The Courier Electronic Edition

Annual bird count yields lower numbers in county


This year marks the National Audubon Society's 110th annual Christmas Bird Count.Families, students, birders and scientists, carrying binoculars, spotting scopes, identification guides and checklists make up the tens of thousands of volunteers across the Americas participating in this research event.

The Hancock County Naturalists lead the local endeavor, which was completed Dec. 19. A total of 11,676 birds encompassing 65 species were counted. The number is typical of most years but much lower than last year's unusually high tally of 22,149.

This year's most numerous species were Canada geese at 4,775; substantially fewer than the 13,272 spotted last year. As always, European starlings were high on the list (2,407). Next were horned larks (830), and mallard ducks (743).

Individual birds included: bufflehead, ruddy duck, common loon, pied-billed grebe, barred owl, belted kingfisher, pileated woodpecker, field sparrow, golden-crowned sparrow, and common redpoll.

Other species spotted: black duck (4), wild turkey (74), bald eagle (3), northern harrier (2), Cooper's hawk (9), red-tailed hawk (17), and kestrel (14).

Woodpeckers included red-headed (3), red-bellied (36), downy (80), hairy (11), and flicker (18). The corvids included blue jays (89) and crows (30).

Chickadees seen were black-capped (53), Carolina (3), and their hybridization (3). Also observed were tufted titmouse (46), red-breasted nuthatch (6), white-breasted nuthatch (63), brown creeper (8), Carolina wren (8), and golden-crowned kinglet (280). 10 robins and 23 cedar waxwings were also spotted.

Sparrows included song (4), white-throated (17), white-crowned (4), dark-eyed juncos (175). Also found: snow buntings (9), cardinals (165), grackles (17), brown-headed cowbird (26), purple finch (10), house finch (139), pine siskin (2), goldfinch (151), and house sparrow (671).

Unusual sightings: turkey vultures (2); two sandhill cranes (221 had been seen the previous week in long skeins across the sky), and 12 young great black-backed gulls sitting on the ice of Lake LeComte near Fostoria.

Along the Way:

Thirty-eight participants roamed Hancock County looking for birds for the Christmas Bird Count or watched feeders near their homes.

Feeder watchers were: Wilma and Bob Seiler (Rawson), Dorothy Kohl (Findlay), Barb VonStein (Arlington), Mable Dailey (Findlay), Jean Long and daughter Amy (Findlay), Don Hardesty (Findlay), Arlene Wymer and daughter Sue Mason (Van Buren), Barb Kidwell (Findlay), and Fred Nye (Alvada).

County surveyors included: Rick Kidwell walked the south end of Findlay. John and Pauline Andrews and Dwight Moody checked the Reick Center.

At Camp Berry, Dorothea Barker, and Ilene Hoy checked the east side. Bob and Vera Sams and Jeff Loughman walked the west section then visited Oakwoods and Van Buren State Park. Also at Van Buren were Jennifer and Art Suydan.

Vicki and Ron Saklosky, Jill Taber and Sue Ross, walked the Findlay reservoirs, Riverbend Park, checked the quarries, parks, and Lake Cascades in Findlay.

Sue, Mike, and Liz Baxter and Betsy Worden walked Litzenburg, Camp Mosshart, Indian Green, and McComb Reservoirs. Roger Ferguson, Dan Snyder, and John Wolf visited the clay-pits, drove along the Blanchard River through Mount Blanchard, and explored the southern part of the county.

Betty Hardesty and Scott Younger canvassed Conservation Acres then Anna Scarbrough joined Betty to drive the northeast county roads and visit the six Fostoria reservoirs.

The Hancock County Naturalists meet at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at Christ Church United Methodist on West Bigelow, Findlay.

Step Outside:

• January 7-8: Trap & Skeet Shooting, 5 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Twp. Rd. 243, Findlay.

• January 9, 16, 23, 30: Cross-Country Skiing Workshops, 9:00 a.m. Hancock Park District. Contact: 419-425-PARK.

Abrams is wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via e-mail at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com.