Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count 2021

The Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on 1 Jan 2022.  The count period extends from December 14 to January 5 and a count can take place anytime in that interval.  The count is done in the same 24-km circle every year.  The Mactaquac CBC circle extends from Granite Hill to Keswick and Springfield to Mazerolle Settlement.  

This year we had 15 participants who collectively drove 458 km and walked 20.5 km.  They spent 36 hours in their cars and 15 hours on foot.  Some spent considerable time tallying the birds that came to their feeders that day.  Many thanks to all who participated.  Your work is much appreciated!  Following are our findings.

Mactaquac  Xmas Count			Date	1 Jan 22
Time (hrs) total    36
Time by car21on foot   15
Distance(Km) total    478.5      car   458     foot    20.5
Observers
Compiler Beverley Schneider
Canada Goose
American Widgeon
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) B		37
Mallard		10
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)		21
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser		10
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) B		1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) B		6
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) B		3
Wild Turkey		12
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) B
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) B		7
Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) M		1
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) M
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) B		31
Rock Pigeon		328
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) B		32
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl (Strix varia) B
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker		20
Hairy Woodpecker		17
Pileated Woodpecker		12
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) M
Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) B
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) B		118
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) B		167
Common Raven (Corvus corax) B		27
Black-capped Chickadee		501
Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) B
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) B		122
White-breasted Nuthatch B		24
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) B		2
Golden-crowned Kinglet		6
American Robin   (Turdus migratorius) B
European Starling   (Sturnus vulgaris) B		701
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) M		4
Song Sparrow   (Melospiza melodia) B
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco   (Junco hyemalis) B		31
Northern Cardinal		5
Snow Bunting   (Plectrophenax nivalis) M		1
Pine Grosbeak   (Pinicola enucleator) B
Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) B		134
Red Crossbill   (Loxia curvirostra) B		2
White-winged Crossbill		35
Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) M		20
Pine Siskin   (Carduelis pinus) B		6
American Goldfinch   (Carduelis tristis) B		331
Evening Grosbeak		14
Other
duck sp.		5
Finch spp.
Gull spp.
Total No. Birds		2804
Total No. Species		36
Seen during count period -
No. Participants	15
Mammals
.White-tailed Deer	10
.
.
.
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This year we counted 2804 individual birds of 36 different species.  Even though we had a considerable amount of open water, the waterfowl count is a bit low.  There were 100 Common Mergansers below the dam a week before the count but, as you can see in the table above, there was only 1 there on count day.  All the geese were gone and we had an average amount of Blacks, Mallards, Goldeneyes and Hooded Mergansers.  The number of eagles was normal and we saw no hawks.  That is not unusual because most of them have left the area.  Gull numbers were normal as were crows and ravens.  Winter finch counts were low with almost no Pine Grosbeaks, Waxwings,  Common Redpolls and just a few Crossbills.  Purple Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos and American Goldfinches, however, were in abundance.   Notice, there were no Robins and no overwintering summer sparrows, the American Tree Sparrows being normal winter residents.  The large numbers of European Starlings were almost all around farm buildings.  One interesting finding was the large numbers of Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches.  I notice the nuthatches were also high on the Fredericton count.  It would partly be due to an abundance of available feed in the past year.  That would probably be in the softwoods because the White-breasted Nuthatch numbers are about normal and they prefer hardwood habitats.

See the chart below for average numbers.  This year's species numbers are about average but the total number of individuals is up.  Note that the bottom line of the chart adjusts the average numbers eliminating the 2019 results which are low because of inclement weather and snow-bound roads for that count which skewed the results.  

Mactaquac CBCs
	No. of Species	Total Birds
2011	38	2821
2012	40	2469
2013	32	1942
2014	39	1616
2015	38	1747
2016	36	1965
2017	32	1697
2018	37	2033
2019	31	1422
2020	44	2104
2021	36	2804
Average	37	2056
Adj. Average	37	2120

This year's numbers are high probably because of a mild winter so far,  an abundance of food, and large numbers of starlings, chickadees and nuthatches.  

The Mactaquac CBC has been held for many years.  It is an interesting count because of the interesting habitat.  I am so pleased that we have willing and able volunteers to conduct it.  See below for some photos of the neat sights we came across along with the beautiful birds.

                                                                    Scottish Highland Cattle

                                                            Mule Watching Us Count Birds