On Saturday, December 16th, 2023, by foot, car, and kayak,* 143 participants* conducted the annual *Brooklyn Christmas Bird Count (CBC)*. The count circle includes almost all of the borough of Brooklyn (Kings County), western Jamaica Bay, and the western end of the Rockaway peninsula.
Counters enjoyed a sunny and mild day (someone mentioned getting a sunburn for the first time on a CBC), with gentle north winds and temperatures between 45F and 53F, and found *136 species, *one short of the count high of 137 set in 2020. The total continues a five-year trend of above-average species totals, driven by strong participation from the Brooklyn birding community, increasing collective spirit and desire to thoroughly catalog the species in our area, and fortunate weather conditions. The *49,438 individual birds* tallied on count day was 17% above our ten-year average. Good daytime visibility often contributes to higher counts of seabirds, geese, and ducks on the bay and ocean that provide the bulk of our count numbers, countering the downward effect of warmer temperatures on concentrations of roosting gulls that could lead to higher numbers of individuals. *Rare Birds* The Brooklyn CBC deems “rare” birds as those seen three or fewer times in the last ten years. A female *WILD TURKEY* that inexplicably turned up in Brooklyn this summer and made Burnett Street in Marine Park her home was a new species for the count, which now totals 235 species. Also in Marine Park, CBCers saw the second count record *CACKLING GEESE (4)*, first added to the count list in 2013. Plentiful just a few miles to the east, *REDHEAD (5) *were seen for just the second time in the last ten years. *VIRGINIA RAIL (2), *detected at Jamaica Bay West Pond and on Breezy Point, were the 13th count record but last seen on the count in 2007. They also counted 9 *RAZORBILLs, *seen on back-to-back counts for the first time in over a decade. It seems that this year it might be odd for a downstate/coastal CBC to *not *report an *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER*. Two count areas found 3 in the circle. *LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (5)* and one *LESSER YELLOWLEGS* provided interesting shorebird diversity. Only seen sporadically in recent years, Breezy Point counters observed a hunting *SHORT-EARED OWL *in the pre-dawn hours*.* Spring Creek counters located one *HOUSE WREN.* For the second time in three years, a vagrant *LARK SPARROW *could be wintering in Brooklyn. Lingering New World warblers were few this year, but a second-ever *BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER* seen in Green-Wood Cemetery is a terrific December bird. *High Counts* We established all-time high counts for 16 species. Contrary to conventional thinking that warmer temperatures result in fewer waterfowl, we set all-time highs among *SNOW GOOSE* (1,801/previous high 1,535) *BUFFLEHEAD *(1,863/previous high 1,794), *RING-NECKED DUCK* (28/previous high 9, and only seen on about half of the counts), and *RED-THROATED LOON* (299/previous high 260). *PEREGRINE FALCON* (18/previous high 12) and *COMMON RAVEN* (11/previous high 9) continue to propagate in the urban setting. Green-Wood Cemetery birders spotted irregularly seen *TURKEY VULTUREs* (4/previous high 3) on a clear day. A maxima of *FISH CROW* (683/previous high of 522 set last year) continues our understanding of the whereabouts of large uniform flocks. 35* AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERs* were the most seen since 1985 and typically number in the single digits on the count, when seen. Inland counters tallied high counts of *WINTER WREN* (15/previous high 13) and *NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD* (188/previous high 162). The Brooklyn/Queens coast suits *ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER* (16/previous high 9) well, and the majority *COMMON YELLOWTHROATs* (5/previous high 4) were found in the parks of Brooklyn’s north shore. North of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is still *the* location in the state to find the largest concentration of wintering *BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE* (932/previous high 719). We suffered just one low count of note, just 50 *SANDERLINGs* tied an all-time low, well below our average of 494 seen on the Plumb and Rockaway beaches. *Misses* Unfortunately, we did not find a *TUFTED TITMOUSE* and *BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD* on the day of the count, which accounted for just 2 misses from the 100 regularly seen species on the count, seen 8 or more times out of the last 10 years. Naturally, both species were seen in the days following the count. Other count week species include *WILSON’S SNIPE, ICELAND GULL, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, *and *SALTMARSH SPARROW.* The full report will be published in the Brooklyn Bird Club’s *Clapper Rail* newsletter and submitted to the National Audubon Society. I’d like to extend sincere gratitude to the Brooklyn Bird Club and the Prospect Park Alliance for sponsoring the count and hosting the count dinner and compilation at the Prospect Park Picnic House, which is always a highlight of the birding year. Thank you to the National Park Service for supplying researcher permits for Gateway National Recreation areas, New York State Parks for providing guidance at Shirley Chisholm State Park, and the New York State Department of Environmental Protection for being attentive to our requests to count in the wastewater treatment facilities, which we hope to resume next year. Personal thanks to co-compiler Chris Laskowski and count team coordinator Bobbi Manian for their hard work in planning this count, and to all area leaders and participants for their enthusiasm and dedication in making the count truly special for all involved. Happy Holidays and Happy Winter Solstice to you. Enjoy the longest night! Mike Yuan Brooklyn, NY -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") NYSbirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/nysbirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) birding_DOT_aba_DOT_org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --
