Bruce Di Labio's Blog: Final Results of the Massena, NY.-Cornwall, ON. CBC

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Final Results of the Massena, NY.-Cornwall, ON. CBC

39^th Annual

Massena, New York-Cornwall, Ontario

Christmas Bird Count Results

December 27, 2011

Hi Everyone

Please find attached the results of the 39th Annual Massena-Cornwall Christmas Bird Count. I've also attached the revised All Time Record Highs, 1971-2011. Both lists follow the most recent AOU changes in the July 2011 supplement. If you note any errors in the numbers please let me know. Also, please forward results to anyone whose email I don’t list and took part.

Thanks and have a great year birding!

Bruce Di Labio Compiler

The 39th Annual Massena,NY.-Cornwall,On. Christmas Bird Count (CBC) took place on Tuesday, December 27, 2011. A total of 36 field observers and 12 feeder watchers recorded a record high 78 species and a record high 24,015 individuals. One new species, Winter Wren, was added to the All Time list bringing the total to 138 species in 39 years. Also, 16 record high counts and 3 tied record highs were recorded. The weather conditions for the day were great for being out counting birds. The temperature ranged from 0c to +4c with the visibility “excellent” along the St. Lawrence River during the morning due to the calm conditions. Also, the morning was mainly clear and the afternoon was mainly overcast with light variable winds. The St. Lawrence River was wide open except for a few sheltered bays that were frozen or had ice along the shoreline. These conditions were superb and resulted in many new water birds record high counts. In the 24 years I've been involved with the count it was one of the best! I would like to thank all the participants and sector leaders for their continued support on the count. Please forward this email to anyone who may be interested in participating next season.

The date for next Massena, NY.- Cornwall, ON. CBC is tentatively set for Saturday, December 22nd, 2012.

Di Labio Birding Website
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http://www.dilabiobirding.ca
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Bruce Di Labio
400 Donald B. Munro Drive
P.O. Box 538
Carp, Ontario
K0A 1L0
Office 613-839-4395 Cell 613-715-2571

A few Massena-Cornwall CBC (1971-2012) statistics:

Total Species: Record High 78 (2011) Record Low 29 (1971)

Total Individuals: Record High 24,015 (2011) Record Low 2,286 (1971)

The accumulative list stands at 138 species since the first count on December 27, 1971. There are 2 years that the count wasn’t held or data not available, 1972 and 1974. I’m not sure if it was due to poor weather.

One of the rarest birds to be found on the Massena, NY.- Cornwall, ON Christmas Bird Count was a Sage Thrasher. This individual was found on the first count on December 27, 1971 at the entrance to the Robert Moses Power Dam. The thrasher was feeding in a crab apple tree and photographed by Doug Allen. At the time it was the 3^rd NYS record.

The following highlights were recorded:

New species:

Winter Wren 1

Record Highs: Previous highs are shown in parentheses followed by year.

American Wigeon 10 (9) 2006

Redhead 8 (5) 2001, 2006

Bufflehead 54 (46) 2008

Hooded Merganser 80 (63) 2006

Red-breasted Merganser 85 (28) 2009

Common Loon 32 (21) 2006

Red-necked Grebe 7 (4) 1994

Bald Eagle 9 (7) 2002

Cooper's Hawk 4 (3) 1991, 1994

Peregrine Falcon 2 (1) 2003, 2008, 2009

Mourning Dove 402 (373) 2001

Northern Flicker 16 (11) 1999

Pileated Woodpecker 19 (12) 2001

American Robin 1,609 (129) 1985

European Starling 3,225 (1211) 1998

Dark-eyed Junco 94 (84) 2008

Tied Record Highs: Previous ties are shown in parentheses followed by year.

Red-shouldered Hawk 1 (1) 1988

Merlin 2 (2) 2008

Carolina Wren 1 (1) 1990, 2008, 2010

Other species of interest:

Cackling Goose 1 (2nd record)

Northern Pintail 1 (4th record)
Red-throated Loon 1 (3rd record)

Eastern Meadowlark 1 (4th record)

Winter Finches:

Pine Grosbeak (0)
Purple Finch (2)
Red Crossbill (0)

White-winged Crossbill (0)

Common Redpoll (0)
Pine Siskin (75)
American Goldfinch (328)
Evening Grosbeak (0)

Species	Number	Records	Comments
Snow Goose	3		late
Cackling Goose	1	2nd	last recorded 2006
Canada Goose	6577
Tundra Swan	1	3rd	late
Gadwall	87
American Wigeon	10	*	Record High
American Black Duck	68
Mallard	1951
Northern Pintail	1	4th	late
Redhead	8	*	Record High
Ring-necked Duck	4
Greater Scaup	5
Lesser Scaup	1		last recorded 2006
Long-tailed Duck	3
Bufflehead	54	*	Record High
Common Goldeneye	1132
Hooded Merganser	80	*	Record High
Common Merganser	978
Red-breasted Merganser	85	*	Record High
Ruffed Grouse	1		low
Wild Turkey	245
Red-throated Loon	1	3rd	first since 1997
Common Loon	32	*	Record High
Horned Grebe	1	6th	last recorded 2005
Red-necked Grebe	7	*	Record High
Double-crested Cormorant	2		late
Great Blue Heron	1		late (photo)
Bald Eagle	9	*
Northern Harrier	1		late. Last recorded 2006
Sharp-shinned Hawk	3
Cooper's Hawk	4	*	Record High
Northern Goshawk	3		scarce nowadays
Red-shouldered Hawk	1	***	Ties record high
Red-tailed Hawk	31
Rough-legged Hawk	3
Merlin	2	***	Ties record high
Peregrine Falcon	2	*	Record High
Ring-billed Gull	45
Herring Gull	1311
Iceland Gull	2
Glaucous Gull	4
Great Black-backed Gull	362		lower numbers in recent years
Rock Pigeon	503
Mourning Dove	402	*	Record High
Great Horned Owl	1		low
Snowy Owl	2		part of south bound movement
Downy Woodpecker	45
Hairy Woodpecker	45
Northern Flicker	16	*	Record High
Pileated Woodpecker	19	*	Record High
Northern Shrike	4
Blue Jay	274
American Crow	2,545
Common Raven	7
Horned Lark	1
Black-capped Chickadee	623
Red-breasted Nuthatch	2		low
White-breasted Nuthatch	68
Brown Creeper	10
Carolina Wren	1	***	Ties record high (photo)
Winter Wren	1	**	New species (photo)
Golden-crowned Kinglet	9
American Robin	1,609	*	Record High
European Starling	3,225	*	Record High
Cedar Waxwing	186
Snow Bunting	538
American Tree Sparrow	108
Song Sparrow	2
Dark-eyed Junco	94	*	Record High
Northern Cardinal	19
Red-winged Blackbird	1
Eastern Meadowlark	1	4th	late
Brown-headed Cowbird	8
Purple Finch	2
House Finch	23
Pine Siskin	75
American Goldfinch	328
House Sparrow	96


Total Species:	78
Total Individuals:	24,015


Record High*
New Record**
Ties Record High***

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Birding Ethics

Ontario Field Ornithologists' Ethical Birding Principles
As the number of birders increases, we must all make every effort to act in a positive and responsible way. We must also convey responsible image to non-birders who may be affected by our activities. Most people appreciate birds but this appreciation can be quickly destroyed by the irresponsible actions of a handful of birders.

In the past a code of ethics was not considered necessary, but times have changed and as more and more pressure is put on our environment it is essential to do whatever we can to lead by example. Each of us must show consideration to other birders, landowners, habitat, birds and other wildlife at all times. We are ambassadors of birding and our actions today will reflect the respect we receive in the future.

The welfare of the birds must come first.
Whatever your interest, from scientific study to listing, always consider the impact of your activity on the bird. Respect bird protection laws. We are all responsible to ensure we abide by them at all times.

Habitat protection.
Habitat is vital for the existence of birds and we must ensure that our activities cause minimum damage to our environment. Use trails to avoid trampling vegetation.

Keep disturbance to a minimum.
Although some birds can tolerate human activity, this varies from species to species and from season to season. Use common sense and extreme caution around nests. Migrants may be tired and hungry and should not be kept from resting or feeding. When photographing birds, study their reaction and if they become agitated, back off. Avoid the use of flash photography on owls. Tape recordings and similar methods of attracting birds may cause stress for territorial birds. They should be used sparingly and avoided in heavily birded areas. Do not deliberately flush birds. Patience is often rewarded.

Rare breeding birds.
If you discover a rare breeding bird, do not feel under any obligation to report your find to other birders. Record the details of your discovery. You may wish to file the nest with the Ontario Nest Records Scheme at the Royal Ontario Museum. Avoid visiting known sites of rare breeding birds unless they can be viewed from a distance without disturbance.

Rare birds.
Rare migrants or vagrants are the species most sought after by birders. If you discover a rarity, consider the circumstances carefully before releasing the information. You must take responsibility for the decision to release the find. You should consider whether an influx of birders will disturb the bird, people or other species in the area; whether habitat will be damaged; and where people will park. Inform the landowner of the find, explain what may happen and obtain permission to tell other birders. Ask the landowner for a list of dos and don'ts, for example, where birders may stand to get a good view and what restrictions there may be on time of day. Also ask which areas are off limit. If you decide to release the news, give precise directions and instructions. If possible include a phone number. At all times make as little noise as possible. Remember, most non-birders will be surprised by the number of visitors who wish to see a rare bird.

Respect the rights of landowners and occupiers of land.
Before entering an area, be aware of the rules about access such as by-laws of Conservation Authorities, National and Provincial Parks, and Regional Authorities. Many landowners and authorities allow birders access to areas normally off limits. Always act in a responsible way and if you are asked to leave, do so immediately. Do not block gateways or cause damage to fences, and leave gates as you find them. Do not obstruct people who may be working in these areas.

Have proper consideration for other birders.
When telephoning for information, do so at reasonable hours of the day. Try not to disrupt other birders’ activities or scare the birds they are watching. Many other people enjoy the outdoors; do not interfere with their activities. Be polite to other birders and helpful to beginners. If you see people obviously disturbing birds or significantly damaging habitat, explain to them the effect of their actions but be courteous, they may not be aware of the effect they are having.

Increase our knowledge about birds.
Keep notes of your sightings and send them to area compilers. Send rare bird reports to the Secretary, Ontario Bird Records Committee.

When birding in other countries, provinces or regions.
Find out if there is a local code of ethics or any special rules that should be respected.

|Other Birding Codes of Conduct|

Bruce Di Labio's Blog

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Final Results of the Massena, NY.-Cornwall, ON. CBC

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