wetland in South Bend during the South Bend Christmas Bird Count on 17 December.  During our count, Lindsay and I tallied 34 species in our portion of the southwest sector, and 57 species were tallied in the South Bend circle overall (both tallies were right on the mean for this count).

The next morning (18 December), I was at it again, joining Kip Miller, Gabriella Meredith, and Sherry Manison for the Berrien Springs Christmas Bird Count in Berrien County, Michigan.  On that count, our foursome tallied 42 species; I haven't yet heard the total for the count circle, but Kip mentioned that due to the range of habitats it is typically one of the top five or so counts in Michigan.  Some of our highlights were Common Merganser, Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2), Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Swamp Sparrow.  Although not rare birds, we enjoyed nice looks at the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) and the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) shown above and below, respectively.

I have one more count to do this year, on 31 December in Elkhart, Indiana.  Christmas Bird Count season runs through 5 January 2012, so there is still time to join a count in your area.  If you've never done the Christmas Bird Count, I recommend it to beginners as well as experts.  The first count that Lindsay and I ever did was a Christmas Bird Count, and from that count we learned a lot about both birds and birding.