Community Life Spotted on the Hill
A Glimpse of Our Birds of Early Winter text and photo by Peter Vankevich
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ear the end of the year, we have an opportunity to see what kind of birds as well as how many are present in the District of Columbia and parts of its immediate area. This organized “census” is conducted by many volunteers who venture out during a 24-hour period to tabulate the birds they identify. These numbers are then submitted to a compiler who reviews the data, especially reports of rare or unusual species as well as high and low numbers of individuals, and sends it off for input into the database of its sponsor, the National Audubon Society. It is, of course, not just the District region’s data that is included, but more than 2000 counts that take place throughout the United States and Canada and increasingly in other Western hemispheric countries. The official name is the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). This activity was begun in 1900 by a self-educated ornithologist named Frank M. Chapman to call attention to birds were being slaughtered in great numbers, and for many species, their long-term survival was in danger. That first year, 25 count areas were covered and more counts have been added every year. Each count has a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle. In addition to the District and Roosevelt Island, our count area stretches into parts of Northern Virginia including Dyke Marsh, Arlington Cemetery and the C&O Canal along the Potomac River above Key Bridge. Oxon Run including Blue Plains and Bolling Air Force Base, is also part of the count area. This season’s DC count, the 69th
since 1900, took place on December 17. 137 people participated and reported a total of 89 species and 32,975 individual birds. How does this compare to earlier counts? The general consensus by the compiler Larry Cartwright and some of the seasoned observers is that this was a rather poor year, the second in a row as last year reported only 92 species. The average number of species for this CBC for the previous twenty years is 112. Migrant duck numbers were down as were several northern land birds that winter in our region. Considering the regional record warm dates for November and December, many of these birds may have still been farther north. There was some reassuring news. The local year-round resident woodpeckers and passerines seemed to be stable. The National Arboretum was bustling with lots of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings. Raptors, i.e. birds of prey that feed on other animals including smaller birds, appear to be adapting to the DC climate and habitat. Not counting the two vultures, Black and Turkey, which are sometimes classified as raptors, nine other species produced 158 individuals including 28 Bald Eagles. The highest number was 45 Red-tail Hawks. Double-crested Cormorants, which are normally farther south, were at an all-time high of 313 individuals. Looking over the data, I was surprised that the combined numbers of American Robins (3954), the two crow species, Fish and American (4648) and European Starlings (4028) were 38% of the birds counted The complaint of fewer birds was
not limited to the DC area. I spend the last week of each year on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and am the compiler of two CBCs, Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands. On these two counts, the numbers were also low as appeared to be the case with two other nearby counts. So where were the birds? The data for the counts will be ready in the next month or so and you may wish to check it out yourself starting by typing into an Internet search engine: Christmas Bird Count historical results, which will direct you to the National Audubon database. Having a bad year or two should not necessarily be a source of concern. Variables such as weather conditions that are colder than average or sustained warmer temperatures further north as was the case this time, can have an influence as to where birds may be located. For those who would like to participate in a bird census sooner than next December, consider getting involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) organized by Audubon with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It takes place President’s Day weekend each February and you can count the birds each day in your backyard/community and then enter the results online. For more information on the GBBC, visit: http://audubon.org/programs/greatbackyard-bird-count The immature Double-crested Cormorant was phowtographed in the marina area on the Anacostia Rwiver. Please feel free to send comments and suggestions to petevankevich@gmail.com. ★
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