Sandy Tkach and I conducted the 14th December monthly census of the island
for the Kelleys Island Audubon Club.  Data is also used in the Lake Erie
Islands Christmas Bird Count.  Weather started with partly cloudy skies, SW
winds 5-12 mph, and 17 degrees.  There were snow flurries off and on during
the day and overcast most of the PM.  Temperature did get to 24.  The lake
was mostly frozen to the south and west but mostly open to the north and
east.  We added 6 species to the December census list; Mute Swan,
Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, American Kestrel, Bohemian Waxwing, and Field
Sparrow.  The 14 year average for species on this census is 51 and we had a
record 66.  We ended the day with 72 species observed on the island.  The 14
year average for total individuals on this census was 22,882 and we record a
record 62,919.  With 45,000+ gulls observed, you would think we could find a
white-winged gull or two.  But lighting conditions were too poor and even my
imagination couldn't pull one out.  Off course the Bohemian Waxwing was the
bird of the day.  I was able get photos the next day and one is posted on
rarebird.org.  Check the webpage:

http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5298&title=bohemain-waxwing-kellys-island


December Census Data:

132     Canada Goose
3         Mute Swan
4         Trumpeter Swan
76       Tundra Swan
1387   Gadwall
4         American Wigeon
447     American Black Duck
1315   Mallard
3         American Black Duck X Mallard Hybrid
4         Green-winged Teal
19       Canvasback
258     Redhead
*         Ring-necked Duck
98       Greater Scaup
514     Lesser Scaup
5         White-winged Scoter
2         Black Scoter
287     Bufflehead
4764   Common Goldeneye
8         Hooded Merganser
1934   Common Merganser
312     Red-breasted Merganser
*         Wild Turkey
1        Great Blue Heron
7        Bald Eagle (1 ad, 6 im)
1        Sharp-shinned Hawk
2        Cooper's Hawk
1        Red-shouldered Hawk
*         Red-tailed Hawk
1        Rough-legged Hawk
1        American Kestrel
28      Bonaparte's Gull
6510  Ring-billed GUll
11,568 Herring Gull
1       Lesser Black-backed Gull
32     Great Black-backed Gull
27003 Gull species?
1       Mourning Dove
3       Eastern Screech-Owl
*        Great Horned Owl
8       Red-bellied Woodpecker
2       Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
37     Downy Woodpecker
22     Northern Flicker
5       Blue Jay
59     American Crow
4       Horned Lark
92     Black-capped Chickadee
*        Red-breasted Nuthatch
2       White-breasted Nuthatch
6       Brown Creeper
4       Carolina Wren
4       Winter Wren
8       Golden-crowned Kinglet
7       Eastern Bluebird
9       Hermit THrush
1089  American Robin
4343  European Starling
1       Bohemian Waxwing
25      Cedar Waxwing
9       Yellow-rumped Warbler
7       American Tree Sparrow
1       Field Sparrow
2       Song Sparrow
5       Swamp Sparrow
74     White-throated Sparrow
*        White-crowned Sparrow
149    Slate-colored Junco
1        Oregon Junco
*         Common Grackle
56       Northern Cardinal
1         Purple Finch
39       House Finch
41       American Goldfinch
71       House Sparrow

66 species
62,919 individuals


--
H. Thomas Bartlett
Tiffin, Ohio
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