Unlike last season with its long list of lingering species and record counts, this year low counts, many significantly low, far outnumbered the few record totals. By recent standards there were also fewer highlights this year. Weather could have been the culprit, having an impact on many counts - preventing counters from reaching some circles, and even canceling some counts.
Nevertheless, there were some very good finds, most notably, Indiana’s first Lesser Yellowlegs on a CBC. Additional highlights included Pacific Loon, Western Grebe, American White Pelican, Great Egret, Osprey, Purple Sandpiper, Prairie Falcon, House Wren, Palm Warbler, and Lincoln’s Sparrow.
A total of 100 species or more is a noteworthy achievement for any Indiana CBC. This season Western Gibson County tallied an impressive 109 species, followed by Oakland City with 102, and Goose Pond’s 101. Other circles with high species totals included Lake Monroe and Sullivan County with 92 each, and 85 for Knox County.
Disappointingly, only 40 counts reported data in Indiana this season, down significantly from last year’s 48. The 867 field observers and 93 feeder watchers was pretty consistent with last season, but the 1571 total party hours was down substantially from 1966 a year ago. The additional 231 hours of feeder observation and 95 hours of nocturnal birding was also close to last season’s numbers. Participants found 149 total species in Indiana this year, down only slightly from last season’s 153.
Waterfowl highlights included Goose Pond’s impressive 4194 Greater White-fronted Geese, and several big Snow Goose counts from Gibson (201,774), Goose Pond (8809), and Knox County (1007). Six circles contributed to a record 43 Ross’s Geese, with the bulk provided by Gibson (27) and Goose Pond (11). The Trumpeter Swan total (20) was also a new high, with the help of a nice count at Willow Slough (11).
Though duck numbers were typical overall, the Gadwall total was a new high (2187). Several counts had noteworthy duck counts; Goose Pond (56) had more than half of the state’s Canvasback total (102) and the only Blue-winged Teal of the season (6). Nice Ring-necked Duck counts came from Sullivan County (639), Tippecanoe (135), and Oakland City (104), while Knox County had an impressive 142 Ruddy Ducks.
Sea ducks on Lake Michigan were well represented, albeit in low numbers. The Dunes West count had two Surf Scoters, three Black Scoters, a count week White-winged Scoter and Long-tailed Duck. The nearby Indiana Dunes count had pairs of Surf and White-winged Scoters, while Oakland City found an additional Long-tailed Duck—a great inland find.
The season’s Red-throated Loons were provided by the Dunes (13), Lake Monroe (1), and Dunes West (count week). Lake Monroe’s pair of Pacific Loons were the state’s seventh and eighth CBC records, and only the second time an Indiana count has had more than one. Common Loons were especially scarce, being found on only two circles - Lake Monroe (23) and Patoka Lake (12), resulting in the lowest total in 15 years.
The Horned Grebe count (56) was also down - the lowest in 16 years. One big grebe highlight was Dunes West’s count week Western Grebe. Gibson’s American White Pelican was Indiana’s tenth CBC record. The state’s sixteenth and seventeenth Great Egrets were provided by Gibson and Lake Monroe.
Raptors of note included single Ospreys from Lake Monroe and Tippecanoe, and a pair of Golden Eagles - one each for Cass County and Pigeon River (the lowest Golden Eagle total in 14 years). Breaking the recent trend, Red-shouldered Hawks had their lowest total in 12 seasons (119). Elkhart County enjoyed a nice Cooper’s Hawk count (23), while nearby Topeka had an impressive 102 Red-tailed Hawks and 24 Rough-legged Hawks.
The record total of 31 Whooping Cranes included an amazing 28 from Goose Pond, two for Gibson, and a single at Muscatatuck. The Killdeer count was shockingly low; the mere 67 birds was the lowest total in 48 years, and quite a contrast to last season’s record count (1500). There were several rare sandpipers this season, including a Lesser Yellowlegs (a CBC first), and five Least Sandpipers from Gibson, and Dunes West’s count week Purple Sandpiper.
As expected, the gull action was centered along Lake Michigan; the Indiana Dunes count had single Thayer’s, Iceland, and Glaucous gulls, two Lesser Black-backs, and nine Great Black-backed Gulls. An additional three Great Black-backs were added by Dunes West. The largest Eurasian Collared-Dove counts came from Knox County (51), Terre Haute (42), and Jamestown (20). The Mourning Dove total (6443) was the lowest in 32 years. For the eighth straight season Barn Owl was recorded on the state’s CBC; this year single birds were recorded by Goose Pond and Oakland City. Eastern Screech-Owls were scarce with only 60 birds tallied, and the Great Horned Owl total (56) was a 41-year low. Lafayette (6) and Topeka (1) discovered always elusive Long-eared Owls, while the season’s only Northern Saw-whet Owls were singles from Cass County and Willow Slough.
It was a good year for falcons. The 15 Merlins (scattered across twelve circles) was above average, while five counts had single Peregrine Falcons. Oakland City’s Prairie Falcon was Indiana’s fifth CBC record, and the first in eight seasons. Single Northern Shrikes were found on the Cass County, Goose Pond, and Indiana Dunes counts. The American Crow total (16,244) was the lowest in 27 years. This season’s 227 Red-breasted Nuthatches was a nice bounce back from last year’s ten birds.
Spring Mill’s House Wren (always a great CBC find) was the state’s first in four years. Patoka Lake had a good Hermit Thrush day, finding 12 birds. Gray Catbirds were tough to come by, with only one reported - from Lake Monroe. The five Brown Thrashers came from Muscatatuck (2), Gibson (2), and Oakland City (1). Nearly half of the season’s 363 American Pipits came courtesy of Lake Monroe (164). The lone warbler highlight this year was a Palm Warbler from Goose Pond.
It was an unprecedented season for Chipping Sparrows; the 63 found nearly doubled the previous season high (34). Big “Chippy” counts included 35 from Gibson (alone surpassing the previous state high) and Patoka Lake’s 26. The field Sparrow total (134) was the lowest in 19 years. The seasons only Vesper Sparrows were a pair on the Oakland City count. Goose Pond had 90 of the state’s 122 Savannah Sparrows, while the lone Lincoln’s Sparrow came from Sullivan County. Gibson (154) and Lake Monroe (100) provided the bulk of this year’s 317 Rusty Blackbirds. Winter finches were once again no-shows. Neither crossbill species was reported, and even Pine Siskins appeared on only three counts for a total of seven birds - the lowest total in ten years.