Christmas Bird Count
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sierra
Well-known member
bird
Wow Ive never seen a Christmas bird
What do they lookl like Ill keep my eyes open
Wow Ive never seen a Christmas bird
What do they lookl like Ill keep my eyes open 
JackH
New member
xmass bird count
Puck, I live in Connecticut and do the Salmon River, (East Hampton) count each year. We are scheduled for Sunday. I hope the snow holds off until afternoon. I have been doing it for years and it has become a tradition with me. One of my favorite winter events.
Puck, I live in Connecticut and do the Salmon River, (East Hampton) count each year. We are scheduled for Sunday. I hope the snow holds off until afternoon. I have been doing it for years and it has become a tradition with me. One of my favorite winter events.
Puck
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hey Jack
Must be great to see the Salmon River without the mob of flyfishermen.
I am with the New Haven Club must of the groups are out this Sat. I myself will be out before down for the owls. Hope to see alot of buntings, siskins and crossbills.
Have a great trip. Lets swap notes on this.
Craig
Must be great to see the Salmon River without the mob of flyfishermen.
I am with the New Haven Club must of the groups are out this Sat. I myself will be out before down for the owls. Hope to see alot of buntings, siskins and crossbills.
Have a great trip. Lets swap notes on this.
Craig
JackH
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xmass count
Thanks Puck, I will report back to and I do hope to see some finches. I usually do look for owls at night but am going to Monadnock Saturday and won't be back in time. Maybe I'll get some crossbills there! We usually just get Great Horned owls in our territory anyway. Good luck to you.
Thanks Puck, I will report back to and I do hope to see some finches. I usually do look for owls at night but am going to Monadnock Saturday and won't be back in time. Maybe I'll get some crossbills there! We usually just get Great Horned owls in our territory anyway. Good luck to you.
Puck
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Rup I see that you are in NJ try this site http://www.audubon.org/states/nj/
Hopefully they can connect you to a local chapter. The idea of the counts is to organize a state into a number of circles each with 7.5mi radius. The circle is then divided up into sections. In one day a team in each section counts the individual birds that are seen and heard. It is not a scientific census but it yields incredible data on population fluctuations from year to year. Becuase it has been done so long trends can be tracked. The counts are done around christmas time. Many were completed this past weekend.
Jack H-
How was your trip. We got 49 species. No real suprises. We missed some basic woodpeckers and wrens. I am looking forward to the complied data.
Hopefully they can connect you to a local chapter. The idea of the counts is to organize a state into a number of circles each with 7.5mi radius. The circle is then divided up into sections. In one day a team in each section counts the individual birds that are seen and heard. It is not a scientific census but it yields incredible data on population fluctuations from year to year. Becuase it has been done so long trends can be tracked. The counts are done around christmas time. Many were completed this past weekend.
Jack H-
How was your trip. We got 49 species. No real suprises. We missed some basic woodpeckers and wrens. I am looking forward to the complied data.
JackH
New member
xmass count
Puck, we had a good day for our territory, 39 spieces with Barred owl and 3 pileated woodpeckers being the best birds. The weather was so mild it seemed to keep the birds from foraging and we couldn't get a hawk all day and there were no Eagles at all on our part of the river. (The wind was dead calm.) We really had to dig out the birds we got with lots of walking. A great day though with old birding friends. Hope you enjoyed your count as well. We actually birded with Betty from Middletown who belongs to your New Haven club I think. I'll be watching the rare bird alerts, hopefully other groups found some good birds to chase next weekend!
Puck, we had a good day for our territory, 39 spieces with Barred owl and 3 pileated woodpeckers being the best birds. The weather was so mild it seemed to keep the birds from foraging and we couldn't get a hawk all day and there were no Eagles at all on our part of the river. (The wind was dead calm.) We really had to dig out the birds we got with lots of walking. A great day though with old birding friends. Hope you enjoyed your count as well. We actually birded with Betty from Middletown who belongs to your New Haven club I think. I'll be watching the rare bird alerts, hopefully other groups found some good birds to chase next weekend!
Puck
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We had Eastern Screetch Owl, no pilateds. We had three redtails and one red shoulder. I was hoping for a sharpie.
I checked the RBA and there really wasn't much there. We have had a king Eider on the coast I was wondering if that was seen.
I checked the RBA and there really wasn't much there. We have had a king Eider on the coast I was wondering if that was seen.
Greg
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I was wondering how the Count worked.
It always sounded like all the volunteers in an area sat in one spot and counted, but the dividing up of folk makes sense. I'll have to do it for next year. On a recent trip back from the Whites this weekend, we saw a beautiful male Bald Eagle just south of Fryeburg eyeing some large roadkill. Also "new" to our area and on the RBA are Red-bellied woodpeckers which I haven't seen for several decades. Not much else of any interest here, but I would like to know: how are you guys seeing crossbills down there when I haven't seen any here? Maybe they don't like my feeders, and I have no conifers around to speak of, mostly hardwoods. Let us know of any other interesting finds!
It always sounded like all the volunteers in an area sat in one spot and counted, but the dividing up of folk makes sense. I'll have to do it for next year. On a recent trip back from the Whites this weekend, we saw a beautiful male Bald Eagle just south of Fryeburg eyeing some large roadkill. Also "new" to our area and on the RBA are Red-bellied woodpeckers which I haven't seen for several decades. Not much else of any interest here, but I would like to know: how are you guys seeing crossbills down there when I haven't seen any here? Maybe they don't like my feeders, and I have no conifers around to speak of, mostly hardwoods. Let us know of any other interesting finds!
Puck
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Great by posting here I was hoping for some reports from the north. really for my own curiosity. We get crossbill, redpoles, siskins and snow buntings irraticaly down here. It is an indication of what is happening in the boreal forrests. Can you believe I haven't seen an evening grosbeak in Ct since 1991!
Greg I think you are confusing this event witht he Big Sit. That is when some one just sits in one spot and counts everything with in eyesight. The Christmas count is more aggressive. Alot of fast walking, driving from spot to spot etc. Those eagles are exciting aren't they?
Greg I think you are confusing this event witht he Big Sit. That is when some one just sits in one spot and counts everything with in eyesight. The Christmas count is more aggressive. Alot of fast walking, driving from spot to spot etc. Those eagles are exciting aren't they?
Greg
New member
I'll have to sign up for next year. It's always sounded like fun. I also take part in the VINS Mountain birdwatch program, looking for the elusive Bicknells thrush and several other species.
Bald Eagles, or any eagle or hawk for that matter, are always awesome. Have you been to Cape May to see the hawk migrations yet? Truly should not be missed.
We used to get a lot, and I mean a lot, of evening grosbeaks here in the late winter/early spring, but lately we haven't seen many at all. Kinda sad. Lots of goldfinch, though, and they seem common now.
We'll have to keep posting unusual bird sightings as we see them.
Bald Eagles, or any eagle or hawk for that matter, are always awesome. Have you been to Cape May to see the hawk migrations yet? Truly should not be missed.
We used to get a lot, and I mean a lot, of evening grosbeaks here in the late winter/early spring, but lately we haven't seen many at all. Kinda sad. Lots of goldfinch, though, and they seem common now.
We'll have to keep posting unusual bird sightings as we see them.
Peakbagr
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I was waiting for someone else to remark that its great to flyfish the Salmon River without mobs of birders tripping all over themselves.
Puck
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Peakbagr said:I was waiting for someone else to remark that its great to flyfish the Salmon River without mobs of birders tripping all over themselves.
Many times I have tried to do both. My friend would point out I have a strike while my eyes are scanning the trees and skies. Flyfishing, birding and driving do not mix in any combination.
Greg
I have heard of VINS but I don't know much about it. In CT we have a great Rare Bird Alert at http://www.virtualbirder.com/bmail/ctbird/latest.html. I have never come across anything like it for any other state. CT takes its birds seriously. I am in NH and ME alot and would love to hear whats going on up there. It would also be great to see a forum that discuss wildlife in general.
I have yet to get down to Cape May. We have a hawk watch in New Haven that runs from Sept-Nov I participate in that.
Greg
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Puck,
I check the Maine audubon( www.maineaudubon.org ) here in Maine, though sometimes updates are slow in coming, and VINS is at www.vinsweb.org . Sorry, I don't know how to do that link thing, but you can cut and paste these sites. The VINS program is pretty fun. They "give" you a mountain or trail and you get to go in June to monitor it, twice if you don't find Bicknells thrush. I have Mt. Eastman in Evans Notch and stay overnight near the Slippery Brook trail intersection, as the study begins at around four AM to maximize your chances of hearing or seeing the target species. It's something different, anyway.
I'll have to head out again soon and see what I can find here-abouts.
Wow, the computer did the links for me!
I check the Maine audubon( www.maineaudubon.org ) here in Maine, though sometimes updates are slow in coming, and VINS is at www.vinsweb.org . Sorry, I don't know how to do that link thing, but you can cut and paste these sites. The VINS program is pretty fun. They "give" you a mountain or trail and you get to go in June to monitor it, twice if you don't find Bicknells thrush. I have Mt. Eastman in Evans Notch and stay overnight near the Slippery Brook trail intersection, as the study begins at around four AM to maximize your chances of hearing or seeing the target species. It's something different, anyway.
I'll have to head out again soon and see what I can find here-abouts.
Wow, the computer did the links for me!
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JackH
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Puck: I checked all the rare bird alerts in New England and was disappointed in the lack of rare birds this year. Usually after Christmas counts I find a good bird to chase somewhere in New England. The best bird, a boreal owl, was found in Central Park, NYC. How inconvenient! Here's a great link from a birder/professional photographer that I found that shows the owl. http://www.calvorn.com/gallery/photo.php?photo=5010&u=17|11|...
Greg: Bicknell's thrush was on my to do list this year. I wanted to climb Manfield in Vt and get the bird at the same time but never made it up there. Have you seen the bird? It would be one of the few bird trips where you can intentionally combine climbing and birding!
Greg: Bicknell's thrush was on my to do list this year. I wanted to climb Manfield in Vt and get the bird at the same time but never made it up there. Have you seen the bird? It would be one of the few bird trips where you can intentionally combine climbing and birding!
WalksWithBlackflies
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Red Tailed Hawks
Are red-tailed hawks migratory? I haven't seen any in the past few months, but this past weekend, I saw at least seven.
Are red-tailed hawks migratory? I haven't seen any in the past few months, but this past weekend, I saw at least seven.
Puck
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Rico Formaly speaking they are not migratory...meaning they do not start at point A and go to point B. The population does shift in the winter from the north into southern areas depending on food availoability. If you look at a range map in a recent field guide you can tell if you could expect to see a redtail in your area. In CT we have threee hawks that winter; red shoulder, red tail and rough legged. we also have a population of wintering bald eagles from up north.
Greg An over night to wake up to thrush a singing thrush, hmmm. sounds like my type of trip. You maybe interested in doing the Cornell Study Birds in Forested Lnadscape. They ahve been monitoring thrush populations. It would entail watching thier breeding, nesting and fledgling success over a a season.
Jack H Thanks for the web site with those pictures. If I wasn't so busy I would go down. I understand what you mean about the RBA. Nothing to out of the ordinary. Here are our results.http://cbc.audubon.org/cbccurrent/current_table.html
Greg An over night to wake up to thrush a singing thrush, hmmm. sounds like my type of trip. You maybe interested in doing the Cornell Study Birds in Forested Lnadscape. They ahve been monitoring thrush populations. It would entail watching thier breeding, nesting and fledgling success over a a season.
Jack H Thanks for the web site with those pictures. If I wasn't so busy I would go down. I understand what you mean about the RBA. Nothing to out of the ordinary. Here are our results.http://cbc.audubon.org/cbccurrent/current_table.html
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