7th NASSAWADOX, VA, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, DECEMBER 16, 2012.
+ = new high. - = new low. 4/7 seen 4 out of 7 years. T = ties previous high.
Thirty-one observers is a good turnout for here, many of us ringers from somewhere else. 113 species, not bad, considering the weather, the boat cancellation (in 2011 the boat party found 16 unique species), and several parties only being afield for a few hours. There is above average reporting here of the 2 marsh wrens, the 3 marsh sparrows, owls, and rails.
New high counts were obtained for 23 birds, about one fifth of the total species … remarkable. New lows for 4 species. As can be seen, unless there’s coverage of the sloughs and swales on Hog Island, this is a rough count for finding the surface-feeding duck species.
Good nuthatch year, eh? Previous counts have indicated this is a good area for bluebirds, Chipping Sparrows, and pileateds. Not so much this time. However, the big numbers of American Crow continue, and still no sign of a roost.
WATERFOWL: Snow Goose 162. Brant 2022+ (previous high 1439). Canada Goose 630. Tundra Swan 16. Wood Duck 1. American Black Duck 281. Mallard 121. Green-winged Teal 14. Ring-necked Duck 35+ (previous high 29). scaup unID’d 5+. Surf Scoter 2. Bufflehead 395 (9 parties). Hooded Merganser 113 (8 parties). Red-breasted Merganser 7. Ruddy Duck 203+ (previous high 162).
Wild Turkey 17. Red-throated Loon 1. Common Loon 15 (6 parties). Pied-billed Grebe 5. Double-crested Cormorant 8. Great Blue Heron 35. Great Egret 3 (4/7).
RAPTORS: Black Vulture 24- (low due no doubt to the weather). Turkey Vulture 126. Bald Eagle 15 (8 parties; downgraded from the 19 reported in an attempt to eliminate duplicate sightings). Northern Harrier 25. Sharp-shinned Hawk 10. Cooper’s Hawk 8T (ties previous high of 8, achieved in 3 years now). Red-shouldered Hawk 6+. Red-tailed Hawk 32. American Kestrel 16 (7 parties). Merlin 1. Peregrine Falcon 4 (downgraded from the reported 5 in a further attempt to eliminate duplicate sightings).
RALLIDS: Clapper Rail 20+ (previous high 12). Virginia Rail 4+ . SORA 2+ (new to the count).
SHOREBIRDS: Black-bellied Plover 10. Killdeer 11 (1 party only). American Oystercatcher 151. Greater Yellowlegs 62 (7 parties). Lesser Yellowlegs 1. Willet 97 (3 parties; low). Marbled Godwit 251 (2nd highest). Ruddy Turnstone 65 (2nd highest; high was 66). Western Sandpiper 1. SPOTTED SANDPIPER 2+ (RA,TT,JS,HA; 3/7, remarkable for a species so unusual in the winter in the Middle Atlantic; this general area between Locustville and Box Tree Road would seem to be a disjunct part of their early winter range, as we’ve seen them before here). Dunlin 289. Short-billed Dowitcher 29. Wilson’s Snipe 7.
Ring-billed Gull 176. Herring Gull 182. Great Black-backed Gull 2- (previous low 4). gull unID’d 12. Rock Pigeon 73. Mourning Dove 300. Eastern Screech-Owl 3. Great Horned Owl 4. Belted Kingfisher 28+ (previous high 18). Red-headed Woodpecker 1 (5/7). Red-bellied Woodpecker 55. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5. Downy Woodpecker 18. Hairy Woodpecker 6. Northern Flicker 88. Pileated Woodpecker 14 (3rd highest; 7 parties). Eastern Phoebe 1- (previous low 5). Blue Jay 101+ (previous high 54). American Crow 897+ (previous high 661). Fish Crow 15 (4/7; scarce here). crow unID’d 111 (no doubt American Crows). Horned Lark 20.
LI’L SPRITES: Carolina Chickadee 93. Tufted Titmouse 44 (2nd highest). Red-breasted Nuthatch 29+ (previous high 14; 6/7). White-breasted Nuthatch 6+ (previous high 3; 3/7; 4 parties; scarce breeder on the lower Peninsula). Brown-headed Nuthatch 52. Brown Creeper 5. Carolina Wren 93. Winter Wren 10. Sedge Wren 4+ (previous high 2; 4/7). Marsh Wren 5+ (previous high 4; 5/7; 3 parties). Golden-crowned Kinglet 30. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 13.
Eastern Bluebird 184 (2nd lowest; low was 178; cf. 486 in 2007). Hermit Thrush 21. American Robin 504. Gray Catbird 8 (6 parties). Northern Mockingbird 86+ (previous high 82 twice). Brown Thrasher 4. European Starling 607- (previous low 725). American Pipit 47 (6/7). Cedar Waxwing 22 (for whatever reason few waxwings are found on this count in any given year). Orange-crowned Warbler 1 (3/7). Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler 757. YELLOW-RUMPED (AUDUBON’S) WARBLER 1 (MR; new to count; only the 8th state record; well-seen at close range with 10 X 42 Swarovskis; bright yellow throat).
Eastern Towhee 20 (2nd highest; high was 22). Chipping Sparrow 92. Field Sparrow 25. Savannah Sparrow 20. Nelson’s Sparrow 12+ (previous high 3; 6/7). Saltmarsh Sparrow 5+ (5/7). Seaside Sparrow 20+. Fox Sparrow 26. Song Sparrow 320 (2nd highest’ high was 379). Swamp Sparrow 360+ (previous high was 114). White-throated Sparrow 461. Slate-colored Junco 168. sparrow unID’d 52.
Northern Cardinal 214. Red-winged Blackbird 555- (previous low was 592). Eastern Meadowlark 10- (1 party; previous low was 23). Common Grackle 53 (low). Brown-headed Cowbird 24 (low). blackbird unID’d 100. Purple Finch 1 (4/7). House Finch 116+ (previous high was 99). Pine Siskin 121+ (previous high was 3; 2/7). American Goldfinch 136 (all 10 parties). House Sparrow 1♀- (low; previous low was 8).
WEATHER: 45-61°F. (at noon), winds calm most of the day, but briefly < 5 m.p.h. variously SW or SE, very briefly 10 m.p.h. from the S in mid-afternoon. 58°F. at 2:21 P.M. Light rain until 10 A.M., barely discernable sprinkles 4-5 P.M. 54°F. at 8 P.M. It is grim to step out of the motel in the morning darkness to be greeted by steady, albeit light rain. Thank Heaven it is warm and calm. Fog limiting visibility to 100 yards in some spots early in the morning but clearing off rapidly enough so that the distant tower on Hog Island is visible some 9 miles to the east. Shimmer hinders distant visibility somewhat for c. 1.5 hrs. during the afternoon. Sun dimly visibly through the clouds at mid-day.
PARTICIPANTS: Bob Anderson, Henry (“Harry”) T. Armistead (compiler), Richard Ayers, Curtis & Lynn Badger, Bill & Kathy Bender, Ned Brinkley, Sue & Wes Brown, Sue & Wes Earp, Dot Field, Bill & Jane Hill, Roberta Kellam, Bill Mahoney & Tracy (whose last names escapes me), Grazina & Michael McClure, Steve Parker, Nancy Petersen, Jim Rapp, Sue Rice, Marv Rubin, Ann & Paul Smith, Jared Sparks, Bob Toner, Thuy Tran, and Dave Wilson.
EFFORT: 31 observers in 10-11 parties. Car hours 32. Foot hours 35. Car miles 156. Foot miles 20. Time afield: 7 A.M. – 5:15 P.M.
MISSED: Northern Bobwhite (6/7; continues to slip towards the abyss, not only in the Northeast but quail are even declining in the Deep South). House Wren (5/7). Pine Warbler (6/7). Palm Warbler (6/7). Boat-tailed Grackle (3/7). Without access to the beaches, many of the mudflats, Hog Island, and views of the sea, we missed perhaps 10 species, such as Sanderling, Long-tailed Duck, Black Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Brown Pelican, Horned Grebe, Bonaparte’s Gull, Boat-tailed Grackle, and several dabbling ducks (wigeon, Gadwall, pintail, and shoveler are all likely on Hog Island), and who knows what else.
MAMMALS. Most parties reported them, in response to my entreaty. Gray Squirrel 64 of the little things. White-tailed Deer 18. Eastern Cottontail 1. bat unID’d 1. Raccoon 1 (d.o.r.). Virginia Opossum 2 (d.o.r.).
MISCELLANEOUS. Spring Peepers are heard plus a few unID’d additional frogs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: A BIG THANK YOU TO: Steve Parker for hosting the C.B.C. compilation at TNC’s splendid old house including terrific lasagna; Jim Murray for granting access to his Brickhouse Neck property; Jared Sparks for navigation, weather monitoring, and salad at the compilation; Michael McClure for creating new and attractive checklists; Roberta Kellam for bringing a ham, wine, and chocolate tasties for desert to the compilation; and to my fellow participants in these minor adventures.
Best to all. – Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.
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