Old Town-Orono Christmas count shows high total

The Old Town-Orono Christmas Bird Count on December 15th revealed a record number of winter birds, thanks to the efforts of many dedicated birders.

Participants noted a total of 56 bird species. The unusually high number for this area was the result of the warm fall and late freeze-up, which kept water open and enabled water birds to remain here later than usual, according to Fields Pond Nature Center director Judy Markowsky.

Rare finds this year included black-headed gull (primarily a European species), lesser scaup, black-backed woodpecker, and yes, hoary redpoll. Other out-of-season species included loon, bufflehead, Canada goose, snow goose, hooded merganser, osprey, kingfisher, and flicker. There were also unusually high numbers of Bohemian waxwings, pine grosbeaks, and common redpolls.

Conspicuously absent were snowy owls, which have been recorded statewide this year, and seen in Orono two weeks before the count. Also missing were shrikes and pine siskins.

The National Audubon Society CBC is thought to be the oldest survey of any wildlife-birds or otherwise-in the world. The first count, done in 1900 by a total of 27 participants, recorded a cumulative list of 90 bird species for the United States and part of Canada. Today, nearly 50,000 people take part in the CBC each year, counting in excess of 600 species of birds.

Next week, I’ll have the results of the Bangor/Bucksport CBC.

Species Totals for the Orono-Old Town Count:

Common loon 5, snow goose 1, Canada goose 132, black duck 52, mallard 342, lesser scaup 1, bufflehead 1, common goldeneye 99, Barrow’s goldeneye 22, common merganser 121, hooded merganser 45, osprey 1, bald eagle 6 adults, 3 immature, sharp-shinned hawk 2, ruffed grouse 7, pheasant 1, black-headed gull 1, herring gull 64, great black-backed gull 9, ring-billed gull 25, rock dove 326, mourning dove 459, kingfisher 1, downy woodpecker 21, hairy woodpecker 21, black-backed woodpecker 1, flicker 1, pileated woodpecker 4, blue jay 84, crow 302, raven 17, black-capped chickadee 449, tufted titmouse 17, red-breasted nuthatch 40, white-breasted nuthatch 51, brown creeper 2, golden-crowned kinglet 9, robin 13, mockingbird 1, Bohemian waxwing 781, starling 455, cardinal 32, tree sparrow 12, song sparrow 4, white-throated sparrow 6, junco 34, snow bunting 1, pine grosbeak 291, purple finch 6, house finch 58, white-winged crossbill 6, common redpoll 254, hoary redpoll 2, goldfinch 165, evening grosbeak 25, house sparrow 193.

Chris Corio’s column on birds is published each Saturday. Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com