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.
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.
