Christmas Bird Counts 2004
Athabasca 2004 Christmas Bird Count
Date: 27 December, 2004, 8:30 AM
Location: Muskeg Creek Chalet, Athabasca
Report of the 2004 Athabasca Christmas Birdcount
Results will be posted directly to Bird Studies Canada website. Results for the last 102 counts are available on Audbon's site.
HIGHLIGHTS: Cool, breezy weather which may have kept birds in the bush, and a flu bug which reduced the number of field observers at the Monday December 27, 2004, 11th Annual Athabasca Christmas Birdcount seem to have combined to reduce the total number of birds counted to 2033 from last year's high of 2940.
Snow buntings, usually seen in great flocks were in particularly scarce supply on Countday. In part, this could reflect the reduced numbers of cattle herds in the area as the white snowbirds enjoy 'hanging out' around winter cattle feeding sites. They have been around but not in the large numbers seen in other years.
Similarly, although a few rock doves were seen, many 'pigeons' seem to have left town with the elevators. Waxwings often seen in large flocks around town at mountain ash or crab apple trees were also missing this year. The beautiful yellow Evening Grosbeaks were also generally down somewhat while the reddish Pine Grosbeaks and Redpolls continue to grow in numbers. No Crossbills were seen on this year's count.
While the total bird numbers was down we still saw a total of thirty different bird species comparable to our best past years. Last year we found 29 species. While some of last year's species such as the Northern Three Toed and the Black Backed Woodpeckers were missing this year, we continue to see good numbers of the downy, hairy and a few of the large pileated woodpeckers. Some of our winter bird friends missing in 2003 were back. In particular we were pleased to see northern hawk owls and pygmy owls rejoining the great grays in fair numbers. It was too early in the breeding season to hear many owls calling. Several Northern Goshawks were seen and a few Bald Eagles lingering around road kill sites. The small, quick Gray Partridge was seen again this year.
A highlight of the 2004 Count was the sightings throughout the Athabasca area of an unusual number of Northern Shrikes. Resembling slightly smaller Gray Jays with hawk-like beak and talons, the Shrike typically perches in treetops and 'dive-bombs' smaller prey birds very effectively. One was observed driving a chickadee into a house window, then making lunch of the stunned bird. While the Northern Shrike is around, it is not commonly seen. If the small birds disappear suddenly from your feeder, it may be they fear the presence of a shrike or a merlin, another high-speed predator of small birds.
These annual counts of bird species' numbers are important in monitoring the health of our Boreal bird species. We thank all participants, feeder and field observers, for their participation and contributions. We have several very experienced observers such as Jean Rooke, Helen Wright and Ella Crusch and others who have been watching, feeding and enjoying their bird neighbours for many decades.
LOCATION: Latitude - 54°43' N, Longitude - 113°17' W, centre 50th Ave & 50 St. Athabasca Alberta DATE: Monda December 27, 2002, 09:00 AM to 4:00
PM. WEATHER: -26C to -14C. Clear. Wind SE 10km. 15 cm snow. Water frozen.
OBSERVERS: Field-6 in 3 parties [non-owling]; Feeders-29 TOTAL PARTY HOURS: 65 hours: Field- 20 hours[18 in car and 02 on foot]; Feeders-45 hours.
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: Total-77 km. Car-70 km; on foot-7 miles. No owling.
PARTICIPANTS (Alphabetic by Surname): Anna Amero; Pat and Harvey Barrett; Ursula Brant; Helen Brauer; Jean and Wayne Brehaut; Linda Buhlman; Nellie Cholach; Ella Crusch; Shirley Day; Sharon & Brian Dombrosky; Marie Fuller; Lorraine Gislason; Bud and Linda Goupil; Robert Holmberg; Don Johnson; Dale Kiselyk; Fred Korbut; Terry Korman; Av Mann; Marie Martin; Peter Opryshko/Donna Koziak; Merilyn and Geoff Peruniak; Jean Rooke; Adele, David and Norman Sale; Evelyn and Harvey Scott; Louis and Anne-Marie Schmittroth; Joan and Jack Sherman; Helen and Walter Struski; John and Maxine Williams; Helen Wright; Al and Agnes Wurfel.
COUNT BY SPECIES (To be presented in tabular form soon): Bald Eagle 01; Northern Goshawk 01; Gray Partridge 06; Ruffed Grouse 18; Sharp-Tailed Grouse 05; Rock Dove 36; Northern Hawk Owl CW; Northern Pygmy Owl 01; Great Gray Owl 04; Downy Woodpecker 37; Hairy Woodpecker 32 ; Pileated Woodpecker 04; Gray Jay 21; Blue Jay 63; Black-Billed Magpie 72; American Crow 01; Common Raven 130; Black-Capped Chickadee 348; Boreal Chickadee 07; Red Breasted Nuthatch 02; White Breasted Nuthatch 25; Northern Shrike 03; Dark-Eyed Junco 02; Snow Bunting 250; Pine Grosbeak 289; Common Redpoll 367; Hoary Redpoll 17; Pine Siskin 42; Evening Grosbeak 116; House Sparrow 133.
TOTAL SPECIES: 30
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS: 2033
Science Outreach Athabasca - September 26, 2012
