The 116th CBC in Minnesota

The 116^th Christmas Bird Count was well attended and conducted under almost perfect winter birding conditions resulting in 20% more birds than last year. Seventy-eight counts collected and reported data, two higher than last year. One new count (Glacial Ridge) was started and one border count in Wisconsin (Nelson) started reporting their Minnesota data. One new species (Pacific Loon) was reported.  Green Heron and Black/Surf Scoter was reported for only the second time and Golden-crowned Sparrow and Blue-winged Teal were reported for only the third time.

On December 14^th, Paul Egeland assembled volunteers for the fiftieth year for the Cottonwood count. He missed only one count in 51 years when he was serving in Vietnam. He usually has five to seven participants in the field and this year he had five. Lee French has been with him for about 45 years and a couple of others have been on the count for more than 20 years.

The state had a record of about 1842 participants, including about 479 feeder watchers, for an average of just under 24 participants per count, similar to last year. Like last year, 11 counts had six or fewer participants. Nine had 40 or more, which compares to five last year. St. Paul again had the most participants in the field with 69, while Henderson had 84 and Owatonna had 61 feeder watchers showing strong community support.

Weather was almost perfect for winter birding. Temperatures were moderate during the count, not as balmy as was the norm last year, but also not as cold as some of the counters experienced last year. Only one count had heavy snow and five had light snow. Only three counts had wind gusts greater than 25 miles per hour and two of those were on the plains, where those winds are not out of the ordinary. The temperature range was from 0 degrees (3 counts) to 45 degrees F. While last year half the counts had highs above freezing and half of those had lows above freezing, this year only 10 counts with highs above freezing and only three had lows above freezing. It was unusual that no counts had lows below zero. The coldest high was 8 degrees in Agassiz in Northwestern Minnesota. Only five counts reported no open water compared to 11 last year, and 41 reported the lakes were not frozen completely compared to 58 last year. Twenty-four counts had no snow on the ground compared to all but two last year.

Total count (292,627) was over 20% greater than last year's total. Six species made up 50% of the total compared to five last year. The species count (140) was eight more than last year. Five additional species were among the 10 reports that were not accepted due to inadequate documentation. Two other species, a Harlequin Duck and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak were observed during the count week. Trumpeter Swans, Bald Eagles, and Eurasian Collard-Doves continued to increase to ever higher records. Record counts were also recorded for Common Mergansers, Common Ravens, and several woodpeckers (Red-bellies, Downies, Hairies, and Pileated).

Waterfowl numbers were significantly better than the last two year's low numbers, but still well below average. These low numbers were not due to the lack of open water. Canada Geese numbers were way below some of the peak years 10 to 15 years ago, but still beat four of the last 10 years. Mallards were reported at the lowest numbers in 24 years, and Common Goldeneyes in 13 years. On the other hand, the 4439 Trumpeter Swans far exceeded the record of almost 3000 four years ago. And, the 17,863 Common Mergansers was more than twice the previous record four years ago. While the increase in swans reflects increasing numbers of the birds in the state, the increase in mergansers is probably more a reflection of a delay in migration. Although the other migrating species had definitely moved out to the area, four species had more than 100 counted, another good indicator of the warming temperatures. A first ever Minnesota record on the count of a Pacific Loon was reported in Duluth. Other notable sightings included Greater White-fronted Geese in Cottonwood and Fairmont, Blue-winged Teal in Cedar Creek Bog and Fergus Falls, Wood Duck in Virginia, Canvasback in Bemidji, and Surf/Black Scoter in Two Harbors. Just like last year, a Harlequin Duck was reported count week in Grand Marais. Common Loons and Red-necked Grebes were found along Lake Superior, but also one loon was found in Grand Rapids. Other water dependent species, cormorants, pelicans, herons, and kingfishers were present in unremarkable numbers. Of note were the finds of a Green Heron at Springbrook Nature Center in the Minneapolis North count and a Black-crowned Night-Heron on the Willmar count.   

All upland game bird were above last year's unremarkable numbers, except Ruffed Grouse. Sharp-tailed Grouse were peaking for the third year in a row, all reports are above any previous reports. Wild Turkey numbers were just above average for the last 10 years, but this is three times the average for the previous ten.  Raptors were mostly found in record or near record numbers (Bald Eagle: 1920 (1^st), Northern Harrier: 31 (2^nd), Red-tailed Hawk: 911 (2^nd), Golden Eagle: 10 (2^nd)). Rough-legged Hawks had a minor irruption year. Notable was a report of what would have been Minnesota's first winter Ferruginous Hawk in Cottonwood which failed the state record committee's review. Owl numbers were all unremarkable. Winter irruptive owls were present only in low numbers. The 22 reported Merlins, including a first record for Morris, represent a record, despite the low number. Kestrels were present in about average numbers. Only three Peregrines were reported, the second lowest number in the last 15 years.  

Ring-billed Gulls, almost all in the Metro area or along the lower Mississippi, had the highest report since 2001. Herring Gull numbers were about the same as last year. Small numbers of four species and two hybrids represented the uncommon gulls were found along the coast of Lake Superior.

Dove numbers were high. While Mourning Doves were about average, Rock Pigeon numbers were close to the peak of eight and nine years ago. Eurasian Collard-Doves hit a record of 604, almost twice the record two years ago of 327, and were found on 26 counts up from 23 last year. Cottonwood's 94 doves last year multiplied to 226 this year. Is this a harbinger of an explosion in numbers for the rest of the state? Common woodpeckers all surpassed last year's actual or near records and hit records this year with 3744 Downies, 1841 Hairies, 1387 Red-bellies, and 722 Pileateds. A decent acorn crop at Cedar Creek Bog resulted in 72 Red-headed Woodpeckers overwintering, which contributed to the highest count (77) in 35 years. Perhaps this is an indication that management programs are working to turn around the crashing population of this species of concern. Other less common woodpeckers were reported in unremarkable numbers.

Corvid numbers were strong for another year with Blue Jays at the 3^rd highest, Black-billed Magpies at 2^nd highest, and Common Ravens at record levels with 1935.  Highly variable Horned Lark numbers rebounded from last year's low. Northern Shrike and Brown Creeper numbers were close to last year's depressed reports. Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatch numbers were up from last year, but might reflect better count conditions rather than population changes. Red-breasted Nuthatches and Boreal Chickadees numbers were down. Tufted Titmice for the seventh year and Golden-crowned Kinglets for the second year were more plentiful than recently. For the first time since 2000, no wrens were reported.

The most abundant thrush, the American Robin, shows an interesting pattern over the last 12 years. Three years of relative abundance (average of ~ 7400) and nine years of relative scarcity (average of ~ 2450). This year we counted 2493 robins. How this relates to the required availability of liquid water and fruit is easy to hypothesize, but not verified by any studies we know.  All the expected five other species of thrushes and thrashers were found (Eastern Bluebird 81, Townsend's Solitaire 4, Hermit Thrush 1, Varied Thrush 5, Gray Catbird 1, and Brown Thrasher 6) at mostly higher than average numbers and for the most part in expected locations. Unexpected thrushes included a catbird in East Grand Forks, a Hermit Thrush in Grand Marais, four Bluebirds in Cottonwood, a Varied Thrush in Mountain Lake, and a thrasher in Mountain Lake/Windom.

Waxwings, buntings, and longspurs are extremely variable. Waxwings show opposite trends, Bohemians declining and Cedars increasing, although the increase could be a factor of increasing participants. Bohemian numbers were somewhat below average and Cedars were about average for the last 20 years, but below the last 10 years.  Lapland Longspurs were only found in 14 counts with the lowest number in the last eight years. Snow Bunting found in slightly more than half the counts. Their numbers, while considerably above last year's, were the third lowest in the last eight years. Starlings and House Sparrows, both among the most common species in the state were reported at slightly higher levels than last year.

The two common winter sparrows were both more plentiful than last year and accounted for over 99% of the ten species of sparrows reported. Both were near average with 4388 American Tree Sparrows, just above average, and the 8353 Dark-eyed Juncos just below average.  The other sparrows reported: Savannah three, a record (Northern Wright Co., Red Wing, Two Harbors); Fox seven (first time for Lamberton); Song 18; Swamp one (Bloomington); White-throated 43; Harris 12; White-crowned three; and Golden-crowned one, in same yard in Duluth for second year.  Blackbird numbers were lower than last year's low numbers, except for the 177 Brown-headed Cowbirds (the third highest count). Rochester had 163 of the cowbirds. Two silent meadowlarks (probably Western) were found (Agassiz N.W.R. & Long Prairie).

Even though House Finch numbers were up slightly, the “southern finches” (House Finch and American Goldfinch) continued to be scarcer than any time in the last decade. The “northern finches”, which are the most variable bird category in the state, were for the most part lower than last year and below average for the decade. The exception was the 10,010 reported Common Redpolls, the third largest irruption in the decade.  Pine Grosbeak (1395) and Red Crossbill (123) numbers were higher than last year, but they along with Purple Finches (490), White-winged Crossbills (42), Hoary Redpolls (9),  Pine Siskins (1032) and Evening Grosbeaks (300) were all below the average for the decade. The only notable report outside of the expected was a Pine Grosbeak in Faribault.