On December 17, 60 observers sponsored by

Columbus Audubon spent the day counting birds in different areas of Columbus. The weather was mild for the date, being cloudy with a temperature between 34 – 52 ° F. The sky was cloudy for the morning, with very limited periods of sun later in the afternoon. The final total was 74 species and 33,173 individual birds, which was a good total.

The complete breakdown was as follows:

Common Loon – 1; Pied-billed Grebe – 15; Horned Grebe – 2; Double-crested Cormorant –5; Great Blue Heron – 51; Black-crowned Night Heron – 15 (1 roost); Canada Goose – 1798; Black Duck – 514; Mallard – 883; Gadwall – 33; N.Shoveler – 11; Green-winged Teal – 6; American Wigeon – 1; Ring-necked Duck – 36; Redhead - 9; Hooded Merganser – 49; Sharp-shinned Hawk – 2; Cooper’s Hawk – 22; Red-tailed Hawk – 42; Red-shouldered Hawk - 1; Merlin – 1; American Kestrel – 7; Ring-billed Gull – 605; Herring Gull – 7; Rock Dove –1670; Mourning Dove – 896; E. Screech Owl – 5 (2 parties); Great Horned Owl – 1; Barred Owl – 3; Belted Kingfisher – 18; Red-bellied Woodpecker – 135; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 8; Downy Woodpecker – 261; Hairy Woodpecker – 25; N.Flicker – 63; Pileated Woodpecker – 5; Blue Jay – 268; American Crow – 1751; Horned Lark – 10; Carolina Chickadee – 494; Tufted Titmouse – 129; White-breasted Nuthatch – 134; Brown Creeper – 39; Carolina Wren – 190; Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet – 48; Eastern Bluebird – 80; Hermit Thrush – 2; American Robin – 1738; N.Mockingbird – 34; European Starling – 15,660 ; Cedar Waxwing – 11; Yellow-rumped Warbler – 14; Western Tanager – 1 (present for 2 weeks); Northern Cardinal – 827; Eastern Towhee – 4; American Tree Sparrow – 58; Field Sparrow – 1; Savannah Sparrow – 2; Song Sparrow – 194; Eastern Fox Sparrow – 1; Swamp Sparrow – 4; White-throated Sparrow – 918; White-crowned Sparrow – 12; Dark-eyed Junco – 471; Lapland Longspur – 1; Red-winged Blackbird – 402; Rusty Blackbird – 16; Common Grackle – 361; Brown-headed Cowbird – 6; House Finch – 323; American Goldfinch – 634 and House Sparrow – 1102.

Totals: 74 species, 33,173 individuals.

Birds seen Count Week, but not Count Day: Mute Swan, Wood Duck, Canvasback, Common Goldeneye; Northern Harrier, Winter Wren, Pine Warbler and Chipping Sparrow.

Participants: Charles Bombaci, Aaron Boone, Marcia Brehmer, Gerry and John Brevoort, Nancy Bringardener, Don Burton, Katharine Burton-Hoy, Barb Christel, Andrea Cooke, Rich Cressman, Glen Crippen, Ken & Julie Davis, Thad & Stephanie Evans, Sheila Fagan, Lisa Fosco, Diana Fowler, Joan Frederick, Paul Gardner, Sharon Givan, Bret Graves, Kevin Hinkle, Becky Jordan, Rich Kerns, Bill Kinkead, John Kuenzli, Bruce Lindsay, Helen Lindsay, Neil Marquard, Susan Martin-Moses, Carolyn May, Jim McCormac, Dick & Kathy Miller, Richard Oxley & Rick Oxley Jr., Steve Pendleton, Kacy Ray, Matt & Ben Rich, Sherri Rida, Paul Rodewald, Robert Royse, Brenda Rushka, Troy Shively, Bruce Simpson, Jim & Shauna Skinner, Saundra Sklar, Doug & Deena Snapp, Gene Stauffer; Mark Steinmetz, Rob Thorn (compiler), Dick Tuttle, Pam Unger, Ben Warner.

This year’s CBC took place against a background of cold November-early December, followed by mild weather up to the count date. The cold weather appears to have chased off many lingering birds, so that straggling migrants were not much of a highlight for this count. The one glaring exception was a very out-of-place Western Tanager found in Grandview Heights two weeks before the count. It lingered through cold and warm, feasting on the berries in this lushly-landscaped neighborhood. This was a first record for this species on the CBC, and only the 6th record of one in Ohio. Waterfowl were a highlight of this count, with 14 species on count day and another four seen count week. Much as we like to think of cold weather driving waterfowl down from northern Ohio refuges like Kildeer Plains or Sandusky Bay, in fact warmer weather keeps open many of the small ponds that hold dabbling ducks. Formerly rare dabblers like shovelers, wigeon, gadwall, and green-winged teal can now be expected in small numbers in many of the mitigation ponds found in areas along the southern arc of the circle. But even some deep-water divers were found, with a Common Loon on a quarry in south Columbus and two Horned Grebes found on the Hidden Lake quarries by Bob Royse. Columbus has more varied wetland habitat than many realize.

Another group that noticed the warm temperatures were raptors. Unlike last years cold weather count, this years CBC had only middling numbers of raptors, with none of the weather-related strays like Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, and Rough-legged hawk that have graced the past several counts. One exception was a Merlin found by Jim McCormac’s party in the Greenlawn cemetery. This is the 2nd straight year with one on the count, and as of this writing, one-to-two more have appeared and stayed here so far this winter. Coupled with last year’s wintering bird around the Olentangy river, along with regular reports of wintering birds in Cincinnati (at another cemetery, no less), this may indicate the vanguard of future winter residents in this part of the state. In other places, like Saskatchewan and the Puget Sound Area, Merlins have become quite urban, adapting to a diet rich in Starlings, House Finches, and Sparrows. Hopefully that can happen here.

Some hidden local residents continue to slowly reveal themselves. A Red-shouldered Hawk hung around the The Ohio State University West campus, adding to the small wintering numbers suspected in Columbus. Even more remarkable were five Screech Owls found by two different parties: three around the OSU’s West Campus by the Paul Rodewald-Aaron Boone-Bret Graves team, and another two found out at Portman Park by Troy Shively. These elusive little owls are probably regular residents along streams and in ravines around Columbus, but we rarely hear them in winter. Kudos to these teams for taking the effort to search for them during predawn hours.

Not surprisingly, the numbers of perching birds varied depending on how well these birds enjoyed mild weather. The Count had record numbers of Carolina Wrens and Eastern Bluebirds, with many being seen by nearly all teams. These are species near the northern edge of their range here in central Ohio, and their status is very weather-dependent. An extended, fierce cold snap can push them to the south or freeze large numbers of them, but we have had no such weather this winter so far. On the other hand, winter irruptive species, like winter wrens, red-breasted nuthatches, purple finches or pine siskins, were absent from this count.

The weather failed to drive them south from their strongholds up around Lake Erie and points north. The one glaring exception was a stray Evening Grosbeak seen out at a Christmas Tree farm in Jefferson township by the hardworking Dick Miller team. Sadly, this species has become rare enough in winter here nowadays that they have become a notable species.

Two bird families that came up big because of the weather, or in spite of it, were sparrows and blackbirds. 11 species of sparrows was a very healthy number and included a rare Lapland Longspur found out at the OSU Waterman farms by Paul Rodewald & Aaron Boone, as well as a Fox Sparrow lurking out at Blendon Woods. Blackbirds staged an even more remarkable resurgence, with four species seen by a mix of different teams. The highlight was a 700-plus bird roost down at the southern edge of the circle that included 16 Rusty Blackbirds. Normally, these roosts are further south, if in Ohio at all, but the mild weather must have allowed this one to stay here.

Finally, some species continue their winter adaptation to the urban habitats of Columbus. The count had increased numbers of Downy Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, American Robins, even Crows.

All of these are birds that are adapting nicely to suburban neighborhoods and feeders. Crows are rebounding from a catastrophic decline due to West Nile Virus, and they are re-invading old haunts. I visited their old roost site along Groveport Road in south Columbus on Count day and was treated to the spectacle of over 1400 crows spreading out into small leafless trees all along this area in the evening. It’s a sight every Columbus birder should see, if just to experience the eerie power of an animal tradition that has transcended urbanization and plague. Here’s hoping that all of our birds can become this resilient.
–Rob Thorn, Columbus CBC compiler

Count Date: Dec. 17,2006;

7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Temperature: 34 to 52 degrees Faranheit.

Wind: South-Southwest 0-5 miles-per-hour.

Water: Still water open, moving water open.

Weather: A.M. overcast; P.M. cloudy.

Observers: 54 in the field in 20-22 parties, 6 at feeders.

Total party hours: 118 (97 on foot, 21 in cars).

Total Party miles: 347 (102 on foot, 245 in cars)

For more information about the CBC, visit the official National Audubon CBC site at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc.