1997 Ocean City CBC Results (LONG MESSAGE)

Saunders_N (Saunders_N@BLS.GOV)
Wed, 21 Jan 1998 10:37:02 -0500 

1997 OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND, CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

	Fiftieth consecutive Christmas Count including Ocean City Inlet,
the north end of Assateague Island, and several miles of the Pocomoke
Swamp; center, 0.8 mi. ESE of center of Berlin, 38o19'N, 75o13'W.  Dec.
29; 5:20 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.  Partly cloudy in a.m., steady light rain in
p.m.; 29-50o; wind NE, 0-15 mph.  Ground bare, ponds partly frozen,
streams open. 

	Fifty-two observers (previous high, 50) in 24-27 parties in the
usual 10 sectors.  No feeder watchers.  Total party-hours, 221 (159 on
foot, 62 by car); total party-miles, 623 (85 on foot, 538 by car).  Also
7.5 hours and 26 miles owling.

	Red-throated Loon, 170; Common Loon, 153; Pied-billed Grebe, 41
(2nd highest); Horned Grebe, 64; Northern Gannet, 19; Great Cormorant, 1
(10th consecutive year); Double-crested Cormorant, 23; American Bittern,
2; Great Blue Heron, 111 (highest since 1975); Great Egret, 1;
Tricolored Heron, 6; Black-crowned Night-Heron, 28 (2nd highest).

	Tundra Swan, 423; Snow Goose, 62,944 (62,600 white = 2nd
highest, 344 blue; 50,000 estimated at Jenkins Pond, and more than
75,000 reported by other parties as the birds flew out to feed in fields
in Worcester and Wicomico Counties; impossible to determine amount of
duplication); Brant, 1430; Canada Goose, 4860; WOOD DUCK, 40 (previous
high, 33 in 1995); Green-winged Teal, 147; Black Duck, 1615; Mallard,
3020; Northern Pintail, 108; NORTHERN SHOVELER, 222 (previous high, 87
in 1992); Gadwall, 65 (2nd highest); EURASIAN WIGEON, 1 (3rd year);
American Wigeon, 254 (highest since 1965); Canvasback, 2860; Redhead,
15; RING-NECKED DUCK, 232 (previous high, 171 in 1981); Greater Scaup,
16; Lesser Scaup, 139 (2nd highest); COMMON EIDER, 21 (previous high, 17
in 1991); King Eider, 11 (24th year, tied 2nd highest); HARLEQUIN DUCK,
11 (16th year, previous high, 7 in 1983 and 1984); Oldsquaw, 59; Black
Scoter, 214; Surf Scoter, 600 (highest since 1964), White-winged Scoter,
22; scoter sp., 167; Common Goldeneye, 22; Bufflehead, 1543; Hooded
Merganser, 185 (3rd highest); Common Merganser, 1; Red-breasted
Merganser, 361; Ruddy Duck, 273 (3rd highest).

	Black Vulture, 41; Turkey Vulture, 439; BALD EAGLE, 26 (11 ad.,
14 im., 1 unk; previous high, 21); Northern Harrier, 25; Sharp-shinned
Hawk, 17; Cooper's Hawk, 3; Red-shouldered Hawk, 8; Red-tailed Hawk, 51;
American Kestrel, 23; Merlin, 1; Peregrine Falcon, 3 (14th consecutive
year; tied 2nd highest); WILD TURKEY, 27 (new species for the count;
South Party); Northern Bobwhite, 69; Clapper Rail, 8; unidentified large
rail, 1; Virginia Rail, 7; AMERICAN COOT, 425 (previous high, 292 in
1975).

	Black-bellied Plover, 135; Killdeer, 102; AMERICAN
OYSTERCATCHER, 89 (previous high, 71 in 1995); Greater Yellowlegs, 9;
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 6 (tied highest); WILLET, 16 (previous high, 2 in
three years); Ruddy Turnstone, 58; Red Knot, 2; Sanderling, 334; Western
Sandpiper, 21; Purple Sandpiper, 68; Dunlin, 1112; Common Snipe, 25
(highest since 1978); American Woodcock, 14; Bonaparte's Gull, 106;
RING-BILLED GULL, 20,150 (previous high, 17,480 in 1982); Herring Gull,
2400; Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 (12th year; South Party); Great
Black-backed Gull, 469 (all parties except North Pocomoke); Forster's
Tern, 24 (missed only one year since 1963).

	Rock Dove, 643 (2nd highest); Mourning Dove, 1020 (highest since
1977); Eastern Screech-Owl, 47 (highest since 1985); Great Horned Owl,
29; Barred Owl, 1 (South Party); Long-eared Owl, 1; Northern Saw-whet
Owl, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 29; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 63;
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 6; Downy Woodpecker, 97; Hairy Woodpecker, 29;
Northern Flicker, 199; Pileated Woodpecker, 22. 

	Eastern Phoebe, 13; Horned Lark, 115; TREE SWALLOW, 1480 (nearly
double the previous high of 759 in 1970); BARN SWALLOW, 1 (new species
for the count; South Party); Blue Jay, 181; American Crow, 589 (2nd
highest); FISH CROW, 1508 (previous high, 191 in 1995); Carolina
Chickadee, 397; Tufted Titmouse, 152; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 23;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 12; Brown-headed Nuthatch, 41 (highest since
1973); Brown Creeper, 16.

	Carolina Wren, 184; House Wren, 3; Winter Wren, 30; Sedge Wren,
1; Marsh Wren, 4; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 71; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 5
(lowest since 1983); Eastern Bluebird, 206; Hermit Thrush, 50; American
Robin, 1390; Gray Catbird, 19; Northern Mockingbird, 125; Brown
Thrasher, 4 (lowest since 1951); American Pipit, 2; Cedar Waxwing, 162;
European Starling, 15,950.

	Myrtle Warbler, 3200; Pine Warbler, 22; Palm Warbler, 5 (4
Western, 1 Yellow; lowest since 1989); Common Yellowthroat, 1; Northern
Cardinal, 359; Rufous-sided Towhee, 51; American Tree Sparrow, 1;
Chipping Sparrow, 66; Field Sparrow, 143 (lowest since 1983); Savannah
Sparrow, 130 (including 26 Ipswich, 2nd highest for Ipswich);
Sharp-tailed Sparrow, 10 (including 2 identified as the Saltmarsh
species); Seaside Sparrow, 1; Fox Sparrow, 30; Song Sparrow, 704; Swamp
Sparrow, 255; White-throated Sparrow, 1785; White-crowned Sparrow, 5;
Dark-eyed Junco, 1690 (2nd highest); Snow Bunting, 1.

	Red-winged Blackbird, 22,650; EASTERN MEADOWLARK, 118 (lowest
ever; previous low, 161 last year); Rusty Blackbird, 166 (2nd highest);
Boat-tailed Grackle, 564 (3rd highest); Common Grackle, 59,550;
Brown-headed Cowbird, 3780; Purple Finch, 4; House Finch, 632; Red
Crossbill, 1 (Assateague Party; 9th year, first since 1981); American
Goldfinch, 362; Evening Grosbeak, 12 (first since 1986); House Sparrow,
307.

	Total, 153 species (exceeded only in 1973, 1975, 1976, and 1977;
highest 163 in 1975); about 230,033 individuals.  Seen during count
week: Brown Pelican (not yet seen during any Maryland count), Little
Gull.

	Observers:  Linda Baker, Marty Barron, Connie Bennett, Bryan
Blazie, Rick Blom, Martin Brazeau, Paul Bystrak, John Cupp, Lynn
Davidson, Robert Dixon, Tom Feild, David Gersten, Jane Geuder, Ralph
Geuder, Doug Gill, Sue Hamilton, Tom Harten, Gary Heath, Mark Hoffman,
David Holmes, Mary Humphreys, Marshall Iliff, Simone Jenion, Ells
Knudson, Bill Kulp Jr., Bill Kulp Sr., Ryan Lesh, Elwood Martin, Rich
Mason, Alex McLean, Joe McLean, Taylor McLean, Don Messersmith, David
Mozurkewich, Dotty Mumford, Michael O'Brien, Paul O'Brien, Dave Pardoe,
Sue Ricciardi, Bob Ringler, Chandler Robbins (compiler, 7902 Brooklyn
Bridge Rd., Laurel, MD 20707), Fran Saunders, Norm Saunders, Charles
Swift, Deb Swift, Debbie Terry, Jay Sheppard, Heather Smith, James
Stasz, Charles Vaughn, Gail Vaughn, Hal Wierenga (Maryland
Ornithological Society).


	Thanks to all the participants, and especially to Assateague
National Seashore personnel.  We welcome back Ells Knudson after an
absence of 35 years, and we salute our venerable participant,
88-year-old Mary Humphreys, who took to the field this year rather than
watch her Berlin feeders.  

	Participants the first year were ?Elting Arnold, ?John Buckalew,
Thomas Donnelly, ?Ira N. Gabrielson (Director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service), ?Seth H. Low (Chief of Bird-Banding Office), Brooke Meanley,
?Arnold L. Nelson (Patuxent Director), Chandler S. Robbins, ?Robert E.
Stewart, John W. Taylor, and John E. Willoughby.  Their list of 123
species included 10,000 Brant, 1 Snow Goose, 22 Mallards, 1280 Black
Ducks, 1 unidentified female eider, 2 Bald Eagles, 14 Purple Sandpipers,
14 Great Black-backed Gulls, 830 Am. Pipits, 1 Loggerhead Shrike, 1028
E. Meadowlarks, 13 Vesper Sparrows, and 1 Lincoln's Sparrow.

1998 Highlights:
	Fantastic participation, most observers ever (52).
	Steady rain in afternoon kept party-hours to our second highest,
but dropped miles on foot to less than average, which probably kept us
from getting record-high counts of passerines. 
	New species: Wild Turkey and Barn Swallow.
	New high counts (or ties) for 13 species: Wood Duck, Shoveler,
Ring-necked Duck, Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, Bald Eagle, Am. Coot,
Am. Oystercatcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Ring-billed Gull, Tree
Swallow, Fish Crow.
	Second highest (12 species/races/forms): Pied-billed Grebe,
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Snow Geese (white form), Gadwall, Lesser
Scaup, King Eider, Peregrine Falcon, Rock Dove, American Crow, Ipswich
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Rusty Blackbird.
	Lowest ever: Eastern Meadowlark.
	Lowest since 1951 (when we had only 9 observers): Brown
Thrasher.
	Seen briefly on count, verified the next day: Long-eared Owl
(HW).
	Ocean City party, with 14 participants, had a high party total
of 116 species.