The 68th Rockland County Christmas Bird Count was held Sunday, December 14, 2014. Temperatures ranged from 34 to 44 °F with Dew Point temperatures ranging from approximately 29 to 32.7 °F. Peak wind gusts ranged from approximately 3 to 10 mph from the N/NW throughout the day. No snow on the ground and ponds and rivers were ice free.
Forty-one field counters and eight feeder counters tallied 16,115 individuals representing 88 species (plus American Black Duck X Mallard hybrid). One additional speciesa single Snow Goose was found during Count Week. The number of species is about average for the post-1978 period (when count areas were standardized). The number of individuals counted is below the median count for both periods (post-1978 = 25,062; post-2003 = 20,149). The top five speciesCanada Goose (4,238), European Starling (2,323), Ring-billed Gull (1,446), Common Merganser (985), and House Sparrow (797)made up 61% of the total number counted. Highlights: Red-necked Grebe New to the count in 2014. Two seen at Piermont Pier headed downriver. Searched for the following day but not found. Glaucous Gull Juvenile seen at Piermont Pier. Only 4th occurrence on count. Not found the following day. Short-eared Owl 5th occurrence on count. Common Loon 9th occurrence on count. Seen in Hudson River at entrance to Bowline Pond. Headed upriver after a small boat passed nearby. Wilsons Snipe 16th occurrence on count. Misses: Swamp Sparrow seen in 59 previous years. Common Goldeneye - seen in 58 previous years. Eastern Towhee - seen in 48 previous years. Killdeer - seen in 34 previous years. Ruffed Grouse and Ring-necked Pheasant were again missed this year. Both have been seen in 40 past years, but are now are likely extirpated from the county. Ruffed Grouse have not been counted since 2001 and Pheasant not since 1995. Thanks to all of the Rockland field and feeder counters! Complete count details will be posted to www.rocklandaudubon.org within a few days. Alan Wells Rockland Audubon Society, Compiler -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
