Compiler Rene Wendell reported the 28th Southern Berkshire Christmas Bird Count, conducted on Jan.1, had 46 people in the field and tallied 65 species for the day and added another 8 species for count week. The 65 is a tie for the most-ever species recorded on this count, with the 2017 count, which had weather conditions very similar to this year's count.
"Weather conditions were balmy in the morning and getting increasing colder by the end of the day," Wendell reported. "There was very little snow cover. Most likely more in Monterey than in Sheffield. Most still water was frozen, but any moving water seemed to be completely open, including the Housatonic River. It has been a relatively warm December and many migrating and resident birds have stuck around."
There were record numbers of Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk (one shy of record), saw-whet owl, red-bellied woodpecker (two shy of record), yellow-shafted flicker, American kestrel, eastern phoebe, raven (two shy of record), brown creeper, winter wren (only seen three times on this count), Carolina wren, ruby-crowned kinglet (only seen three times on this count), eastern blue bird, hermit thrush, gray catbird (only seen 6 times on this count), pine warbler, and red crossbill (only seen two times on this count). Two eastern phoebes and four pine warblers were reported, a first in the 28-year count.
The count summary is:
Canada goose: 1,884
American black duck: 13
Mallard: 149
Common goldeneye: 3
Hooded merganser: 14
Common merganser: 24
Ruffed grouse: 2
Wild turkey: 67
Great blue heron: (Blue form), cw
Black vulture: 45
Northern harrier: 1
Sharp-shinned hawk: 5
Cooper's hawk: 6
Bald eagle: 8
Red-shouldered hawk: cw
Red-tailed hawk: 50
Ring-billed gull: cw
Rock Pigeon (feral pigeon): 168
Mourning dove: 88
Eastern screech-owl: 1
Great horned owl: 7
Barred owl: 4
Northern saw-whet owl: 4
Belted kingfisher: 5
Red-bellied woodpecker: 48
Yellow-bellied sapsucker: 3
Downy woodpecker: 76
Hairy Woodpecker: 26
Northern Flicker: 16
Pileated woodpecker: 12
American kestrel: 2
Merlin: cw*
Peregrine falcon: cw*
Eastern phoebe: 2
Blue jay: 350
American crow: 246
Common raven: 21
Horned lark: 60
Black-capped chickadee: 664
Tufted titmouse: 151
Red-breasted nuthatch: 10
White-breasted nuthatch: 113
Brown creeper: 20
Winter wren: 1
Carolina wren: 15
Golden-crowned kinglet: 46
Ruby-crowned kinglet: 1
Eastern bluebird: 123
Hermit thrush: 2
American robin: 151
Gray catbird: 1
Northern Mockingbird: 6
European starling: 1,103
Cedar waxwing: 217
Snow bunting: 5
Pine warbler: 2
American tree sparrow: 20
Dark-eyed junco: 858
White-crowned sparrow: 2
White-throated sparrow: 502
Savannah sparrow: cw*
Song sparrow: 47
Swamp sparrow: cw*
Northern cardinal: 107
Red-winged blackbird: 271
Common grackle: 2
Brown-headed cowbird: 45
House finch: 123
Purple finch: 3
Red crossbill: 7
American goldfinch: 408
House sparrow: 152
Total individuals — 8,588
Total species reported — 65
*CW indicates species not seen during the actual count but most likely can be seen in these areas during this time period.
FROM OUR READERS
In response to my informal survey of birds at feeders:
In early January, we saw four cardinals (two pairs) at our feeders along with all the usual feeder birds.
— Delaney, Pittsfield
In the Sunday, Jan. 5, Eagle, you asked about the number of birds we are seeing this year. I had noticed a definite decline this year over years past. I particularly miss the black-capped chickadee. They would sit and watch me refill the feeder chirping away as if to say, "Hurry up." I have mostly big birds here in Lee: blue jays, cardinals, northern flickers, and some other woodpeckers.
— Joan, Lee
The fall was awfully quiet; I unfortunately saved a lot of money on bird seed. But the first bad storm we had in December, many birds showed up to eat. Their numbers have increased since then, but the number of goldfinches is down. I have seen the occasional bluebird, so I finally bought a feeder for mealworms. During my walks in the woods, I hear the loveliest song and I'm guessing it's wrens. What I'm seeing more of this year than I have in the past is hawks, and I've been startled twice at night by a woodco*ck while walking the dog. I hear the owls, but no sightings. Usually, I have crows that come as well, I've heard them, but not seen them in the yard. I have two large black oil, two mixed seed, one suet, one meal worm and one Nygier seed feeders. I also scatter seed on the ground to prevent the bullies from monopolizing the feeders. I've seen deer and bear in the evening looking for leftovers. The list of birds that come to the feeder and bird bath is as follows: jays, mourning doves, titmice, chickadees, juncos, nuthatches, one pair cardinals, downy woodpeckers, turkeys, goldfinch, bluebirds.
— Denise, Washington
In answer to your column in Sunday's Eagle, "Where are all the birds?" I can reply, "They are at our house!" Overall, my husband and I are hosting about the same number of our usual birds at this time of year: mourning doves, woodpeckers (red-bellied, downy, hairy), blue jays, chickadees, titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, robins, starlings, sparrows (song and white-throated), juncos, cardinals and goldfinches, due to our offering them suet, black-oil sunflower seed and thistle. In addition, we have a band of eight bluebirds visiting daily, thanks to a tray feeder filled with dried mealworms. The exception would be the number of house finches. Besides the sunflower seed feeder, we have a tree loaded with small berries in the backyard and I counted 60 finches feeding one day! It would be the only bird where we have seen larger than normal numbers so far this winter.
— Mary and Mark, Pittsfield
I have had a busy winter feeder for years and years, but not this year! Nada ... practically zero! Only once in a while will there be a woodpecker at the suet that's part of the platform feeder. I'm dismayed. It's stocked with gray-striped and black-oil seed and fresh suet. Also, there's only one scraggly squirrel visiting under it, where normally there's five to six. I've sprinkled mixed seed under the feeder to try to draw, but forget it.
—Ellen, Great Barrington
We feed black sunflower seeds and suet. We have seen a huge decline in the number of birds. Have the usual suspects: mourning dove, chickadee, titmouse and juncos, but much, much fewer. However, we have a robust population of 12 to 15 bluejays that visit daily.
— Cathy, Plainfield
