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2017 Waterbird Summary

1/29/2018

 
WATERBIRD COUNT 2017
Summary
Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie County, Pa.
By Jerry McWilliams
 
Time in the field this year was 128 hours, up from 109 hours last year.  Open water farther north allowed waterfowl, which typically would be passing through our region at this time, to stay put.  Therefore we had relatively low counts for many species.  Even though Red-breasted Merganser totals are still far lower than a few years ago, this season’s total was nearly double that of last year.  Redheads had the most significantly flight of any of the other species of waterfowl breaking the all-time season total of 1776 set last year to 2275 birds this season.  Redheads also broke the record high daily total at 1065 birds.  Though no record was broken for scaup, there was a significant number counted.  Two new species of waterbirds were added to the count this year, Piping Plover and Least Tern.  
 
Thanks to all of the birders who stopped by and helped at times with the count.  I would also like to thank the park staff at Presque Isle State Park, especially the Operations Manager, Mathew Greene, for giving me permission to conduct the survey, by car, from the hard pan sand ridge adjacent to Sunset Point.  This site allowed me a clear 180 degree scan of the lake, and the increased elevation gave me the height needed to identify distant birds.  
 
Below are the specifics of the count:  
 
Time period:  Sept. 28, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018
Hours observed:  128
Total species of water related birds:  42
Total species of other birds:  19
Total of all species of birds:  61
Total individuals of water related birds:  94276
Total individuals of other species of birds:  408
Total of all individuals:  94684
 
Season Totals by Species
Waterbirds
Brant  1
Canada Goose  203
Tundra Swan  168
Wood Duck  27
Gadwall  89
American Wigeon  99
American Black Duck  420
Mallard  216
Northern Shoveler  31
Northern Pintail  183
Green-winged Teal  120
Canvasback  497
Redhead  2275
Ring-necked Duck  23
Greater Scaup  450
Lesser Scaup  25486
Scaup species  19933
Eider species  1
Harlequin Duck  1
Surf Scoter  201
White-winged Scoter  328
Black Scoter  30
Surf/Black Scoter  174
Long-tailed Duck  307
Bufflehead  375
Common Goldeneye  522
Hooded Merganser  39
Common Merganser  88
Red-breasted Merganser  38461
Ruddy Duck  12
Red-throated Loon  108
Common Loon  1318
Loon species  20
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  641
Red-necked Grebe  9
Double-crested Cormorant  626
Black-bellied Plover  48
Piping Plover  1
Sanderling  74
Purple Sandpiper  2
Dunlin  633
Unidentified shorebird  2
Little Gull  1
Common Tern  2
Common/Forster’s tern  30
Least Tern  1
 
Non-water related birds
Turkey Vulture  37
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  22
Northern Harrier  1
Cooper’s Hawk  1
Merlin  6
Peregrine Falcon  6
Mourning Dove  1
Snowy Owl  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Winter Wren  2
Kinglet species  1
European Starling  1
American Tree Sparrow  1
Lapland Longspur  1
Snow Bunting  188
Small passerine  25
Red-winged Blackbird  100
 
Non-bird related
Unidentified bat  1
Painted Lady  5
Monarch  3

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