This year’s species count was 80 with eleven high totals, four unusual, and plenty of woodpeckers and hawks. The day was made particularly enjoyable with mostly sunny skies and fairly mild January temperatures. The four unusual (I like the more technical term “crazy”) birds were the White-winged Crossbill, Least Sandpiper, Merlin, and Prairie Falcon. I think Cumberland County is developing a little bit of notoriety with the Least Sandpiper and Prairie Falcon.
The White-winged Crossbills are a first for the count and were seen by Andy Markel and Bill Oyler within the Christmas tree farm in area #8. Andy saw Red Crossbills at the same location last year.
The Least Sandpiper was seen along the Big Spring by Vern Gauthier and his fellow area #6 birders. This is only the ninth year with a total of 12 individuals that this peep has been seen on Pennsylvania CBC’s since the counts began in 1900. Ramsay Koury saw the first one for the Newville count at the Stoughstown pond in 2005. It has been seen in this area during the winter months every year after that count. To make the sighting a little more interesting, it is typically seen alongside a Killdeer.
The Merlin was seen by Jane Earle’s group out in area #5. This is a first for the count. It has been a count week bird in three past counts.
Unfortunately, the Prairie Falcon will only be a count week bird. It was seen in the Mud Level Road area before the count by Ramsay Koury and after the count by Dale Gearhart. Much effort was made by Dale and the Louver’s in area #7 to make it a count day bird. These sightings follow last spring’s numerous sightings again in the Mud Level Road area, and the initial sighting made by Peter Lusardi in the South Mountain area during the 2006 Newville count.
The high count species with this year’s total and the previous record are: Turkey Vulture 53 (28), Sharp-shinned Hawk 15 (11), Red-shouldered Hawk 5 (2), Red-tailed Hawk 107 (102), Ring-billed Gull 942 (903), Red-bellied Woodpecker 138 (113), Golden-crowned Kinglet 85 (84), Northern Mockingbird 181 (145), Northern Cardinal 503 (502), Pine Siskin 147 (16), and American Goldfinch 557 (243).
To no one’s surprise the Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch totals far exceeded the previous records. The Pine Siskins were seen across the count circle with five of the eight areas exceeding the past record. Reinforcing the saying, “birds of a feather, flock together,” this is the third time on the Newville count that these two bird species set record highs on the same year.
The record Golden-crowned Kinglet numbers come a year after an all time low of four for this species. I know that I am not alone in welcoming them back.
The record totals for the Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Sharp-shinned Hawks coincide with the large number of hawks seen on count day. The 12 Northern Harriers did not set a record, but were more than twice the average of five. Three areas saw as many as three individuals. Our area #2 was one of them, and I know we really appreciated watching them as they glided over the fields.
The record high Turkey Vultures and above average Black Vultures continue about a five year trend of significantly increasing numbers for these species. It is surprising to look back to the second Newville count in 1992 when the one Turkey Vulture count week bird was considered a little unusual.
Ron and Patsy Freed’s three Eastern Meadowlarks in area #1 were only the second time this species has been seen since the 2000 count. This observation supports this bird making Audubon’s list of one of the top 20 common birds in decline. The average number seen on the first seven Newville CBC’s was 15 with the record high of 46 in 1992.
Next year’s count will be on Saturday, January 2nd . Since I have only received positive feedback on getting together after the count at the pizza place in Plainfield, we will do that again.