The 124th Christmas Bird Count in North Carolina

            The 124^th CBC in North Carolina consisted of 53 counts, with three (Alamance County, Holly Shelter and Portsmouth) not being run. The weather this season averaged slightly lower temperatures and less precipitation. There were only six counts with highs above 60, and only two with lows below 20 (New River State Park, Upper Yadkin River Valley). Snow was non-existent with only light snow falling in the morning at Buncombe County. Only one count had partially frozen water. Only five counts had rain - Durham, Cape Hatteras, Iredell County, Southern Pines, and Central Beaufort County – but it was heavy and hampered the counts’ efforts. Thankfully, no all-day fog was reported on any Count. High winds hampered four counts (New Bern, Pamlico County, Durham, Charlotte). During this year’s Count 751,224 individuals of 228 species, five Count-Week (CW) birds (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Northern Parula, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Clay-colored Sparrow), and 1 form (Ipswich Sparrow) were reported. The species total was an improvement over last season’s 218. Top Coastal species totals included Wilmington’s 160, Morehead City’s 156, Bodie-Pea’s 150, Southport’s 136, and Kitty Hawk’s and Cape Hatteras’ 123. Tidewater counts were led by Lake Mattamuskeet’s 144, Pamlico County’s 123, New Bern’s 118, and Alligator River’s 114. Coastal Plain counts were led by Pettigrew with 106, Wayne County with 98, Greenville with 91, and Cumberland County with 90. Leading Piedmont counts included totals of 103 at Raleigh, 97 at Southern Lake Norman, 95 at Roanoke Rapids, 94 at Jordan Lake, and 91 at Chapel Hill. Mountain counts were led by Henderson County’s 84, Brevard’s 83, Lake Lure’s 72, and Balsam’s and Buncombe County’s 71.

            A Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (CW) at Morehead City was only the fourth to be found on the NC CBC. Two Greater White-fronted Geese, with singles at Durham and Wilmington, were good finds. Snow Geese were way down compared to last year, and only two Ross’s Geese were found (Bodie-Pea 1, Upper Yadkin River 1). Brant numbers rebounded with 120 at Ocracoke. Three Cackling Geese were recorded, with singles at Rockingham County, Pettigrew, and Alligator River. The number of Tundra Swans was down this year, almost half fewer! All Puddle duck numbers were down again, except for Green-winged Teal, which had numbers close to last year’s low numbers! Diving duck numbers were mostly down this winter – with Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Surf Scoter, and Bufflehead especially so. All three Mergansers were up though. Again, only one Common Eider was noted, that being at Wilmington. Northern Bobwhite was way down again this year, with 26 on 3 counts (13 at Alligator River, 12 at New Bern, and 1 at Mattamuskeet). Common and Red-throated Loon numbers were substantially up compared to last year. Single Pacific Loons were found at Cape Hatteras and Wilmington. Horned Grebe numbers were down this year, while Pied-billed Grebe numbers were relatively stable. Manx Shearwaters were good finds with one at Cape Hatteras and 3 Bodie-Pea. Northern Gannets were way down again, the second year in a row. One wonders if this is due to the reported breeding colony problems with avian flu. Double-crested Cormorants were up, Brown Pelican numbers were down, and American White Pelicans were way up with 238 from three counts (208 at Bodie-Pea, 26 at Pamlico County, and 4 at Mattamuskeet). Anhinga numbers were up again, with 49 being found on six counts. Long-legged wader numbers were generally slightly up, compared to last year. Extraordinary was the Roseate Spoonbill on the Bodie-Pea count. This first NC CBC record, which was a lingering bird from the fall, also represented the first documented wintering Spoonbill for the state! Osprey numbers totaled 52 on 11 counts, up again from last year. Three on the Gastonia count were unusual for that far-inland location. Vulture numbers were relatively stable this year, as were hawk and Bald Eagle numbers. Rails were found in similar numbers to last year, but the Yellow Rail observed on the New Bern count was a very good find. American Coot numbers were down considerably from last year. Another first for the NC CBC was provided by lingering Limpkins on the Catawba Valley count and Balsam (CW) count. This species has been expanding its range northward for years now, and it was only a matter of time before some would be found on the CBC. Sandhill Cranes were up, being noted at Rocky Mount (47), Morehead City (2), and Mattamuskeet (CW). Shorebird numbers were noticeably up this count season. Four Wilson’s Plovers at Morehead City and 23 Piping Plovers on three counts were notable totals. Spotted Sandpipers totaled 12 on 7 counts, up from last year. Marbled Godwit numbers rebounded nicely from last year’s very low numbers, with 405 on three counts. Jaeger numbers were slightly down compared to last season with 8 Parasitics on three counts. Razorbill numbers were way up with 515 at Bodie-Pea, 57 at Cape Hatteras, 16 at Wilmington, 12 at Southport, and 2 at Kitty Hawk. Extraordinary was the record total of 163 Dovekies including 106 at Bodie-Pea, 40 at Camp Lejeune, 17 at Cape Hatteras, and CW at Ocracoke and Morehead City. This species experienced a major “wreck” in the state’s waters just prior to the counts. The only gulls of note were the 2 Little Gulls photographed far inland at Southern Lake Norman; the only ones found this count season! Royal Terns were way down while Forster’s Terns were found in similar numbers to last year. Rare terns included the Caspian Tern at Wilmington and the Sandwich Tern at Camp Lejeune.

            Short-eared Owls were in short supply this year, with only two being found at the usual Alligator River area. Only one Northern Saw-whet Owl was located, this being on the Grandfather Mountain count, providing a rare local find in winter. Ruby-throated Hummingbird numbers were about average, with all being found on coastal and tidewater counts as usual. Four Rufous Hummingbirds were counted this year, which is about average for the state. All species of woodpeckers were slightly down, compared to last year. Numbers for Kestrels and Merlins were down somewhat, while Peregrine numbers were close to last year. Always of interest, an Empidonax sp. flycatcher was a good find at Roanoke Rapids. Ash-throated Flycatchers had another banner year with 6 found on 3 counts. Also of note was the Western Kingbird on the Southport count. Crow numbers remained stable while Raven numbers increased. Horned Larks rebounded from the previous year, with 294 found on 10 counts (including an impressive 214 at Pettigrew). Tree Swallow numbers rebounded nicely from last year. Two CW Northern Rough-winged Swallows were good finds in Raleigh count circle. After last year’s decent showing, Red-breasted Nuthatches were way down with only 46 being found on 12 counts. Wren numbers remained relatively stable from last season. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and both Kinglets were present in higher numbers this year. Thrush and mimic thrush numbers were comparable to those of last year, except for American Robins which declined for the second year in a row. Cedar Waxwing numbers were slightly lower than last season. Always noteworthy, Lapland Longspur was a very good find inland at Raleigh. Snow Buntings were found, including a nice flock of 25 at Bodie-Pea and 2 at Ocracoke. An impressive 13 species of warbler were found this count season! Of the less-common regulars only one Ovenbird was found (Kitty Hawk), but Black-and-whites, Yellow-throateds, and Prairies were found in usual numbers. The most noteworthy included 3 Nashville Warblers (Wilmington, Mattamuskeet, and Gastonia), 3 Cape May Warblers (Kitty Hawk, Morehead City, Wilmington), Northern Parula (Morehead City CW), and 3 Wilson’s Warblers (Roanoke Rapids, Cumberland County, and Gastonia). Two Yellow-breasted Chats (Roanoke Rapids, Mattamuskeet) were about average for the season. While the common species numbers were relatively stable, several notables were found. Of interest were two Count-week birds on the Morehead City count, single Grasshopper and Clay-colored Sparrows. Good finds were three Lark Sparrows at Wayne County, Kitty Hawk, and Southport; and four Lincoln’s Sparrows at Alligator River (2) and Roanoke Rapids (2). But the star sparrow of the season was the Harris’s Sparrow found on the Buncombe County count. There are only a handful of occurrences of this species for NC, and this one certainly provided another first NC CBC record! Two Summer Tanagers (Morehead City and Greenville) were good finds and continued the string of years this species has been located during the Christmas Count (14!). A Western Tanager was once again located, this one being at Morehead City. A Blue Grosbeak was photographed on the Gastonia count, providing only the 9^th found on a NC CBC. This year’s Painted Buntings included 4 at Cape Hatteras, and 2 each at Morehead City, Wilmington, and Southport. The only Dickcissel was found, surprisingly, inland on the Chapel Hill count! Blackbird numbers were comparable to previous years, and wintering Baltimore Oriole numbers were up from last year. A Bullock’s Oriole coming to a feeder on the Morehead City count was only the 4^th for the NC CBC. Winter finch numbers were down this winter, except for Siskins which had a modest increase. Purple Finches were way down with only 72 on 23 counts (small totals on each count). Red Crossbills increased with 57 reported from 5 counts; the best count was 31 at Grandfather Mountain. Only one Evening Grosbeak was detected, that being on the Roanoke Rapids count.