Sandy Tkach and I conducted the 11th February KI census yesterday and
it was the best to date.  Monthly census route has been run every
month since 1998 with the exception of 2000 when I was unable to get
to the island and no one was on the island to do it.  The February
average had been 39 species with a high of 46 in 2002 and a low of 29
in 2003.  This year we had 49 species with an addition 2 species not
observed on the route.  The average number of individuals has been
4542 but this year we had 8166 (3rd highest).   Three new species were
added to the February list.  They were Long-tailed Duck, Tufted
Titmouse, and Fox Sparrow.  In addition, four species were observed
for only the second time in February.  They were Hairy Woodpecker
(1998), Cedar Waxwing (2002), Snow Bunting (1998), and Purple Finch
(2006).  The February list now stands at 79 species.

Weather was overcast with limited visibility (fog).  Winds SE then NE
5-10 mph.  Temperature was 40-46 degrees.  Very mild for a February
count.  Ice is breaking up on the lake.

43     Canada Goose
1        American Black Duck
9        Mallard
29      Redhead
71     Greater Scaup
3        Lesser Scaup
1        Long-tailed Duck
5        Bufflehead
6825 Common Goldeneye
68      Common Merganser
291    Red-breasted Merganser
11       Bald Eagle (6 adults, 5 immature)
1         Cooper's Hawk
5         Red-tailed Hawk
1         Killdeer
7         Ring-billed Gull
151    Herring Gull
7         Great Black-backed Gull
1         Eastern Screech-Owl
1         Great Horned Owl
2         Red-bellied Woodpecker
21       Downy Woodpecker
1         Hairy Woodpecker
2         Northern Flicker
5         Blue Jay
47       American Crow
7         Horned Lark
81       Black-capped Chickadee
1         Tufted Titmouse
2          Brown Creeper
2          Carolina Wren
8         Golden-crowned Kinglet
4          Hermit Thrush
88        American Robin
51        European Starling
2           Cedar Waxwing
20         Yellow-rumped Warbler
55         Northern Cardinal
*            American Tree Sparrow
1            Fox Sparrow
3            Song Sparrow
12          White-throated Sparrow
38          Dark-eyed Junco
9            Snow Bunting
67          Red-winged Blackbird
21          Common Grackle
2             Purple Finch
53          House Finch
*              Pine Siskin
2             American Goldfinch
28          House Sparrow

49 species
8166 individuals

New February average number of species per route is 40 and new average
number of individuals per route is 4872.


--
H. Thomas Bartlett
Tiffin, Ohio
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