Thank you all for helping on the 2020 Christmas Bird Count on December 19th.

Some interesting observations:

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic and partly cloudy skies with breezy winds, our total count was  UP to 22865, a 39% increase  compared to 16446 in 2019;  22330 in 2018;  19,247 in 2017; 21,266 in 2016;  23,272 in 2015.  The increase  in numbers in 2020 was due to  a 662% increase in Lesser Scaup.  A decrease of 75% in Tree Swallows lessened the increase.

On count day we saw 125 species, an increase of 4% versus 120 in 2019; 136 in 2018; 137 in 2017; 140 in 2016; 133 in 2015; 125 in 2014; 143 in 2013.  For count week we saw 135 species, an increase of 8% versus 125 in 2019; 140 in 2018; 144 in 2017; 145 in  2016; 133 in 2015.

Even though the pandemic lowered the number of participants, we had over 50 participants who spent over 100 hours in search of birds by foot, car, golf cart, or boat, and covered over 350 miles by land or sea.

Of note, we recorded on count day for the first time ever Bell’s Vireo, and  Orange-crowned Warbler.

There were 20 birds that we recorded through count week in 2020 but not in 2019:  Least Bittern, Coot, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Horned Grebe, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Snail Kite, Virginia Rail, Redhead, Black Skimmer, Sora, Green-winged Teal, Brown Thrasher, Rudy Turnstone, Bell’s Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Whip-poor-will and Hairy Woodpecker.  There were 9 birds that we did not record through count week in 2020 but did in 2019:   Purple Gallinule, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Merlin,  Barn Owl, Black-bellied Plover, American Redstart, Northern Shoveler, Summer Tanager and Cedar Waxwing.

Of the birds we did see, there were 10 species that had at least a 65% decline:  Brown-headed Cowbird, Rock Pigeon, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Ring-billed Gull, White Pelican, Least Sandpiper, Roseate Spoonbill,  Tree Swallow, Royal Tern, and Lesser Yellowlegs.

Counts were up at least 200% for 9 species including Northern Bobwhite, American Crow, Long-billed Dowitcher, Scrub Jay, Black-crowned Night Heron, Lesser Scaup, Blue-winged Teal, Downy Woodpecker and Common Yellowthroat.

There can be wide fluctuations in counts from one year to the next as with Northern Bobwhite, Long-billed Dowitcher, Scrub Jay, Black-crowned Night Heron and Blue-winged Teal, which declined more than 65% in 2019, but rose more than 200% in 2020.  The opposite held true for Ring-billed Gull, Black-bellied Plover and Least Sandpiper,  which increased more than 200% in 2019, but declined more than 65% in 2020.