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| High-caliber shot of the count's first Golden Eagle...
This year, I took on section six with the assistance of Delmar Hurd and Tom, Pat, and Moose Gieseman. It is worth noting that Moose holds the distinction of being quite possibly the only Christmas Bird Counting Great Pyrenees. Our day’s highlight was an adult Golden Eagle. It was a versatile sighting: prophylactic against afternoon doldrums, balm that soothed the unfulfillment of a quiet morning, and an analgesic to the poor decision we (I) made shortly thereafter to traverse a portion of Batterson Road that at this season is usually a snowmobile trail.
The contributions of section six and its counters, though, were only a small part of the effort in its entirety. In fact, this year represented a fantastic showing in two key areas:
Circle Coverage: A total of seventeen people counted in the field or at feeders--by far, this is the best the Grayling Count has ever done. I hope that both the new participants and the stalwart group who have stuck with this count since its inception realize how grateful I am for their interest, participation, and contribution. There are Christmas Bird Counts in Michigan that are flashier and, perhaps, more exciting to partake in than one in the jack pine barrens of the Northern Lower. But the less-exciting counts still contribute valid scientific data.
New Species: Six (!) species never found before on Grayling’s Christmas Bird Count were added this year. They are: Hooded Merganser, Golden Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Long-eared Owl, Bohemian Waxwing, and Pine Grosbeak. This brings the cumulative total of species seen on this count to 68. Additionally, the 48 species observed this year sets a new record. (The prior record, 45, has stood since the count’s first year in 2013.)
Though it felt like a slow day, we did manage high counts for seven species: Gadwall, Ruffed Grouse, Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, and Red Crossbill. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the total of Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, American Goldfinches, and American Tree Sparrows were the lowest ever recorded in the count’s history and Pine Siskin, seen every other year, was not found at all in 2018.
The full results are in the table below, but before that captures attention, I wanted to acknowledge the evolution of this Christmas Bird Count. In 2013, its first year, I was unsure of its persistence. I had faith, but not certainty, that it would continue. Calvin and Charlene have played a huge part in perpetuating its existence. Sitting down at the tally dinner is always satisfying to me--and not just because of the novelty of sitting and being warm after a day in the field. The satisfaction comes from looking up and down a long table of fellow nature-lovers communing after dedicating a day to North America’s longest-running winter bird census. Thank you, all of you.
Until next year,
Alison Vilag
P.S.: To whet your appetite for future counts, prime candidates to be added to the the species list include Bufflehead, Northern Flicker, Winter Wren, American Robin, Song Sparrow, and Trumpeter Swan (observed this year during count week but not count day!). To further explore Christmas Bird Count results for this count and others, visit http://netapp.audubon.org/cbcobservation/
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| Manistee River near Frederic |
