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Posted by Vince Lucas on 15:58:46 12/16/07
I'll let Margaret England, the compiler for the first Clewiston/STA-5 CBC post the totals for the entire count's efforts, but I just wanted to report my team's results. My team consisted of Dr. Jerome Jackson of FGCU & his son Brent, Kenneth Williams of Naples, photographers Peter Quasius & Mark Renz, Robert & Shaaron Shearer of Ft. Myers & Paul & Kris Andrews of New York State. Our area was the four huge impoundments at STA-5 proper. Blumberg Road itself was not included in our area, thus the lack of passerines. Due to the fact that all of the team members, save myself and Ken Williams, left by mid-afternoon, we were not able to cover all of the four impoundments at STA-5. It's doubtful that we could have been able to cover them anyway even if all members stayed, since they are so huge and the number of birds present, especially American Coots, is mind-boggling! We did the best we could. Next year, with better planning and preparation, perhaps with multiple teams, the entire territory including all four cells can be surveyed.
Nonetheless, we saw some phenomenal birds in huge numbers, including 15 species of ducks! A new species was added to the STA-5 checklist -- Eurasian Wigeon. I found this bird in among the myriad American Wigeon. It was a stunning male and it's rufous head seemed to "glow" in the mid-day sun. I think everyone who wanted to get good looks at this bird did so. It was not a hybrid of any sort. Dr. Jackson corroborated the ID. We will submit a rare bird report to the state CBC compiler.
Before I list our team's totals, beside the Eurasian Wigeon found in our area, another team found a Cassin's Kingbird in an area were a FOSRC-accepted CAKI was found a few year's ago. Perhaps it's the same bird. I do know that photos were taken of this particular bird yesterday but I have not seen these photos. If you would like to see the photos of the Cassin's Kingbird found two years ago in the same area by Matt Pike, go here:
http://www.pbase.com/hoodedcrow/cassinskingbird
Thanks again to everyone on my team and especially the "birthday girl" Margaret England for organizing and compiling this first Clewiston/STA-5 CBC. Thanks to Steve Buczynski & Rhonda Roff for the great eats and yummy birthday cake during the final tabulation. Note to Margaret: that Birdpod you got as a present from your friends will help you learn those bird calls! Any effort you put forth in learning these calls will pay big dividends. Start with the birds you hear every day i.e. common birds like Carolina Wren, White-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, etc. etc.
Here's our team's totals (not the entire CBC totals, just ours). Note: the list is not in taxonomic order:
Anhinga -- 127
American Avocet -- 1 (Only the second time we've found AMAV at STA-5)
American Bittern -- 2
Least Bittern -- 2
Redwing Blackbird -- 608
Gray Catbird -- 1
Double-crested Cormorant -- 58
American Coot -- 31,581
Long-billed Dowitcher -- 1218
American Wigeon -- 515
Eurasian Wigeon -- 1 (male)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck -- 68
Blue-winged Teal -- 2665
Canvasback -- 2
Fulvous Whistling-Duck -- 1101
Gadwall -- 7
Green-winged Teal -- 13
Lesser Scaup -- 4
Mottled Duck -- 207
Northern Pintail -- 217
Northern Shoveler -- 243
Ring-necked Duck -- 799
Ruddy Duck -- 14
Wood Duck -- 5
Dunlin -- 48
Bald Eagle -- 1 (adult)
Cattle Egret -- 719
Great Egret -- 66
Snowy Egret -- 350
Peregrine Falcon -- 5
Boat-tailed Grackle -- 284
Pied-billed Grebe -- 201
Ring-billed Gull --1
Northern Harrier -- 35
Red-shouldered hawk -- 11
Black-crowned Night-Heron -- 6
Great Blue Heron -- 65
Green Heron -- 16
Little Blue Heron -- 26
Tricolored Heron -- 55
Glossy Ibis -- 1190
White Ibis -- 119
American Kestrel -- 6
Killdeer -- 69
Belted Kingfisher -- 18
Snail Kite -- 5
Limpkin -- 3
Merlin -- 1
Common Moorhen -- 2122
Osprey -- 23
American White Pelican -- 38
Eastern Phoebe -- 1
Sora -- 3
Least Sandpiper -- 38
Black Skimmer -- 2
Wilson's Snipe -- 12
Savannah Sparrow -- 3
Swamp Sparrow --2
Roseate Spoonbill -- 130 (includes one banded individual)
Black-necked Stilt -- 50
Wood Stork -- 46
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- 31
Tree Swallow -- 145
Purple Swamphen -- 31
Caspian tern -- 7
Forster's Tern -- 1
Black Vulture --3
Turkey Vulture -- 42
Common Yellowthroat -- 12
Palm Warbler -- 25
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- 2
Greater Yellowlegs -- 31
Lesser Yellowlegs -- 158
______________________
Totals: 73 species 45,270 birds
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