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Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Mitchell SD 2022 Christmas Bird Count Results
About the Audubon CBC
For over 100 years, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
uses volunteers to track bird populations by holding local counts across North
and South America. Counts are held between December 14 and January 5 and are
composed of volunteers of all birding levels to count birds in the field and at
their feeders. Volunteers count birds and tally them by species within a 15
mile diameter count circle.
About the Mitchell CBC
The Mitchell circle is centered roughly at the Corn
Palace. It encompasses parts of Davison
and Hanson counties including the cities of Mitchell and Loomis. The Mitchell
count circle can be found at https://arcg.is/0mDr0W.
After a 46 year hiatus, the Mitchell CBC was reinstated in
2013. The first count was executed in
1957. Two more counts were executed in 1966 and 1967.
Count Summary
This year’s count took place on Saturday, December 17, 2022
and was the tenth consecutive year to hold the count since reinstatement.
On the day of the count the skies were partly cloudy. Day
time temperatures started at 9°
F and rose to 11° F. The
maximum wind speed was 21 mph out of the northwest. There was no open water other
than some moving water.
A total of 19 people participated and all were adults. We
had 8 groups of people who birded in the field and 10 groups that watched their
feeders. Field groups spent 17 hours in the field observing birds. In comparison the feeder watchers spent 40.25
hours watching birds at their feeders.
We had a total of 2,080 birds composed of 36 species for the
count day. Both the total number of birds and number of species were lower than
past years. There was an additional 1 count week species. Count week species
are seen 3 days before or after the count day but not on the count day. The
most abundant species was the American robin at 310.
We added one new species to the count. A Common goldeneye was seen in some open
water in the James River. Some misses included Cooper’s hawk, merlin, kestrel,
cedar waxwing, brown creeper, and lapland longspur. There weren’t any species
that were flagged as rare.
Of note were 3 red crossbills at a feeder. We only had them
one year before during count week.
Even though numbers were low, we had numerous high
counts. They include northern harrier
(2), bald eagle (10), rough-legged hawk (37), black-capped chickadee (78),
white-crowned sparrow (2), purple finch (15).
I’ve composed the following tables: Counts for the Year, Participants for the
Year, Counts by Year, and Effort by Year.
Counts for the Year
The following table contains counts for the Mitchell CBC. CW
designates count week birds.
|
Species |
Total |
|
Common Goldeneye |
1 |
|
Wild Turkey |
210 |
|
Ring-necked Pheasant |
231 |
|
Rock Pigeon |
59 |
|
Eurasian Collared-dove |
35 |
|
Mourning Dove |
20 |
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
1 |
|
Bald Eagle |
3 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
2 |
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
1 |
|
buteo sp. |
3 |
|
Great Horned Owl |
3 |
|
Red-bellied Woodpecker |
9 |
|
Downy Woodpecker |
27 |
|
Hairy Woodpecker |
10 |
|
Northern Flicker |
1 |
|
Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) |
5 |
|
Blue Jay |
22 |
|
American Crow |
5 |
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
10 |
|
Horned Lark |
236 |
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
5 |
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
16 |
|
European Starling |
135 |
|
American Robin |
310 |
|
House Sparrow |
252 |
|
House Finch |
75 |
|
Purple Finch |
1 |
|
Red Crossbill |
3 |
|
American Goldfinch |
88 |
|
Snow Bunting |
3 |
|
American Tree Sparrow |
20 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
97 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) |
9 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) |
1 |
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
CW |
|
Harris's Sparrow |
1 |
|
Western Meadowlark |
14 |
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
141 |
|
Common Grackle |
1 |
|
Northern Cardinal |
14 |
|
Total |
2080 |
Participants for the Year
The Mitchell CBC wouldn’t have been possible without the
help of all of these volunteers.
|
Full Name |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Mavis Anderson |
|
Feeder |
|
Mike Blaalid |
|
Feeder |
|
Ramona Bloodgood |
|
Feeder |
|
Doug Hansen |
Field |
|
|
Jeff Hansen |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Rick Hansen |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Dee Johnson |
|
Feeder |
|
Dennis Leland |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Sheri Leland |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Paula Mazzer |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Chris Slaybaugh |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Scott Meyer |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Andrea Meyer |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Tim Mullican |
Field |
|
|
Bonnie Orr |
|
Feeder |
|
Letha Rowley |
|
Feeder |
|
Barb Stolz |
|
Feeder |
|
Lonnie Weiss |
|
Feeder |
|
Tammy Wheeler |
Field |
|
Counts by Year
This table contains counts by year for the last 10 years of
the Mitchell CBC. Note, zero denotes count week species.
|
Species |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Snow Goose |
|
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
|
7 |
0 |
|
|
Canada Goose |
0 |
50 |
0 |
24 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
0 |
|
|
Wood Duck |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gadwall |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Mallard |
|
225 |
2 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
|
Redhead |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Lesser Scaup |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Goldeneye |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Ruddy Duck |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Wild Turkey |
104 |
294 |
88 |
162 |
30 |
168 |
215 |
111 |
105 |
210 |
|
Greater Prairie-chicken |
10 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ring-necked Pheasant |
194 |
137 |
366 |
141 |
221 |
34 |
146 |
97 |
261 |
231 |
|
Rock Pigeon |
112 |
495 |
435 |
131 |
631 |
55 |
323 |
545 |
128 |
59 |
|
Eurasian Collared-dove |
68 |
95 |
54 |
179 |
37 |
35 |
45 |
85 |
70 |
35 |
|
Mourning Dove |
9 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
0 |
|
|
2 |
20 |
|
Northern Harrier |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cooper's Hawk |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
|
Northern Goshawk |
3 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
Bald Eagle |
8 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
1 |
9 |
3 |
10 |
3 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
15 |
24 |
19 |
28 |
21 |
0 |
31 |
26 |
8 |
2 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan's) |
|
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
16 |
3 |
2 |
20 |
11 |
1 |
6 |
18 |
37 |
1 |
|
buteo sp. |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
Eastern Screech-owl |
4 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
6 |
2 |
|
|
|
Great Horned Owl |
4 |
10 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
10 |
5 |
3 |
|
Snowy Owl |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barred Owl |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Long-eared Owl |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Short-eared Owl |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
Northern Saw-whet Owl |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Belted Kingfisher |
|
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Red-bellied Woodpecker |
5 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
5 |
4 |
13 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
|
Downy Woodpecker |
19 |
30 |
32 |
27 |
18 |
9 |
34 |
15 |
30 |
27 |
|
Hairy Woodpecker |
5 |
17 |
16 |
13 |
11 |
5 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
|
Northern Flicker |
21 |
8 |
20 |
27 |
6 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) |
|
|
|
|
6 |
5 |
|
2 |
4 |
5 |
|
Northern Flicker (red-shafted) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
American Kestrel |
3 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
|
4 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
Merlin |
2 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
Peregrine Falcon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
Prairie Falcon |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
falcon sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Northern Shrike |
8 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
6 |
|
|
|
Blue Jay |
59 |
37 |
46 |
73 |
37 |
20 |
73 |
70 |
39 |
22 |
|
American Crow |
12 |
54 |
57 |
15 |
10 |
17 |
32 |
17 |
18 |
5 |
|
Common Raven |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
32 |
39 |
34 |
24 |
15 |
11 |
53 |
40 |
78 |
10 |
|
Tufted Titmouse |
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Horned Lark |
43 |
255 |
444 |
4 |
368 |
60 |
70 |
220 |
11 |
236 |
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
3 |
3 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
8 |
5 |
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
10 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
6 |
5 |
22 |
19 |
21 |
16 |
|
Brown Creeper |
8 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
0 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
|
|
Carolina Wren |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
European Starling |
1339 |
286 |
445 |
6559 |
689 |
47 |
832 |
1188 |
447 |
135 |
|
Brown Thrasher |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Eastern Bluebird |
|
|
4 |
5 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
Townsend's Solitaire |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
American Robin |
1746 |
39 |
561 |
261 |
118 |
14 |
6 |
204 |
152 |
310 |
|
Cedar Waxwing |
174 |
52 |
153 |
70 |
157 |
84 |
140 |
76 |
45 |
|
|
House Sparrow |
360 |
292 |
749 |
687 |
809 |
73 |
336 |
277 |
357 |
252 |
|
House Finch |
61 |
33 |
108 |
49 |
128 |
38 |
27 |
115 |
25 |
75 |
|
Purple Finch |
|
|
7 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
4 |
15 |
1 |
|
Common Redpoll |
|
45 |
7 |
|
97 |
4 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Red Crossbill |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
3 |
|
White-winged Crossbill |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pine Siskin |
0 |
16 |
22 |
|
24 |
12 |
17 |
53 |
1 |
|
|
American Goldfinch |
29 |
57 |
197 |
292 |
132 |
18 |
139 |
163 |
75 |
88 |
|
Lapland Longspur |
46 |
133 |
32 |
30 |
50 |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
Snow Bunting |
5 |
1 |
55 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
3 |
|
American Tree Sparrow |
67 |
52 |
141 |
456 |
413 |
11 |
49 |
433 |
41 |
20 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
278 |
96 |
136 |
83 |
172 |
50 |
123 |
100 |
60 |
97 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) |
|
|
|
|
36 |
14 |
28 |
54 |
39 |
9 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) |
|
|
|
|
8 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Harris's Sparrow |
|
|
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
6 |
11 |
|
1 |
|
Song Sparrow |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
Spotted Towhee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Western Meadowlark |
4 |
|
3 |
6 |
|
|
|
9 |
1 |
14 |
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
5720 |
597 |
410 |
1212 |
1230 |
285 |
106 |
10122 |
450 |
141 |
|
Brown-headed Cowbird |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
13 |
|
|
|
Rusty Blackbird |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Common Grackle |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
20 |
|
1 |
|
blackbird sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
506 |
|
|
|
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
3 |
|
0 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Cardinal |
14 |
29 |
26 |
27 |
21 |
6 |
23 |
29 |
12 |
14 |
|
passerine sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
10639 |
3560 |
4737 |
10682 |
5552 |
1121 |
3058 |
14733 |
2610 |
2080 |
Effort by Year
This table contains effort for all years of the Mitchell CBC.
|
Count Date |
Count Year |
Field People |
Field Hours All |
Feeder People |
Feeder Hours |
Count Day Species |
Count Week Species |
Count Species Total |
Bird Total |
|
12/23/1957 |
1957 |
2 |
9.00 |
|
|
25 |
0 |
25 |
1377 |
|
12/30/1966 |
1966 |
1 |
9.00 |
|
|
20 |
0 |
20 |
463 |
|
12/31/1967 |
1967 |
1 |
9.00 |
|
|
20 |
0 |
20 |
2885 |
|
12/26/2013 |
2013 |
17 |
52.50 |
6 |
13.25 |
47 |
2 |
49 |
10639 |
|
12/26/2014 |
2014 |
9 |
42.75 |
11 |
34.25 |
49 |
0 |
49 |
3560 |
|
12/26/2015 |
2015 |
20 |
37.25 |
14 |
29.00 |
49 |
6 |
55 |
4737 |
|
12/26/2016 |
2016 |
17 |
48.00 |
15 |
32.75 |
45 |
0 |
45 |
10682 |
|
12/26/2017 |
2017 |
17 |
47.00 |
4 |
13.00 |
42 |
2 |
44 |
5552 |
|
12/26/2018 |
2018 |
9 |
10.25 |
5 |
21.00 |
32 |
6 |
38 |
1121 |
|
12/21/2019 |
2019 |
13 |
47.50 |
17 |
29.00 |
51 |
2 |
53 |
3058 |
|
12/26/2020 |
2020 |
19 |
34.00 |
9 |
22.75 |
50 |
2 |
52 |
14733 |
|
12/26/2021 |
2021 |
17 |
28.00 |
11 |
27.75 |
38 |
3 |
41 |
2610 |
|
12/17/2022 |
2022 |
11 |
17.00 |
15 |
40.25 |
36 |
1 |
37 |
2080 |
Thank You
I’d like to give a big “Thank You” to everyone who helped
with the count. This is a GROUP effort.
All who participated should be very proud of their work.
If you know anyone who would like to help with the count
next year, send me their contact information so they can be included in all
communications.
Jeff Hansen
CBC Compiler
jeff.hansen.sd@gmail.com
785.806.6917