FW Christmas Bird 
Count, Dec. 14, 2013
By Jim Haw
As you know, an almost all day 
rain held down bird activity, 
resulting in a count of only 46 
species, the lowest species total 
since 1981. Among individual 
species,of note were 251 Am. 
Robins, the highest count on 
record for that species; 10 Song 
Sparrows, the lowest count on 
record; 58 Am. Tree Sparrows, the 
third lowest count; and 91 Am. 
Goldfinches, the lowest count 
since 1976, although there were 
several lower counts prior to 1976.
The best birds reported were both 
"seen count week but not count 
day." (Count week is defined as 
the three days immediately before 
and the three days immediately 
after count day. Species found in 
the count circle during count week 
but not on count day can be 
reported as count week birds, but 
are not included in the species 
total for the count.) Carole and 
Ryan Smith beautifully 
photographed a BALTIMORE 
ORIOLE that visited their feeders 
on Dec. 15 and 19, the first winter 
record of this species for 
northeastern Indiana, and a 
MERLIN flew through Bob 
Walton's yard on the 20th. Neither 
of these species had ever before 
been recorded on the Ft. Wayne 
count! Adding up all the years of 
the count,125 species have been 
found on count day plus 2 during 
count week.
Thank you all for your help with the 
count. Next year's Ft. Wayne count
will be held, as always, on the first
Saturday of the official count 
period, which in 2014 will be Dec. 
20.