Christmas Bird Count reveals high numbers in Broome County

The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count was held on Dec. 30 in Broome and Tioga counties. Participating groups have done a census of the same 15-mile-wide circles each year since 1900, with thousands of birders counting every bird seen on a specific day.

In Broome, 60 species were tallied, with a total of 14,783 individuals. This is up dramatically from last year’s 52 species and 7,993 individuals, although some of the increase is in less desirable species, such as rock doves and European starlings. Nevertheless, there were welcome sightings of a good number of northern mockingbirds, great horned owls, eastern bluebirds, wood ducks, wild turkeys, cedar waxwings and snow buntings.

A screech owl in a Town of Union back yard cooperated by appearing, while two chipping sparrows, late to migrate, were spotted. One of the peregrine falcons that nested in downtown Binghamton this past year was still there on count day. The majority of peregrines would be expected to have migrated by this time. Another rare sighting was two pine grosbeaks feeding in a crab apple tree in the Town of Binghamton.

It was a typical count overall for the Tioga Bird Club, with a total of 55 species, the same as last year, and 8,935 total individuals, surpassing last year’s 6,939. Highlights were a first-ever recorded Bohemian waxwing within a flock of feeding cedar waxwings. A short-eared owl was spotted on count day in an area where a colony is established. A lingering gray catbird was observed in a bush eating rose hips; another uncommon sighting was a northern goshawk. Good numbers of red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, northern cardinals, American tree sparrows and dark-eyed juncos round out the list.

A recent field trip to Ithaca’s Stewart Park rewarded a group of club members with sightings of a long-billed murrelet and an immature northern gannett. A sea bird, the long-billed murrelet is a rare visitor from Siberia and was formerly considered a sub-species of the marbled murrelet, a West Coast bird. The northern gannett typically is found over open ocean, but does occasionally wander to inland waters.

Some years, when forced by harsh winter conditions and lack of food northern species from the boreal forests and tundra will migrate in good numbers south of their normal range. This is now occurring in central New York, and although still sparse locally, American tree sparrows, pine siskins, white-winged crossbills, snow buntings, common redpolls and pone grosbeaks have been seen. Keep a watchful eye or your feeder, you may be pleasantly surprised. Each winter, a club goal is to find a snowy owl nearby but to date, only a few have appeared and these were to the north of us. If you have the good fortune to spot a large white owl sitting in a field or on a fence post, we ask you to alert our hot line at 798-1919. Other unusual sightings are also welcome and appreciated.

Birders’ Watch is provided by members of the Naturalists’ Club of Broome County. This column was written by Marie Petuh. For information on the Naturalists Club, write P.O. Box 191, Vestal, N.Y. 13850.

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