Christmas Bird Count
For archived reports for all the CBC circles,
check out the CBC main website
The SAAS count circle code is NYHF,
for the Hudson Falls Christmas Bird Count circle
A map of all CBCcount circles can be found here.
Download data with link below
Spreadsheet of results for 2009-2020 Christmas Bird Counts.
Results of the 2022 Christmas Bird Count!
By Linda White, Christmas Bird Count Coordinator
SAAS’s annual Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 18, 2022. Fourteen intrepid birders were out in the field on December 18 counting each and every bird for the Hudson Falls Count Circle. They are: team Beth, Brad, and Nathan Bidwell, Rob Snell, team Russ Hilliard and Jeff Gardiner, Sue Pierce, Barb Putnam, Mike Rivette, Pat Fitzgerald, Joy Keithline, and team Helen Crawshaw, Jacquie Tinker, Vicki Bocketti, and Linda White.
Many thanks go out to all the participants who spent a day so close to Christmas contributing to one of the greatest citizen science projects. Combined they drove 392 miles and walked 18.25 miles, for a total of 56 hours. This amazing effort garnered 62 species, the highest number the count has had since it began in 1983. Total individual birds seen were 10,016.
Red Crossbills were observed in Moreau by Rob Snell for the first time in count history. There were many other highlights, including Black Vultures, a Screech Owl, an American Pipit, Peregrine Falcons, a Red-winged Blackbird, a Common Loon, and Long-tailed Ducks. The most abundant species were American Crows and European Starlings. All data can be found on the Audubon Christmas Bird Count site.
Under count summaries, there is data for each species and the number of times/years they have been observed. Here are the count results:
Canada Goose – 970,
American Black Duck – 27,
Mallard – 85,
Mottled Duck – 1,
Long-tailed Duck 5,
Common Goldeneye – 156,
Hooded Merganser 51.
Wild Turkey – 85,
Common Loon – 1,
Double-crested Cormorant – 1,
Black Vulture – 4.
Northern Harrier – 4,
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 5,
Bald Eagle – 2,
Red-tailed Hawk – 41,
Rough-legged Hawk – 2,
Ring-billed Gull – 10,
Herring Gull – 52,
Rock Pigeon – 647,
Mourning Dove -176,
Eastern Screech-Owl – 1,
Barred Owl – 2,
Belted Kingfisher 1,
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 31
Downy Woodpecker – 43,
Hairy Woodpecker 23,
Northern Flicker – 3,
Pileated Woodpecker – 8.
American Kestrel – 2,
Merlin – 3,
Peregrine Falcon – 2,
Blue Jay – 110,
American Crow – 3,125,
Fish Crow – 1,
Common Raven – 7,
Horned Lark – 194,
Blk-capped Chickadee – 136,
Tufted Titmouse – 74,
Red- breasted Nuthatch – 18,
White-breasted Nuthatch – 65,
Brown Creeper – 6,
Carolina Wren – 8,
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 3.
Eastern Bluebird – 56,
American Robin – 105,
Northern Mockingbird – 18,
European Starling – 2,368,
American Pipit – 1,
Snow Bunting – 12,
American Tree Sparrow – 55,
Chipping Sparrow – 4,
Dark-eyed Jun-co – 579,
White-throated Sparrow – 13,
Song Sparrow – 1,
Northern Cardinal 74,
Red-winged Blackbird 1,
House Finch – 109,
Red Crossbill – 3,
American Goldfinch 86,
House Sparrow – 279.
Results of the 2020 Christmas Bird Count!
By Linda White, Christmas Bird Count Coordinator
Southern Adirondack Audubon members and volunteers participate in the 121st Annual Christmas Bird Count on December 19, 2020. Our 15-mile-diameter count circle is designated as Hudson Falls and extends from Lake George, to Argyle, to Gansevoort, and to West Mountain.
On December 19, despite more than 30 inches of snow and frigid temperatures, our group of citizen scientists observed 57 species and counted 6,868 individual birds on the 2020 Hudson Falls Christmas Bird Count.
The other challenge was birding separately because of Covid-19. A great deal of thanks and appreciation go to this intrepid group. They are: Beth and Brad Bidwell, Joyce Miller, Russ Hillard, Jeff Gardner, Jason Krahnke, Jacquie Tinker, Laurie McKaren, Suzy Nealon, Sue Pierce, Mary Lou Munger, Glen Wiltsie, Jackie Bogardus, and Barb Putnam. Together they logged 502 miles by car, hiked over a mile and half, and snowshoed 3 miles. (Thank you Sue Pierce for your perseverance with the snowshoeing).
Feeder watchers Ruth Lamb, Barb Putnam, and Mike Rivette put in 10.5 hours and contributed some great birds.
Below are our observations:
Canada Goose 56,
American Black Duck 28,
Mallard 154,
Common Goldeneye 72,
Hooded Merganser 16,
Common Merganser 4,
Ring-necked Pheasant 1,
Wild Turkey 24,
Great Blue Heron 1.
Black Vulture during count week,
Northern Harrier 1,
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2,
Cooper’s Hawk 7,
Bald Eagle 1,
Red-tailed Hawk 61,
Rough-legged Hawk 5,
Ring-billed Gull 2,
Rock Pigeon 442,
Mourning Dove 203.
Short-eared Owl 8,
Red-bellied Woodpecker 29,
Downy Woodpecker 37,
Hairy Woodpecker 8,
Pileated Woodpecker 5,
American Kestrel 2,
Merlin 2, Peregrine Falcon 2,
Blue Jay 199,
American Crow 683,
Common Raven 2,
Horned Lark 28,
Black-capped Chickadee 166,
Tufted Titmouse 110,
Red-breasted Nuthatch 25,
White-breasted Nuthatch 45,
Brown Creeper 5,
Carolina Wren 5,
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4.
Eastern Bluebird 38,
American Robin 221,
Northern Mockingbird 6,
European Starling 2356,
Cedar Waxwing 1,
Snow Bunting 3,
American Tree Sparrow 469.
Dark-eyed Junco 831,
White- throated Sparrow 19,
Song Sparrow 12,
Northern Cardinal 131,
Red- winged Blackbird 5,
Common Grackle 2,
Brown-headed Cowbird 1,
Pine Grosbeak 56,
House Finch 34,
Common Redpoll 5,
American Goldfinch 35,
House Sparrow 162.
The high number of Dark-eyed Juncos (831) was very unusual. This is only the third time since the count started in 1983 that we had Pine Grosbeaks (56). The Common Grackle has only been observed on four other counts and the Black Vulture on three previous counts. Birds observed during count week (3 days prior and 3 days after count day) are not included in total species numbers. While all the data has been entered into Audubon’s database, it will be available after it is verified in February.
Check this page for updates: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count.