Posted by Bill Boeringer on January 05, 2016 at 21:36:24
Before reporting the 2015 Results, I want to point out the importance of the Kendall CBC: the following is taken from the National Audubon Society's Summary of the 2014 CBC: "National Highs were spread across most of the country with at least one being obtained by 44 states and 342 CBCs. Aside from Matagorda County-Mad Island Marsh, TX, being Number One again with highest tallies for 26 species, there was much shuffling in the ranks of other CBCs. Tucson Valley, AZ, was 2nd with 17 species and two infraspecific forms, Kendall Area, FL, was 3rd with 15 species…" The Kendall CBC had the highest count in the entire nation for 15 species of birds, more than any other count in the country except two. Those two counts had 120 and 127 birders participating, respectively. We had 37. Congratulations to all participants, but just imagine if we had 3-4 times as many participants! Make sure you mark your calendars to participate in 2016! The 2015 Count, held on December 26, was very successful again thanks to the efforts of all our participants. We added four new species to the Count (pending State Compiler review): Limpkin (at King's Creek and Black Point), Yellow-breasted Chat (at Palmetto Bay Town Center), Warbling Vireo (at Matheson Hammock), and Thick-billed Vireo (at a non-public location). Our unofficial totals were 143 species, plus another 8 during Count Week, and an additional 11 exotic species. We also renewed the tradition of a Post-Count Compilation Party, and I think it's fair to say that everyone who attended had a great time, and we look forward to hosting it again next year! Thanks to Lissette for cooking up some killer soup, and to everyone who brought along food and/or refreshing adult-style beverages! Before I list the totals, I'd like to thank everyone who participated, whom I’ve listed below. A special personal thanks goes out to Carlos Sanchez, who has been indefatigable in assembling teams in several areas, especially Coral Gables and The Hammocks/West Kendall, and in pre-Count scouting. A warm thank you to all participants: Carlos Sanchez, Jack Crittenden, Jeanette Alvarez, Alex Harper, Robin Diaz, Jean Kaufman, Mario Porcelli, Nicholas Porcelli, Dan Smyth, Joe Barros, Edith Einsbruch, Trey Mitchell, Rangel Diaz, Elsa Alvear, Roberto Torres, Ben Woodward, Alana Lozada, Larry Manfredi, Stephen Paez, Brandon Trentler, Tacey Kearin, Omar Paez, William Butler, Miriam Avello, Hans Gonzembach, Walter Wallenstein, Sue Wallenstein, Roxanne Featherly, Troy Henderson, Frank Ridgely, Steven Whitfield, Jeanette Rawlings, and Noah Frade. Also, thanks to our feeder watchers: Daria Feinstein, Ana Alaya, Nan Spiegel, Glenn Huberman, Lee Davis, Sheryl DiCarlo, Dev Weintraub, and Manny Martinez. And now, The (unofficial) List: Egyptian Goose-31 Muscovy Duck-419 American Wigeon-2 Mallard (domesticated)-10 Mottled Duck-19 Blue-winged Teal-27 Am. Green-winged Teal-2 Northern Shoveler-3 Gadwall-1 Redhead-CW Ring-necked Duck-32 Black Scoter-3 Hooded Merganser-4 Red-breasted Merganser-9 Pied-billed Grebe-75 Horned Grebe-2 American White Pelican-10 Brown Pelican-34 Double-crested Cormorant-188 Anhinga-20 Magnificent Frigatebird-1 Least Bittern-CW Great Blue Heron-22 Great Blue Heron (white form)-2 Great Egret-64 Snowy Egret-14 Little Blue Heron-22 Tricolored Heron-27 Cattle Egret-331 Green Heron-10 Black-crowned Night Heron-4 Yellow-crowned Night Heron-7 White Ibis-3,684 Glossy Ibis-11 Roseate Spoonbill-3 Wood Stork-21 Black Vulture-460 Turkey Vulture-4,348 Osprey-29 Bald Eagle-7 Northern Harrier-1 Sharp-shinned Hawk-3 Cooper's Hawk-19 Red-shouldered Hawk-13 Broad-winged Hawk-2 Short-tailed Hawk-19 Red-tailed Hawk-1 American Kestrel-40 Merlin-2 Peregrine Falcon-4 Limpkin-2 King Rail-3 Sora-1 Common Gallinule-69 American Coot-485 Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover-13 Killdeer-34 Greater Yellowlegs-CW Lesser Yellowlegs-6 Spotted Sandpiper-5 Ruddy Turnstone-28 Least Sandpiper-4 Long-billed Dowitcher-36 Wilson's Snipe-CW Laughing Gull-1,651 Franklin's Gull-2 Ring-billed Gull-334 Herring Gull-1 Lesser Black-backed Gull-4 Caspian Tern-CW Royal Tern-16 Rock Pigeon-338 White-crowned Pigeon-15 Eurasian Collared Dove-199 White-winged Dove-9 Mourning Dove-458 Common Ground-Dove-6 White-winged Parakeet-CW Monk Parakeet-45 Mangrove Cuckoo-2 Barn Owl-3 Eastern Screech Owl-18 Burrowing Owl-5 Chuck-wills-widow-1 Whip-poor-will-1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird-86 Belted Kingfisher-11 Red-bellied Woodpecker-89 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-18 Downy Woodpecker-3 Northern Flicker-3 Pileated Woodpecker-1 Eastern Phoebe-57 Great Crested Flycatcher-7 Brown Crested Flycatcher Loggerhead Shrike-48 White-eyed Vireo-11 Thick-billed Vireo-1 Yellow-throated Vireo-9 Blue-headed Vireo-20 Warbling Vireo-2 Blue Jay-121 Fish Crow-373 Tree Swallow-21 Northern Rough-winged Swallow-1 Cave Swallow-CW House Wren-14 Red-whiskered Bulbul-29 Ruby-crowned Kinglet-1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-400 Gray Catbird-78 Northern Mockingbird-123 Brown Thrasher-1 European Starling-1,733 Common Myna-7 Orange-crowned Warbler-6 Nashville Warbler-8 Northern Parula-106 Magnolia Warbler-5 Cape May Warbler-3 Black-throated Blue Warbler-21 Yellow-rumped Warbler-326 Black-throated Green Warbler-19 Yellow-throated Warbler-24 Pine Warbler-67 Prairie Warbler-70 Palm Warbler-440 Black-and-white Warbler-74 American Redstart-20 Worm-eating Warbler-7 Ovenbird-28 Northern Waterthrush-4 Common Yellowthroat-43 Wilson's Warbler-1 Yellow-breasted Chat-1 Summer Tanager-10 Eastern Towhee-1 Savannah Sparrow-2 Northern Cardinal-137 Indigo Bunting-7 Painted Bunting-40 Red-winged Blackbird-336 Eastern Meadowlark-9 Common Grackle-1,630 Boat-tailed Grackle-1,204 Brown-headed Cowbird-37 Bronzed Cowbird-12 Baltimore Oriole-3 Spot-breasted Oriole-4 American Goldfinch-66 House Finch-CW House Sparrow-60 Swan Goose-6 Greylag Goose (domesticated)-8 Indian Peafowl-71 Mitred Parakeet-499 Red-masked Parakeet-162 Blue-and-Yellow Macaw-10 Chestnut-fronted Macaw-4 Yellow-chevroned Parakeet-110 Orange-winged Parrot-16 Hill Myna-14 Scaly-breasted Munia-16