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WATERBIRD COUNT 2014

1/7/2015

 
WATERBIRD COUNT 2014
Sunset Point, Erie County, Pa.
By
Jerry McWilliams
 
Time in the field this year was 153 hours, down from 210 hours last year. Total number of water related birds this year was only 36% of last year’s total.  A lower number of Red-breasted Mergansers counted was the reason for the low overall waterbird total this year, making it only 26% of last year’s total.  Four species of waterfowl broke previous season high totals.  Northern Shoveler at 41 birds with the previous season high of 29 birds set in 2011.  Lesser Scaup at 37730 birds was only slightly above the previous season high of 37631 birds set just last year.  Harlequin Duck at five birds with the previous season high of three set in 2004. Ruddy Duck at 72 birds with the previous season high of 56 birds set in 1999.  There was only one single day high count record for waterfowl recorded this year with 92 Gadwall breaking the previous single day high of 58 birds set in 2011.  It was a good year for White-winged Scoters with a season total of 515.  Last year’s season total of 547 White-winged Scoter was the previous high season count. Low numbers of waterfowl species this year were Greater Scaup, which continue to slide with the lowest season total since 2003.  Common Merganser season total was the lowest since 2006. As expected, Bald Eagles continue to increase with a new high season record of 29 birds.   The only addition to the waterbird count list this season was the very rare Pacific Loon.   
 
Thank you to all of the birders who stopped by and helped at times with the count.  A special thanks goes to Roger Donn, who was very dedicated to the survey. I would also like to thank the staff at Presque Isle State Park, especially the Operations Manager, Harry Leslie, for giving Roger and me permission to conduct the survey, by car, from the hard pan sand ridge adjacent to Sunset Point.  This site allowed us a clear 180 degree scan of the lake, and the increased elevation gave us the height needed to identify distant birds. 
 
Below are the specifics of the count: 
 
Time period:   Sept. 12, 2014 to Jan. 1, 2015
Hours observed :  153
Total species of water related birds:  54
Total species of other birds:  19
Total of all species of birds:  73
Total individuals of water related birds:  124188
Total individuals of other species of birds:  2416
Total of all individuals:  126604
 
Snow Goose  1
Canada Goose  206
Mute Swan  3
Tundra Swan  135
Wood Duck  3
Gadwall  272
American Wigeon  169
American Black Duck  131
Mallard  198
Blue-winged Teal  16
Northern Shoveler  41
Northern Pintail  283
Green-winged Teal  188
Green-winged/Blue-winged teal  6
Canvasback  690
Redhead  919
Ring-necked Duck  70
Greater Scaup  300
Lesser Scaup  37730
Scaup species  634
Eider species  1
Harlequin Duck  5
Surf Scoter  72
White-winged Scoter  515
Black Scoter  47
Surf/Black Scoter  61
Long-tailed Duck  122
Bufflehead  693
Common Goldeneye  355
Hooded Merganser  36
Common Merganser  91
Red-breasted Merganser  68956
Ruddy Duck  72
Red-throated Loon  90
Pacific Loon  1
Common Loon  1365
Loon species  39
Horned Grebe  1589
Red-necked Grebe  16
Eared Grebe  1
Double-crested Cormorant  7807
Great Blue Heron  3
Green Heron  1
American Coot  29
Black-bellied Plover  11
Semipalmated Plover  1
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Sanderling  72
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1
Pectoral Sandpiper  2
Dunlin  60
American Woodcock  1
Red Phalarope  1
Little Gull  3
Glaucous Gull  1
Common Tern  65
Parasitic Jaeger  5
 
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  29
Snowy Owl  1
Short-eared Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Northern Flicker  9
Merlin  14
Peregrine Falcon  8
Eastern Phoebe  2
Horned Lark  8
Brown Creeper  1
Winter Wren  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Kinglet species  13
European Starling  172
American Pipit  1
Snow Bunting  119
Unidentified warbler  3
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Small passerine  28
Red-winged Blackbird  2000
American Goldfinch  1
Unidentified finch  1
Red Bat  1
Unidentified bat  2
Monarch  2
 
Jerry McWilliams
Erie, Erie County, Pa.
jerrymcw@aol.com

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