Report: Christmas Bird Count, Saturday, December 19, 2020
Christmas Bird Count report: Rufous Hummingbird and other highlights
The 2020 Christmas Bird Count for the Lexington Count Circle was conducted on Saturday the 19th of December. This was our 95th CBC, and we found a total of 81 species, a record high, and counted 6,915 birds. In addition, a Peregrine Falcon was seen on count day—but outside of the count circle. Over the past 10 years we’ve seen an average of 76 species and 10,390 birds.
This year’s count was highlighted by the presence of a Rufous Hummingbird, a Long-tailed Duck, an American Tree Sparrow, and a Virginia Rail. The Rufous Hummingbird was reported by John Pancake and Ann Olson. These are a western species that are occasionally seen in Virginia during the fall; several others have been reported in the state this fall. The Long-tailed Duck was discovered by Wendy Richards at Lake Robertson several weeks ago and has since been seen by many birders. Evening Grosbeaks are northern birds that irrupt into southern regions sporadically; this winter they are being reported from many locations in Virginia and were seen at two feeders within the count circle. Evening Grosbeaks were last seen on the Christmas Bird Count in 1993 and have been reported only 27 times since the count began. The American Tree Sparrow, an unusual winter visitor to our area, and the Virginia Rail were both found by Dick and Lucy Rowe at a private pond within the count circle. Neither the Rufous Hummingbird nor the Long-tailed Duck had been seen during any previous CBC.
The Christmas Bird Count is directed nationwide by the National Audubon Society. Each count is scheduled for a single day during the month of December; volunteer participants try to count all birds within a 15-mile-diameter circle. The value of these counts is that a “snapshot” of species and individuals in a given area is taken each year, and trends in populations can be identified for an area or for the country overall. Since 1974, the Lexington Bird Count circle has been centered at the Big Spring pond on U.S. 60, and thus we have 40+ years of data for birds in the count area.
I would like to thank all of the participants this year for their dedication and efforts in counting birds within the count circle. You’ll find their names, along with a complete list of the species seen, at the end of the newsletter.
—Dick Rowe Lexington Christmas Bird Count Coordinator
Christmas Bird Count report: Rufous Hummingbird and other highlights
The 2020 Christmas Bird Count for the Lexington Count Circle was conducted on Saturday the 19th of December. This was our 95th CBC, and we found a total of 81 species, a record high, and counted 6,915 birds. In addition, a Peregrine Falcon was seen on count day—but outside of the count circle. Over the past 10 years we’ve seen an average of 76 species and 10,390 birds.
This year’s count was highlighted by the presence of a Rufous Hummingbird, a Long-tailed Duck, an American Tree Sparrow, and a Virginia Rail. The Rufous Hummingbird was reported by John Pancake and Ann Olson. These are a western species that are occasionally seen in Virginia during the fall; several others have been reported in the state this fall. The Long-tailed Duck was discovered by Wendy Richards at Lake Robertson several weeks ago and has since been seen by many birders. Evening Grosbeaks are northern birds that irrupt into southern regions sporadically; this winter they are being reported from many locations in Virginia and were seen at two feeders within the count circle. Evening Grosbeaks were last seen on the Christmas Bird Count in 1993 and have been reported only 27 times since the count began. The American Tree Sparrow, an unusual winter visitor to our area, and the Virginia Rail were both found by Dick and Lucy Rowe at a private pond within the count circle. Neither the Rufous Hummingbird nor the Long-tailed Duck had been seen during any previous CBC.
The Christmas Bird Count is directed nationwide by the National Audubon Society. Each count is scheduled for a single day during the month of December; volunteer participants try to count all birds within a 15-mile-diameter circle. The value of these counts is that a “snapshot” of species and individuals in a given area is taken each year, and trends in populations can be identified for an area or for the country overall. Since 1974, the Lexington Bird Count circle has been centered at the Big Spring pond on U.S. 60, and thus we have 40+ years of data for birds in the count area.
I would like to thank all of the participants this year for their dedication and efforts in counting birds within the count circle. You’ll find their names, along with a complete list of the species seen, at the end of the newsletter.
—Dick Rowe Lexington Christmas Bird Count Coordinator