By Kevin McGowan
The 2012 Ithaca Christmas Bird
Count was another successful event,
with 91 total species found during
the day, plus two others found
during the Count Week. Two new
species were added to the overall
list—an Orange-crowned Warbler
found in the Ithaca Community
Gardens and a Count Week Ross’s
Goose seen flying overhead with a
migrating flock of Snow Geese.
Totals of resident woodland birds
were generally down after a string
of record-setting counts. The high
winds during the day might have
been a factor.
It was a generally good year for
half-hearties, with records set or tied
for Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher,
Winter Wren, and Hermit
Thrush. The most unusual southern
species this year was Turkey Vulture
with a record-shattering total of 44.
The vultures were seen in seven
of the nine count areas, so double counting
was an issue to be dealt
with. A count at the roosting site in
Cayuga Heights later in the week
found 40–45 vultures, which was
used as a guide for the final total.
Thanks to all the participants and
area compilers, and thanks to Linda
Orkin and Bob McGuire for organizing
the event.
| Total count | 27413 |
| Total species | 91 |
| Miles on foot | 193.3 |
| Hours on foot | 176.15 |
| Miles by car | 485.5 |
| Hours by car | 86.07 |
| Owling miles | 66.1 |
| Owling hours | 25.25 |
| Participants | 126
(without feeder watchers) |
| Maximum parties | 78 |
| Minimum parties | 76 |
|
| Snow Goose |
17 |
| Ross’s Goose |
count week (new to count) |
| Cackling Goose |
5 (high count) |
| Canada Goose |
6702 |
| Gadwall |
2 |
| American Black Duck |
31 |
| Mallard |
902 |
| Northern Pintail |
2 |
| Green-winged Teal |
1 |
| Canvasback |
1 |
| Redhead |
15 |
| Ring-necked Duck |
3 |
| Greater Scaup |
1 |
| Lesser Scaup |
8 |
| Surf Scoter |
1 (second count) |
| Bufflehead |
2 |
| Common Goldeneye |
12 |
| Hooded Merganser |
13 |
| Common Merganser |
48 |
| Red-breasted Merganser |
1 |
| Ruddy Duck |
1 |
| Ruffed Grouse |
15 |
| Wild Turkey |
72 |
| Red-throated Loon |
1 (fourth count) |
| Common Loon |
6 |
| Pied-billed Grebe |
1 |
| Horned Grebe |
1 |
| Red-necked Grebe |
2 (fifth count; tie high count) |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
2 |
| Great Blue Heron |
20 (tie high count) |
| Turkey Vulture |
44 (high count) |
| Bald Eagle |
3 (tie high count) |
| Northern Harrier |
2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
8 |
| Cooper’s Hawk |
11 |
| Northern Goshawk |
1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
150 |
| Rough-legged Hawk |
7 |
| American Kestrel |
6 |
| Merlin |
3 (high count) |
| American Coot |
191 |
| Ring-billed Gull |
550 |
| Herring Gull |
298 |
| Iceland Gull |
1 |
| Great Black-Backed Gull |
114 |
| Rock Pigeon |
1341 |
| Mourning Dove |
309 |
| Eastern Screech-Owl |
27 |
| Great Horned Owl |
21 |
| Barred Owl |
3 |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl |
1 |
| Belted Kingfisher |
10 (tie high count) |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
136 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
2 |
| Downy Woodpecker |
275 |
| Hairy Woodpecker |
118 |
| Northern (Y-Shaf.) Flicker |
27 |
| Pileated Woodpecker |
26 |
| Northern Shrike |
3 |
| Blue Jay |
455 |
| American Crow |
2828 |
| Fish Crow |
9 |
| Common Raven |
30 |
| Horned Lark |
count week |
| Black-Capped Chickadee |
2708 |
| Tufted Titmouse |
336 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch |
36 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch |
286 |
| Brown Creeper |
30 |
| Carolina Wren |
46 |
| Winter Wren |
3 (tie high count) |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet |
38 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
2 |
| Eastern Bluebird |
90 |
| Hermit Thrush |
5 (high count) |
| American Robin |
227 |
| Northern Mockingbird |
26 |
| European Starling |
5878 |
| Cedar Waxwing |
254 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler |
1 (new to count) |
| American Tree Sparrow |
164 (low) |
| Song Sparrow |
37 |
| Swamp Sparrow |
2 |
| White-throated Sparrow |
105 |
| Dark-eyed (S-Col.) Junco |
830 |
| Northern Cardinal |
275 |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
2 |
| Common Grackle |
2 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird |
7 |
| Purple Finch |
39 |
| House Finch |
401 |
| American Goldfinch |
685 |
| House Sparrow |
1050 |
|
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