Mitchell CBC Results Report 2020
 |
| Hairy Woodpecker |
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 26, 2020
and was the eighth consecutive year to hold the count since reinstatement.
On the day of the count the skies were partly clear. Day
time temperatures started at 12°
F and rose to 34° F. The
maximum wind speed was 16 mph out of the southeast. There was no open water
moving or still.
A total of 25 people participated although many were small
children. We had 7 groups of people who birded in the field and 7 groups that
watched their feeders. Field groups spent 36.75 hours in the field observing
birds. In comparison feeder watchers
spent 22.75 hours watching birds at their feeders.
We had a total of 14,733 birds composed of 49 species for
the count day. There were an additional 2 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 red-winged blackbird at 10,122.
We added three new species to the count. A spotted towhee was seen on count day and
Carolina wren and red crossbill were seen for count week. Some misses included mallard, merlin, lapland
longspur, and snow bunting. The three rare species seen were prairie falcon,
spotted towhee, and Carolina wren.
Of note were the following birds seen but not in the count
circle or not within count week. A snowy
owl was seen before count week and a short eared owl was seen after count
week. Blue herons, prairie chickens and
a merlin were seen outside of the count circle.
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 |
|
Snow Goose |
7 |
|
Canada Goose |
4 |
|
Ring-necked Pheasant |
97 |
|
Wild Turkey |
111 |
|
Rock Pigeon |
545 |
|
Eurasian Collared-dove |
85 |
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
3 |
|
Cooper's Hawk |
4 |
|
Northern Goshawk |
1 |
|
Bald Eagle |
3 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
26 |
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
18 |
|
Eastern Screech-owl |
2 |
|
Great Horned Owl |
10 |
|
Red-bellied Woodpecker |
9 |
|
Downy Woodpecker |
15 |
|
Hairy Woodpecker |
10 |
|
Northern Flicker |
6 |
|
Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) |
2 |
|
American Kestrel |
4 |
|
Prairie Falcon |
1 |
|
Northern Shrike |
6 |
|
Blue Jay |
70 |
|
American Crow |
17 |
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
40 |
|
Horned Lark |
220 |
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
1 |
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
10 |
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
19 |
|
Brown Creeper |
1 |
|
Carolina Wren |
CW |
|
European Starling |
1188 |
|
American Robin |
204 |
|
Cedar Waxwing |
76 |
|
House Sparrow |
277 |
|
House Finch |
115 |
|
Purple Finch |
4 |
|
Common Redpoll |
2 |
|
Red Crossbill |
CW |
|
Pine Siskin |
53 |
|
American Goldfinch |
163 |
|
American Tree Sparrow |
433 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
100 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) |
54 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) |
1 |
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
1 |
|
Harris's Sparrow |
11 |
|
Song Sparrow |
4 |
|
Spotted Towhee |
1 |
|
Western Meadowlark |
9 |
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
10122 |
|
Brown-headed Cowbird |
13 |
|
Common Grackle |
20 |
|
blackbird sp. |
506 |
|
Northern Cardinal |
29 |
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 |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Mike Blaalid |
Field |
|
|
Hazel Blaalid |
Field |
|
|
Libby Olson |
Field |
|
|
Oliver Blaalid |
Field |
|
|
Thea Blaalid |
Field |
|
|
Jeanne Blaalid |
Field |
|
|
Nancy Drilling |
Field |
|
|
Doug Hansen |
Field |
|
|
Leah Murray |
Field |
|
|
Mike Murray |
Field |
|
|
Olivia Murray |
Field |
|
|
Wade Murray |
Field |
|
|
Emily Anderson |
Field |
|
|
Jasper Anderson |
Field |
|
|
Jeff Hansen |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Rick Hansen |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Andrea Meyer |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Scott Meyer |
Field |
Feeder |
|
Letha Rowley |
|
Feeder |
|
Barry Parkin |
Field |
|
|
Barb Stolz |
|
Feeder |
|
Scott Stolz |
Field |
|
|
Tammy Wheeler |
|
Feeder |
|
Lonnie Wiese |
|
Feeder |
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 |
1966 |
1967 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Snow Goose |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
|
7 |
|
Canada Goose |
|
|
0 |
50 |
0 |
24 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
|
Wood Duck |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gadwall |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
Mallard |
|
43 |
|
225 |
2 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
Redhead |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
Lesser Scaup |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ruddy Duck |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
Ring-necked Pheasant |
37 |
3 |
194 |
137 |
366 |
141 |
221 |
34 |
146 |
97 |
|
Greater Prairie-chicken |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
Wild Turkey |
|
|
104 |
294 |
88 |
162 |
30 |
168 |
215 |
111 |
|
Rock Pigeon |
|
|
112 |
495 |
435 |
131 |
631 |
55 |
323 |
545 |
|
Eurasian Collared-dove |
|
|
68 |
95 |
54 |
179 |
37 |
35 |
45 |
85 |
|
Mourning Dove |
|
|
9 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
0 |
|
|
|
Northern Harrier |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
|
|
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
|
|
5 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
3 |
|
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 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
|
|
15 |
24 |
19 |
28 |
21 |
0 |
31 |
26 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan's) |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
|
|
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
|
1 |
16 |
3 |
2 |
20 |
11 |
1 |
6 |
18 |
|
buteo sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
Eastern Screech-owl |
|
|
4 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
6 |
2 |
|
Great Horned Owl |
|
3 |
4 |
10 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
10 |
|
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 |
|
Downy Woodpecker |
11 |
2 |
19 |
30 |
32 |
27 |
18 |
9 |
34 |
15 |
|
Hairy Woodpecker |
|
|
5 |
17 |
16 |
13 |
11 |
5 |
12 |
10 |
|
Northern Flicker |
|
|
21 |
8 |
20 |
27 |
6 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
|
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
6 |
5 |
|
2 |
|
American Kestrel |
|
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
|
4 |
4 |
|
Merlin |
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
|
|
Prairie Falcon |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
falcon sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
Northern Shrike |
2 |
|
8 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
6 |
|
Blue Jay |
|
1 |
59 |
37 |
46 |
73 |
37 |
20 |
73 |
70 |
|
American Crow |
12 |
90 |
12 |
54 |
57 |
15 |
10 |
17 |
32 |
17 |
|
Common Raven |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Black-capped Chickadee |
11 |
6 |
32 |
39 |
34 |
24 |
15 |
11 |
53 |
40 |
|
Tufted Titmouse |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Horned Lark |
27 |
100 |
43 |
255 |
444 |
4 |
368 |
60 |
70 |
220 |
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
|
|
3 |
3 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
|
White-breasted Nuthatch |
|
1 |
10 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
6 |
5 |
22 |
19 |
|
Brown Creeper |
1 |
|
8 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
Carolina Wren |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
European Starling |
48 |
130 |
1339 |
286 |
445 |
6559 |
689 |
47 |
832 |
1188 |
|
Brown Thrasher |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Eastern Bluebird |
|
|
|
|
4 |
5 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
Townsend's Solitaire |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
American Robin |
14 |
|
1746 |
39 |
561 |
261 |
118 |
14 |
6 |
204 |
|
Cedar Waxwing |
|
|
174 |
52 |
153 |
70 |
157 |
84 |
140 |
76 |
|
House Sparrow |
25 |
1000 |
360 |
292 |
749 |
687 |
809 |
73 |
336 |
277 |
|
House Finch |
1 |
|
61 |
33 |
108 |
49 |
128 |
38 |
27 |
115 |
|
Purple Finch |
|
|
|
|
7 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Common Redpoll |
|
|
|
45 |
7 |
|
97 |
4 |
|
2 |
|
Red Crossbill |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
White-winged Crossbill |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Pine Siskin |
11 |
|
0 |
16 |
22 |
|
24 |
12 |
17 |
53 |
|
American Goldfinch |
7 |
6 |
29 |
57 |
197 |
292 |
132 |
18 |
139 |
163 |
|
Lapland Longspur |
1 |
1200 |
46 |
133 |
32 |
30 |
50 |
20 |
|
|
|
Snow Bunting |
|
|
5 |
1 |
55 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
American Tree Sparrow |
230 |
220 |
67 |
52 |
141 |
456 |
413 |
11 |
49 |
433 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco |
|
|
278 |
96 |
136 |
83 |
172 |
50 |
123 |
100 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) |
17 |
43 |
|
|
|
|
36 |
14 |
28 |
54 |
|
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) |
1 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
8 |
|
4 |
1 |
|
White-crowned Sparrow |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Harris's Sparrow |
4 |
14 |
|
|
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
6 |
11 |
|
Song Sparrow |
|
|
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
Spotted Towhee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Western Meadowlark |
|
|
4 |
|
3 |
6 |
|
|
|
9 |
|
Red-winged Blackbird |
|
|
5720 |
597 |
410 |
1212 |
1230 |
285 |
106 |
10122 |
|
Brown-headed Cowbird |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
13 |
|
Rusty Blackbird |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
Common Grackle |
|
13 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
20 |
|
blackbird sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
506 |
|
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
|
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Northern Cardinal |
1 |
4 |
14 |
29 |
26 |
27 |
21 |
6 |
23 |
29 |
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 |
I’d like to give a big “Thank You” to everyone who helped with the count. We wouldn’t have had such a thorough tally of birds seen in the count circle if it wasn’t for the effort of all of those involved.
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
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