CBC = NAS #112, MICL #17, 18-Dec-2011

The 17th annual Clinton Christmas Bird Count was held on December 18, 2011. This was also the 112th annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (CBC).

We had 24 field participants in 14 parties, plus 1 feederwatcher. 67 species were recorded on count day.

Most water was open, but some of the shaded, still water was frozen. Surprisingly, the overall waterfowl numbers were lower than expected. The sky was overcast in the morning with a bit of sun in the afternoon and temps in the mid-30's. Overall, 12,474 individual birds were tallied.

New or tied high count = 14 species (see table posted below), including 2 new species finally tallied on count day (Wilson's Snipe and Common Grackle).
The big records included Sandhill Cranes (123, more than twice the previous high), American Crows (1149, ~twice the previous high), and Eastern Bluebirds (271, ~twice the previous high). Also, a Common Loon on Sand Lake was only the 2nd record of this species for the count.

Thanks to those who have participated in the count for any of the 17 Clinton CBCs.

Several species have become regulars in recent years:

- Turkey Vultures have been found on 9 of the last 10 counts. These are normally found in or near Manchester. Nearly a record number with 76 this year.

- Bald Eagles have been found on 6 of the last 8 counts, and one of the misses included a "count week". A record number of 4 were observed this year.

- Pileated Woodpeckers continue to be observed in more areas of southeast Michigan. This species has been found on 6 of the last 7 counts. A record number of 4 were observed this year.

- Northern Mockingbirds have been found on the last 5 consecutive counts. We tied the record number of 4 this year.

The misses this year included Rough-legged Hawk, Carolina Wren, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and the general lack of waterfowl numbers considering the open water & mild weather.

Below is a table showing the results of the 2011 count and includes the CBC averages and maximums for each species. (click on the image to enlarge, then the image can be saved to your desktop for further enlarging)



To look into the historical data, check out this link on the NAS website. The Clinton CBC code is MICL.

The date for the next Clinton CBC is likely the 1st Sunday of the CBC season (December 16, 2012). If you have time and interest, please get in touch with me. We'll get you lined up with an area. We can always use more participants and coverage.