by Will Cook
The 2018 Chapel Hill spring count on Sunday, May 13, 2018, was on the same date as last year's count, but what a difference! Last year's count was spectacular, one of the best ever with 130 species, while this year's 111 species was our lowest in four decades. The weather made a huge difference. Last year's count had perfect weather: calm, cool, cloudy. This year's was sunny and hot, with the high of 93F tying the record high for this date, more like a mid-July day than a mid-spring day; the birding was also reminiscent of mid-July. The extreme heat made both the birds and the birders lethargic, so many teams put in less time than usual.
This year's species total of 111 is 11 below the 10-year average of 122. This is the lowest since 1974, before the filling of Jordan Lake, when we had 109 species. The total number of birds, 6508, is well below the average of 8289. Effort on the count was also quite low, with 96.55 party hours (average 121.8). However, the number of birds per party hour, 67.4, is surprisingly close to the average of 65.7. Perhaps the low count wasn't because the birds were lying low from the heat after all, but more instead the birders!
The star of this year's count was a Peregrine Falcon at Maple View Farm, seen flying north over Dairyland Road by Roger Shaw. This is only the second for the count; the first was way back in 1965. Roger also had a Grasshopper Sparrow there -- normally not notable, but they are getting more difficult to find in recent years. Other goodies included Hooded Mergansers still breeding at Sandy Creek Park in Durham (Kent Fiala), a Great Egret at Jordan Lake (Bruce Young), and a King Rail at University Lake (heard by Ginger Travis from her kayak).
We set one record high this year, unexpected considering the low number of party hours: Acadian Flycatcher (107 beats the old record of 88 set in 2006, average 64). Yellow-billed Cuckoo were also found in unusually high numbers (40 is the highest since 2000, average 15).
The big miss this year was White-throated Sparrow, the first miss of this lingering winter bird in the more than 60-year history of the Chapel Hill count. We did have it in count week, though. Many other species were remarkably scarce this year: Canada Goose (82 is lowest since 1990, average 199), Wood Duck (15 is lowest since 1990, average 35), Red-tailed Hawk (12, average 22), Rock Pigeon (7, average 21), Eastern Kingbird (12 is lowest since 1973, average 23), Purple Martin (10 is lowest since 1974, average 52), Tree Swallow (3 is lowest since 1998, average 23), American Robin (130 is lowest since 1975, average 245), Ovenbird (78, average 107), Prothonotary Warbler (14, average 35), Common Yellowthroat (50 is lowest since 1969, average 107), Common Grackle (96 is lowest since 1969, average 187), and Orchard Oriole (7 is lowest since 1995, average 18). Total number of warblers (505, average 792) is the lowest since 1996.
Team honors: Will Cook's team, covering Mason Farm as well as the SW Durham sewage plant, recorded 77 species, edging past the team of Shelley Theye and Jill Froning with 75. Tom Driscoll got the highest individual count with 765.
Weather in brief: low 67F, high 93F; wind variable 3-9 mph; mostly sunny, no rain.
We had 37 field counters in 17 parties (average 41 in 20 parties), with 1 feeder watcher. Thanks to all participants for braving the heat to count some birds!
Detailed Results (PDF format)