Dataw Island Conservancy Christmas Bird Count

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Post Date: Friday, December 25, 2020

Dataw Island Conservancy Christmas Bird Count
There are a number of native bird species to be found year-round on Dataw Island, and like many Dataw Island residents we also see species migrate here from around the country. Some common, and some rare, the migration patterns of these birds is studied by the National Audubon Society. The purpose is to provide population data for use in science, especially conservation biology, though many people participate for recreation.

The Dataw Island Conservancy:

Christmas Bird Count

There are a number of native bird species to be found year-round on Dataw Island, and like many Dataw Island residents we also see birds that migrate here from around the country. Some common, and some rare, the migration patterns of these birds is studied by the National Audubon Society. The purpose is to provide population data for use in science, especially conservation biology, though many also enjoy people participating for recreation.

Each year, members of this private community join together in gathering data of which species and how many birds gather during the Christmas season, under the leadership of the non-profit group the Dataw Island Conservancy.

This year’s Dataw Island Conservancy Christmas Count tallied 2403 total birds (a record for Dataw) and 66 species. In 2019, 1583 birds were counted and there were 73 species. The dramatic increase in the total number of birds for the 2020 count was driven by large flocks of American Robins (496), Red-winged Blackbirds (178), Brown-headed Cowbirds (112), and Cedar Waxwings (75) that were on Dataw. By comparison, in 2019, the Robin count was six, the Red-winged blackbird count was 11, the Brown-headed Cowbird tally was 23, and the Cedar Waxwing count was zero. These four species account for the 821 total bird increase this year. In terms of the lower species number of 66 for 2020 as opposed to 73 in 2019, it was a consequence of several very common species not being seen on December 15. This year observers did not see a White-breasted Nuthatch, Cooper’s Hawk, or a Herring Gull. Additionally, no House Sparrows, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, or Savannah Sparrows were seen. These seven common species, absent this year, account for the fewer species counted. There is no question that these commonly-seen species would have been spotted if the Christmas Count was a multiple day affair.

Here is the list of bird species that were spotted on Dataw Island on December 15, 2020.

1) Anhinga: 14

2) Red-winged Blackbird: 178

3) Blue Jay: 18

4) Eastern Bluebird: 31

5) Brown Thrasher: 1

6) Northern Cardinal: 26

7) Gray Catbird: 1

8) Cedar Waxwing: 75

9) Carolina Chickadee: 37

10) Double-crested Cormorant: 181

11) Brown-headed Cowbird: 112

12) American Crow: 77

13) Fish Crow: 1

14) Mourning Dove: 20

15) Common Grackle: 3

16) Bonaparte’s Gull: 2

17) Laughing Gull: 2

18) Ring-billed Gull: 4

19) Red-tailed Hawk: 3

20) Black-crowned Night Heron: 40

21) Great Blue Heron: 49

22) Little Blue Heron: 45

23) Tri-colored Heron: 36

24) White Ibis: 57

25) Belted Kingfisher: 4

26) Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1

27) Common Loon: 3

28) Mockingbird: 11

29) Chipping Sparrow: 23

30) European Starling: 2

31) Wood Stork: 156

32) Forster’s Tern: 15

33) Tufted Titmouse: 7

34) Black Vulture: 13

35) Turkey Vulture: 10

36) Hooded Merganser: 16

37) Bald Eagle: 6 ( 4 Adult, 2 Immature )

38) Great Egret: 258

39) Snowy Egret: 115

40) Cattle Egret: 12

41) Peregrine Falcon: 1

42) Goldfinch: 2

43) House Finch: 63

44) Brown-headed Nuthatch: 7

45) Baltimore Oriole: 2

46) Osprey: 3

47) Great Horned Owl: 1

48) Brown Pelican: 12

49) Eastern Phoebe: 1

50) Black-bellied Plover: 1

51) Killdeer: 3

52) Semipalmated Plover: 6

53) American Robin: 496

54) Spotted Sandpiper: 1

55) Willet: 11

56) Palm Warbler: 7

57) Pine Warbler: 6

58) Yellow-rumped Warbler: 33

59) Yellow-throated Warbler: 6

60) Downy Woodpecker: 6

61) Red-bellied Woodpecker: 8

62) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 5

63) Carolina Wren: 3

64) White Pelican: 19

65) Orchard Oriole: 2

66) Rufous Hummingbird: 1

This year, the count was also extended to the newly-acquired nature preserve, Oak Island. George Cartledge and Sandy Cartledge led the group that conducted the bird survey on Oak Island. There were 22 species and 83 total birds tallied. There were three species, the White-breasted Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker, and Cooper's Hawk that were seen on Oak Island but not on Dataw.

Here is the Oak Island species and bird list for December 15, 2020.

1) Carolina Chickadee: 3

2) Double-crested Cormorant: 3

3) American Crow: 2

4) Ring-billed Gull: 1

5) Cooper's Hawk: 1

6) Great Blue Heron: 1

7) Little Blue Heron: 7

8) Tri-colored Heron: 5

9) White Ibis: 11

10) Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1

11) Word Stork: 1

12)Turkey Vulture: 1

13) Bald Eagle: 2

14) Great Egret: 1

15) Snowy Egret: 9

16) White-breasted Nuthatch: 1

17) Eastern Phoebe: 1

18) American Robin: 21

19) Pileated Woodpecker: 1

20) Red-bellied Woodpecker: 5

21) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 4

22) Carolina wren: 1

Interested in getting involved or learning more about The Conservancy? Contact George Cartledge at [email protected] and he will put a form in your message box or email it to you (please indicate your preference.)

The Dataw Island Conservancy
c/o Guy Apicella
[email protected]
(843)838-0965