[Ontbirds]Fw: Hamilton CBC preliminary results

[Tom Thomas]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: tom thomas 
To: Subject: Hamilton CBC preliminary results


Hello,
           Here are the preliminary results of the 2007 Hamilton Christmas Bird Count, held on December 26th. 2007.
      On a cool -4 degrees C, relatively calm but foggy morning, 85 participants set out to count birds in the field, at the lake, or at their birdfeeders.  The temperature settled in for most of the day at -2 degrees C. There was a hint of hoar frost on the pines and the tall weeds, and it was tricky underfoot on some of the woodland trails.  In some of the outlying areas it was too foggy to see or identify birds in flight, and on the lake, counters had difficulty determining the number of ducks that were scattered over the lake, with many too far out, and at the limits of the counters ability to identify them.  
           The total number of birds counted was 63,046,  which is below the last ten year average of 70,228.
           Thanks to the influx of some of the northern finches, we broke the old individual species count record of 102 set in 2004, by one, so the new individual species count record now stands at 103.    
           It also appears that the common woodland and garden species are becoming even more common with new record counts for the following species.......
                                           
                                                            Old Record                                              New Record
              
               Mourning Dove                              1,507                                                        2,040   
                
               Black-capped Chickadee               2,109                                                        2,223    
                  
               Northern Cardinal                             598                                                          661
               
               Red-breasted Nuthatch                      81                                                            97

               American Goldfinch                       1,005                                                        1,055 

               Red-bellied Woodpecker                     33                                                            46

               Downy Woodpecker                          288                                                          316 

               The number of Hoary Redpolls counted this year ( 5 ) broke the old record of ( 1 ) seen in 1993.


            On the lake and Inland waters we broke count records for...................

                                                             Old Record                                            New Record

               Trumpeter Swan                              106                                                         162

               Mute Swan                                      85                                                            89

               Lesser Black-backed Gull                    1                                                  2 

               Mallard x American Black Duck         44                                                           48  

               Red-breasted Merganser                  285                                                         331                       

               Hooded Merganser                            48                                                           70

               Iceland Gull                                        7                                                             9

         There were low counts for the following species.............American Crow, Horned Lark, Snow Bunting, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, Ring-billed Gull,  Herring Gull, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Canvasback, and Redhead. 
         We missed on the Wood Duck, and American Wigeon.
         Up to this point, only one count week species has been tallied.........Evening Grosbeak.
    

         
                   Regards......Tom Thomas,  Compiler .....Hamilton Christmas Bird Count..