VINS News Release

Contact: Lisa M. Green, Director of Marketing, lgreen@vinsweb.org, (802) 457-2779 ext. 107

Woodstock Christmas Bird Count Results In

by: Julie M. Nicholson

Woodstock, VT - The annual Woodstock Area Christmas Bird Count, a yearly census conducted for the National Audubon Society and hosted by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS), was held on December 29, 2004 and located 4,490 birds of 36 species. The number of species was rather low as the "winter finches", birds that come down from the north at this time of year, had apparently not yet arrived. The numbers of individual birds found was quite good however, with Chickadees leading the field.

Seventy-five Common Mergansers, was the highest number ever recorded on the Woodstock Count and 75 Mallards the second highest for the Count. Wild Turkeys showed up in record numbers also with 131 birds found. Mourning Dove and Blue Jay numbers were low and no Evening Grosbeaks were seen. A first for the Count was a Red-bellied Woodpecker seen at a feeder at Dr. David Laughlin's office.

This was Woodstock's 30th consecutive count with at least three of the participants, namely Sally Laughlin, Edward Hack, and Julie Nicholson participating in the count since 1975!

Next year's count will be held on Wednesday, December 28, 2005. The community is invited to come and join in on the fun.

A complete list of the birds found follows along with the list of participants:
13 American Black Ducks, 75 Mallards, 77 Common Mergansers (highest ever number for our count), 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Ruffed Grouse, 131 Wild Turkeys (highest ever), 302 Rock Pigeons, 134 Mourning Doves (lowest in 20 years), 1 Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher 1, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker (first for the count), 63 Downy Woodpeckers, 52 Hairy Woodpeckers, 4 Pileated Woodpeckers, 182 Blue Jays, 146 American Crows, 27 Common Ravens, 1688 Black-capped Chickadees, 44 Tufted Titmouse, 32 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 122 White-breasted Nuthatches, 16 Brown Creepers, 52 Colden-crowned Kinglets, 624 European Starlings, 46 American Tree Sparrows, 1 Song Sparrow, 1 White-throated Sparrow, 34 Dark-eyed Juncos, 35 Northern Cardinals, 1 Brown-headed Cowbird, 4 Purple Finches, 27 House Finches, 316 American Goldfinches, 153 House Sparrows. Snow Buntings were seen Count Week.

Participants in the Count:

Field workers: Mark Council, Steve Faccio, Ed Hack, Tait Johansson, Sally Laughlin, Fred Merrill, Julie Nicholson, Kate Olgiati, Chris Rimmer, Larry Roberts, Kevin Taft, Clare Walker Leslie.

Feeder watchers: Carole Christian, Polly Foley, Joan Harvey, Dr. Laughlin's Office, John Mitchell, William Nacel, Carol Powell, William Scott, Martha Wilbur.

To find out more about the Annual Christmas Bird Count or to learn more about birding in the area, please contact Julie Nicholson at julia.m.nicholson@valley.news or Sally Laughlin at laughlin@sover.net (802) 644-5358 or contact VINS at (802) 457-2779.

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