DORCHESTER MAY BIRD COUNTS: SOME COMPARISONS BETWEEN May 9, 2009 & May 8, 2010.
            Probably can’t read TOO much into just 2 counts but the level of coverage both times was similar.  A big difference was the brutal wind in 2010.
            First numbers are for 2009, second ones for 2010.
            COVERAGE:  party hours 114/109.  Party miles 584/646.  Parties 10/12.  Observers 15/16.
            Some primarily field and ground-feeding birds that may have been adversely affected by the harsh, snowy winter of 2010.  Killdeer 61/43.  Northern Bobwhite 37/10.  Eastern Bluebird 74/82.  Carolina Wren 97/57.  Northern Mockingbird 132/85.  Eastern Towhee 78/56.  Wild Turkey 51/26.  All have apparently declined, except for bluebird.  The quail and towhee have been in decline anyway.  Sightings of turkey are erratic; one can see a group of 46 one day, come back to the same place the next and see 3 or none.  I didn’t include Horned Lark because of an abnormally high count in 2009.
            Early spring, 2010, for birds?  It certainly was an early spring for vegetation; I’m not too clear on how early it was for birds. (?).  But there were higher numbers for these species, all of which are much easier to find on the 2nd weekend of May as opposed to the first.  Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6/18.  Eastern Wood Pewee 44/62.  Acadian Flycatcher 9/12.  Indigo Bunting 151/209.
            Steady as she goes.  Maybe just a coincidence.  Counts for these species were remarkably close both years.  Canada Goose 177/172.  Red-eyed Vireo 63/69.  American Crow 119/118.  Tree Swallow 255/256.  House Wren 32/36.  Worm-eating Warbler 20/18.  Ovenbird 82/82.  Chipping Sparrow 198/206.  Grasshopper Sparrow 52/51.  Blue Grosbeak 77/75.  Brown-headed Cowbird 228/222.  Orchard Oriole 61/59.  American Goldfinch 97/105.  House Sparrow 101/96.           
            Best to all. - Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.    		 	   		  
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