Birding on Athol CBC 2013 Ralene Williams and Bob Mallet
Saturday December 14th 2013 the 46th annual Athol Christmas Bird Count went off without a hitch beating the snow storm and with teams observing 9,205 individual birds of 57 species in the 15 mile diameter circle. Highlights included 7 Bald eagles, An American Kestrel at Orange Airport, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker coming to a feeder, 3 Belted Kingfishers, 2 Northern Shrikes (one carrying a Junco), a Chipping Sparrow, 2 Fox Sparrows and a Rusty Blackbird. In addition to the 13 teams in the field many volunteer feeder watchers reported the days sightings using e-mail and Facebook to report sightings.
Athol CBC Dec. 14th 2013 Canada Goose 18, Am. Black Duck 32, Mallard 131, Common Merganser 12, Ringed-Neck Pheasant 1, Wild Turkey 144, Common Loon 3, Bald Eagle 7. Sharp-Shinned Hawk 1, Coopers Hawk 1, Red-Tailed Hawk 17, American Kestrel 1, Herring Gull 14, Rock (Dove) Pigeon 399, Mourning Dove 345, Great Horned Owl 1, Barred Owl 3, Belted Kingfisher 3, Red-bellied woodpecker 46, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, Downy Woodpecker 210, Hairy Woodpecker 59, Northern Flicker 2, Pileated Woodpecker 18, Northern Shrike 2, Blue Jay 551, American Crow 119, Common Raven 33, Horned Lark 11, Black-capped Chickadee 1,461, Tufted Titmouse 267, Red-Breasted Nuthatch 27, White-Breasted Nuthatch 206, Brown Creeper 15, Carolina Wren 10, Winter Wren 1, Golden-crowned Kinglet 27, Eastern Bluebird 29, Hermit Thrush 2, American Robin 975, Northern Mockingbird 3, European Starling 780, Cedar Waxwing 1029, American Tree Sparrow 219, Chipping Sparrow 1, Fox Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 7, Swamp Sparrow 1, White-Throated Sparrow 37, Dark-eyed Junco 762, Snow Bunting 2, Northern Cardinal 162, Rusty Blackbird 1, Purple Finch 16, House Finch 38, American Goldfinch 517, House Sparrow 423
8 of the 29 Eastern Bluebirds Observed on the count were at Mary Adams Feeder
Members and friends of the Athol Bird and Nature club participating in this year’s count included: David Caldwell, David Cass, Anne Cervantes, Dick Cooper, Chris Coyle, Paul Daniello, Joan Duprey, Larry Duprey, Steve Farrell, Joe Fanelli, Lula Field, Bill Fregeau, John Henshaw, Wendy Howe, Carly Hutchinson, Jeff Johnstone, Ilsa Jule, Bob Mallet, James Mallet, Greg McGuane, Judy McGuane, Alexa McKenzie, Jacob-Morris Siegel, Tom Pirro, Mike Polana, Jay Rasku, Bill Rasku, Alan Rawles, Josh Rose, Bruce Scherer, Ann Spring, Mark Taylor and Ralene Williams. A special thank you for all the feeder watchers who shared their observations and some great photographs. Feeder observers included Mary Adams, Charlie Barnes, Lynn Boudreau, Kent Hager, Jim Herbert, Marti Horman, Bob Jenkins, Lee Lozier, Brian Mallet, and Paul Whitney
Red-breasted Nuthatch at Mary Adams Feeder, a perennial favorite