Our checklist for the 53rd Concord CBC has been posted to the Results page. We have two first MACO records: a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD observed at a feeder in Concord and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER in Carlisle, also at a private feeding station. Both birds were photographed and the hummingbird was banded. Five MERLINS are an all-time count high and AMERICAN CROW might earn a record low after the numbers are adjusted for participation level. BLUE JAY produced another abysmally poor showing.
Other notable species were two GREATER SCAUP on Flint’s Pond in Lincoln, the first seen on Count Day since 1984, and an OSPREY, tallied by a veteran CBCer in Wayland. Nine Ospreys were accounted for in the Heard Pond area this Fall and a single bird was spotted tarrying there the week previous to Count Day. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was located and photographed by a Wayland field team. Wayland produced an RHWO for us last year. Way to go, Wayland! A single AMERICAN PIPIT was seen by our Great Meadows team in Concord and, finally, an “OREGON” JUNCO is wintering at the same feeders where it was tallied last year on the count and is presumably the same bird.
Stormy conditions in the early hours kept most of our nocturnal birders home, which might account for weak numbers for the owls, and the less than average total count of 29,104 individuals should be attributed to a lower field participation level than we have have seen in several years.