​WATERBIRD COUNT 2015, Summary

​WATERBIRD COUNT 2015
Summary
Sunset Point, Presque Isle State Park, Erie County, Pa.
By
Jerry McWilliams
 
Time in the field this year was 159.5 hours, up from 153 hours last year.  Thanks to the El Nino effect, there were few days with good strong fronts from the north and frequent winds from the south-southwest.  Open water farther north allowed waterfowl, that typically would be passing through our region, to stay in one place.  Therefore we had very low counts for most species.  One species, Red-breasted Merganser, was down 30% from last year.  However, the season total of 543 White-winged Scoters was only the second highest count since 1987.  The estimated 2600 Long-tailed Ducks on Dec. 3 was the second highest single day count.  It was a record year for Common Loons with a season total of 4184 birds, smashing the old record season total of 2648 birds set in 2010.  Bald Eagles were unexpectedly low this season, totaling only 12 birds compared to last year’s record breaking 29 birds for the season.   There were no new-to-the-count water related birds this season addition to the waterbird count list this season. 
 
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 park staff at Presque Isle State Park, especially the Operations Manager, Mathew Greene, 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, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2016
Hours observed:  159.5
Total species of water related birds:  42
Total species of other birds:  19
Total of all species of birds:  65
Total individuals of water related birds:  97440
Total individuals of other species of birds:  956
Total of all individuals:  98396
 
Season Totals by Species
Waterbirds
 
Snow Goose:  4
Canada Goose:  170
Mute Swan:  3
Tundra Swan:  935
Wood Duck:  19
Gadwall:  120
American Wigeon:  103
American Black Duck:  114
Mallard:  298
American Black Duck X Mallard:  2
Blue-winged Teal:  15
Northern Shoveler:  26
Northern Pintail:  181
Green-winged Teal:  83
Green-winged/Blue-winged teal:  11
Canvasback:  129
Redhead:  169
Ring-necked Duck:  74
Greater Scaup:  68
Lesser Scaup:  23964
Scaup species:  3275
King Eider:  2
Surf Scoter:  247
White-winged Scoter:  543
Black Scoter:  30
Surf/Black Scoter:  46
Long-tailed Duck:  2751
Bufflehead:  492
Common Goldeneye:  400
Hooded Merganser:  128
Common Merganser:  20
Red-breasted Merganser:  48231
Ruddy Duck:  94
Red-throated Loon:  127
Common Loon:  4184
Loon species:  20
Horned Grebe:  890
Red-necked Grebe:  8
Double-crested Cormorant:  9130
Great Blue Heron:  2
Black-bellied Plover:  39
American Golden Plover:  1
Sanderling:  109
Dunlin:  52
Calidris sp:  2
American Woodcock:  1
Little Gull:  3
Common Tern:  126
Parasitic Jaeger:  2
 
Non-water related birds
 
Turkey Vulture:  3
Northern Harrier:  2
Bald Eagle:  12
Sharp-shinned Hawk:  1
Belted Kingfisher:  1
Merlin:  3
Peregrine Falcon:  7
Horned Lark:  1
Tree Swallow:  12
Barn Swallow:  2
Brown Creeper:  1
Winter Wren:  1
Kinglet species:  9
American Robin:  1
Chipping Sparrow:  1
American Pipit:  1
Lapland Longspur:  1
Snow Bunting:  68
Small passerine:  4
Red-winged Blackbird:  500
Common Grackle: 300
Pine Siskin:  26
 
Non-bird related
Unidentified bat:  2
 
Jerry McWilliams
Erie, Erie County, Pa.
jerrymcw@aol.com