12/17/05
9,414 individual birds of 60 species were recorded in the 41st annual Athol Christmas Bird Count held Saturday December 17th. Thirty -five members and guests of the Athol Bird and Nature Club searched a 15 mile diameter Circle centered on Downtown Athol. Frozen ponds and lakes kept the number of ducks and other waterbirds to a minimum but the snow and ice conditions brought many birds into area feeders.
The highlight of the count was a Boreal Chickadee visiting the feeder of Alicia Heinricher of Orange. This denizen of the Spruce and Fir forests of the northern United States and Canada has been entertaining dozens of birders since December 12th. A pot luck supper and tally of the day's sightings was held at the Millers River Environmental Center after the count. Results of the count will appear in "American Birds" published by the National Audubon Society.
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 Bald Eagle at Cass Meadow in Athol, MA, 12/17/05 photo by Dave Small |
 Boreal Chicadee in Orange, MA, 12/17/05 Photo by Alicia Heinricher |
Wood Duck 3
American Black Duck 12
Mallard 48
Hooded Merganser 2
Common Merganser 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 2
Ruffed Grouse 3
Wild Turkey 286
Common Loon 2
Horned Grebe 3
Bald Eagle 4 ( Adults: 2 - Immatures: 2)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5
Cooper's Hawk 4
Red-tailed Hawk 11
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 103
Iceland Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 619
Mourning Dove 484
Barred Owl 2, Northern Saw-whet Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 9
Downy Woodpecker 131
Hairy Woodpecker 41
Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 12
Northern Shrike 1
Blue Jay 1113
American Crow 285
Common Raven 20
Horned Lark 40
Black-capped Chickadee 1875
Boreal Chickadee 1 (Orange)
Tufted Titmouse 329
Red-breasted Nuthatch 88
White-breasted Nuthatch 241
Brown Creeper 20
Carolina Wren 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 19
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 11
Northern Mockingbird 8
European Starling 553
Cedar Waxwing 537
American Tree Sparrow 300
Eastern Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 25
White-throated Sparrow 38
Dark-eyed Junco 434
Snow Bunting
Northern Cardinal 99
Eastern Meadowlark
Purple Finch 7
House Finch 173
Common Redpoll 65
Pine Siskin 7
American Goldfinch 560
Evening Grosbeak 56
House Sparrow 705
Participants:
Ed Armstrong, Earle Baldwin, Dana Blake, David Brown, David Caldwell, Jonathon Center, Dick Cooper, Chris Coyle, Robert Coyle, Larry and Joan Duprey, Steve Farrell, Lulu Field, Lynn Harper, Alicia Heinricher, John Henshaw, Shelley Hight, Jeff Johnstone, Bruce Kanash, Anne Kendell, James Mallet, Bob Mallet, Greg McGuane, Dale Monette, Jacob Morris-Siegel, Tom Murray, Mike Polana, Bruce Scherer, Nicole Sears, Joseph Superchi, Mark Taylor, Greg Watkevitch, Paul Whitney, Ralene Williams and Count Compiler: Dave Small
If you wish to volunteer to lead a trip please contact
Dave Small or
Events Coordinator Sue Cloutier 978-544-7500