by Will Cook
The Chapel Hill spring count on Sunday, May 3, 2020, recorded an exceptional 135 species, our highest in 34 years! The high count was helped by the count date being the earliest in 10 years, with a combination of high observer effort and good luck with soaring vagrants and migrant thrushes and warblers. This year's species total of 135 was 16 above the 10-year average of 119 and the total number of birds, 11214, was well above the average of 7694. Effort on the count was outstanding, the highest since 1986, with 161.6 party hours (average 118.5). However, the number of birds per party hour, 69.4, was not far above the average of 65.3.
Remarkably we found two new species for the count, which was initiated in 1952 and has been conducted annually since 1957: Glossy Ibis and Swallow-tailed Kite. The Glossy Ibis was seen by Jelmer Poelstra at the Cub Creek arm of Jordan Lake as it soared with an Osprey and a few vultures, then glided away to cross the Morgan Creek arm of the lake eastward. The Swallow-tailed Kite was seen by Steve Backus (in his kayak) as it soared with Turkey Vultures over the Bush Creek arm of Jordan Lake. Both are first records for the count, though we did have a count week Swallow-tailed Kite in 2012. Other stellar rarities included our third Red-breasted Merganser (Brian Bockhahn at Jordan Lake), our second Mississippi Kite (Jin Bai, Dogwood Acres), first Warbling Vireo since 1994 (Marc Ribaudo, Jordan Lake), and our second Dickcissel (Jan Hansen). Other species we usually miss included Northern Bobwhite, American Woodcock, Bonaparte's Gull, Caspian Tern, American Kestrel, 2 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 4 Cape May Warblers, 2 Bay-breasted Warblers, and Blackburnian Warbler.
We had an incredible number of record highs: 86 Wood Duck (average 30), 211 Black Vulture (average 63), 200 Turkey Vulture (average 99), 44 Barred Owl (average 15), 51 Red-headed Woodpecker (average 17), 136 Downy Woodpecker (average 67), 27 Hairy Woodpecker (average 11), 37 Pileated Woodpecker (avg 21), 120 Great Crested Flycatcher (average 83), 111 Acadian Flycatcher (average 71), 104 Brown-headed Nuthatch (average 71), 35 Veery (previous high 16 in 1978, average 4), 33 Swainson's Thrush (average 13), 187 Gray Catbird (average 65), 50 Orchard Oriole (average 17), and 93 Black-and-white Warbler (average 17).
There were no big misses or record lows, though the count of 23 Song Sparrow in far below the average 49 and the lowest since 2001.
Team honors: Jan Hansen had an amazing 94 species at University Lake and the western portion of the count circle, followed by Brian Bockhahn at Stagecoach Road, with 90. Jelmer Poelstra, covering Cub Creek at Jordan Lake, counted the most individual birds, with 915.
Weather in brief: low 55F, high 85F; wind SW 5-12 mph; clear, no rain.
We had 48 field counters in 27 parties (average 38 in 19 parties), with 1 feeder watcher. Thanks to all counters for their efforts on this stellar day!
Detailed Results (PDF format)