Birdathon 2008 Results

Seven teams participated in Birdathon 2008 which was held May 8-12.  Returning participants were Linda Hoyt, Jason Goldsmith, Mona Bearor, and Joan Robertson.  Newcomers to Birdathon—welcome!—were Laurie LaFond of So. Glens Falls, Bonnie and Robin of Harmony Wildflower Farm in Comstock, Sandy Johnson from Saratoga, and Sharon Dunn.of Cambridge.

The weather was cool and warblers were not evident in many of their usual haunts.  A total of 117 species were tallied during the four-day count.  Some of the more interesting sightings were: Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Screech-Owl,  Great Horned Owl, Purple Martin, Whip-poor-will, American Pipit and Lark Bunting.

Great Blue Heron Green Heron American Bittern Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard American Black Duck Blue-winged Teal Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Wild Turkey Ruffed Grouse Killdeer American Woodcock Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Eastern Screech-Owl

Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Whip-poor-will Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Least Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Great Crested Flycatcher Bank Swallow Tree Swallow Purple Martin Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow American Pipit Ruby-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren Winter Wren House Wren Marsh Wren Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird

Brown Thrasher Eastern Bluebird Veery Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Common Raven European Starling House Sparrow Yellow-throated Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Purple Finch House Finch Pine Siskin American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak Blue-winged Warbler Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Louisiana Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Lark Bunting Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole

It’s Time for Birdathon!

Thursday, May 8, through Monday, May 12, has been designated as Birdathon 2008

Birdathon is one of the more important and most interesting activities of Southern Adirondack Audubon. During this period of peak migration we try to cover all the territory in the chapter to seek out birds nesting or passing through on their way north. It is an ongoing attempt to learn how each of the species is faring and which ones seem to be getting more scarce. We would like a more accurate accounting of how our area is used by warbler species; please make an extra effort to search for them along the edges of wood lots and in abandoned fields and orchards.  Drive slowly, windows open, and listen for the calls!

Pick the day and times that are most convenient for you, and enjoy some time in the field in search of birds.   The event is open to all, no matter what level of birding you do. Half a day is fine or, if you are more energetic, you can bird from dawn to dusk.  So pack a lunch, grab your binoculars, get a birding buddy and help us with this annual attempt to gauge the variety of our bird population. We ask that you stay within the chapter boundaries - Warren, Washington, Northern Saratoga counties.

It would be helpful to the tabulator to know the general places you covered and the weather/temperature. You should make a note of each species and compile a list for the day.   Remember, in this survey we are counting species, not numbers of individual birds as in the Christmas Count.  If you want to use Birdathon as a fund raiser for the our chapter, ask friends and neighbors to pledge a few cents/ quarters/ dollars for each species you identify.  Many people would like to help in this low-participatory way.   Notify Joan Robertson at 656-9223 of your bird count numbers, and your fund raising amount, as soon after the Count Days as possible, ensuring complete record tabulation for printing in the June newsletter.   Lists should be sent to Joan Robertson, PO Box 51, Cleverdale, NY 12820.