Troy Count Features Record Totals Schenectady Has Dickcissel
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VOLUME 28 JANUARY NO. I HNHM1 FEBRUARY 1966 Published by Schenectady Bird Club/ Inc. TROY COUNT FEATURES RECORD TOTALS SCHENECTADY HAS DICKCISSEL Guy Bart let t and Peter P. Wlokhatn, Compilers Troy's Christmas Count, made on New Year's Day, was impressive on several counts. There were new highs of 57 species and 83I4.5 count; the glaucous gull, barred owl, mockingbird, myrtle warbler and white-winged crossbill were added as new species, plus two mallard X black duok hybrid; as well as a peregrine falcon and a high Ul\. count of great bla ok-backed gull. A bufflebead and dickolssel, as well as near dates for the pigeon hawk and great blaok-backed gull, were the features of the Sohenectady Christmas Count on December 26, with £0 species and 3138 count. Soheneotady now has a list of 101 species in 37 years, plus one hybrid, two identified subspecies and three species on near- dates only. Troy's list for 17 years has 93 species, plus one hybrid, one subspecies and one near-date only. The composite to tal is 118 species, plus two hybrids, three subspecies and three near-date only. Schenectady's 101 species lnolude 25 not seen at Troy; Troy's 93 have 17 not listed at Soheneotady. Host Soheneotady observers complained of the strong, cold winds. Preceding days had been mild and dry. around was bare for several days, except for a little snow the night before. The river and other streams were wide open. Watervllet Reservoir had some open water, and most shallow ponds were Iced. The landscape was hardly one to drive birds to the roadsides. Soheneotady - (All points within a 15-olle diameter circle, cen tered 0.0 mile south of U29^$* and 0.3 mile west of 73°l4.5'» as In preceding years) — December 26; 6:45 am. to 1|:U5 PP. Mostly clear temp. 12 to 27°F.5 objectionable wind, 10-30 mph.; one inob new snow on ground* considerable open water. Twenty-nine observers in eight parties, plus feeding-station and incidental reports. Total party-hours, 52 (33 on foot, 19 by oar); total party-miles, 290 (48 on foot t ?\\2 by oar). 8 Mallard 17 Ring-necked Pheasant 1 Common Ooldeneye 13 Herring Gull 1 Bttfflehead 80 Mourning Dove 30 Common^Herganser 1 Great Horned Owl 2 Cooper's Hawk 3 Yellow-shafted Plioker k Red-tailed Hawk 35 Hairy Woodpecker 5 Rough-legged Hawk 49 Downy Woodpecker 7 sparrow Hawk 6 Honied Lark 12 Ruffed Grouse 95 Blue Jay 1 Bobwhlte lj.68 Common Crow FEATHERS JANUARY - FEBHPARY, 1966 Black-oapped Chlokadee 33 Cardinal 12 Tufted Titmouse 1 Dlokolssel 3I4. White-breasted KUtbatoh k3 Evening Grosbeak 1 Red-breasted Huthatoh 1 Purple Plnoh 7 Brown Creeper U2 Pine Grosbeak 1 Mookingbird 386 Common Redpoll 1 Robin 36 Pine Siskin 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet II4.7 Anerioan Goldfinch 2 Cedar Waxwing 1 White-winged Crossbill I4.36 starling 108 Slate-colored Junoo 529 House Sparrow 30J4. Tree Sparrow 3 Eastern Headowlark 2 White-throated Sparrow 2 Red-winged Blaokblrd 5 Swamp Sparrow 1 Common Graokle 23 Song sparrow I4. Brown-headed Cowbird $ Snow Bunting Total, $0 speoies, about 3138 individuals. Seen in area during oount period, but not on oount day: black duokt pigeon hawk, yeat black-backed gill, ring-billed gull, soreeoh owl, barred owl, piieated wooapeoker and Northern shrike. SCHBNBCTADY HIGHLIGHTS Birds listed with groups show speoies seen by that group only. Qrou.pl - James Boyd, Jr., Rudolph H. Stone, David Stoner, Dr. Clifford Tepper, Nancy and Stuart Tepper, Carole and Robert Werniok, Dr. Robert P. Yunick. Rosendale Road, LIaha Kill Preserve, Mohawk River from Hlskayana dump to Look 7 to Mohawk View, Whitney's and Pelton*s woods, Blrobwood School, Pollaok's Larson's and Reals* feeders, 6:li5> am. to 4:45 pm. 16 miles afoot, 30 by car; 8 hours afoot, 2 by car. 31 speoies, 756 oount. Common goldeneye, bufflebead, great horned owl, diok- oissel, white-ringed orossbill. Group 2 - Mrs. Thomas McGuirk, Robert Laudenslager (All entown, Pa.) Walton B. Sabin. Blessing, Krumkill, Normansklll, Wormer, State Farm, Foundry, Grant Hill, Depot, Bennesey, Meadowdale and Ty- gert Roads; Settle's Hill: Thaoher Park and Indian Ladder. 7 am. to 3 pm. 9 miles afoot, 0$ by oar; 3 hours afoot, 5 by oar. 30 speoies, 622 oount. Red-breasted nuthatch, Eastern meadow- lark, common graokle, snow bunting. Group 3 - Dr. Donald J. Tuoker. All area within prescribed circle north of Mohawk River.. 8 am. to 4:30 pm. 7 miles afoot, 10 by oar; 7 hours afoot, 1$ by oar. 21* speoies, 227 oount. Mallard, common merganser, robin, swamp sparrow. Group k - Robert and Mary shedd, Mrs. Riohard Walte. Altamont and environs. 7 am. to 3 pm. 2 miles afoot, 2$ by oar; 2 hours afoot, 6 by oar. 1$ speoies, 512 count. Group 5 - Esly Hallenbeok. Collins Lake and Scotia, Mohawk River. V am. to 2 pm. L miles afoot, 10 by car; lj. hours afoot, 1 Dy oar. 16 speoies, ll|2 oount. Group 6 - Stephanie and Irene Podrazlk. Central Park, Municipal Goii' Course, Parkview Cemetery, Ball town Road. 2 to hihS pm. 1 mile afoot, 10 by car; & hour afoot, Z\ by car. 13 speoies, I3I4- count. 7 - Guy Bartlett, Benton Seguln. Watervliet Reservoir and FEATHERS JANPARY -FEBRUARY? 1966 environs. 8 am. to 1:30 pin* 6 miles afoot, 20 by oar; I4. hours afoot, 1& by oar. 16 speoies, 238 count. Group 8 - Mrs. O.B. Conaway, Betty Hicks, Mr. and Mrs* Byron Hippie, Mary Johnston, Mary Llnoh, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Malone* Albany Sixmile Waterworks, Albany Airport, Vly Road to Karner, Guilder- land, Albany Country Club area, east of state Farm Road to Albany. 9:30 am. to 4 P°>. 3& miles afoot, \\2 by oar; kk hours afoot, 2 by oar. 22 species, UUl count. Bobwhlte, red-winged blackbird. Feeders and Incidental - Mrs. Gilbert Eddy, David Ellers, Leo Frees, jotm and Stephen Fuller, Mrs, R.J. Heineroann, Mrs. E.H. Meil- inger, A.E. Powers, David Rothaupt. 18 species, 66 count. Mockingbird,, brown-headed oowblrd, purple finch. # * * Before dawn on New Tear's Day, a small group of birders was standing in a light drizzle listening to the hoot of a nearby great horned owl. From the darkness, Interrupting this slliloquy, came a polysyllabic call higher in pltoh —- the Troy Christmas Count's first barred owl I From that point on, the day seemed full of pleasant surprises, as the various field parties, with the help of many feeder watchers, combined to set new highs for the Troy count in total numbers of species and individuals* . probably the most exciting moment came when one group, covering the Hudson River, found an adult glaucous gull - a first for the Soheneotady^Froy composite list - resting and flying along the ' river between Troy and Meohanloville. But other memorable moments were many: the spotting of a Northern shrike, a dose view of an immature peregrine falcon zooming overhead, and a visit to an ever green grove in which red-breasted nuthatches, a pine siskin, pine grosbeaks and white-winged crossbills vied for attention were per haps outstanding. Hear the end of the day, one group, combing a shrubby border of Torahannock Reservoir, was rewarded with a olose view of a myrtle warbler (another first for the Troy countJ. Summing up, flnohes of all varieties were present, with even-' ing grosbeaks and redpolls especially abundant. Sparrows, exclud ing house sparrows, seemed less common than usual, with juncos un usually scarce. Beoause of the mild weather, gulls were abundant along the river and even appeared In inland areas. Ducks, although spread out, were also seen in good numbers, with several Interest ing varieties. All in all, it was an auspioious and rewarding way to begin our New Year - 1966! Troy - (All points within a 15-mile diameter oirole, centered 0.1 mile south of 73°UO» and 0.3 mile east of 42^50' as in preoed- ing years) — January 1; 6:15 am. to 5:15 pm. Overcast; temp. 1+2 to 57°F»; wind, south am. 0-5 mph. to northwest in pm. at 5-10 raph. no snow cover, all streams open, marshes and ponds mostly ioe- oovered. Twenty-six observers in 8'parties.'"Total party-hours, 5$ (26*5 on foot, 28.5 by oar); total party-miles, 3I4.I4. (32 on foot, 312 by oar). 219 Mallard 1 Green-winged Teal 12i(.6 Black Duck k Ring-necked Duck 2 Mallard X Blaok Duck Hyb. 2 Common Goldeneye 1 pintail 9 Common Merganser FEATHERS JANUARY - FEBRUARY, 1966 15 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Mockingbird 1 Rough-legged Hawk 4 Robin 1 Peregrine Faloon 10 Golden-Browned Kinglet 10 sparrow Hawtc 28 Cedar Waxwlng 15 Raffed arouse 1 Northern Shrike 20 Ring-neoked pheasant Starling ' 1 Glauoous Gull 1 Myrtle Warbler t Great Blaok-baoked Gull 1779 House sparrow Herring Gull 3 Red-winged Blaokblrd Ring-billed Gull 7 Common Graokle Hournlng Dove 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 Great Horned Owl 33 Cardinal 2 Barred Owl Evening Grosbeak 2 Belted Kin laher Purple Finch 2 Yellow-sha ed Flicker Common Redpoll Hairy Voodpeoker 7 Pine Siskin ft Downy Woodpeoker 55- American Goldfinch llj. Horned Lark 12 Red Crossbill 174 Blue Jay 7 White-winged Crossbill 21jl Common Crow 24 Pine orosoeaK I\k5 Blaok-oapped Ghlokadee 3? Slate -colored Junoo 2 Tufted Titsouse 324 Tree Sparrow 71 White-breasted Hat hat oh White-throated Sparrow 13. Red-breasted Hat hat oh * Swamp Sparrow 7 Brown Creeper 34 Song Sparrow Total, £J_ spedes, plus one hybrid; about 83^5 individuals TROY HIGHLIGHTS 1 - Mr.